The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Jennifer Todd has won the runoff election for the open Producers Branch seat on the 2018–19 Board of Governors. Todd joins incumbents Albert Berger and Mark Johnson in representing the branch and will assume her post as of July 1.
Todd and Jason Blum tied for the seat in the Board election last week, and Producers Branch members were asked to vote in the runoff. This is the fourth time in Academy history that a tie occurred in the balloting. Runoff elections were held in 2009 in the Directors Branch, 2015 in the Writers Branch, and 2016 in the Film Editors Branch.
The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. The Board directs the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission.
Avid completes acquisition of Wolftech
Avid®, known for software solutions for professional media production, has completed the acquisition of Wolftech Broadcast Solutions, a leader in cloud-based multiplatform news planning, production and publishing solutions.
The acquisition enables Avid to combine its digital-first, end-to-end media solution with Wolftech’s expertise in story-centric workflow management. News organizations will be able to increase efficiency and accelerate story delivery through enhanced remote collaboration and multiplatform amplification.
Avid CEO Wellford Dillard stated, “Wolftech is unquestionably on the leading edge of where the industry is going, and this acquisition demonstrates Avid’s commitment to transform news, sports, and live production workflows. We are delighted to welcome Wolftech into the Avid family.”
Wolftech CEO Arne Berven added, “We were focused on finding a partner that could accelerate the adoption of our platform globally. We explored a number of possibilities, but when we talked to Avid, we knew it was the right match.”
The closing of the acquisition follows Avid’s announcement on October 7 that the company had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wolftech.
With this acquisition, Avid deepens the integration between the two toolsets while continuing to embrace an open approach in partnering with a wide range of media production tools and newsroom systems. Existing Wolftech customers will benefit from Avid’s global scale for customer support and professional services.
Ian Axton, head of production operations for ITV News, said, “As a customer of both Avid and Wolftech we’re excited about the benefits this acquisition will bring to our users and our business. Wolftech has transformed... Read More