• Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2017
Union signs editor Christopher Huth
Christopher Huth
NEW YORK -- 

Editor Christopher Huth has joined the staff of Union Editorial. Known for affecting stories that span the spectrum of human emotion, Huth edited 2016 Cannes Direct Gold Lion-winner Pantene “DadDo” via Grey (directed by Pam Thomas), and “Dear Sophie” (directed by Henry & Rel), one of three Google Chrome spots from BBH and Google Creative Labs that collectively earned AICP Best in Show distinction for Advertising Excellence/Campaign in 2012. Huth recently completed anthem spots for Tempurpedic (via Hill Holliday, directed by Josh Taft) and USPS (via McCann, directed by Henry-Alex Rubin), as well as a short film for Chicco (via Mullen, directed by John X. Carey). Huth comes over from WAX, having begun his career at Lost Planet.

Graduating in 2006 with a BA from the University of Michigan’s Department of Screen Arts and Cultures, Huth began his studies as a chemistry major. “I hated sitting in dark rooms, so I abandoned the lab for the edit bay,” he joked. In fact, Huth’s path would lead him through other creative pursuits before taking his seat in the bay: he spent a year as a house fellow at Villa Guicciardini in Florence, Italy, and another year as resident curator at UnionDocs in Brooklyn, NY. Huth honed his craft at Lost Planet under Hank Corwin. Among Huth’s first opportunities was the aforementioned “Dear Sophie.” Another Google piece, “Demo Slam,” directed by Tim Abshire via Johannes Leonardo, won a Gold Lion for Film at Cannes, as well as Gold and Silver Clios, in 2011. Huth counts AT&T’s “It’s not Complicated” (BBDO, Jorma Taccone, dir.) and HoneyMaid’s “Anthem” (Droga5, Martin+Lindsay, dirs.) among his favorite historical projects, and works frequently with directors Lisa Rubisch and David Frankham. In 2014, Huth edited VISA’s Olympics entry, “Faces”, via BBDO and directed by Sweetgrass.

“Every job is a puzzle,” said Huth. “To solve each one requires just the right mixture of technique, team and usually blind luck. The first two, anyway, Union has in spades.” He added, “Union has built a fantastic team ready to take on the creative and technical challenges that the industry loves to throw our way as it reinvents itself every six months. There are no more offline edits anymore--design and visual effects can play as big a role in spots as music does--and Union’s graphics team is unrivaled.”  

Union is presided over by partner/managing director Michael Raimondi and partner/executive producer Caryn Maclean. The Union roster is comprised of partner/editors Jim Haygood, Einar, Jay Friedkin, Sloane Klevin, Marco Perez, and editors Huth, Nico Alba, Jinx Godfrey, Nicholas Wayman-Harris, Rachael Waxler, Daniel Luna, Jason Lucas, Paul Plew, Ben Longland, Laura Milstein, Eric Argiro, Karen Kourtessis, Zach Kashkett and Andrew Doga, as well as select projects with Tim Thornton Allen and Phil Hignett.

Union Editorial has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and London, where it maintains an alliance with Marshall Street Editors. The company also develops and produces original content, in partnership with Killer Content companies through its Union Entertainment Group banner. Other Union companies include Platform, a creative and advertising solution for the gaming industry; and Resolution, a visual effects boutique specializing in commercials, features and gaming.

  • Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2017
Color scientist Jerome Dewhurst joins Roundabout Entertainment
Jerome Dewhurst
BURBANK, Calif. -- 

Jerome Dewhurst has joined Roundabout Entertainment’s technical staff as chief color scientist. Dewhurst will oversee and manage the color pipeline for the facility’s growing digital intermediate and color correction operations, and set best practices for color company-wide. He will also lead research efforts to develop new software, technologies and services related to color management.

“Jerome is a highly respected color scientist with deep expertise in the digital intermediate process and experience on top level motion picture and television projects,” said Roundabout Entertainment CEO Craig Clark. “He is also an innovative researcher and developer who will be a great asset to our plans to create new services and tools for the benefit of our clients.”

Dewhurst brings nearly 20 years of experience as a color scientist and imaging engineer to Roundabout. For the past six years, he has served as a freelance color consultant, assisting studios, producers and postproduction facilities worldwide. He also developed software, including a mobile color grading application, used by more than 100,000 professionals and consumers.

Regarding his move to Roundabout, Dewhurst said that he was attracted by its entrepreneurial nature and impressed by its commitment to leadership in postproduction. “It’s a company that is looking to innovate, to develop new technologies and practices,” he said. “My role is to help the company create beautiful images and we intend to do that by being adventurous and doing things that haven’t been done before.”

Dewhurst’s background also includes six years as an imaging engineer at Framestore, London, where he managed color pipelines for scores of feature film and television productions. They include Salt, The Dark Knight, Casino Royale and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. A graduate of the University of Westminster, he began his career with Kodak’s Cineon unit in London.

  • Monday, Apr. 17, 2017
Jeffrey Baksinski upped to creative director at Zoic Studios
Jeffrey Baksinski
CULVER CITY, Calif. -- 

Zoic Studios has promoted Emmy-nominated VFX supervisor Jeffrey Baksinski to creative director. Baksinski has over 30 years of experience in postproduction working in film and video editing, set supervision, and visual effects. With continued series growth across all three Zoic offices, the promotion will allow Baksinski greater creative oversight alongside partners Chris Jones and Andrew Orloff. His wealth of experience includes working on such films as Fifth Element, Titanic, X-Men 2 and virtual production design on Avatar. Joining Zoic in 2011, Baksinski has VFX supervisor has such recent credits as The Get Down, Hand of God, Timeless, Blindspot, The Exorcist, Blacklist, Castle and Six, as well as a DFX role on The Grey, Killing Kennedy, Gangster Squad and Lawless. He earned a 2016 Emmy nomination for his work on the pilot of Amazon’s original series The Man in the High Castle.

“Jeff is one of those rare few that can be counted on in every way a company like ours might require, be it creative leadership, project strategy or business acumen,” noted Zoic executive creative director/co-founder Chris Jones.  

Added Baksinski, “The modern audience has developed a pretty good eye, demanding higher quality, unique visual effects from their television shows. I’m extremely lucky to be working with Chris and Andrew through this transition in our industry as they’ve built a long-standing reputation for high volume, high quality work. With our top notch supervisors and crew, we’re going to continue to push the boundaries of television effects.”

Los Angeles-based Baksinski got his start in visual effects at Digital Domain, later moving on to help to build Cinesite Hollywood. Following that, he went on to launch his own visual effects company Furious FX. He later contributed to the first full Virtual Production technology for Avatar, then returned to Digital Domain as the “director of Digital Studio,” running the features department and artists. Most recently, Baksinski was a technical designer and implemented the Stereo Conversion pipeline at Prime Focus before joining Zoic.

  • Monday, Apr. 17, 2017
Ashley McKim promoted to global EP of commercials at Company 3
Ashley McKim
LOS ANGELES -- 

Postproduction and color grading studio Company 3, part of the Deluxe family of companies, has elevated long-time commercial production executive Ashley McKim to the newly created role of global executive producer. McKim manages Company 3’s production teams and oversees sales operations, leveraging and building the company’s global network of talent and virtual outposts.   

“Our clients are increasingly looking to work with our teams and tap into our services across multiple geographies,” said Deluxe president and GM of features and advertising post, John Paulson. “Our goal is to ensure they have access to the world class artists and technology at Company 3, wherever they are. Ashley has broad production experience across editorial and post and she’s well versed in all areas of our clients’ work. As the single point of contact for bidding and sales, she’ll help further unify our advertising post business at Company 3.”

McKim said, “By centralizing systems, processes and collective mindshare, we can approach projects more strategically and let our artistry shine. Even minor operational adjustments can make us more efficient and translate to huge gains for our clients as their needs change and evolve,” McKim said.

Stefan Sonnenfeld, Deluxe chief creative officer and Company 3 founder, said, “At Company 3 we’ve always been focused on bringing the best talent to our clients’ projects. Ashley’s new role will help us continue to evolve in terms of creative flexibility.”

During her tenure, McKim has worked closely with Company 3 colorists, while also building and nurturing strong business relationships. A savvy matchmaker, she specializes in pairing artists with jobs that perfectly align with their skillsets, a talent she now extends across Company 3’s global roster. Prior to Company 3, McKim worked with top editors, built agency relationships, and led marketing and sales for international editorial house Cutters Studios and partner companies. She held a similar role at the commercial post and editorial house Hybrid Edit. McKim was also a founding partner and executive producer at Beef Films and Chop House Post, leading sales initiatives and handling day-to-day management of the production company.

  • Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2017
Rick Anthony named GM of Light Iron’s NY facility
Rick Anthony
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- 

Light Iron, a leading postproduction solutions provider and member of the Panavision family of companies, has appointed Rick Anthony to the newly created role of general manager in its New York facility. The addition comes after Light Iron added a second floor in 2016 to triple its inventory of editorial suites.
 
“Our New York facility has grown significantly each year since opening in 2013,” said Josh Haynie, the company’s VP of U.S. operations. “Rick brings a wealth of experience in facility management, customer service and client relationships, which will enable us to continue to offer best-in-class service in the years ahead.”

Anthony previously held general manager roles at Pac Lab and New York Lab/Postworks/Moving Images, overseeing teams from lab through digital workflows. He began his career at New York’s seminal film lab, DuArt, where he was a technical supervisor for many years.
 
Anthony notes several appealing factors for joining Light Iron: “From being at the forefront of color science and workflow, to having an exceptional team of talent and technicians, to providing bicoastal client support, this is a unique opportunity. Working together with Panavision, I look forward to serving the dailies, editorial, and finishing needs of any production, be it feature, episodic or commercial.”

Light Iron’s New York facility offers 20 premium editorial suites from its SoHo location, as well as in-house and mobile dailies services, HDR-ready episodic timing bays, and a 4K DI theater. The facility recently serviced Panavision’s first U.S.-based feature shot on the new Millennium DXL camera.

  • Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2017
Nicola Finn Joins The Mill NY as EP for design & animation
Nicola Finn
NEW YORK -- 

The Mill has added Nicola Finn to its New York production team in the role of executive producer for design & animation. 

Finn joins The Mill with a wealth of industry experience, having worked both agency, client and production side, with specific focus on design and animation. She started her career as a producer for advertising agencies that included Mother, Wieden+Kennedy and 180, before moving client side to set up an in-house Film & Content department at NIKE EMEA in the Netherlands. She then turned her attention to design-focused production, moving back to London and setting up Strange Beast before working as EP/managing director of Passion Pictures where she oversaw numerous successful and award-winning campaigns.

Heather Fullerton, managing director of The Mill’s New York studio, said of Finn, “Having worked with many leading clients both in Europe and U.S., she had been responsible for quite some iconic work.  Her creative eye and design/animation expertise will support the continued development of our world class team.“ 

Finn added that she’s enthused to join the “talented collective of artists, technologists and producers at Mill+, and the wider Mill family. I have long admired the high standard of artistry and innovation consistently delivered by this team and feel honored to have been given the opportunity to play a role in continuing to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.”

  • Monday, Apr. 10, 2017
JAMM adds Flame artist Brian Hajek
Brian Hajek
SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- 

Visual effects creative studio JAMM has added commercial and feature Flame artist Brian Hajek to its roster.   
 
After graduating from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Hajek began working in the commercial field before crossing over to feature films. His extensive experience includes compositing shots for movies like The Avengers, Life of Pi, Avatar, Snow White and the Huntsman, American Sniper, Moonrise Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy and many more.
 
Hajek’s skill for making the fantastic feel tangible led to a VES Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture, for his role in helping to create “Skinny Steve Rogers” for the movie Captain America: The First Avenger. The shrunk-down version of the superhero played by Chris Evans was so believable, many viewers assumed it to be footage of a doppelganger actor. After working on over 50 feature titles, Hajek is returning to advertising.
 
After working with JAMM as a freelancer, Hajek is glad to jump on board in a greater capacity, saying, “It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of JAMM’s creative team. I had the chance to work on the Toyota ‘Discovery Machine’ campaign here, and it was immediately clear that this was a place I’d like to stay.”

  • Monday, Apr. 10, 2017
Ken Kresge named VP, creative director/editor at Edit 1
Ken Kresge
NEW YORK -- 

Ken Kresge has joined Edit 1 as VP, creative director/editor. Working alongside company owner/president Michael Zimbard and executive producer Mike Donovan, Kresge will play an integral role in the direction of Edit 1’s creative work and the company’s overall growth going forward.

“Agencies need content in a way they never have before because there are so many ways to reach consumers -- online, social, mobile, broadcast,” Zimbard said. “Because of that we continue to expand beyond test commercial work and into some exciting new areas. With Ken aboard we can not only do more, but he shares our desire to always elevate production quality, which is a big win for the agencies and brands who partner with Edit 1.”

For Kresge, who began his career at McCann-Erickson, and spent the last 17 years at The Napoleon Group, the last seven as creative director, the decision to join Edit 1 centered primarily on his goal to euphemistically get his “hands dirty again.” 

“For me the attraction to Edit 1 is they’re a nimble boutique that can do a lot of things quickly,” Kresge said. “Whether it’s to strategize on the creative, sit in the edit chair, or get behind the camera, it’s important for me to feel connected to what I’m working on.  At Edit 1 that kind of involvement is not just welcome, it’s expected. I feel like this is the beginning of the rest of my career.”

Another aspect of the Edit 1 culture that appealed to Kresge is its penchant for taking on passion projects, such as indie music videos and short films. “Passion projects often lead to innovation and creative expansion,” Kresge noted, “and as someone like me who’s been developing original content for a while now, I look forward to working with the Edit 1 team on that when the time is right.” 

Donovan added, “As a company, we’re incredibly fortunate to have the talents of both Ken and Michael under one roof. They are among the most respected creatives in test commercials and pre-vis in our industry, and to have both here at Edit 1 is a tremendous opportunity for us and for our clients.”

  • Friday, Apr. 7, 2017
Kristopher Smale promoted to colorist at MPC LA
Kristopher Smale
LOS ANGELES -- 

Global creative studio MPC has promoted Kristopher Smale to colorist in his fourth year with the company. Smale will continue to work alongside colorist Mark Gethin, U.S. creative director/color, and colorists Ricky Gausis and Houmam ‘H’ Abdallah. The news was announced by Justin Brukman, MPC managing director, U.S.
 
Smale has been in the postproduction industry for 11 years and color grading for four. He apprenticed under some of the best artists in the business before joining MPC’s award-winning color team in 2012. 
 
A frequent collaborator of directors such as Andrew Donoho, James Ponsoldt and Alice Gu, Smale has brought beauty and depth to many highly acclaimed commercials and short films. Highlights include Samsung’s “Voices of Life” commercial, Apple Music’s Good Charlotte “Youth Authority” episodic series, West Elm’s New Denim Project and Local to Global campaigns and all three episodes of The North Face’s “Steep Series,” filmed on British Columbia’s Tsirku Glacier. Smale has graded projects for countless top brands such as Nissan, Honda, Acura and Samsung.

Smale is based in Los Angeles and the only American colorist on MPC’s team--born and bred in Detroit.

Recent work from the MPC LA Color team includes Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women (Gethin), FX’s Golden Globe-winning series Atlanta (Gausis), FKA twigs x Nike’s “Do You Believe in More” (Houmam), Samsung’s “Surf–The Snail” (Gausis) and The Weeknd MANIA (Gethin).

  • Thursday, Apr. 6, 2017
MPC hires EP Ed Koenig
Ed Koenig
NEW YORK -- 

Ed Koenig has rejoined the global visual effects and postproduction studio MPC as an executive producer. Earlier in his career he was EP, color, in MPC’s Los Angeles office, and was one of the first hires the company made when it opened there in 2008. He brings a broad range of postproduction experience to his new position, where he’s tasked with continuing to grow the studio’s network of official partner facilities and expand its palette of remote services beyond color grading.
 
In addition to  Koenig’s appointment, MPC announced two new additions to its official partner facility roster: 11 Dollar Bill in Chicago and Hero Post in Atlanta. They join CharlieUniformTango in Austin and Dallas, The Work in Detroit and Ditch in Minneapolis as the studio’s list of partner facilities.
 
“Having Ed focused on finding new ways for clients to work with us beyond the confines of our New York and L.A. studio locations represents an incredibly exciting opportunity for MPC,” said Graham Bird, global managing director for MPC Advertising. “Ed’s knowledge of the industry, combined with the technology to remotely connect clients with our creative talent, is incredibly powerful”
 
Koenig’s first tour of duty at MPC lasted six years. During that initial tenure Koenig helped colorist Mark Gethin, now creative director for color in the U.S., set up the studio’s color department. Koenig left in 2014 to join Nice Shoes as an EP. He later was a founding partner and head of new business for Smith Design Office.
 
Koenig’s return to MPC reflects more than just picking up where he left off. “We’re not merely looking to connect with top performers in major markets around the country,” he explained, “but to redefine how these independent companies work with a studio as multifaceted as ours. I’ll also be functioning as a kind of roving advance scout for MPC, finding ways clients anywhere can take full advantage of what we have to offer in a way that works best for them.”
 
Koenig cited as an example the work they’ve done with Ditch since adding that shop to the partner roster last year. MPC has provided several of the boutique’s clients with not only high-end color grading, performed by colorists in both its L.A. and New York offices, but also compositing, finishing, Flame work and a range of other VFX services, all performed by artists based many miles from the Twin Cities. “In these instances, we just point our signal toward Minneapolis and we’re collaborating with Ditch owner and editor Brody Howard and his entire team,” Koenig noted. 
 
“A big part of what I’m doing is bringing wide-ranging projects into MPC through our remote partners,” he continued. “While remote color has become an accepted part of the postproduction mix, our push to expand into a broader roster of visual effects capabilities puts us out in front.”
 
Del Feltz, EP at 11 Dollar Bill, said the studio, which recently opened an office in Boulder, met Koenig through its newly-named Boulder managing director, Lisa Effress, who’d worked with him when she was an executive producer at agency CP+B. “Everyone here is really excited about it, both in the areas of VFX and color,” said Feltz of their new relationship. “To have access to a resource like MPC opens up lots of opportunities for us in Chicago, and brings a lot of experience to our market.”
 
11 Dollar Bill sr. colorist Clark Jackson noted the efficiency this will provide typically time-challenged agency clients: “They can finish off a color session here, check in on their graphics and effects work and handle their edit – all of which is being done at a very high level.”
 
Hero Post partner and EP Molly Baroco in Atlanta also sees the value of offering MPC’s talent to her agency clients. “Having access to their colorists is a great option for our market,” she said, noting that Hero’s relationship with MPC will focus on grading. “They’re super talented, and we and our clients are excited to have this resource available here in Atlanta.”
 
Koenig sees his job as marshalling the studio’s capabilities in ways that make it easier and more efficient for clients to tap into them. To this end, he’s working closely with Meghan Lang, EP color in Los Angeles, and Dani Zeitlin, EP color in New York, as well as with other producers in both offices, to ensure that the studio is assembling the best teams to meet the needs of each project.
 
“A big part of our growth will come from truly working with our remote facilities as partners,” Koenig added. “Between my history with MPC, my work with color grading and effects and my time spent at other studios, I think I can serve as a valuable resource for clients.”

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