WHITEHOUSE POST’S Kristin Branstetter has returned to Chicago as executive producer, as of Dec. 15, replacing Dan Bryant who left earlier this year after being with the post house for three years.
Branstetter first moved to Chicago after graduating the University of Missouri/Kansas City and began her Whitehouse Post career as a producer in 2002. She was promoted to senior producer in 2006 and relocated to LA in 2010.
The many national spots she’s produced include Toyota, Buick, Nissan, Nike, Coke, McDonald’s, State Farm, Anheuser-Busch, Allstate, Wrigley and Wal-Mart.
IT ALWAYS HAPPENS. As the year winds down, spot production goes up. The last couple of weeks have seen a lot of action from mostly LA-based production companies who obviously see the advantage of Illinois’ 30% tax incentive.
And shooting on various city locations are Imperial Woodpecker for Adidas on location; Smuggler for PowerAde beverages; Tool of North America for Wal-Mart, who loves Chicago for the tax credits and World War7 for RTA (Regional Transportation Authority).
Local companies shooting on stage and locations: Recommend Media for Lunchables, Radar for Como Weather Tech floormats; Empire/Luna carpets and One at Optimus, location only.
DOC CO-DIRECTORS Aaron Wickenden (editor of “Finding Vivian Maier,” an Oscar short-listed best documentary) and Dan Rybicky Columbia College film professor, will be in attendance for the Chicago Premiere of their “Almost There” documentary Jan. 10-11 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
“Almost There” is a coming-of-(old)-age story about 83-year-old Peter Anton, an “outsider” artist living in isolated and crippling conditions whose world changes when the two filmmakers discover his work and storied past.
Shot over eight years, “Almost There,” made out of Kartemquin Films, documents Anton’s first major exhibition in 2010 and how the controversy it generates forces him to leave his childhood home. Each layer revealed reflects on the intersections of social norms, elder care, and artistic expression.
NEW ACCOUNT FOR HY CONNECT is Bakers Square, the chain of 50 restaurants famous for comfort food and pie, located throughout the Upper Midwest.
REEL CHICAGO WRAPS its 10th year of chronicling the Chicago visual media with this issue. We leave 2014 on a high level of growth: a 25,000 reader database, with a strong following in LA and in Midwest ad/film markets; our home page regularly registers 30,000 monthly impressions and our Facebook picture pages have generated more than 62,000 clicks in the past week alone!
Planned for the Reel’s upcoming year are some exciting major events, new content features and a website upgrade as we continue to serve our readers in the best possible way.
The Reel takes its annual holiday hiatus and, excepting breaking news, we will be snoozing until Jan. 5. But don’t let that stop you from sending your news to ruth@reelchicago.com.
