Three “Chicago” series kick off fall season filming

STARTING JULY 20, Chicago’s film industry will take off like a rocket as NBC/Dick Wolf’s three primetime series — “Chicago Fire,” “PD” and “Med” — all begin shooting their new fall seasons on Cinespace stages.

By mid-September, eight TV series will be filming here. Cameras will roll for Fox TV’s hit “Empire” and new Fox entries, “The Exorcist” Aug. 3 and “ABP” Aug. 22. NBC’s “Chicago Justice” is scheduled to start for mid-September airing.

Amazon’s first TV series, “The Patriot,” written and directed by Steve Conrad, is the eighth show filming here. The series has made the Crededios’ Chicago Studio City its headquarters for the next 10 weeks.

Also: Headquartering at CSC for a largely location shoot is indie feature “Surprise Me,” from producers Steven Jones, Kevin McGrail and Jeff Marston and directed by writer Nancy Goodman of Highland Park.

The plot follows Genie Burns of Surprise Enterprise which plans surprise parties at unorthodox locations. When Genie is contracted by a mysterious client, she must plan the biggest surprise wedding yet.

TWO MORE AWARDS for Media Process Group’s inspirational and highly acclaimed “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise.” They were the Audience Award at AFI Docs Film Festival, Washington, DC and at the Cinetopia Film Festival in Detroit.

“Angelou,” co-directed by MPG’s Bob Hercules and Rita Cobourn Whack and four years in the works, is the first documentary ever made about the late American icon, author, poet and Civil Rights activist.

CHANGING TIMES. Scott Myers, co-founder of Screenwriters Master Class, has joined DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts as a full-time assistant professor. He begins his six-year appointment Sept. 1 and is on a tenure track position. Myers launched his Screenwriting Master Class in 2010. He is moving to Chicago from Chapel Hill, NC.

RHEA & KAISER’s recently installed in-house Video Production Unit produced a video for social and digital channels that promotes the opportunities that await studios and graduates of Agricultural Communications Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The video features interviews with Ag Communications students and alums.

Award-winning DP / editor Patrick Barkley heads the video team.

LAUGHLIN CONSTABLE was recognized with a Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® award presented by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) for its commitment to excellence in human resource practices and employee enrichment.

The 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is an awards competition assessing organizations on categories such as communication, work-life balance, employee education, diversity, recognition and retention.

REEL DETROIT: The AICP Show will be coming to Detroit July 21 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward. Rob Strasberg, CCO of Doner will deliver opening remarks at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; post screening reception, 7:30 p.m.

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