Los York, the creative studio under the aegis of founder, CCO and director Seth Epstein, has secured MilkToast, the creative management firm led by Dani Ostrowski, to handle representation on the East Coast….
Artist Management Association (AMA), a trade organization for the commercial photography and fine art industries, has been formed. The AMA’s mission is to advocate for companies that represent and manage photographers, artists, directors, stylists, illustrators and other creative talent that work in the photography and fine arts fields. The association was established following years of discussion among artist representatives and managers across the U.S. Unlike the commercial production industry, this sector of the visual arts industry was left to create individual terms, conditions and standards resulting in inconsistent business practices. With the emergence of new media platforms, the integration of stills and motion, and lack of standards around payment terms, image usage and copyright, it became clear the new trade organization will play an optimal role in advancing the interests of its members, building a solid foundation and promoting expansion of the industry for years to come. With over 50 founding member industry agencies and partners, the AMA established a board of directors, instituting guidelines and launching a website that will serve as a valuable resource for the organization. Members will have access to assets and resources that include a universal bid form, national guidelines for photo production, health and safety guidelines for photo production, a variety of downloadable forms and agreement templates, and more as the organization grows. The AMA is accepting both general membership and non-member industry partner sponsorships for an annual fee. AMA Partners will benefit from high-exposure branding opportunities while also participating in social networking, awards and educational events and visibility to managers and agencies across the U.S. and Europe. The board of directors are established artist managers in the commercial photography and fine art industries, including president Kelly Montez (Apostrophe Reps), VPs Jen Jenkins (Giant Artists) and Howard Berinstein (ATRBUTE), communications director Vanessa Stevens (VS+Company), treasurer Heather Elder (Heather Elder Represents) and directors-at-large Carol LeFlufy (Eye Forward) and Stacy Fischer (Exposure NY)….
DPA Microphones, based in Alleroed, Denmark, has appointed Sรธren Hรธgsberg as its EVP of sales and marketing. As a former executive with many of Denmark’s leading corporations, Hรธgsberg will call on his global experiences to lead DPA in strengthening the coordination of its sales and marketing initiatives. A graduate and post-graduate of the Aarhus School of Business, Hรธgsberg most recently served as VP of international sales at Demant A/S, a leading international health care company focused on hearing aids, audiological equipment and personal communication. Hรธgsberg also previously held senior positions at Vestas Wind System A/S and GN Store Nord A/S, which is among the top 20 traded companies in Denmark….
Vatican, Microsoft Create AI-Generated St. Peter’s Basilica–For In-Person and Virtual Visitors
The Vatican and Microsoft on Monday unveiled a digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica that uses artificial intelligence to explore one of the world's most important monument's while helping the Holy See manage visitor flows and identify conservation problems. Using 400,000 high-resolution digital photographs, taken with drones, cameras and lasers over four weeks when no one was in the basilica, the digital replica is going online alongside two new on-site exhibits to provide visitors -- real and virtual -- with an interactive experience. "It is literally one of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated projects of its kind that has ever been pursued," Microsoft's president Brad Smith told a Vatican press conference. The project has been launched ahead of the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee, a holy year in which more than 30 million pilgrims are expected to pass through the basilica's Holy Door, on top of the 50,000 who visit on a normal day. "Everyone, really everyone should feel welcome in this great house," Pope Francis told Smith and members of the project's development teams at an audience Monday. The digital platform allows visitors to reserve entry times to the basilica, a novelty for one of the world's most visited monuments that regularly has an hours-long line of tourists waiting to get in. But the heart of the project is the creation of a digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica through advanced photogrammetry and artificial intelligence that allows anyone to "visit" the church and learn about its history. The ultra-precise 3D replica, developed in collaboration with digital preservation company Iconem, incorporates 22 petabytes of data โ enough to fill five million DVDs โ Smith said. The images have already identified structural... Read More