THE LATE MICKEY GROSSMAN’S many friends, colleagues and clients can share their stories and feelings about him on tape, courtesy of his good friends, casting directors Mickie Paskal and Jennifer Rudnicke, who are hosting the taping, June 6-8, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at their office at 10 W. Hubbard St.
“People can stopy by and tape a few words that we will include in a collection of stories and moments for Mickey’s wife, Faith, and partner Linda Jack,” says Rudnicke.
“There will be a memorial service on June 13, but this an opportunity for a more intimate sharing of thoughts. We may, with your permission, of course, pull moments to include in the memorial service. A lot of folks may want to speak at the service and we want to make sure everyone who wants to is is heard,” she says.
To be part of the video tribute, phone 312/527-0665 or Email mickie@prcasting.com.
LONDON CREATIVES will join their former CHI & Partners’ colleague, chief creative officer Ewan Patterson here at DDB. The creative team of Matt Collier and Wayne Robinson are leaving CHI & Partners after four years and heading for the U.S. although their exact titles and start dates are presently unknown.
DDB’s new creative duo started their partnership at Mother Press Advertising before moving to JWT London for seven years, where they were part of the team that helped win the $600 million global HSBC account.
Plus: DDB added multi-awarding British art director Paul Cohen also from CHI & Partners and famous for his print campaigns, as head of art, whatever that means.
CHIFCPUG SNAGGED A BIGGIE for its special June 8 meeting. Speaker is very busy and very highly regarded Chris Nelson, A.C.E., the editor of such hit TV series as Mad Men, Lost, House, Six Feet Under and The West Wing, among others.
The meeting takes place at DDB’s 40th floor offices at 200 E. Randolph at 6:15 p.m. and the cost to non-members is $10. Chifcpug will hold its regular meeting on June 22.
FOUNDATION CONTENT added producer Megan Guerrant, from Filmworkers Club for the past year, and six years at Draftfcb as a production business manager. Earlier, Guerrant spent nearly four years at event production company Williams/Gerard.
Guerrant coming over to Foundation, which is big on music videos, “brings her back to the start of her career, when she worked on independent films with Christopher Coppola and music videos at Black Dog Films/RSA,” notes Foundation president Samantha Hart.
Guerrant is currently producing a new spot for United Way of Orange County, through Foundation’s new and busy studio in the eclectic media Hayden Tract in Culver City. Foundation’s spot for United Way of Chicago won a 2010 Hugo.
A FREE TRIP TO CANNES LIONS is the prize deservedly won by Draftfcb multicultural team’s senior copywriter Alonso Arias. He is one of five GLOBAL winners of the YouTube Good Works Cannes Lions contest. He will attend the 58th Cannes Lions, the international advertising festival, June 19-25.
This 48 hour contest gave creatives between 18 and 28 the chance to win a free trip to Cannes to compete in the Young Lions Film Competition as part of “Team YouTube.” Their challenge was to create a video that drives people to petition world leaders to invest in health care for newborn babies, little children and pregnant mothers in struggling countries. View Arias’ piece, Santiago Eats, at youtube.com/user/goodwork
BTW: This was a record year for Cannes Lions entries: 28,828 from 90 countries were submitted, so you can how outstanding Arias’ piece must be to have surpassed heavy competition.
MORE YOUTUBE, this time it’s a webisode being produced by Odd Machine for client Hornitos Tequila to play on YouTube’s Choose Your Own Adventure. The webisode is about two friends, with the camera POV as their third pal, who are out for an evening of fun at Transit, a club in the West Loop and YouTube viewers help them choose the right adventure to follow. Odd Machine’s Seth Henrikson directs and shoots and partner Chris Segich edits.
LOTS OF FILM PREMIERES at the June 7 Midwest Independent Film Festival at the Landmark Cinema Centre, as the annual Comedic Shorts Program rolls out the laughs.
Among the 17 selections are a preview of director Scott Smith’s A Certain Breed, featuring Second City Main Stage veterans Emily Wilson and Brad Morris, and lots of improv statples,such as Noah Gregoropoulos, Brendan Jennings, Brian Wilson, Christina Anthony and SNL’s Shelley Grossman.
Wilson and Morris wrote A Certain Breed, about two obsessed Animal Shelter volunteers who have trouble parting with the very animals they’re attempting to adopt.
It will screen June 17 at the Twix Presents TBS Just for Laughs Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Smith, of Fulton Market Films, has two indie features in development and he’s currently in preproduction on another short film, One in a Million, written by award-winning playwright Penny Penniston.
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