Gotham PELA Announce Merger

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Wed, 02/27/2013 - 19:00 -- Nick Dager

The entertainment management and production company Gotham Group and talent management firm Principal Entertainment Los Angeles have joined forces effective immediately and will be housed in The Gotham Group’s existing offices in Los Angeles. The announcement was made by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein founder and CEO of The Gotham Group and PELA partners Marsha McManus Larry Taube and Liz Robinson. Gotham’s Lindsay Williams and Lee Stollman will help manage the relationship on the Gotham side.   “The intersection between PELA's impressive talent representation capabilities and Gotham’s broad expertise across the animation film and television worlds will expand opportunities for all our clients ” said Goldstein-Vein. “Gotham’s deep well of intellectual property and production resources is the perfect match to our impressive talent pool said PELA’s McManus Taube and Robinson.  Principal Entertainment Los Angeles boasts an international roster of highly respected film television and stage actors as well as a powerful pool of writers  directors and producers McManus and Robinson have been in partnership as managers since 1993 and Taube joined them in 2006 after almost 20 years at William Morris and The Gersh Agency.  Their client roster includes Seth Rogen Emmy winner Jim Parsons Emmy nominee Sandra Oh Cheryl Hines Alexander Skarsgard Oscar nominee Golden Globe and Emmy winner Tom Wilkinson Golden Globe nominee Andy Serkis Golden Globe nominee and Emmy winner Brendan Gleeson Steve Zahn   Christopher Eccleston Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins Emmy nominee Joanne Frogatt Taylor Kinney Katy Mixon Emmy and Tony Award nominee Kate Burton National Board of Review winner and Independent Spirit Award nominee Ann Dowd Sally Pressman James Roday Paul Adelstein Matt Lauria Shea Whigham Adam Arkin Skylar Astin Seth Numrich and Oscar- nominated and Independent Spirit Award-winning Dan Futterman. In addition literary clients include writer director Stephen Kay writer director Joe Ahearne as well as Lauren Ann Miller who wrote and starred in the 2012 Sundance hit For A Good Time Call. Among PELA’s top managers are Mike Smith Jen Weinbaum  Atil Singh and Liz York who recently joined PELA from Management 360 bringing with her clients Jordana Brewster Dylan O’Brien among others. The Gotham Group established in 1993 by Goldsmith-Vein reps a client roster of over 300 top writers directors publishers authors illustrators animation talent and comic book companies.  Gotham controls more source material than any other entity in the entertainment industry.  Among its clients are publishers Scholastic Simon & Schuster HarperCollins Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Bloomsbury Walker US Soho Dark Horse Comics and Arcana.  Other clients include: Henry Selick Danny Strong Dave Eggers Steve Buscemi David Gordon Green Zach Helm Thor Freudenthal Wentworth Miller Emily Kapnek Dan Simmons Angus Wall Burr Steers Adam Cozad Brian Percival Nick Santora Aardman Animations Robert Nelson Jacobs Mark Steven Johnson Chris Murphy Jay Chandrasekhar Mark Andrus Dan Lagana Butch Hartman Doug Tenapel Colum McCann Mike Jones and Tony DiTerlizzi. On the production side The Gotham Group has a first-look deal at Sony Pictures Animation for fully animated and CGI/hybrid films as well as a first-look deal in television with ABC Studios.  The Gotham Group is currently in production on an untitled Elmore Leonard project based on his novel The Switch. Written and directed by Daniel Schechter the film stars Jennifer Aniston John Hawkes yasiin bey (aka Mos Def) Tim Robbins Isla Fisher Will Forte and Mark Boone Jr. A May production start is planned for The Maze Runner (Twentieth Century Fox) based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author James Dashner. Other upcoming Gotham producing projects include: Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper  to be directed by Gary Ross for Universal; The Devil You Know to be produced with Shawn Levy for 20th Century Fox; Ghostopolis  based on client Doug TenNapel’s graphic novel; Big Brave Brian starring Dwayne Johnson; Taking Gotham with Olivier Megaton (Colombiana) attached to direct and Kodachrome  written by Jonathan Tropper and set up at Fox. ,3910
Mall Awarded Technical Oscar for Max Menace Arm,2013-02-28,Key Grip Richard Mall received a Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Award for his creation of Matthews Studio Equipment’s Max Menace Arm. The letter to Mall said it all: “To Richard Mall for the design and development of the Matthews Max Menace Arm is highly sophisticated and well-engineered Max Menace Arm is a safe and adjustable device that allows rapid precise positioning of lighting fixtures cameras or accessories. On-set or on location this compact and highly portable structure is often used where access is limited due to restrictions on attaching equipment to existing surfaces.” “I’m not supposed to be up here in front of all this technology ” Mall said to a packed crowd at the awards ceremony in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel. “I’m emotional because as a key grip for 36 years if I see a camera in front of me I’m in the wrong place.” For Mall this was a special moment. He’d realized every other technology honored at this event had multiple winners. Yet he stood on the stage alone. He was quick to acknowledge those that made his vision a reality. “I had an idea but if it wasn’t for Matthews it would still be sitting on my truck. I’d like to thank Bob Kulesh Tyler Phillips and most important Ed Phillips a multiple award-winner himself for his vision. He saw what I created and brought it to fruition. Max is sold in 40 different countries and has been on over 300 different films. I’m proud of that. It is going to live on a lot longer than I am.” The evening was a culmination of a 10-year trip which began on the set of The Majestic with cinematographer David Tattersall. The location was the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Location had warned them that nothing could touch or be hung on the walls. Yet Tattersall needed his key grip Mall to give him a backlight in a certain spot. The traditional approach would have been to jury-rig an arm on the set from a variety of pieces on the truck. “Doable – but certainly time consuming not that safe and still not close enough to the wall to hang a backlight in place ” recalled Mall. “So I came up with a temporary thing that had two legs and one arm out.” Mall kept thinking about that shot and his jury-rigged arm. He sat in his shop and looked at the piece then started prowling around for materials. Soon he had Max a freestanding menace arm that was meant for one thing – an arm for camera and lighting. It got it’s first test on a commercial in 2003 and then joined the ranks of solid support on Shopgirl when cinematographer Peter Suschitzsky needed to rig a sequence where the room would spin out of control around the lead character without taking the ceiling apart. “Max solved the problem quickly and in a way which nothing else no other equipment would have helped ” Suschitzky said. Not too long after that Mall hitched his trailer onto his BMW and pulled Max into the parking lot at Matthews Studio Equipment. The company had developed and provides their first collaboration Link Stand and Mall believed they could bring Max to the industry. “Richard is one of the finest and most in-demand Key Grips in the business ” said Ed Phillips president/CEO of Matthews. “He’s a big guy in stature and builds wrist watches in his spare time with mitts the size of a Gorilla (that’s his sensitive side). And he’s a thinker. He sees a void in the industry and thinks his way through it. So when I saw this ‘thing’ on his truck – I knew he had something.” MSE agreed to develop and produce Max. And this safe self-contained and easy to use camera/lighting support soon became a hit all over the world. Max has solved placement problems for top DPs on major features from the Spideman series to Star Trek Inception There Will Be Blood Batman the Ironman series Gangster Squad and more. “There’s nothing that Max can’t do ” said proud co-Papa Ed Phillips. “I am so excited that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has chosen to honor Richard with this very prestigious award.” ,3913
Movie TV Trade Groups to Promote Parental Media Controls,2013-02-28, The television and film industries have announced plans to roll out a national multimedia campaign to inform parents about the many tools that can help them manage what their children see on television and at the movies. 

The industries say they will make a positive contribution to the national conversation on violent behavior by launching a national educational campaign through communications channels including television public service announcements educational and informational websites in-theater advertising and other media.

 The objectives of the initiative are to remind parents that:

TV and film rating systems parental controls in TV sets and set-top boxes and a variety of informational resources are available to help families learn and practice “media literacy ” and

 these readily-available and easy-to-use elements can aid decision-making about viewing and experiencing content; block content that may be objectionable for children; and inform families about how to better control filter and evaluate the content they’re viewing.

 The consumer awareness initiative is sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America National Association of Broadcasters National Cable & Telecommunications Association National Association of Theatre Owners American Cable Association and the member companies of those groups; as well as DirecTV and Verizon FiOS. 

Campaign participants will roll out a variety of initiatives in coming months to promote and publicize tools and information for parents. Public Service Advertising will air on broadcast cable and other multichannel video outlets reminding parents of where to find and how to use the TV and film rating systems and parental control blocking technology. The advertising includes video spots previously created by The Ad Council as well as video spots created by cable and broadcast outlets and their trade associations.

 Advertising about the film rating system will be produced and featured in movie theaters nationwide .

A multifaceted and recently re-designed website www.TheTVBoss.org will provide a one-stop solution for consumers seeking more information about the TV and movie ratings systems parental control technology and media literacy.

 A recently re-launched informational website www.FilmRatings.com will focus on the film rating system providing rating descriptors unique to each movie as well as detailed information on the meaning of specific ratings.

 Campaign participants will use multiple communication channels at their disposal including digital assets and social media in concert with the many ways in which their combined workforces interact with consumers to help inform viewers and customers of where to find information on the ratings systems and how to activate and use TV parental controls.

 Broadcasters in consultation with Associated Press the Entertainment Industries Council and other groups will develop public service initiatives related to mental health including creating a style guide to help educate journalists television and film producers directors and writers on mental health terminology.  The initiative will produce additional public service materials for use by participants in the campaign.

 The messages of the initiative are based on three key concepts: Choice.  The TV and film industries produce create and distribute a wide array of content choices that appeal to many interests and audiences.  The industries widely promote and market this content in a manner that helps parents make sound media choices and allows family members of all ages to enjoy appropriate and rich media experiences.

 Control.  Through parental controls provided by cable companies satellite providers and telephone companies; the TV-based V-Chip; and ratings systems for movies and TV the industries give parents and caregivers powerful options to help control and manage the media enjoyed by their families.

 Education.  Through industry efforts parents can learn about the tools available to them and with media literacy resources help children and families understand and place in context what they watch on television see at the movies and absorb through other media.

 The public service advertising and collateral materials featured throughout the campaign will help consumers better understand the TV and film rating systems remind them to “be the boss” of their TVs encourage them to consume media together as families and help children understand the media they consume.

 The partners in the initiative will monitor the progress of the campaign and update messages and tools to keep pace with developments in the marketplace. ,3914
Blancanieves Wins Ten Goya Awards,2013-02-28, Blancanieves was awarded 10 Goya Awards out of 18 nominations. Pablo Berger's film won Best Picture Best Original Screenplay Best Original Score Best Original Song Best Leading Actress Best New Actress Best Art Direction Best Photography Best Makeup and/or Hair Styling and Best Costume Design.  It was chosen to represent Spain for the 85th Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination entry. Blancanieves was post-produced at ImasBlue in 2K on a 1.85 format and relied significantly on artists working on SGO Mistika systems. Their work included intensive camera tests to create the stylized filmic look. The entire film was post-produced using Mistika which included the conform of all the visual effects as well as over 500 shots that required detailed quality control before being scanned and distributed to various post-production areas within the facility.  ,3915
Motion Picture Sound Editors Honor Ang Lee,2013-02-28, The Motion Picture Sound Editors presented director Ang Lee with its annual Filmmaker Award. The honor recognizes Lee for a body of work (which includes such films as Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Ice Storm) remarkable for its diversity visual and auditory brilliance and emotional storytelling. Lee’s most recent film Life of Pi has been widely praised as a cinematic marvel and for its poetic telling of the tale of a young Indian man marooned in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. For Life of Pi  the director’s sound team was led by supervising sound editors Eugene Gearty (effects) and Philip Stockton (dialogue) whose efforts earned them an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound. Gearty and Stockton who have worked on several of Lee’s films were part of a post-production team that also included editor Tim Squyres and re-recording mixers Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill (each of whom are also Oscar nominees). Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life of Pi was considered unproduceable as a film due to its unusual location—most of the action occurs on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean—and unique cast—which along with the tiger includes a hyena a chimpanzee and a zebra. Lee overcame those obstacles in part by shooting most of the open water sequences in a large special effects tank in Taiwan and by relying on computer animation for most scenes involving the animals. Both choices had significant implications for the film’s sound. Stockton explains that the sound editorial team had few production elements to work with. “In the tank shots you could hear the occasional horn honk and traffic and there were wind and water machines going a lot of the time ” he says. “As a result from the beginning of the shipwreck through the end of the movie there were very few usable production dialogue tracks. There are a couple of speeches that Pi gives from the boat but virtually everything else is replaced dialogue.” “And of course for the tiger ” Stockton adds “every footstep every rustle every growl had to be created from scratch. It was almost like working on an animated film.” Having worked with the director on a half dozen films  Gearty and Stockton have become well attuned to Lee’s working methods and how he likes to use sound. “He’s very easy going and very supportive but also very particular ” Stockton says. “He is more concerned with how things make him feel more about the emotions than anything else.” “During the spotting session  Ang will talk in broad strokes about his vision and what he’d like to see and then we’ll go through it frame by frame discussing his ideas how he wants the sound to feel what things are important and what is less important—as well as the ideas that we bring to it.” Stockton notes that Lee remains closely involved throughout the process of building the soundtrack and is always seeking ways to improve it. “Often when he sees something again he becomes inspired and has new ideas ” he notes. “So it’s a constantly evolving process.” As an example Stockton points to a scene from Life of Pi when the lifeboat is inundated by a school of flying fish. Originally the scene was meant to be accompanied by a music track but after hearing Gearty’s sound effects Lee chose to let them play alone.” “(Composer) Mychael Danna wrote a beautiful piece of score but the effects were like music in and of themselves ” Stockton explains. “First there are no fish then there is one then more appear. It becomes a combination of fish hitting the boat and fish hitting Pi. They’re zipping and whizzing by. Then one fish flops into the boat and Pi and the tiger fight for it.” One of the most vexing challenges for the sound team involved the film’s ocean environment. “Eugene wanted to keep the ocean interesting ” Stockton explains. “It’s always there. You’ll hear the atmosphere a breeze waves lapping but sometimes it’s choppy and sometimes it’s calm. Eugene did a fantastic job—it’s always different from moment to moment and scene to scene. That was very important to Ang.” ,3916
Picture Head Launches New Venture Formosa Group,2013-02-28,Picture Head a full-service post-production facility has formed a new independent sound company under the name Formosa Group.  The new entity located at the historic The Lot in West Hollywood will provide post-production sound and music services for features television interactive entertainment and emerging markets. Formosa Group is pleased to announce the signing of Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer Mark Mangini.  A 3-time Oscar nominee Mangini brings more than 20 years of experience in feature and television sound and credits that include Jack the Giant Slayer  Mr. Popper's Penguins and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. New staff additions include Matt Dubin who will serve as Vice President Business Development and Morris Naish as Sales Producer/Coordinator.  Both individuals bring their own valuable entertainment expertise to Formosa Group. ,3918
Prana Studios Chooses PipelineFX’s Qube,2013-02-28,PipelineFX makers of Qube have announced that Mumbai-based animation powerhouse Prana Studios has chosen Qube to manage its growing 2 000 node render farm. Prana Studios chose Qube after an extensive review of its internal pipeline suggested a need for an efficiency rendering tool that could also support their plans to expand studio capacity expansion in the coming years. Qube offered Prana proven scalability and performance on their large render farms true cross-platform compatibility on Windows Mac OSX and Linux–based servers and workstations and advanced clustering to manage priorities for multiple shows in simultaneous production. “Every render pipeline has the capacity to become more powerful than it already is ” said PipelineFX CEO Richard Lewis. “Qube is how you get it there.” ,3919
Rising Alternatives Begins 2013 Season with Verdi’s Nabucco,2013-02-28,Last month Rising Alternative presented Verdi’s Nabucco in a live broadcast from Teatro alla Scala in Milan Italy as part of its Performing Arts in HD Cinema series. Nabucco one of Verdi’s most beloved operas premiered at La Scala in 1842 and has been an international success ever since. This new production stars celebrated baritone and renowned Verdi interpreter Leo Nucci as the titular king of Babylon with Aleksandrs Antonenko Vitalij Kowaljow and Liudmyla Monastyrska rounding out the cast. Nicola Luisotti conducts. Following Nabucco there will be nine more live transmissions in 2013 from Europe’s greatest cultural institutions into cinemas worldwide. Artists such as Jonas Kaufmann Anja Harteros Thomas Hampson Ramon Vargas Patricia Racette Marcelo Alvarez and Violeta Urmana star in performances of Rigoletto La Traviata Don Carlo Falstaff and more in the coming season. ,3920
Shotgun Software Introduces New Integrated Package at New Price,2013-02-28, Shotgun Software has introduced a new integrated package and price. Shotgun now encompasses production tracking scheduling review and approval and asset management system and is designed to help modern production pipelines run as efficiently as possible. The new pricing is a radical departure making three previously independent products (Shotgun Revolver and Tank) available now as a single unified comprehensive package. The new Shotgun is priced at $49 per seat per month. Our mission is to provide every studio in the world with the essential collaboration management and pipeline tools they need to deliver mind-blowing work while maintaining a healthy bottom line said Don Parker CEO Shotgun Software. Hundreds of studios have invested in helping us build and refine these tools on thousands of productions over the last seven years. We are pleased to invest back in their success and the future of the industry. Shotgun surveyed over 300 studios to arrive at this new model so that the new product offering and price point matches customer needs. The way Shotgun went about this new product and pricing structure shows how committed they are to being a good partner. Instead of nickeling and diming us they're working hard to build us the tools we need at a price we can afford said Kevin Baillie co-founder Atomic Fiction. Shotgun has essentially eliminated the barrier of entry for studios like ours to leverage these tools in order to make projects run efficiently. The more time our internal dev resources have available to focus on creative tools the better. Shotgun Software http://www.shotgunsoftware.com ,3921
SmartJog Apuntolapospo Sign Distribution Deal in Spain,2013-02-28, SmartJog has signed with Spanish mastering lab Apuntolapospo to use SmartJog’s delivery platform service to distribute digital cinema preshow content trailers and feature films directly to theaters connected in Spain. Currently 145 Spanish theatres are connected to SmartJog’s distribution system. The company has contracts with a total of 270 theatres in Spain.
 Digital Cinema content is sent through the SmartJog community using its file transfer network via satellite and ADSL/Fiber which includes a web-based file management interface monitoring and support and cloud-storage solutions. The service gives clients the opportunity to electronically receive their DCPs without having to manage physical ones (HDD).

 This partnership will represent new business opportunities for Apuntolapospo and a major technical improvement in content reception and expedition in a secure way between their origin and final destination in theaters all over the globe. It also represents the beginning of a new kind of service offer for our clients based on the importance of managing library content ” says Mª Rosa Fusté CEO of Apuntolapospo.

 “The highlight of this partnership is that SmartJog enables Apuntolapospo to operate a full digital delivery workflow from lab to cinema. Apuntolapospo can receive content electronically from any of the more than 250 labs and content providers connected to SmartJog worldwide and then securely deliver advertising trailers feature films promotional and alternative content to all cinemas connected in Spain” says Ana Fernández theatrical sales manager for SmartJog in Spain and Portugal.

 Apuntolapospo www.lapospo.com