By Trisha Thomas
ROME (AP) --After surviving the Sony hack, production for the new James Bond thriller "SPECTRE" has moved to Rome, where crowds are gathering to catch a glimpse of 007 and the oldest Bond girl yet, 50-year-old Monica Bellucci.
Daniel Craig, 46, and Bellucci have been seen around town in recent days as filming has taken them from the cobble-stoned streets of the historic center out to the Mussolini-era modern EUR neighborhood.
The main thoroughfare of central Rome, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, was closed to traffic early Tuesday for a nighttime car chase scene featuring Bond's silver Aston Martin. Another chase took place along the bike path on the banks of the Tiber River.
Details of the plot of the Sam Mendes-directed film had been a well-guarded secret until Bond producer EON Productions acknowledged in December that an early version of the script was among material stolen in the Sony Pictures cyberattack. Details have since circulated online.
Nevertheless, curious Romans have come out in droves to take in scenes of the 20-day shoot, which followed an initial one in London.
"I hope to see James Bond. Someone told me that there is also Monica Bellucci," said Floriana Sacco, 36, as she watched an apparent funeral scene being shot outside EUR's civic museum. "We hope that as all other film settings in Rome, it will be beautiful and it will be good publicity to this beautiful city."
City officials expect as much as 1 million euros ($1.1 million) in permit fees alone, and that the total boost to the Eternal City could be several times that given the extras, security guards, film crews, catering services and hotels being used.
Rome's historic center has provided the backdrop to several major motion pictures in recent years, including Woody Allen's 2012 romance "To Rome With Love," and Paolo Sorrentino's 2013 "The Great Beauty," which went on to win an Oscar for best foreign film.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More