CHICAGO CINE TECH, a home grown expo for visual media pros set for Sept. 27-29, will focus on new digital technology, its applications and content especially for emerging media.
Among the interesting speakers will be L.A.-based realty TV director and former Chicagoan Rich Kim (“America’s Next Top Model,” “A Simple Life,” “The Real World” ) who’s currently directing a new ABC primetime show called “Fat March.”
Cine Tech will be held at Columbia College’s new and improved eighth floor (walls have been removed to open exhibit space). The college is Cine Tech’s co-sponsor.
Man Sung and Helena Son of SMS Productions are spearheading Cine Tech for the second year.
BARACK OBAMA’S 2008 campaign ID was designed locally by local design shop, mo/de, teamed with brand consultcy Sender LLC. Commissioned by political media strategist David Axelrod, it will be used as the official campaign identity in broadcast, print and web.
WE HEAR ? Former JWT chief creative Graham Woodall tells friends he plans on staying in Chicago and will open a consultancy ? A new series idea sold to the FX cable network by actor Gil Bellows and “The Weather Man” screenwriter Steve Conrad, screenwriter might be shot here.
THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL should be packed June 28 when Bill Lamar, Jr., McDonald’s SVP/chief marketing officer and 22-year McDonald’s veteran, receives the AAF Silver Medal Lifetime Achievement award at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Presenters are Tom Burrell, a former Silver Medal recipient, McDonald’s USA president Don Thompson, SVP/creative chief Marlene Paleo Lazar, and Andrew Lamar, an account executive with the Morach agency in Atlanta. Tickets are $250 through the Chicago Ad Federation.
DARRYL DUNCAN’S GAMEBEAT STUDIOS won the Lottery’s “Million Dollar Summer” assignment to score the campaign of four TV and four radio spots for agency R. J. Dale. Music genres include dance, elevator, ?n’ rock ?n’ rock.
JOHN CONDON, Leo Burnett’s creative chief, was named chairperson of Boards Creative Workshop that plans on coming to Chicago for the first time this summer. However, date, place, cost and guest speakers are TBA.
PRODUCTION IS UNDERWAY on Towers Productions’ second 15-episode series of improv comedy series, “Sports Action Team,” which throws together local improvisers with real-world sports celebrities in a spoof of behind-the-scenes athletic broadcasting. HDNet will finance and distribute. MGM is handling worldwide sales.
A FUND RAISER FOR “HOLLYWOOD JEROME,” a short film that bagged IFP’s $100,000 2007 Production Fund award, was held last week to kick start production.
Filmmaker Frey Hoffman adapted acclaimed spoken poet Malik Yusef’s poem about a South Side youth entranced with Hollywood-styled gangsters. It was the first Production Fund winner to address urban themes and the first to operate outside the conventions of a straight narrative.
REWIND: While the current influx of Hollywood features and movie stars is exciting, the 2007 batch has a ways to go to catch up with the record-breaking 50 projects that filmed here in 1999.
Among the 50 were three major TV series, each counted as a single project, 24 Hollywood films or parts thereof, and 26 locally made indie films.
Altogether, they created $125 million in revenue and employed 19,000 permanent and freelance people.
