Filmmaker Paul Cummings, who works in commercials, music videos and shorts–with a specialty in stop motion–has signed with Los Angeles creative studio DUCK….New York-based Sonic Union has formed an alliance with veteran voice casting director Maria Pappalardo, who’ll be screening talent for television, film, web and radio, working out of the popular Union Square studios. Pappalardo opens the independent casting service, Pappalardo Casting, following 15 years as BBDO N.Y.’s head of voiceover casting where she cast thousands of large-scale campaigns for the likes of Visa, GE, Pepsi and Gillette…..Peepshow Post Productions, London and N.Y., has brought editor Dean Gonzalez, formerly of Final Cut, aboard its roster. Gonzalez is experienced in spots, music videos and is currently working on a documentary feature, The History of Canadian Humor (If It’s Not Too Much Trouble), produced by The Sibs and directed by Rob Cohen who has written for such shows as Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons and Mr. Show….
Snubs and Surprises In Oscar Nominationsย
In one of the more wide-open Oscar fields in recent history, there were plenty of nominations surprises Thursday. Not too long ago, it seemed that people like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman were destined for best actress nominations, while general audience disinterest in the young Donald Trump movie "The Apprentice" might have indicated its awards chances were dead on arrival. But the members of the film academy had something different in mind. Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises from the 97th Oscar nominations. SURPRISE: Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan, "The Apprentice" The young Trump movie "The Apprentice" has been one of the bigger awards season question marks, especially after it failed to resonate with moviegoers in theaters. And yet both Jeremy Strong, for his portrayal for Trump lawyer Roy Cohn, and Sebastian Stan (who was also in the conversation for "A Different Man" ), for playing the future two-time president, made it in. Only Strong got nominated by the Screen Actors Guild. SNUB: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, "Hard Truths" This will forever be one of the more confounding awards season oversights. Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivered one of the all-time great performances in Mike Leigh's "Hard Truths," as the perpetually aggrieved and sharp-tongued London woman Pansy. The general thinking is that it was either going to be Jean-Baptiste or Fernanda Torres, and Torres got in for the equally beloved "I'm Still Here." SNUB: Pamela Anderson, "The Last Showgirl" This is perhaps up for debate, but there was certainly a lot of goodwill behind Anderson's movie-star turn in Gia Coppola's "The Last Showgirl," especially considering her SAG nomination. But like with Jennifer Lopez and... Read More