Deluxe has brought on board Barbara Jean Kearney as VP of sales for its New York postproduction office. Kearney joins Deluxe New York from Technicolor Postworks, where she led feature sales since 2012. With nearly 20 years of experience in filmmaking, Kearney spent the latter half of her career facilitating postproduction on critically acclaimed features, including 2017’s The Florida Project and Lady Bird, the latter of which earned two Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated for five Oscars and three BAFTAs. She has deep ties to the New York film community and holds an affinity for projects with an independent spirit. Prior to feature sales, Kearney was a DI executive producer at Technicolor, and has also held management and producer roles at Stretch Films, MTV, and Odyssey Entertainment…
Branding and design studio Trollbäck+Company (Trollbäck) in NY has has added David Edelstein as executive director of client partnerships. In his new role, Edelstein will be responsible for developing new business and expanding the company’s client relationships. Edelstein brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate strategy, sales, and production management. A veteran producer whose background includes working in broadcast design, promo production, and commercials, he was most recently managing director at Mod Op and eyeball, a position he held for four years. He was also instrumental in overseeing the merger transition of the two into Mod Op. Previously, Edelstein was managing director at Click 3X, where he worked on high-profile projects, including the Super Bowl on CBS. Prior to Click 3X, he helped launch Nth Degree Creative Group; as managing director, he oversaw the full branding campaign for “Live Earth,” as well as projects for Microsoft, National Geographic, HGTV, CBS, MSG Network, and National Hockey League. After holding a producer position at Showtime for four years, Edelstein co-founded broadcast design company [fdg] in 2000, working on notable projects, such as the re-launch of the Sci Fi channel. He has also leveraged his expertise in the education field, serving as an adjunct instructor at NYU and the Parsons School of Design teaching career development courses at both schools…..
Production designer Rene Vas has joined Innovative Artists for representation in commercials. He has worked with brands such as Audi, Comedy Central, Bank of America and Cadillac….
Utah Scientific–which specializes in routing switchers, master control switchers and related control software–has named Robert Pennington to serve as Northeast regional sales manager. Pennington will take charge of all direct sales throughout the region covering Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware, Massachusetts, Ontario, Quebec and other Eastern Canadian provinces. Chris Harmon, director of international sales, will assume responsibility for the Midwest sales territory covering Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia…..
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More