DP John Matysiak has joined Innovative Artists for commercial representation. He has shot some of the biggest names in music, particularly the country genre, including stars like Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Kings of Leon and Miranda Lambert. Matysiak has a wide array of commercial experience, spanning brands such as Audi, Bose, Chevy, ESPN Monday Night Football, Lexus, Mountain Dew and Spotify….
Also coming aboard the Innovative Artists roster for spot representation is production designer Leigh Poindexter who is local to L.A. and in the 800 Union. Poindexter’s recent work features global musicians like Paul McCartney and Sia, with recent narrative projects selected for the Sundance Film Festival and SXSW…..
Cinematographer Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS–who’s repped by UTA–has added The Batman to his schedule, which also includes The Mandalorian, coming out Nov. 12, and Dune, scheduled for release Nov. 18, 2020…..
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique, ASC–also handled by UTA–will be shooting Casey Nicholaw’s The Prom for Netflix….
DP Bojan Bazelli–who’s repped by Dattner Dispoto and Associates (DDA)–shot 6 Underground which makes its way to Netflix on December 13. Starring Ryan Reynolds, 6 Underground is the first Michael Bay-directed project for any streaming service. The action-packed film centers around six billionaires who take criminal justice into their own hands by forming a vigilante group after faking their own deaths. Bazelli also has director William Eubank’s horror thriller Underwater hitting cinemas on January 10. After an earthquake destroys the underwater research lab where stars Kristen Stewart and T.J. Miller work, a deadly monster threatens to take their lives as they try to make their way back to safety…..
Jeff Cronenweth, ASC–who’s also repped by DDA–lensed the long-awaited adaptation of James Frey’s controversial memoir. The film comes to the big screen on December 6….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More