Scout Productions has named entertainment and media executive Alex Mohler as head of partnerships, reporting to company president Eric Korsh. In the newly created role, Mohler will oversee the development of brand partnerships, consumer products, licensing and experiences connected to Scout’s original content and intellectual property. Mohler joins Scout amid a banner year, including season seven of Queer Eye on Netflix, the new series The Gentle Art Of Swedish Death Cleaning on Peacock, The Secrets Of Hillsong on FX/Hulu, MerPeople on Netflix and Living For The Dead on Hulu. Mohler will build on Scout Productions’ partnerships such as previous Queer Eye collaborations including with the LEGO Group to launch the LEGO® Queer Eye — The Fab 5 Loft set, exclusive Funko Pop!, as well as with Walmart to launch an exclusive furniture line. Earlier, Mohler built campaigns with global brands at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, all while generating millions of dollars for charities, community organizations, and families in need. Following Ellen, Mohler joined Westbrook Media where he developed entertainment content and platform partnerships for brands, including the series Backstage for Cadillac, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Before leading television and branded content partnerships, Mohler oversaw entertainment experiences for Mastercard at many of the world’s largest music festivals…..
Franck Lambertz has been appointed head of Rodeo FX’s Paris studio and will also serve as VFX supervisor. Lambertz has had a hand in award-winning campaigns for Chanel, Perrier, Ubisoft and designer brand Jean-Paul Gaultier, and has collaborated with directors such as Fredrik Bond, Rupert Sanders, Damien Chazelle, Francois Rousselet and Cary Fukunaga. Lambertz’s work has oscillated between film and advertising. In 2005, he joined MPC in London and specialized in advertising. He went on to help open studios such as MPC Los Angeles in 2008, MPC Amsterdam in 2013 and MPC Paris in 2015. He also participated actively in the creation of the French section of the VES (Visual Effects Society). Rodeo FX opened its Paris studio in 2023, marking the company’s fifth office after Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto and Los Angeles….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More