A NICE 10TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENT for Darryl S. Duncan’s Gamebeat Studios was landing the scoring assignment for the Illinois Lottery’s Summer Campaign for the second year in a row.
Gamebeat will compose music for three TV and two radio spots each for the urban market, with version for general and Hispanic markets for lottery agency R.J. Dale and producer Darryl Manuel.
A former songwriter for Warner Bros. and A&M records in Hollywood, Duncan founded his company in April, 1998. He employs seven and works out of a 3,000-sq. ft. facility in south suburban Matteson.
NEW POST HOUSE HOOTENANNY added Graham Metzger as its third editor, from seven years at Avenue, where he worked on big accounts like McDonald’s, Chase Bank and Big Ten Network. In addition to editing, Metzger will design projects.
Editors are Jerem Sloan and Hootenanny partner Liz Tate ; partner Jim Annerino is the Smoke artist and designer. John Montgomery is a designer/VFX artist whose web company, fxphd, shares Hootenanny space.
FLETCHER CHICAGO has opened an office fittingly called Fletcher Detroit to keep pace with all that feature business collecting in the Motor City.
It’s located on Grace & Wild’s big campus in Farmington Hills, the Midwest’s largest creative resource. A manager is expected to be named soon from among the Fletcher Chicago staff.
Recently, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (similar to VISIT Milwaukee) launched Film Detroit, an office to market the metro region as the state’s prime location for production.
SEDGWICK PRODUCTIONS, founded by CEO and director/DP Richard Christian and now celebrating its 25th anniversary, has an authorized Chicago Cubs documentary underway. “We Believe” is about the current season, the players and the team’s dedicated fans.
Sedgwick’s partners on the doc are producer John Scheinfeld (“The United States vs. John Lennon”), Cutters’ Tim McGuire and Chris Claeys and financier Chad Smith.
AN ONLINE COMEDY called “The Second City’s Quarantine,” will launch this year featuring original material from the improv troupe’s current cast and alumni network. The Second City and Media Rights Capital are partnering. The site will be a stand-alone and also will be syndicated through the Web.
FLASHPOINT ACADEMY hosts a June 24 reading and Q&A with Marie Brenner, author of “Apples & Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found,” and Vanity Fair’s writer-at-large, and former IFO director Brenda Sexton.
Brenner has had considerable experience with the movies. Her expose of the tobacco industry was the basis for the Oscar-nominated 1999 movie “The Insider,” Her article “Erotomania” became the Lifetime movie “Obsessed.” In development is “In the Kingdom of Big Sugar” for Tribeca Films.
Sexton is now an EVP in a commercial realty firm, and partner in Chicago Link Productions that creates entertainment film, fashion and wellness events.
MUSIC BOX FILMS has acquired all U.S. rights to distribute French filmmaker Emmanuel Mouret’s romantic comedy, “Shall We Kiss” ? the filmmaker’s first U.S. distributor.
The acquisition was negotiated in Cannes by Music Box partner William Schopf and Dimitri Stephanides for TF1. Music Box will release the film to U.S. theatres beginning in late summer.
SHARON ZUREK’S BLACK CAT PRODUCTIONS is co-presenting “EdingMaven Mash Up” for the Dyke Delicious’ season finale of June 14. Co-presenters are Chicago Filmmakers, where the screening will be held, and Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival. An after-party is set at Spin Night Club.
REELCHICAGO EDITOR RUTH L RATNY speaks to the Independent Writers of Chicago June 10 about going from “Screen to Reel: Trade Secrets,” at National Louis University, 12 S. Michigan at 6 p.m. Free to members,$15 to guests. Free adminission pass available on the IWOC website,
