Kristen Bedard Johnson joins New York-based Lively Group. Bedard Johnson’s diverse expertise in film production, talent management, post-production and live entertainment will support her new role in managing sales for Lively Group, as well as creating the groundbreaking division of Lively Experience that will serve to create meaningful brand relationships both on and offline.
Bedard Johnson began her career in the theatre world before transitioning into advertising. Most recently, she spent three years as Head of East Coast Sales and Development for Furlined. Prior to Furlined, Bedard Johnson acted as East Coast Sales Rep for New York-based VFX studio Gravity, and held the same position for global production studio @radical.media.
As the media landscape has evolved, Lively Group has consistently readjusted their multidisciplinary DNA, assembling the right teams and tools to offer clients the most effective creative solutions across various platforms. In her new role, Bedard Johnson will be poised to offer the breadth of services provided by the Lively Group network of companies – creative editing company BlueRock; design and animation studio Spontaneous; luxury, lifestyle and fashion specialists Scarlett; finishing house Ballistic; and digital partner Rain – in a combination of infinite possibility.
“The fit with Lively Group is natural and effortless for me,” remarks Bedard Johnson. “With our combination of world-class capabilities and talent, we’re able to create a cohesive brand story across visual and experiential platforms in one fluid, collaborative process. With the resources of the group behind us, Lively Experiential can take the seed of an idea and make it grow to infinite heights.”
With Lively Experience, Bedard Johnson will be working with celebrated artists from outside the traditional advertising space to create narrative brand experiences that engage the consumer in an innovative, authentic and profound way.
The arrival of Bedard Johnson is the latest move for a company with adaptation and reinvention at its core. Recently Spontaneous hired branding expert Darryl Mascarenhas in the role of Executive Creative Director, and BlueRock added accomplished editor Jim Helton and rising star J.P. Damboragian to their award-winning roster.
Harvey Weinstein says he was duped into guaranteeing $45M loan, sues brother and other movie execs
Jailed and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein alleges in a new lawsuit that his brother, Bob Weinstein, and other executives at their now-defunct film company duped him into guaranteeing a $45 million loan in 2016, but diverted funds for their own personal use while setting the stage for his downfall.
Harvey Weinstein, 72, filed the claims Thursday in a long-running civil case in New York City involving a lender accusing him of defaulting on the loan. He is currently detained while awaiting a retrial on sex crimes charges in New York.
"Harvey Weinstein was deceived by those closest to him, and secured a $45 million dollar loan under the pretense of saving The Weinstein Company," Imran Ansari, Harvey Weinstein's lawyer, said in a statement. "While Harvey personally guaranteed the loan, others within The Weinstein Company enriched themselves and strategically undermined him, leaving him 'holding the bag' of debt while 'lining their pockets' when the company was in crisis."
Ansari alleged Bob Weinstein and others at The Weinstein Co. were in on a plot to position Harvey Weinstein for a downfall in an attempt to seize control of the company, which went bankrupt in 2018 as the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein exploded.
An attorney for Bob Weinstein, Brian Kohn, replied with a brief statement Friday saying, "Harvey's allegations are entirely without merit," in an email to The Associated Press.
Former Weinstein Co. chief operating officer David Glasser, now chief executive of 101 Studios, known for its production of Paramount's popular series "Yellowstone," is also named in Harvey Weinstein's lawsuit. He did not immediately return a phone message left at his office Friday.
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