NewsReel 03/10/08

As always, please send any news and press releases to sam@thereel.net and we'll do our best to include it here.

A short break

We are sad to report that Short and Sweet, London’s only weekly short film evening, is taking a break after 2 years and 5 months of showcasing some of the best short films, animation and music videos twice a week. Julia Stephenson, the event's tireless organiser, assures us that Short and Sweet will be back in some form in the not too distant future, but to enjoy a unique London event for the last time in a while head to Café 1001 on Monday 6th October or AKA on the 7th October for 7.30pm and give Julia and her team a round of applause for promoting short film so successfully over the past couple of years.

de Thame joins Therapy
Therapy Films have revealed the big name signing of Gerard de Thame for worldwide representation (excluding USA where he is represented by HSI). Among de Thame’s high-profile work is the iconic ‘Carl in New York’ ad for Pirelli Tyres. It seems negotiations to capture the signing of the experienced director were protracted, but Therapy MD Barry Hughes is pleased to have finally got his man, ‘Gerard is such a big name…we are very pleased he has chosen us to re-launch his career in the UK’.

Cut+Run NY cut ties
Cut+Run NY is no more. One of two transatlantic siblings of London’s Cut+Run editing house has gone it alone and will now be known as Cutting Room Films. The ownership of the award-winning shop is now in the hands of editors Chuck Willis and Mike Douglas, and EP Susan Willis. Apart from the name and ownership change, all remains the same at the company’s Avenue of the Americas HQ and Cut+Run’s LA shop is unaffected by the changes.

Another director
Another Film Company have added director Katie Bell to their burgeoning roster. Katie, who has previously directed campaigns for Persil, B & Q, Muller and Eurostar, will be produced by Jeff Stark’s long standing producer Cathy Green, who said of the signing, ‘Katie’s work is effortlessly stylish with a solid core of genuine confident performance and I’m really looking forward to working alongside her.’

A Very Small Office just got bigger
New York-based production house A Very Small Office have opened design and animation house Offspring. Co-founders Saffron Case and Mikon van Gastel have appointed newly minted creative director Adam Levite to lead the new venture. Case commented, ‘Offspring is a logical next step for Mikon and myself. We've developed such long-standing, deep relationships over the years it just seemed natural to offer those clients another creative opportunity.’ He continued, ‘AVSO was built on the passion to create highly original, game-changing work and we're taking that same approach and applying it to design and motion graphics.’

YGAward extension
The deadline for the 2008 YGAward has been extended to Friday 31st October at 5pm. The extension applies to both the Professional and Student Awards. Click here to submit your work.

Rushes' new Resolve
Rushes have got themselves a da Vinci, but it won’t be hanging in the Old Compton St offices of the post production and special effects masters, it’s a da Vinci Resolve R250 and it’s an impressive piece of telecine kit - apparently. To go with their shiny new machinery in the telecine department, they’ve got a shiny new producer, Alex Panton, who will assist clients to integrate Resolve into their working practices whilst promoting the existing C-Reality and Spirit suites and Rushes award-winning team of colourists.

BootB-licious
Disaronno have opened up the pitching process for their new TV campaign to all-comers on the innovative website BootB - the site that brings brand builders and creative brains around the globe together. All the information needed to pitch for the business is available here and the deadline is on the 12th October, so get your thinking caps on if you want to have a bash at it.