As SHOOT went to press, New York-headquartered, publicly held Paradise Music & Entertainment announced that its bicoastal Shelter Films subsidiary has ceased all operations. The Paradise release read that discussions are underway with Shelter Films’ president Steve Shore to resolve outstanding issues in his employment agreement. According to Paradise, contributing to the decision to shut down Shelter was the weakness of the advertising market compounded by the effects of recent events on that market. As reported in this week’s lead story, Paradise’s other commercial production house, Straw Dogs, has also closed, with former Straw Dogs’ president Craig Rodgers filing a demand for arbitration that alleges improprieties on the part of Paradise….Ron Ames and Rob Le-gato have come aboard Santa Monica-based Steam as creative directors. Both are available to direct via Steam. Ames was most recently represented as a spot helmer via now defunct Crash Films. Legato is a noted visual effects supervisor spanning features and TV….Animation director Chris Prynoski has joined Hollywood-based Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials, a division of animation studio Klasky Csupo. He is perhaps best known as the creator and executive producer of the cable TV series MTV Downtown…. Lance Paull and David Corr have been named co-presidents/ executive creative directors of Publicis, New York. Paul last served as creative director/partner at Berlin Cameron & Partners, New York, and Corr was a group creative director at TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York…..John Lovelace has joined New York-headquartered design shop So! Animation as partner/executive producer/director of new business development….Sarah Mahoney has been named executive producer of West Los Angeles-based visual effects house Zero Mass, a newly formed division of edit house TNT Media Services. Mahoney and visual effects supervisor Mark Kolpack head Zero Mass….Greg Stacy has joined Belief, a Santa Monica-based broadcast design and production studio, as its executive producer. He formerly served as senior producer for the weekly TV series Hot Rod Magazine TV, which airs on the Speedvision Network. Belief is headed by president/founder/executive creative director Mike Goedecke. Managing director/partner Steve Kazanjian recently exited Belief to pursue other, more interactive-centric opportunities….
Actor Steve Guttenberg Returns To L.A. Neighborhood Now Charred By Devastating Wildfire
Steve Guttenberg awoke Thursday morning to a grim reality: The treacherous wildfire that tore through the Pacific Palisades had left his once-lush neighborhood charred and unrecognizable.
With homes smoldered, streets emptied and friends scattered by evacuation orders, Guttenberg counted himself among the fortunate. His property was miraculously spared. But the actor-producer still struggled to reconcile his relief with the haunting sight of his ravaged, once lavish community.
"Just this morning, I woke up and I was really conscious of my mental state and my mental health, because the last three days, I've seen so much tragedy," said Guttenberg, pacing through the ruins of his neighborhood. He said his home has electricity but no running water.
Guttenberg thanked God that his block was safe, but he said about 20 homes were burned "pretty bad" in his 80-home community after wind-whipped fires tore across Los Angeles, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled as the fires burned uncontained Wednesday. He said the fires are the worst he's ever seen in his 66-years.
The wildfires have burned the homes of several celebrities including Billy Crystal, Carey Elwes and Paris Hilton.
Guttenberg said he never expected all of this to happen.
"It's like when someone dies suddenly," he said. "It's like when someone gets hit by a car. You never expect that to happen. That's how shocking it was."
During Guttenberg's stroll, it was an eerie scene with scorched palm trees, homes reduced to ash and rubble, and the daytime skies casted an ominous twilight over the devastation.
"I've seen people scared, people in wheelchairs, mothers and fathers trying to find their kids, people having anxiety and panic... Read More