FILMWORKERS NEW GENERAL MANAGER is 14-year veteran Manuela Hung, who now manages Filmworkers and Astro Labs in Chicago and Dallas and Lift motion graphics division in Chicago. (Production division, Vitamin, is headed by David Rosen).
Hung originally came to Filmworkers Club to build the company’s first Sanitary Lab and then merged it into Astro Lab when it was purchased a few years later.
Hung has the distinction of being one of only two women in the entire U.S. who run film labs (the other runs DeLuxe in L.A.) and the only woman who’s built a film lab from scratch.
Before joining Filmworkers, Hung had worked for Allied Labs. She is a former board member of the international Association of Cinema Video Labs.
She replaces Charlie Langrell, who’d been with the company since 1999.
LOCAL 476’S MARK HOGAN, the IFO’s Betsy Steinberg and the Teamsters’ John Coley returned from L.A. feeling chipper about the prospects of at least three producers filming upcoming projects here.
The trio spent a week in L.A. and Hogan said they were pleased that 50 guests attended a breakfast they had held at the Beverly Wilshire and sponsored by the Four Seasons Hotel.
Hopefully that business will wend its way to Chicago sooner than later, since “Polish Bar” is the only feature filming currently and Nightmare on Elm Street” won’t start shooting until the end of April. No commercials asking for permits to film on city streets, either.
More than any other factor, the slowdown can be placed squarely on SAG’s doorstep.
AUDIO PRODUCERS GROUP has been very busy, reports producer Mindy Verson. But even more exciting than all the recent spots they’ve cast and recorded, Verson everyone to know that SHE HAS LOST 110 POUNDS over the past 22 months. A monumental achievement, indeed.
Her startling weight loss secret was “eating less and exercising more.” Also secret is her current weight, but she says she’s getting close to her target size 12.
But back to business. Among their recent jobs was APG’s Peter Erazmus’ sound design and final mix of Office Max’ 8-spot campaign for The Escape Pod, the creative company of former DDB creatives Vinny Warren and Ken Kwiatt.
FLASHPOINT ACADEMY has an exclusive arrangement with CBS-Ch. 2 for use of the station’s new HD production Studio B ? right across the street from the school at 28 N. Clark St.
The space includes a separate high-end, fully-equipped audio control room, make-up room, storage space and direct access for remote trucks and broadcast vans.
