BEAST EDITORIAL has been rockin’ lately with more than its usual major advertising spot work. To wit: It edited a major doc that will showcase at the Chicago International Film Festival, anointed a new producer, and executive producer Melissa Thornley assembled an awesome panel of agency executives who will speak at the Oct. 4 Midwest Independent Film Festival’s Advertising Shorts Night, she will moderate.
Concert editor extraordinaire Angelo Valencia was tapped to edit the live show performance portions of filmmaker Xan Aranda’s much acclaimed “Andrew Bird: Fever Year,” which covers the culminating months of the musician’s last tour. Kartemquin’s Liz Kaar was the doc’s editor. The 80-minute film screens Oct. 15-16 in the DocFest section of CIFF.
In addition to Beast’s Valencia, Aranda credited production associate Kendall Fash, postproduction producer Lauren Scheuer, and assistant editors Morgan Bradley, Matt Glover, Mark Sheridan and Mark Bachara.
Scheuer is Beast’s new producer promoted from assistant. A 2008 theatre/communication grad of Lake Forest College, she joined Filmmakers Club right out of school. Beast hired her in April, 2010.
The Ad Shorts Night panel is worth waiting in the rain to hear. Chris Rossiter, head of production at Leo Burnett; Brian Smego, head of production at Y&R; Ken Erke, ECD, R/GA and Kevin Lynch, SVP/CD, Energy BBDO will discuss “Creative Inspiration in the Commercial World,” i.e., about still having energy and ideas to create your own films after spending 60 hour weeks on commercials.
Doors open at 6 p.m. The panel speaks at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30. Place is the Century Landmark Centre Cinema, at Clark and Diversey.
HELLO AND GOODBYE. DDB’s senior producer Jeff Drooger is leaving the agency after eight years and returning to Energy BBDO, which had been the second agency he worked for after he started his adbiz career in the mid-’90s.
As executive producer, Drooger will take over the agency’s long time and very large Bayer Healthcare account. It was formerly the province of BBDO’s long-time EP Jim Benoit, who recently retired with everyone’s good wishes for a wonderful life after advertising.
UTOPIC’S NEW EDITOR is Keith Kristinat, who had been senior assistant to Tim Kloehn for the past five years. His most recent projects include Nintendo, Kelloggs, Allstate, Maybelline, Samsung and Coke commercials.
A recent Utopic addition is editor/finisher Ryan Gilbert, who runs Utopic’s online/finishing department and oversees its motion graphics division. Gilbert joined Utopic last April. He had been freelancing as an editor since leaving Red Car in 2009. He’s worked on such business as Gatorade, Nintendo, Allstate, Comcast, Miller and Coors.
BOWING TO POPULAR DEMAND, Chicago Screenwriters Network on Sunday, Oct. 2 dedicates an evening to writing for television, with two knowledgeable insiders who have the answers to questions unique to the small screen.
At 6:30 p.m. Reality TV is James Rhine’s hot topic. He’s currently the lead host of “3 Guys in a Booth” being filmed here for a major network and has recurring spots on REAL Networks and a very long background in television.
At 7:30 p.m., formidable Joe Keefe’s subject is Narrative TV. His short version bio is so long it defies synthesis. Suffice to say, he is an industry-leading rewrite specialist for TV and movies, an adjunct professor at Columbia College, worked at Second City for many years, on and on and on. Definitely worth listening to his words of wisdom.
The evening takes place at the Lincoln Restaurant, starting at 6:30 p.m.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS for Tuesday, Oct. 25, for one of the most elegant and enjoyable evenings of the year – the Cannes Lions 2011. It features cocktails and the Grand Prix and Gold Winners reel, presented by USA Today and the Chicago Ad Federation at the Hotel Sax.
Got news? Of course you do. Send your latest projects, personnel, changes, space, awards, arrival and departure notes to Ruth@ReelChicago.com.
