Draftfcb faces S.C. Johnson business review

FOR DRAFTFCB, 2011 will not start off with a proverbial bang, as S.C. Johnson, its major client of 58 years, plans to review its $1 billion marketing accounts for its entire global brand.

Draftfcb has handled advertising for many of Racine-based S.C. Johnson brands, including Pledge, Windex and Raid. Incumbents, which include RG/A, Ogilvy and Mullen, will be invited to participate in an agency review (gulp) early next year.

DOWN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, Gov. Rick Perry named attorney Evan E. Fitzmaurice as interim director of the Texas Film Commission, following the unfortunate (and unfair) resignation of Bob Hudgins, who’d been IFO’s deputy director for many years before moving into the Austin-based position.

The well-connected Fitzmaurice had been with a big L.A. entertainment law firm and earlier was a member of a well-known Dallas law firm.

In case you missed this, the Texas Film Commission denied incentive funds to director Robert Rodriguez’ “Machete” for either “inappropriate content” or “content that portrays Texas or Texans in a negative fashion.”

The letter to Rodriguez was dated Dec. 1, the day after Hudgins left, and signed by the deputy director. No one in Gov. Perry’s office will admit making the decision.

ON THE SUBJECT OF FILM OFFICES, due to budget cuts the Minneapolis Film Office closed Jan. 1 with the departure of Matthew James, Cultural Arts Coordinator, the liaison with city agencies to facilitate filmmaking.

A total of $10 million worth of commercials and films were shot in Minneapolis in 2010 and the city issued 270-plus permits were issued.

LINDA FROTHINGHAM’S ChicagoHollywood.com scored a biggie for a February teleconference: Robert McKee, the maharishi of all screenwriting gurus will share his screenwriting wisdom with Chicagoans for the very first time. Until then, join the Jan. 13 teleconference with award-winning screenwriter Corey Mandell on the provocative subject of “Why Most People Fail at Screenwriting ? and How to Give Yourself a Fighting Chance.”

“SHAMELESS,” THE CHICAGO-SET, but L.A.-shot series starring William C. Macy debuts Jan. 9 on Showtime. Second unit crews will come to Chicago at the end of January to shoot exteriors, like “ER” did every quarter for every one of its 15 amazing seasons on NBC.

AFTER SERVING as president of the Chicago Screenwriters network for five years, Sonny Wareham has stepped down and passed the baton to new co-presidents Chris Koziel and Bethany Lape. The next meeting with be held Sunday, Feb. 6 at the Lincoln Restaurant.

ANOTHER SEASON of Chicago Filmmakers’ Dyke Delicious Screening Series kicks off Jan. 8 with “An Evening with Coquie Hughes,” a Chicago native who’s made a name for herself in the indie film community by speaking to issues concerning lesbian and bisexual families in urban African-American culture.

FYI: NEW YORK’S production industry and labor unions have formed the Post New YorK Alliance, as a result of the state’s postproduction fully refundable tax credit.

The Alliance believes that as a group it can protect the industry’s creative capital, attract new talent to New York and strengthen the local economy.