AN ALL-STAR PANEL OF EXPERTS from various sectors of film production will be worth braving the weather Sunday, Feb. 8, to hear their discussion of “How Different Media Disciplines Work with Screenplays,” at the Chicago Screenwriters Network.
Panelists are:
Actor/producer Mariann Aalda (SitMyAssDownComedy.com); Composer / producer Andrew Edwards (Blue Police Box Music; Columbia College faculty);
Location manager David Leonard (“Empire,” “Shameless”, etc.); Cinematographer Logan Stone (Cinestone Digital Media Studios); Actress/acting coach Adria Dawn (AdriaDawn.com) faculty at Columbia College and
Filmmaker David Tarleton, partner, Tarleton•Dawn Productions, assistant professor at Columbia College.
At Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, 3905 N. Lincoln, second floor; doors open at 6 for drinks, dining and networking, discussion at 7 p.m. Tickets, $5, are available here.
INDIE FEATURE “ANIMALS“ recipient of excellent reviews when it screened at SXSW last year, signed a distribution deal with been signed by New York’s Oscilloscope Pictures.
Produced by Mary Pat Bentel, Chris Smith, director Collin Schiffli, writer/actor David Dastmalchian the story is about a couple (Dastalchian and Kim Shaw) well on their way towards heroin-fueled self-destruction. John Heard has a short but impactful role as a sympathetic security guard.
NEW SVP/ECD at Naperville-based Rhea + Kaiser is Martyn Dean, a native of England who was a CD with London-based EuroRSCG and OgilvyOne Worldwide – agencies he also was with after moving to Chicago in 2001, along with Razorfish here. Most recently he’d been an agency creative consultant.
“Martyn is the right blend of team leadership and mentoring skills, new business contributions, multi-channel expertise and agency leadership,” says Diane Martin, R+K president/CEO in making the announcement.
REEL MICHIGAN: The Michigan Film Office’s new commissioner is Jenell Leonard, who assumes her new post Feb. 9. Leonard is the former director of external and strategic affairs for Lt. Gov. Brian Calley. Like her predecessor, Margaret O’Riley, who was promoted to VP/corporate affairs Michigan Economic Development Corp, she has extensive experience in state government.
Michigan’s smooth succession begs the question: Who will Gov. Rauner’s administration tap to lead the Illinois Film Office? Several names have floated by but only one has been consistently repeated: that of a prominent Republican, with a public policy and political background.
Since the Film Office director’s chair has been vacant for a month now, we should expect an announcement momentarily.
REAL PEOPLE, casting director David O’Connor’s new division, has seen a notable increase from agencies, “saying they want real families, or real doctors, or very specifically, a man over six-feet tall who drives a Chevy Tahoe,” O’Connor says.
The division has serviced 200 client projects in 2014, one of them being Unilever’s Dove soap’s “Real Beauty” campaign.
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