Believe Media, Los Angeles, has entered into a partnership with Action Films
Believe Media, Los Angeles, has entered into a partnership with Action Films, a leading production company in Russia. Per the deal, Believe will be promoted under its own banner in Russia. Believe Media founder/managing director Luke Thornton said, “This alliance with Action Films gives us the ability to enter a market that is still relatively undefined and full of creative possibilities. Furthermore, to do it under the Believe banner underscores the global nature of our brand.” Action Films has turned out more than 1,000 projects and its work has earned such honors as a Cannes Gold Lion and recognition at the London International Awards….Director Brian Scott Weber, whose credits include Busch Gardens, Chevrolet, and ZeroMeth, has signed with Lemonaide Media, the bicoastal house headed by founder/exec producer Jeanne Mattiussi, for exclusive spot representation. He was most recently at Rhythm+Hues. Weber joins a Lemonaide roster that includes director/photographer Dean Karr, directors/cinematographers Morten Sandtroen and Jefferson Miller, and director Ed Miller….Hollywood, Calif.-based agency goodness Mfg. has added sr. art director Rob Bajohr and art director Neal Desai. Bajohr's experience includes sr. art director posts at both Digitas and MRM Worldwide NY. In the social space he helped create Digitas' “Small Business Saturday” experience for American Express OPEN. The campaign used social media incentives, local news media and bloggers to drive consumers to small retailers resulting in a 28% increase in holiday spending. Desai comes to goodness Mfg. via TDA Advertising & Design, Boulder, Colo., where he was an art director…..Jessica Stanchak has joined Beast's New York facility as producer. She comes to the editorial house (which also has offices in Santa Monica, Austin, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco) after a stint as a producer at edit boutique jumP. Prior to jumP, she served as an assistant producer at Ogilvy & Mather, NY….Cutting Room, New York, has promoted Melissa Lubin to executive producer with former EP Susan Willis moving into the managing partner position. Lubin has come up the ranks at Cutting room, joining in 2005 as a receptionist and ascending to assistant post producer, sr. producer, then head of production and now EP….Digital agency Domani Studios has hired Jonathan Lander as creative director. He will work out of offices in NYC and Chicago. Prior to joining Domani, Lander served as creative director at U.K. interactive agency Code Computerlove….
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