Visual effects studio FuseFX has named Jim Rygiel executive visual effects supervisor. Rygiel is a three-time Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor who has been a leader in visual effects for many years.
Continuing to grow its original programming unit, Renegade Animation has promoted Brittney Jorgensen to the newly created post of head of marketing and development. Jorgensen will work with creators, writers and animators in developing concepts for animated television series and features, and serve as the studio’s chief liaison with studios, broadcasters and streaming services.
Darryl Schaffer, Screenvision Media’s executive vice president, operations and exhibitor relations, has been inducted into ShowEast’s Hall of Fame as part of its 2017 group of honorees.
The Motion Picture Sound Editors will honor Kathryn Bigelow with its annual Filmmaker Award. The director of such films as Detroit, Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker, is being recognized for her outstanding contributions to the art of cinema. She will receive the award at the MPSE Golden Reel Awards ceremony February 18 in Los Angeles
Manios Digital & Film has appointed Tom O’Neill to direct Eastern Regional Sales. O’Neill will manage sales and dealer relationships in an area including New England, Mid Atlantic, South East and Midwest states. He will also represent the company at trade shows and other industry events in the region.
Ymagis Group has appointed Pascal Mogavero senior vice-president, Eclair. He replaces Christophe Lacroix, who has been named group deputy CEO and entrusted with the management of EclairColor and EclairGame.
POSitive Cinema Solutions has named Mark Waldman director of sales and marketing. A seasoned professional with experience in programming, corporate training, product management and sales in several vertical markets, Waldman joined the cinema industry in 2002, as the IT director, for Palace Cinemas, now Cinema City. Palace Cinemas had 22 sites and 180 screens with cinemas in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the nine years at Palace Cinemas, he oversaw the transition to digital cinema, as well as the development of a proprietary point of sales system.
Veteran colorist Michael Smollin has joined Fancy Film, the independent post-production facility based in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood. Smollin, whose credits span features, episodics, reality series and documentaries, will serve as the facility’s senior colorist for theatrical and television projects.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has elected its new officers and governors for the 2018-2019 term.
Motion picture and television sound executive Paul Rodriguez passed away September 26th in Los Angeles of cardiac arrest after a brief hospitalization. He was 65. Rodriguez was president of South Lake Audio Services and vice president of audio services and development at Roundabout Entertainment in Burbank where he oversaw post-production sound for projects including HBO’s Westworld.
