Goldcrest Post has appointed Phil Poli director of engineering. A 20-year industry veteran, Poli will be responsible for overseeing, maintaining, and developing technology and infrastructure for the facility. Technology strategy will also be part of his remit.
The next edition of Post Break, the free webinar series from the Post New York Alliance, will host Erik Weaver, from the Entertainment Technology Center@the University of Southern California, for an in-depth look at The Ripple Effect, a new live-action, sci-fi short film designed to test-cutting edge virtual production technologies and remote workflow solutions.
Prasad Corporation, which calls itself one of the world’s largest post-production houses, has named Mark Smirnoff president for North America and made him responsible for sales and operations.
Arsenal FX Color provided post-production finishing services for Ferguson Rises, director Mobolaji Olambiwonnu’s inspiring documentary about Ferguson, Missouri which in 2014 became a flashpoint for the civil rights movement after a white police officer was acquitted of criminal charges in the killing of Michael J. Brown, an unarmed black man, sparking days of protest and rage. Says Olambiwonnu, I wanted to provide a counternarrative to the events that took place, one based not on loss, but on hope and resilience.”
The CBS mega hit S.W.A.T. has always been fast moving—on air and on set. Shot on multiple stages at Santa Clarita Studios and diverse locations throughout the Los Angeles area, the series averages 100 set-ups per day. Giving life to the adrenalin pumping story lines has always been a creative feat for accomplished cinematographer Francis Kenny, ASC (Justified, Heathers, Bruce Beresford’s Bonny & Clyde, New Jack City), and his crew.
Sony Electronics has launched Create Action, a new $1 million grant program designed to support underserved, underrepresented communities by amplifying the efforts of local, non-profit organizations embedded within these communities. This program is part of Sony’s broader social justice efforts, with funding sourced from the company’s Global Social Justice Fund.
Natalie Fischer has been named CEO of Locksmith Animation as the studio gears up for the October release of its first feature film Ron’s Gone Wrong. Fischer is a former COO of Illumination Entertainment and has been a senior adviser there for the past four years.
Cherokee Nation Film Office and deadCenter Film, the state’s largest film festival, have partnered to recognize Indigenous filmmakers with the festival’s inaugural award for Best Indigenous Short Film. This year’s honoree will be recognized and awarded a $1,000 cash prize, provided by the generosity of the Cherokee Nation, on Sunday during the festival’s annual award show.
Arri has opened its new state-of-the-art mixed reality studio in the UK. Equipped with an LED volume comprising 343 square meters of LED wall, installed in partnership with NEP Live Events production and technical specialist firm Creative Technology, the studio is one of the biggest permanent mixed reality production spaces in Europe.
AFI Docs — the American Film Institute's documentary film festival — has announced its Docs Talks and Industry Forum events for its 19th edition, June 22-27. The inaugural Docs Talks section will feature the World Premiere of Netflix’s and Higher Ground Production’s We the People, as well as History Is Out of the Closet: Excavating Queer Stories for the Screen, a live stream conversation celebrating LGBTQ+ pride. Docs Talks events are free.
