Untitled, the Santa Monica shop headed by executive producer Jim Evans, has signed director Kathryn Bigelow and the helming duo the Cronenweths (brothers Tim and Jeff) for commercials…. Executive producer Heidi Gottlieb has launched New York-headquartered Go Man Go Productions, which is affiliated with bicoastal feature film distribution/production/finance company First Look Media. Go Man Go opens with director John Towse, formerly of bicoastal/international hungry man. Additionally, executive producer Rachel Griffin joins Gottlieb in making director feature filmmaker Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) available to helm spots via Go Man Go….Director Michael Patterson, formerly of Rhythm & Hues, Los Angeles, has joined Visitor, the Hollywood-based production company under the aegis of owner/ director James Wahlberg and executive producer Lisa Hollingshead….Superior Assembly Editing Company closed its doors in Santa Monica last month. Several key artisans from that shop have emerged at new roosts. Prior to Superior’s closure, editor Jeff Grippe left to join Sliced Grape, the offline editorial division of West Los Angeles-based The Grape Group. Coming over with Grippe to Sliced Grape were former Superior Assembly managing director Valerie Schadt and producer/marketing executive Dillard Sholes. Editor Nicholas Erasmus, who spent the past four years at Superior, has joined Santa Monica-based Terminal….Rick Boyko, chief creative officer of WPP Group’s Ogilvy & Mather North America and co-president of Ogilvy & Mather, New York, will retire from the agency next year. He will become the managing director of the Adcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. O&M co-president Bill Gray will assume sole management of the agency, with executive creative directors David Apicella and Chris Wall becoming co-creative heads….Fluid, New York, has signed editor Scott Philbrook, who comes over from Mad River, New York. Additionally, composer Andy Mendelson has joined the post/music house….Composer Michael Bacon has signed for commercial representation with bicoastal Fearless Music. Bacon has scored a large number of feature films (King Gimp, Twisted), and will continue to score features out of his eponymous shop, Michael Bacon Music. He tours regularly with his brother Kevin, as one half of The Bacon Brothers band….Editor Robin Burchill, formerly of New York-based Consulate, has joined Slingshot Edit and Post, New York ….
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More