March 30, 2014 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Game of Thrones earned distinction as Outstanding Location Feature Film and Outstanding Location Television Program, respectively, at the first annual Location Managers Guild of America (LGMA) Awards held at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills. The Outstanding Film Commission honor was bestowed upon the Albuquerque Film Commission for its work on the TV series Breaking Bad and the feature film Lone Survivor. Additionally, Billy Crystal presented the Humanitarian Award to two-time Oscar-winning (Bound For Glory, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Crystal recalled directing the HBO film 61* (about Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle’s chase of Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record), which was shot by Wexler. Beyond Wexler’s work as an artist, Crystal said that “Wexler the man” implored him to make sure that the production of 61* was “really safe,” without any crazy long hours. This concern about safety was a focus of the Wexler-directed documentary Who Needs Sleep? which showed the tragic consequences of sleep-deprived crew members. In accepting the Location Managers Guild’s Humanitarian Award, Wexler called for “more human conditions in the way we work” throughout the entertainment industry. Concerns for crew safety should be paramount he said, asking, “Are our priorities human or to feed the bottom line?”….Director Greg Kohs has joined bicoastal Chelsea Pictures for U.S. and international representation. A native of the Motor City and graduate of Notre Dame, Kohs honed his signature “captured not contrived” storytelling aesthetic and craft at NFL Films shortly out of college. It was during his tenure there that he received 10 Sports Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Kohs’ uniquely genuine style of visual storytelling has been brought to spots and content for clients ranging from Google and Apple to Nike, Mastercard, Disney, EA Sports and Titleist. He has collaborated with such agencies as 72andSunny, Wieden+Kennedy, Mullen, Arnold, The Martin Agency, and Y&R….
March 20, 2009 Uber Content has signed director Luis Gerard for exclusive North American spot representation. He comes over from greatguns: USA….Director John Zissimos, formerly of Hungry Man, has joined Fools and Horses, an L.A.-based production house headed by owners/executive producers Shelly Townsend and Cyn Guzman. Earlier Zissimos was a creative director at TBWAChiatDay New York, Warwick Baker Fiore in New York, JWT NY and San Francisco, and McCann Erickson, San Francisco….Directorial duo the Docter Twins (Matt and Jason) has signed with Mortar, Inc., a Hollywood-based production company headed by director David Merhar and executive producer Grayson Bithell. Matt and Jason come over from DUCK Studios, Los Angeles….FilmCore, which maintains editorial studios in New York, Santa Monica and San Francisco, has extended its reach to the Midwest with the opening of a Chicago facility headed by editor Angelo Valencia, formerly of FilmCore’s Santa Monica operation…..New York-based editorial house Crew Cuts has diversified into finishing, VFX, audio and sound design with new hires and resources. Nick Montgomery has been brought aboard to head the audio operation, Ian Glaum to oversee a new VFX department, and Josh Weiss to lead the finishing charge….
