Discovery Network’s Journey to the Future, produced by Storied Media, is a documentary focused on the behind-the-scenes lead-up to America’s historic SpaceX Falcon 9 launch. Several packages were also produced for use throughout the live broadcasts. Among the professionals who worked tirelessly on these projects was re-recording mixer Michael Phillips Keeley, CAS, who helped create the soundscape.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 695’s newly formed Committee on Equity, Diversity & Outreach will host a live-streamed, public event August 1 on the challenges faced by sound and video engineers of color in the entertainment industry.
The Hollywood Professional Association has announced details of its Industry Recovery Task Force Virtual Global Town Hall, set for Wednesday, July 29 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT. The Industry Recovery Task Force was formed in May of this year as a critical HPA Board initiative, aimed at understanding how content creation can be enabled in a world impacted by the pandemic crisis. This is the first in a series of virtual Industry Recovery Task Force global town hall events planned for the following months and will feature major voices from the creative, health and political arenas. Industry veteran and IRTF chair Leon Silverman and HPA Board member Craig German will co-chair the event.
With normal production not an option during the pandemic, at the request of advertising agency The Marketing Arm, the Chicago creative company The Colonie remotely edited, color graded and finished a live-action commercial for State Farm insurance. Its team rallied, pulling volumes of stock shots, user generated content in conjunction with Catch & Release and even augmented footage by filming their own families at home in scenarios that have become the new norm.
When Chicago-based Periscope Post & Audio launched its Hollywood facility last year, it was targeting Southern California’s boom in film and television production. But the building that houses Periscope, previously occupied by another full service post house, needed a serious upgrade. Enter sound studio specialist Kaiser Comm Construction. Today the 22,000-square-foot facility offers complete sound and picture finishing resources tailored to meet today’s highest standards, especially among streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, which often require shows delivered in high dynamic range with immersive Dolby Atmos soundtracks.
STMPD Recording Studios in Amsterdam recently completed an extensive three-year renovation, bringing its total number of studios to eight, including a 135 square-meter Dolby Atmos Premier Studio. With just nine Dolby Atmos Premier studios in the world, and only two others in Europe, STMPD recording studios joins a very exclusive club.
Canadian production services and equipment rental house Inspired Image has appointed James Martin as chief strategy officer. A 20-year industry executive, Martin will focus primarily on business expansion and diversification. He will lead a new effort to develop strategic partnerships, add products and services, and grow the company’s presence across Canada. Previously, Martin was chief strategy officer at Sim International.
When Los Angeles-based cinematographer Quyen Tran was selected to shoot the new film Palm Springs she knew she had a short production schedule, which made her pre-production planning even more critical than usual.
The fifth annual Hip Hop Film Festival returns for four days of fresh, featuring film screenings, virtual DJ battles, master classes known as Master Cyphers, and more. The festival takes viewers through a series of live events produced through 24/7 Films TV August 6-9.
The Hollywood Professional Association has opened the call for entries in creative categories for the 2020 HPA Awards. Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year, the HPA Awards shine a light on the creative brilliance of the HPA community, honoring artistry in color grading, editing, sound, and visual effects in feature film, episodic, and commercials.
