Allan’s Sonixphere looks to New York for expansion

GREG ALLAN’S SONIXPHERE tapped New York-based Clint Arent as director of East Coast business development, to focus on New York agencies.  “An increasing amount of our business originates on the East Coast and it’s important to have someone there who knows the market and our industry,” Allan says.

Previously, Arent, a musician in his own right who has toured with Metal Mike Chlasciak, was managing director of New Jersey’s School of Rock.  Sonixphere’s local rep of a dozen years is Ken Kolasny.

Allan’s TV show clientele is expanding with the latest original theme and underscore for a new reality show, “Real Deal, on the History Channel.  This assignment follows music for ABC’s “Secret Millionaire” and Discovery Channel’s “Flying Wild Alaska,” in conjunction with L.A.-based I Spy Music.

BATAVIA-BASED PURE IMAGINATION, (aka Chicago’s One Stop Creative Agency) is spreading holiday cheer with a quirky Holiday Movie Quiz Contest on Facebook

Various movie scenes are performed by Pure Imagination staff members (who will keep their day jobs).  Contestants guess which holiday movie is represented by each scene.  Top scorers will be entered into a final drawing for the grand prize of a new iPad 2.

Pure Imagination is owned by Andrea and Len Davis, who founded the full-service company in 2000.  Notable clients include Sears, Seattle’s Best Coffee, McDonalds, Nature’s Path, Discovery Education, and McGraw-Hill.

OLD PHOTO GEAR COLLECTING DUST?  Buyers for KEH Camera, the world’s largest used photo equipment dealer, will have reps at Helix Camera looking to buy used cameras, projectors, lighting or miscellaneous photo gear. 

Bring your old gear to Helix, 310 S. Racine, Friday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. through Saturday. Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. 

If you’d like a quote before the buying spree, click here to Email your list to the KEH Camera rep who’ll be in the area.

HOLIDAY PARTY TUESDAY, Dec. 13 is hosted by CIAN (Chicago Independent Artists’ Network) for film, theatre and artistic production folk, at Wishbone, 3300 N. Lincoln – where the group meets on the second Tuesday of each month – 7 to 8:30 p.m.  Films, appetizers and drink specials are offered at this free event.

SEVERAL RECENT NEW HIRES at Resolution Digital Studios, starting with creative lead John Kwoka, an international broadcast freelance creative.  He recently returned to Chicago from Poland where he’d been a freelance creative at MTV Networks, Comedy Central and Discovery Channel and also worked at Euro RSCG, Y&R and BBDO in Warsaw.  Before Kwoka’s international experiences, he’d been an art director with Chicago agencies.

New producer/studio manager is Bob Cundari, previously studio manager at now-defunct Bosco Production, and Chris Wysoglad, editor and graphics designer, most recently with Information Video, Inc.

Social media expert and brand developer Jacob Young was named director of marketing and social media for RDS and parent company Show Department.  He previously was with Imagination Publishing and has a background in major events marketing and planning. 

CINESPACE IS SET, so to speak, in the event some cable network resurrects the short-lived “Playboy Club” as a series and shoots in Chicago.  Rather than dismantle the standing set of the club interior, Cinespace bought it NBC.   If a series doesn’t materialize, Cinespace will still have a neat setting for other shows and public events. There’s also talk that Cinespace is looking to acquire some of the nearby property to convert into a backlot. 

A ‘CAN’T MISS’ TV MOVIE?  The debut of the Lifetime Original Movie, “Drew Peterson: Untouchable” will air on Lifetime network Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m.  Rob Lowe stars as the accused wife killer, and with great hair and makeup, bears an uncanny resemblance to the former Bolingbrook cop.  The movie also stars Kaley Cuoco (Penny on “The Big Bang Theory”) as missing wife #4, Stacy Peterson.

A DALLAS STUDIO was opened by Filmworkers’ creative partner Giannini Creative, providers of creative retouching, CGI/3D art and pre-media services, in Filmworkers’ established facility there.  The branch is led by executive producer Steven Hays, former general manager at Schawk, Dallas, a graphics and pre-media company, supported by a team of local artists and Chicago talent.

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