Fletcher Camera & Lenses’ new Michigan address will be the Michigan Studios (formerly known as Raleigh Studios) in Pontiac. The official move-in date is Aug. 1, following its departure from Studio Center (formerly known as Grace & Wild) in Farmington Hills, where Fletcher Detroit had been located since 2008.
Tom Fletcher calls the studio – once GM’s truck assembly plant, “one of the nicest stages in the world – a fantastic facility for production. We’re excited to be out there.”
The Chicago-based camera sales and rental house will move into the new 2,500-sq. ft. space over the next two weeks and expects to be completely settled in by Aug. 14.
When the move is completed, Fletcher Detroit will boast a $3.5 million inventory consisting of Alexa EV, Alexa Plus, Alexa M, Red Epic, Sony F65 and Phantom High Speed; lenses including Angenieux Optimo, Arri/Fujinon Aluras, Cook, Zeiss and Canon’s new zoom lenses.
Geno Moliterno of Flint is sales and market liaison for the new Fletcher outpost. He came aboard when the 25-year old Grace & Wild began closing down last fall. Rental technicians are new hire Andrei Klein, who joins Steve Oatley and Scott Van de Vyver – all from the Detroit area.
Fletcher says the majority of their Detroit business has come from features – currently supplying “Untitled Tornado Project.” “Michigan Studios is the center of that business. They’re building a nice community of film related companies,” he comments.
Fletcher is optimistic about the future of Michigan’s film industry, noting that Gov. Rick Snyder boosted the state’s film incentives cap to $50 million from $25 million, effective Oct. 1, 2012.
COMMA MUSIC HOSTS three Lollapalooza Band Showcases at its studios at 320 W. Ohio, in advance of the big music show Aug.3-5 at Grant Park. The showcases are Dry the River, Aug. 1 at 12:30 p.m., Givers, Aug. 2 at 2 p.m. and Oberhofer at 2:30 p.m. Beer tastings by Halfacre beer company to add to the festivities. Rsvp@commamusic.com.
LEVIATHAN’S design-focused production studio is the subject of three Autodesk Video Profiles produced by Autodesk software, and the latest honor for partners Chad Hutson, Jason White and Matt Daly, celebrating their company’s second anniversary.
NEW AGENCY FOR EBEL. Award-winning creative director Blake Ebel, who ditched Chicago for Denver two years ago, has opened a new Colorado-based agency, called Goodness Works, which defines itself as “an integrated group of problem solvers that simply believes goodness works.”
Ebel, son of spot director Bob Ebel, had been COO at Denver-based Factory Design Labs, which he joined in 2010 after leaving Euro RSCG as co-COO with Steffan Postaer. Earlier, he’d held senior creative posts with Y&R and JWT.
WHO’S NEW. McGarryBowen signed Jamie Shuttleworth as chief strategy officer, from the same position at Draftfcb. The agency which elevated John Kenny to director, from SVP/group director of strategic planning.
CHANGE OF PLANS. The 2nd annual Pink Crusade Wardrobe Swap scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 14 at Foundation, has been postponed until Oct. 10. The event, organized last year by Nathalynne McGinnis in honor of her late mother, and hosted by Foundation’s Megan Guerrant and freelance CD/copywriter Ann Hagerty, whose friendship began when they all worked at Draftfcb and predecessor agency FCB.
The Pink Crusade invites women to cull their closets for perfectly good but orphaned clothes, jewelry and accessories and swap them starting at $5. Proceeds donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation.
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