Colin Costello Archives · Page 2 of 26 · | Reel Chicago - At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production

Year in Review

2020 in Review: Top Chicago advertising campaigns

By Colin Costello Jan 2, 2021

It's hard to remember back in February 2020, when the Kansas City Chiefs bested the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV and Parasite was winning Best Picture, no one was talk...

Year in Review

2020 in Review: Remembering Who Left Us

By Colin Costello Dec 31, 2020

Whether you stay in Chicago to make your mark or leave to make your impact felt somewhere else, you are still Chicago. 100%. It's a badge of honor anyone from the city, that is...

Year in Review

2020 in Review: Reel Chicago’s Biggest Stories

By Colin Costello Dec 31, 2020

What a year, huh? 2020, which felt like a decade, will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the worst years ever. And who will argue? Certainly not the staff at Reel Chicag...

Reel Ad of the Week

Ogilvy, Optimus want us to “Stand By Our Mail”

By Colin Costello Nov 3, 2020

The U.S. Postal service has gotten a lot of shit over the last few months from Planet Trump. The President criticized plans to fund the USPS in preparation for mail-in voti...

CHIFILMFEST

Interview: CIFF Senior Programmer Anthony Kaufman

By Colin Costello Oct 14, 2020

Today is the beginning of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival. Unlike other years, the prestigious festival is a bit different than the ones we have experienced in the...

SOCIAL MEDIA

Chicago teen has winning campaign for “settling”

By Colin Costello Oct 12, 2020

While his bid for the White House is nowhere near as polarizing as when Hilary Clinton ran against President Donald J. Trump in 2016, there are those (looking at you Bernie and...

FILM

Which horror franchise is most popular in Illinois?

By Colin Costello Oct 11, 2020

It's fall - a time for the annual color change of leaves, picking pumpkins, watching football while eating slow-cooker chili and scaring the bejesus out of ourselves watching s...

Reel Ad of the Week

BTS: Miller, Lewandowski on new UCM spot

By Colin Costello Sep 29, 2020

Last Friday, a brave and emotional new spot for the University of Chicago Medicine broke on regional TV. Crafted by independent, digitally driven, creative agency Schafer Cond...

REEL MOVES

Susan Carlson leaves NBC-5 to focus on family

By Colin Costello Sep 24, 2020

Who hasn't had a crush at one time or another on Susan Carlson, who has been one of the queens of local news for 29 years. Some of the Reel Chicago team never missed her mornin...

REEL MOVES

Kartemquin announces leadership change

By Colin Costello Sep 3, 2020

Kartemquin Films has announced that current Executive Director Jolene Pinder will be leaving the organization as of October 1. According to the production company, Pinder, who ...

Reel Indie

Gardner’s ‘Long Ride Home’ plays Bentonville Fest

By Colin Costello Aug 12, 2020

Charles Andrew Gardner's Long Ride Home will compete for Best Short Film this week at Academy Award® winner Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival. In...

FX sets September premiere date for ‘Fargo’

By Colin Costello Aug 10, 2020

The novel coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating affect on film and TV production this year. But recovery is slowly beginning. Last week, Reel 360 reported on a few CW Netw...

REEL PRO

Wachowski says ‘Matrix’ is transgender allegory

By Colin Costello Aug 7, 2020

Before COVID-19 shut down production last March, Chicago-born director Lana Wachowski was deep into filming the fourth, the first of a new trilogy, Matrix film for Warner Bros...

REEL LA

Sam Ciaramitaro’s photos of BLM Demonstrations

By Colin Costello Jun 15, 2020

Three-times Cannes Lion winner, Sam Ciaramitaro has become an accomplished director for Durable Goods and a producer with a distinct speciality for delivering poignant stories,...

WGN Reporter assaulted during live shoot

By Colin Costello May 28, 2020

Over the last four years, it has become increasingly acceptable in some circles to assault and threaten journalists and on-air reporters. Of course, when you are egged on and ...

REEL PRO

Alex Pissios talks future of Chicago production

By Colin Costello May 20, 2020

Nowhere can the pandemic's financial impact be felt more than in the city's once thriving production industry. Shows such as Empire, the Dick Wolf "Chicago" shows, Shameless an...

THE NEW NORMAL

Behind the scenes of “We Are Optimus”

By Colin Costello May 15, 2020

They are Optimus. Whether it's creating and delivering top-notch, award-winning content or throwing their legendary block party, which was talked about for an entire year... u...

Events

Bochian details fundraising plans for Seth Rogen Charity

By Colin Costello Apr 29, 2020

Actress, author and philanthropist Ina Bochian, knows how to pull a team together for a good cause. This year, to help Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller's not-for-profit charity rai...

Behind The Scenes

Society Director Martin goes BTS of Uncle Ben’s spot

By Colin Costello Apr 27, 2020

Typically, it takes around 20 minutes or so to cook up Uncle Ben's Rice. And even more so, it usually takes around a month to prep, produce and post a :30-second spot. That sai...

Reel Ad of the Week

Burrell posts powerful COVID-19 video on IG

By Colin Costello Apr 20, 2020

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 ...