| Reel Chicago – At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production
Reel Chicago is a daily digital magazine that covers the news in Chicago on all aspects of advertising, film, TV, media and production. The content is original, written by industry experts and contributing Op Eds
Do you have a creative project you’re dying to get off the ground? Looking for a space and equipment for your next pitch video? If so, then you should be very excited because local Chicago rental house and studio, Eleven04, is at it again. At a time when film and TV production remains stagnant, Eleven04 … Continue reading “Eleven04 has re-launched their First Backer Initiative”
As COVID-19 has reached its third month here in the U.S., it’s exciting to know there are still contests and challenges to help industry folks stay on their toes. A perfect example is Eleven04’s Story Forge Online Screenwriting Competition Event, which happened last Wednesday, virtually. Eleven04, a Pilsen based equipment rental house, co-lab, production facility, and … Continue reading “Eleven04 Story Forge online screenwriting competition”
Asian Americans have been a silent voice in American Media since the birth of cinema. While many other demographics have found a way to break through to mainstream markets, few filmmakers and actors of Asian descent have risen to the top. Asians currently make up the majority of the world’s population, and continue to be … Continue reading “Zoom Interview: Richard Song of Eleven04”
WME is packaging two of the several projects that local producer Darren Reagan is developing through his 11Eleven Entertainment.
The agency is onboard for Reagan and “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan’s remake of the “Doberman Gang” film series, and a cable series based on Cynthia Buchanan’s 1972 novel “Maiden.” WME represents Millan for entertainment projects.
PrideArts announces the PrideArts Fall Film Festival, a month long festival of 32 films from 9 countries that will stream online in four segments, each available online for one week. Films address a wide range of issues and situations that are common across many cultures: defining oneself as an LGBTQ person, family relations, forming and … Continue reading “PrideArts Fall Film Festival will stream in four weekly programs”
Celebrating its 16th edition in 2021, CineYouth Festival, presented by Cinema/Chicago, announced a striking and diverse selection of 102 international short films for the festival’s first virtual edition. For its largest edition yet, CineYouth is expanding to a full week, running May 6-13, 2021, with films available to stream globally. The festival will highlight new … Continue reading “CineYouth Festival unveils lineup for global event”
After 11 seasons and 134 episodes, Chicago said farewell to Showtime’s Shameless as it came to an end on Sunday evening, April 11, 2021 with its emotional and very timely series finale. Warning: This story contains spoilers from the Sunday, April 11, finale of Shameless. Recap of Shameless finale The series’ patriarch, Frank (William H. … Continue reading “After 11 seasons Chicago says goodbye to Shameless”
A few months ago, Eleven04 hosted Story Forge, a virtual storytelling contest showcasing some promising new filmmakers aspiring to have their scripts made into reality. Although there were many talented individuals, one person rose above the rest: Christian Mejía, writer and director of Semana Santa. Christian Mejía BIO Christian Mejía is a filmmaker from Chicago … Continue reading “Christian Mejía wins Story Forge competition”
Up and coming Chicago-based filmmaker, Chantel Chavon, makes her directorial debut by tackling the connection between racism and mental illness head on in the short film, When the Leaves Fall. Based on an original screenplay by Chavon, the psychological drama tells the story of a mentally-ill homeless woman living inside of a bus shelter, who … Continue reading “Filmmaker Chantel Chavon tackles racism, mental health”
Sam Logan Khaleghi carries a lot of titles in this town. The Northwestern University grad, former Chicago resident, and Chicago Emmy Nominee, is the writer, producer, director, and star in his latest feature, “Devil’s Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge.” Khaleghi penned a distribution deal with Cinedigm Corp who has announced that it acquired … Continue reading “Chicagoan, Sam Logan Khaleghi to release next feature”
During her appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation earlier this month, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told host Margaret Brennan while the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has impacted the United States in unthinkable ways, the virus has been “devastating” for black communities. This can be attributed in part to the underlying health conditions that disproportionately impact people … Continue reading “Burrell posts powerful COVID-19 video on IG”
Editor’s Note: The world changed right before our very eyes. We now work, live, exercise and entertain ourselves in our homes. This is the new normal. In this new on-going series, we check in on ad agencies, production companies, post-houses, and anyone else who wants to talk about their personal experiences during this coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Bottle … Continue reading “New Normal: Bottle Rocket Media finds unexpected perks”
Over the past week it’s safe to say that the Illinois film community is doing their best to ensure that their employees are safe during this unfortunate time. In light of worldwide health concerns about the impact from the COVID-19 virus, many have postponed production until further notice. Starting Monday, Cinespace will close the secondary … Continue reading “At Cinespace and beyond. Who’s working today.”
Award-winning Chicago-based video content agency wields a startling variety of depth and expertise Chicago video content agency Bottle Rocket Media fuels traditional expertise with DIY spirit. Guided by a pair of visionaries who met while working at the Oprah Winfrey Show, the company has become one of the industry’s most unique production and post operations … Continue reading “Taking off with Bottle Rocket Media”
Open Television & Stage 18 host a celebration, Eleven04 & Third Beacon throw a soiree on Friday night The opportunity to support Chicago filmmakers and projects is one of the coolest things about being a part of the Windy City production community. There is a chance to do both at events happening in and around … Continue reading “Film community events rock the weekend”
Adding an arsenal of rentable gear to a film, music, and tech industry nexus will help Chicago’s production community dial it up to eleven Camera Ambassador and 2112 are going all in to help filmmakers get it done. Through a partnership announced last week, the equipment rental shop and the film incubator are combining their … Continue reading “Camera Ambassador, 2112 launch partnership”
Matt Carlson transforms the magic of Finnish poetry into a short film that premieres in Minneapolis this weekend One of the coolest things about Sielunmaisema: the Risto Rasa Project is that it started out as a mystery. “I had gotten accepted to a month-long artist residency in Finland,” says Matt Carlson, the Minneapolis-based writer and … Continue reading “‘Sielunmaisema: the Risto Rasa Project’”
Free live music smack dab in the middle of the greatest city on earth begins on June 13 The 2018 Millennium Park Summer Music Series will offer an exciting lineup of free outdoor concerts on eleven dates between June 13 and August 15 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. This year’s headliners include … Continue reading “2019 Millennium Park Summer Music Series”
In Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, intergalatic despot Thanos, otherwise known as the “Mad Titan,” hurls a moon at Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. The same can be said about Disney and Marvel as the behemoth event, also known as a film, did the same to the weekend box office. The epic story, ten years … Continue reading ““Infinity War’s” new box office record and other news”
The Chicago-based production company – Iconoclast Films – shot En Algun Lugar in Chicago and Mexico. It has already screened at eleven festivals and has taken home major awards such as Best Foreign Feature and Best Director at the London Independent Film Awards 2018, Best LGBTQ Feature and Best Producer (Aric Jackson) at the Oniros … Continue reading “Chicago/Mexico’s “En Algun Lugar” reflects the times”
Awards season, which Reel Chicago has been covering all along, finally comes to its climax with the broadcast of the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday night. Amid the glamour, the Jimmy Kimmel jokes, the expected #metoo and #TimesUP speeches, and the sleep-inducing running time, there will be awards given out. Twenty-four, to be specific. After … Continue reading “Oscars 2018: Colin Costello’s winning picks”
On his way to becoming one of the hottest young filmmakers in America, Rhyan LaMarr has proven just about every self-motivational cliché in the book. He was raised by divorced parents who struggled in two separate households, went to a high school where almost nobody looked like him, buried more friends then he cares to … Continue reading “Rhyan LaMarr’s journey to “Canal Street””
An August 9 report from the Association of National Advertisers claims that agencies steer business away from vendors and into their own in-house production units through deliberate manipulation of the bidding process for “commercials, music, events and other materials.”
Last fall, Optimus directing duo Mark Pallman and Amanda Speva spent nearly two weeks filming throughout the Land of Lincoln for the Illinois Office of Tourism campaign Are You Up For Amazing?
Inspired to shoot “all that makes the state so special” — a concept presented by JWT Chicago’s Mike Beamer and Carolyn James in what Amanda describes as “a beautiful vision” — the directors relied on a documentary technique to capture unscripted spontaneity.
Veteran technician Michael Acuna joined Chicago-based Daufenbach Camera motion picture equipment rental company in March.
With eleven years experience servicing Chicago’s film industry, the co-owner of the former Schumacher camera brings a wealth of homegrown expertise and local knowledge to one of the only Chicago-based equipment rental houses capable of outfitting large crews with state of the art gear.
When AbelsonTaylor Senior VP ECD Stephen Neale, now on the French Riviera as a Cannes Lions juror, asked if we’d like to vicariously live the experience through his daily sketches, we jumped at the chance (See the expanding collection below.)
R/GA RAMPED UP its 4-year old Chicago digital agency with the appointment of
Superior Street and director/editor John Anderson’s collaboration with music icon Brian Wilson began back in March, 1998. Since then he has directed/edited four videos of the former Beach Boy’s concert tours. The latest is “Brian Wilson Performs SMiLE,” a live performance of Wilson’s “legendary lost masterpiece”?a Warner Bros./Rhino DVD worldwide release May 24. The two-part package includes “Beautiful Dreamer”, a documentary on the making of SMiLE. Three locally-made features screen this month at the Polish Film Festival in America and the Reeling: Chicago Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The improv film collective Split Pillow showcases their second improv feature at Reeling. And Polish-born local directors Filip Rymsza, and Aleksanda Hodowany and Monika Szewerniak, screen their debut features at the Polish Festival. The Chicago animation scene is dominated by commercial broadcast, many top firms being divisions of larger post houses or production companies, like Superior Street’s Flux Group, Swell’s Bazooka Graphics, Golan Production’s Atomic Imaging. Dreamation Studios is developing a 3D feature and a 24-hour internationally broadcast animation network.
“Brian Wilson Performs SMiLE” concert produced in HD by Superior Street released on DVD May 24
Three local independent feature films screen in Polish and Lesbian/Gay Fests
Animators special report, Part I
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