SHOOTonline.com

Method Studios Adds Trio of Animation Artists

Mon, 20 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2013 -- Method Studios, a Deluxe Entertainment Services Group company, has added three animation artists to its creative team--Erik-Jan de Boer and James Jacobs who join Method's Vancouver office as animation supervisor and creature supervisor, respectively; and animation supervisor Keith Roberts who will work out of the Los Angeles studio.

Director Kathi Prosser Joins Moxie Pictures

Mon, 20 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, NEW YORK, May 20, 2013 -- Moxie Pictures has signed director Kathi Prosser for U.S. representation. She comes over from The Sweet Shop, where she has collaborated regularly with numerous top agencies including BBDO, JWT, Arnold, Saatchi & Saatchi and Y&R. Her body of work ranges from opulent fashion campaigns to provocative PSAs.

SHOOT News Briefs for the Week of May 20, 2013

Mon, 20 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 20, 2013 -- Deborah Turness named president of NBC's news division; Seth McFarlane not returning as 2014 Oscar host; Martin Scorsese to present Mel Brooks with AFI Lifetime Achievement Award; Director Takashi Miike unveils "Shield of Straw" at Cannes Festival; Expectations high for next Xbox; CP+B hires Andy Grant as associate creative director; Native American tale with international pedigree emerges at Cannes.

Steven Soderbergh Discusses Decision To Step Away From Filmmaking

Mon, 20 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, NEW YORK (AP), May 20, 2013, Jake Coyle, Entertainment Writer -- Steven Soderbergh has said that "Behind the Candelabra"--- a $23 million HBO movie starring Michael Douglas as the flamboyant pianist and Matt Damon as his lover, Scott Thorson, airing Sunday in the U.S. - will be his last film, at least for now. The 50 year-old's career in film - 26 protean features including "Out of Sight," ''Traffic" and the "Ocean's" franchise - will effectively conclude in Cannes, the same place it was internationally launched.

Yahoo Seeks Youth Demograpic In $1.1 Billion Deal For Tumblr

Mon, 20 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, SAN FRANCISCO (AP) , May 20, 2013, Michael Liedtke, Technology Writer -- Yahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an Internet icon that had fallen behind the times. The deal announced Monday represents Mayer's boldest move yet since she left Google 10 months ago to lead Yahoo's latest comeback attempt.

Reset Signs Director Joseph Kosinski For Spots, Branded Content

Mon, 20 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, SANTA MONICA, CALIF., May 20, 2013 -- Joseph Kosinski, director of commercials, films and TV, has joined Reset for worldwide representation in advertising. He thus reunites with long-time colleagues, executive producer/managing director Dave Morrison and filmmaker David Fincher--the three were previously together at Anonymous Content.

Darren Aronofsky, Ted Robbins, Sandy Haddad Launch Spot Production House CHROMISTA

Sun, 19 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2013 -- Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky has partnered with a pair of spot industry veterans, executive producers Ted Robbins and Sandy Haddad, to open commercial production house CHROMISTA. The company has already embarked on projects with Ogilvy and DDB.

Upfronts More Of a Sketchy Proposition; Calendar, Plans Change

Sun, 19 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, NEW YORK (AP), May 19, 2013, David Bauder, Television Writer -- The most striking thing about the broadcast TV networks announcing their new fall schedules this past week was how little that actually meant. Television schedules seem more like sketches these days. Even the networks admit their prime-time plans for September will be different by January, even more so a few months later.

The Coen Brothers Return To Cannes

Sun, 19 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, CANNES, FRANCE (AP), May 19, 2013, Jake Coyle, Entertainment Writer -- The Coen brothers' resurrection of the pre-Dylan folk scene in Greenwich Village serenaded Cannes with its period music and melancholy tale of a self-destructive, feline-toting musician. "Inside Llewyn Davis" was met rapturously at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered Sunday night.

New Trailer: Bethesda Softworks' "Wolfenstein: The New Order"

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013 -- Psyop and AKQA teamed on this ominous announcement trailer for the game "Wolfenstein: The New Order" (from MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks). While the game isn't slated for release until this fall, this teaser trailer is designed to whet appetites by depicting an alternate 1960s' "Wolfenstein" reality universe where a Nazi war machine has taken over the world.

spot.com.mentary

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013 -- Our ongoing, long-running Flashback feature looking back at SHOOT headlines five and 10 years ago provides perspective, a stroll down memory lane, and occasionally a chuckle or two as we see how things have changed or not changed, progressed or regressed.

POV

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013, Nico Kasakoff -- Opening Nunchaku's Santa Monica headquarters was an adventurous project I must say. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but with very happy results right now after all.

Chat Room: Director Allen Coulter

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013, Robert Goldrich -- Perhaps most telling about Allen Coulter's directorial range are his five DGA Award nominations--three for dramatic series (twice for The Sopranos and most recently in 2011 for Boardwalk Empire) and two for his sitcom fare (both for Sex and the City). Also figuring to be among the DGA contenders this coming awards season is Netflix's House of Cards for which Coulter directed a pair of episodes, including the year one finale.
SHOOT recently caught up with Coulter who reflected on House of Cards, what drew him to the series and the challenges it posed to him as a director.

Short Takes

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013 -- Comedy legends Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, along with emcee Judd Apatow, headlined a rollicking live stream last month at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills produced by L.A.-based Boxer Films. The event kicked off #ComedyFest, Comedy Central's week-long comedy event on Twitter, and the occasion for Mel Brooks' first tweet @MelBrooks.

AICE Awards: Ashwell, Murphy Top Field

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, CHICAGO, May 17, 2013, A SHOOT Staff Report -- Two editors--Eve Ashwell of Cut+Run, London, and Chris Murphy of Relish, London--each scored a pair of AICE Awards, leading the pack at the gala ceremony held last night (5/16) at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. Additionally, Jack Tohtz--a founding father of the venerable Szabo Tohtz and a pioneering force in the AICE--was inducted into the AICE Hall of Fame.

A Series Of Firsts In Store For The 2013 AICP Show, Next Awards

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, NEW YORK, May 17, 2013, A SHOOT Staff Report -- New varied wrinkles abound for this year's AICP Show and Next Awards. For one, they are part of an overall more encompassing first-time event dubbed AICP Week, June 4-6, in New York. The three anchor attractions for AICP Week will be the AICP Show, the Next Awards, and the AICP Directors Lecture Series--the latter will make its return after a lengthy hiatus.

Producer Perspective: Beau Willimon Breaks New Ground With House of Cards

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013, Robert Goldrich -- The opportunity was too great to pass up as presented by filmmaker David Fincher to producer/writer Beau Willimon some three-and-a-half years ago--the chance to adapt the BBC miniseries House of Cards into a show for American audiences. What resulted is a breakthrough show which has garnered critical acclaim, put Netflix on the original program development map, and given viewers the power to watch the series on their own terms.

Flash Back

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013 -- On the awards show circuit, Microsoft's Halo 3 video game appropriately has scored the proverbial hat trick, garnering best of show honors at The One Show last week for its "Believe" campaign out of McCann Worldgroup and T.A.G. in San Francisco.

Cinematographers & Cameras: Fiction Feature; Festival Finds

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013, Robert Goldrich -- In this latest installment of SHOOT's Cinematographers & Cameras Series, DPs make their mark on a couple of fronts. First, a cinematographer spanning multiple disciplines reflects on lensing the fiction feature film debut of a director known for his commercialmaking and documentary acumen; and then on the film festival circuit, we focus on a pair of DPs who gained high-profile recognition by winning Cinematography Awards at Sundance 2013.

Top Spot of the Week: Kai Hasson Introduces A Talking Yoga Mat For Kimpton Hotels

Fri, 17 May 2013

SHOOTonline.com, May 17, 2013, Christine Champagne -- A yoga mat is the star of a viral video created and produced by Portal A for Kimpton Hotels. Meet Mat (A Yoga Love Story) opens on a woman, Sheri, sitting on a bed in a hotel room surrounded by piles of work. She is at a Kimpton Hotel on business, and it looks like she isn't going to see the light of day.