People on the Move

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has named Eric Rodli as executive director. In his new role, Rodli will be responsible for driving initiatives that uphold the mission of the organization--to advance the art and science of cinematography--and creating a supportive community for its members.

Rodli, an ASC associate member since 2001, has served six years as co-chair of the ASC Motion Imaging Technology Council’s Cinema Display Committee, dedicated to exploring new technologies and providing guidance on enhancing the moviegoing experience in service to the filmmaker’s creative intent. He co-authored the committee’s 2016 white paper, “Cinema Display Evaluation Plan and Test Protocol,” which explores the key image quality parameters of dynamic range, color space and overall luminance, as well as suggesting testing parameters. Rodli also has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Task Force on Content Preservation, and has participated in numerous industry panels ranging on topics from digital media distribution to projection.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Eric’s caliber propelling the vision of our organization to new levels,” said Kees van Oostrum, ASC president. “As the ASC nears its 100th anniversary, it’s important that we build on the legacy of our founders and continue to support the membership creatively, as well as encourage and educate the next generation of cinematographers. Eric has both the industry and creative relationships to augment our efforts.”

Rodli’s career includes extensive experience as an executive in the entertainment technology industry with management roles in start-ups and large corporations. He served as president at Iwerks Entertainment, Bexel and Kodak’s motion picture film division, and most recently as CFO of BeBop Technologies. Rodli has worked on numerous creative and technical initiatives across multiple industry sectors, dating back to pioneering the use of the first generation of HD cameras, as well as 3D projection, digital streaming technology, and laser projection systems. His strategic and hands-on experience in the imaging chain has fueled his belief that technology should serve the artist.

“I’m honored to be on board at the ASC to cultivate the progress of artists whom I admire for their outstanding contributions to so many indelible images,” says Rodli. “Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work with many cinematographers in various capacities and am constantly awestruck by their impactful aptitude, techniques and creativity. I look forward to working with the board and advocating for the members.”

Focused on education, the ASC hosts many programs, including the ASC Master Classes, Student Heritage Awards, Coffee and Conversation Q&As with cinematographers, and panel discussions by the Education and Outreach Committee. The award-winning efforts of the ASC Motion Imaging Technology Council (MITC) since 2003 have shaped the standards and practices of cinematography for digital workflows, with the group and its committees working closely with the Academy’s Sci-Tech Council and SMPTE. The ASC Vision Committee also holds events to foster diversity and equality on camera crews.

Creative agency barrettSF has hired Meredith Karr as associate creative director, to work on its 2K WWE, Cost Plus World Market, Rubio’s Coastal Grill, and Zappos accounts, as well as new business.

Karr held the same position at MAL\FOR GOOD in Los Angeles, having joined that agency in February 2016 as a copywriter before being promoted to ACD. An offshoot of Media Arts Lab, MAL\FOR GOOD focuses solely on purpose-based advertising, and Karr worked on several for-profit and not-for-profit clients, including NPR, the One Love Foundation, Earth Justice and XQ Institute.

Before that, she worked at Venables Bell & Partners as a copywriter from 2012-’16. Karr began her advertising career in September 2009 at Walt Disney Co.’s internal agency, Yellow Shoes Creative Group.

New media creative studio Flight School has promoted Jen Cadic to head of production. Cadic has a decade of experience in postproduction, producing a wide range of commercial, web content, film, TV and music video projects for industry companies including Charlex, Nice Shoes, Psyop and Reel FX. She joined the Dallas-based Flight School as a producer upon its launch in January 2017 and steps up as the studio’s first head of production to address the rapid growth of original IP and client projects, including the recent launch of its debut original VR experience, Manifest 99, which recently earned accolades at the Future of Storytelling and Raindance Film Festival. 

Recent projects out of Flight School include an augmented reality (AR) experience for the launch of Michael Jackson’s new “Scream” album and a dynamic air tennis experience for American Express at the 2017 U.S. Open. The Air Tennis experience used a combination of custom-built and responsive technologies, including air haptics and an ultra-sensitive motion capture system, to create an interactive live gaming experience.

Notes Flight School Executive Producer Taylor Williams, “Jen has been instrumental in laying the foundations for Flight School since day one.  Her history of exploring new mediums and tackling never-been-done-before projects for a broad range of clients including film studios, agencies and tech partners, not to mention our own IP, has given her a uniquely multifaceted perspective on what it takes to get jobs done in this constantly evolving landscape.”

New Jersey-native Cadic studied film and television before making her way to NYC, landing her first professional gig at Charlex, where she quickly learned the commercial production space with a hands-on approach. She moved on to Nice Shoes, where she produced a wide range of top-tier projects with major celebrity talent including projects with Lady Gaga and Beyonce as well as Kanye West’s short film “Cruel Summer” that launched during the Cannes Film Festival. After two years, she joined Psyop as a producer, leading design and CG-driven work for longtime client British Gas as well as a rebrand campaign for Mucinex featuring the newly designed Mr. Mucus character. To expand her expertise beyond commercials and get into the studio, entertainment and new media space, she made the move to Dallas to join Reel FX. There, she worked on a wide range of projects, including major VR experiences for studios such as Lionsgate and Paramount. Upon Flight School’s inception, Cadic then made the transition to working with the talent that joined Reel FX to form Flight School.

Johnathan Brownlee has been appointed CEO and president of the Dallas Film Society and executive director of the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF).
 
A transplant from Canada, Brownlee is an award-winning Canadian/American entertainment veteran with a diverse international body of work, spanning more than 20 years.  Three of Brownlee’s feature films, “Occupy, Texas,” “Three Days in August” and “Decoding Annie Parker,” have screened at DIFF. Brownlee created DIFF’s first screenwriting competition whose winner, “Three Days in August,” was produced in Texas, premiered at DIFF and was released nationwide at Studio Movie Grill.
 
“I’m extremely honored to lead DFS and looking forward to growing our education and community initiatives and leading DIFF’s transformation into a festival that reflects the incredible diversity of Dallas Fort Worth and the ever-changing landscape of entertainment,” said Brownlee, “There is nothing like watching a film in the theater, but we are also fortunate to be living in a time when television, streaming content and virtual reality are leaders in creative storytelling and our mandate at DFS is to present all of these experiences to our audience.”
 
Brownlee’s career highlights the symbiotic relationship among entertainment, art and commerce as he has created television series sponsored by Home Depot, HSBC, Ford, British Airways and Club Corp, to name a few. He has also produced content for The Salvation Army, Amnesty International, World Wildlife Fund, Toronto Humane Society, and KIPP Schools to support their fundraising campaigns. Brownlee has taught both creative and “the business of the business” workshops at Harvard, MIT, Vancouver Film School, LA Film School, Brandeis University, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Arts, and served as the LA representative for the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.