To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, feature filmmaker Spike Lee directed “Never Forgotten,” a :90 (with a :60 lift) for State Farm in which some 150 school children, ages 8 to 11, from the NYC area visited four firehouses and thanked the firefighters through song–specifically a special version of “Empire State of Mind.”
The download proceeds of “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Lee helmed the project via Pony Show Entertainment for a DDB Chicago ensemble that included chairman Bob Scarpelli, chief creative officer Ewan Paterson, sr. VP/group creative director Barry Burdiak, VPs/creative directors John Hayes and Geoff McCartney, sr. VP/director of integrated production Diane Jackson, executive producer Scott Kemper, music producer and integration exec Eric David Johnson (a.k.a. DJ Bunny Ears), music production manager Linda Bres, and broadcast talent manager Rubye Hardy.
Susan Kirson and Jeffrey Frankel exec produced for Pony Show with Fern Martin serving as producer. Ellen Kuras was the DP.
Editor was Hank Corwin of Lost Planet.
Liquid‘s post contingent included colorist Clark Muller, lead VFX artist James Bohn, and VFX artists Justin Blaustein and Eric Schrecongost.
As for music, writers of “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” were Alicia Augello-Cook, Shawn Carter, Jane’t Sewell, Angela Hunte, Al Shuckburgh, Bert Keyes and Sylvia Robinson. Music director and conductor was James Davis Jr. Vocal producer was Buryl Red. Audio engineer was Jonathan Duckett. Recording facilities were Manhattan Center Studios/The Grand, Jungle City Studios and Avatar Studios.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More