PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S $25 MILLION FEATURE, “Captive State,” will lead off movie production in Chicago in 2017, having opened an office, production, wardrobe and construction mill space at Cinespace.
The sci-fi epic was co-written and will be directed by Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and EP of “The Exorcist” series).”
Cinespace currently has 26 active sound stages, reports CFO Mark Degnen. When construction is completed in the first quarter of 2017, it will have 30 fully functional sound stages – making it the biggest stage complex east of Hollywood. Yes, including New York. One new studio is located in the Center Building and the other three in the South Building.
AWARD-WINNING MYRA NUSSBAUM has joined DDB Chicago as SVP/group creative director overseeing creative for the brands under the Mars Wrigley Confectionery portfolio and reported to CCO John Maxham.
She joined DDB from 7 years at FCB Chicago, where she served as SVP/creative director, leading a team of more than 20 creative on such accounts as Clorox, BMO Harris Bank, Choose Chicago, Valspar and helped with KFC’s biggest product launch in its history.
Earlier, she’d been an ACD at Leo Burnett and an art director at Digitas and Upshot.
Nussbaum received top honors at Cannes, D&AD, and The One Show for Valspar’s “Color for All” project and her work on iconic brands, including Oreo and Radio Flyer, have gained recognition within the industry.
ON THE SCENE. 20th Century’s “The Empty Man,” based on Cullen Bunn’s graphic novel that’s set in a Midwest city but was filming in South Africa, will be shooting here Friday, Sunday and Monday and a day Downstate. Essanay is supplying the gear for the movie and also for Backyard’s 4-day location shoot for Hyundai and One at Optimus’ 3-days for T.H. Food.
WE ARE UNLIMITED, or Unlimited for short, is Omnicom’s new, dedicated McDonald’s “agency of the future. To be headquartered in Chicago, Unlimited officially takes control of the $1 billion worth of business on Jan. 1. It then will be one of the top 10 or 15 largest client teams in the country.
Heading the new agency’s 200-plus staffers is CEO Brian Nienhause, who comes from BBDO New York, but earlier worked here at Digitas and Cramer-Krasselt.
Among the other execs are ECD John Hansa, who moved from Leo Burnett where he had led McDonald’s creative. Jon Ellis, chief production officer, joins from DDB where he was executive integrated producer for 20.
Unlimited aims to be fully staffed by Jan. 1 and 40% of the staff is expected to be hired outside of Omnigroup agencies.
29 TOP AGENCY AND PRODUCTION EXECUTIVES were named as Blue Ribbon judges for the recently-formed AICP/DGA Commercial Directors Diversity Program (CDDP) Showcase to be held on Jan. 11 in New York.
None of the 29, however, are from Chicago. They are mostly LA and New York-based, plus four from London.
A national AICP spokesman explained, “Invitations were sent to some people in Chicago who unfortunately were not able to participate in this Showcase but will be judging future Showcases.”
FYI, Chicago boasts 1,600 agencies and a reported 22 AICP Midwest production companies.
YOUR NEWS is what our coast-to-coast audience wants to read about. So keep them informed by sending the latest on your end to ruth@reelchicago.com or phone 312/274-9980.
