Laser protection was one of the big stories of last month’s CinemaCon convention. All four projector manufacturers featured laser technology in their exhibits and all four announced significant sales. Many people can claim some measure of credit for laser projection’s success in digital cinema but none more than Bill Beck. His advocacy for the technology, which goes back more than a decade, has justifiably earned him the title The Laser Guy.
The Sim Group’s board of directors has appointed a new president and CEO, James Haggarty, effective May 16. After successfully expanding and diversifying the company he founded 34-years ago, Rob Sim is moving into a new role as vice chairman. The company has expanded rapidly over the past few years, encompassing a network of complementary brands that service the production and post-production industries.
First Look Media, a new-model media company supporting independent voices, and co-financer of Academy Award winning best picture, Spotlight, announced today that Annie Marter has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Feature Film, ramping up their studio’s efforts in film.
Deluxe creative editorial company Beast has named Melissa Lubin executive producer of its New York office. Bringing a decade of deep experience across all facets of production and client services for editorial, sound and graphic design, VFX and finishing, she will lead talent development, build production teams and introduce new clients to Beast’s talent and services.
Veteran visual effects producer Chad Hudson, whose credits include The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, has joined FuseFX. Based at the company’s Los Angeles facility, Hudson becomes part of a diverse production team that is creating effects for Fox’s Sleepy Hollow and pilots for CBS and Amazon, as well as other upcoming television projects.
Ken Roupenian has joined Digital Doman as vice president, Digital Studio. He will be responsible for the company’s creative teams globally, and will report to Digital Domain executive vice president/general manager, Erika Burton.
The Big Sky Documentary Film Institute is hiring a festival producer for the 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is the largest annual festival of non-fiction film in the American West. The festival draws an audience of 20,000 and film entries from every corner of the globe, with 150 non-fiction films screened and well over 100 visiting artists attending. This position will commence in July and go through early March 2017. The festival producer is responsible for planning, managing and overseeing the successful production of the annual 10-day festival happening in February.
In the wake of Barco CEO Eric Van Zele’s decision to retire later this year the company has named Jan De Witte, a former corporate officer of the General Electric Company, as CEO-designate. De Witte will join Barco’s core leadership team in June and effectively take over as CEO October 1.
LipSync has appointed Tom Russell to the role of colorist, effective immediately. Russell will work across feature films, TV drama and commercials alongside the existing grading team.
Allure and its Christie Experiential Network have named theatrical distribution executive Brett Resnick vice president of studio relations. In his new position, Resnick will guide CEN strategies and activities as a key part of its continuing national rollout. He comes to the company with 20 years of distribution experience, which began at MGM, and most recently with 20th Century Fox, guiding the release of over 300 titles including Avatar; Star Wars: Episode I, II, and III; X-Men: The Last Stand; X-Men: Days of Future Past; Independence Day, and most recently Deadpool. Resnick also spearheaded the partnership between Fox and Fathom Events, bringing classics such as The Sound of Music, Planet of The Apes and The King and I, back to the big screen.
