Final Cut, an international edit house with shops in London and New York, has extended its geographic reach to the West Coast, launching a facility in Santa Monica. The new venue opens with partner/lead editor Eric Zumbrunnen, formerly of Spot Welders, Venice, Calif., editor Jim Weedon, who shifts over from Final Cut’s New York site, and executive producer Saima Awan, who formerly worked at Final Cut, New York, as a freelance producer on varied projects. At Spot Welders, Zumbrunnen cut for such clients as Ikea, Levi’s, adidas, Citibank, Microsoft, Nike and Porsche. He has collaborated regularly with director Spike Jonze of bicoastal/international MJZ on projects including MTV Award winning videos for Weezer and Fat Boy Slim, as well as the feature films Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. Weedon’s recent editing credits are spots for Reebok, Coors, NetZero, Rolling Rock and Allstate. Weedon is also represented as a director by Santa Monica-headquartered GARTNER (SHOOT, 1/28, p. 7)…..
Editor Holle Singer has been named a partner at Consulate, New York. During her 10 years at the company, Singer has cut assorted spots and music videos……
Editor Greg Letson, formerly of Red Car, New York, has joined the roster of editorial and music company Fluid, New York. His clients over the years have included Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Visa, Smith Barney, Major League Baseball and PaineWebber. Prior to Red Car, Letson had been a managing partner and founding member of two New York editorial houses, Cabana and The Big Picture….
Cut+Run, New York, has added editor Anthony Marinelli. An AICE Award nominee in 2002, Marinelli has turned out recent work for such clients as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Sears Optical, The Scotts Company, GlaxoSmithKlein and TV Land. The move to Cut+Run reunites him with the New York shop’s founder, editor Chuck Willis; the two earlier worked together at Crew Cuts, New York. Cut+Run also maintains offices in Santa Monica and London….
Editor Bob Mori has come aboard Santa Monica-based editorial/visual effects/design house Cake, marking a reunion with company president/executive producer Tatiana Derovanessian. The two had earlier in their careers worked together at Cosmo Street, Santa Monica. At Cake, Mori has wrapped a pair of assignments directed by Rob Pritts of Backyard, Venice: Dove for TBWA, London, and USPS via Campbell-Ewald, Detroit….
Editor Dustin Robertson has come aboard Cutters, Venice, Calif…..
Editor Jeff Landsman has joined Swell, Chicago, after eight years with Red Car, Chicago. At his new roost, Landsman has already cut a package of Shoney’s spots featuring comedian Jeff Foxworthy as spokesperson. Landsman began his career at Optimus, Chicago….
Inferno artist Alex Thomas has joined the commercials team at Framestore CFC, London. He was formerly with The Mill, London, and prior to that freelanced at such London shops as Clear, Smoke & Mirrors and Framestore CFC….
Visual effects/motion graphic design house Liquid Images has opened with creative director Paul Song, executive director Casey Gelvin and exec producer Valerie Schadt. The new venture is on the Cut+Run premises in Santa Monica, but operates independently of that shop….
Editors Hernan Menandez and Alejandro Santangelo have teamed to form creative editorial company Circolo. Overseeing the new Coconut Grove, Fla.-based venture is executive producer Michelle McKay…..
Rachelle Way, formerly a senior producer at Rhinoceros Post, New York, has been named executive producer for editorial boutique Company X, New York….
Broadway Video, New York, has added several staffers: compositor/editor Mark Repasky, editor Freddy Garcia, and director of operations Kim Caffiero. Additionally Alexandra Perez has been promoted to the newly created position of director of client services for the company’s Video Services Group. She had previously served as project manager in the Video Services Group’s duplication division….Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More