PILOT UPDATES. Networks this week began screening and evaluating 68 pilots that were shot during the first quarter for possible prime-time fall series slots. Here’s the reaction to four of the six that were filmed in Chicago, according to Deadline/Hollywood:
“Ride-Along:” Shawn Ryan’s cop drama is a contender.
“Pleading Guilty:” Not getting a lot of buzz on this legal drama starring Jason Isaacs, but some say it’s heating up.
“Matadors:” “Warm”. “They really like and has a decent shot” but not everyone at the network was wowed by the Romeo-and-Juliet legal drama.
“ATF:” The procedural had some heat. “They liked but seems to be fading.”
Any TV series filming here for an entire season would be a tremendous employment and PR shot in the arm. The last TV series to shoot here was the short-lived “The Beast,” starring the late Patrick Swayze, which debuted on A&E in January, 2009.
THE VINCE VAUGHN movie, “Untitled Cheating Project,” is gearing up for its May 25 start with a big lighting equipment order being filled by Essanay.
It includes studio cameras for interiors to be shot on two stages: One is a loft set in the downtown area and another is in the Morton Grove warehouse building where director Ron Howard has set up an office.
SIX LOCAL EDITORS from post houses Optimus, The Whitehouse and The Colonie were among the 69 national and Canadian contenders for AICE Show Awards, being held here May 20 at the Field Museum.
Best of Chicago contenders are Optimus’ Craig Lewandowski for Cricket phones/Element79 and Deb Schimmel for Coca-Cola/Leo Burnett and The Whitehouse’s Grant Gustafson for State Farm/DDB.
Other local finalists: Comedy: The Whitehouse, Matthew Wood for McDonald’s/DDB; Dialog: The Colonie, Bob Ackerman, McDonald’s/Cossette; New/emerging/alternative media: Optimus, Glorily Velez, Motorola/Draftfcb.
Outside Editorial of New York led the competition with six finalists, followed by five each for editors at Lost Planet Editorial of L.A./New York and Beast Editorial from its Detroit, L.A. and San Francisco branches.
NOTHING SPOOKY about the weekend gross for slasher flick “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” which was the only Hollywood feature to break up the city’s 22-month feature drought last year. It took in a cool $32 million, vs. a $30 million budget.
55 TOP MANUFACTURERS will fill Resolution Digital Studio’s big stage with exhibits of the latest in capture technology during Roscor’s Communications Technology Expo May 5-6. The Expo also offers a dozen free seminars led by experts in their field. See Events for details.
GETTING AROUND. The remodeled permanent space for Utopic, the new hybrid post-production company of editor Jan Maitland and executive producer Michael Antonucci will be ready for occupancy in June, on the 7th floor at 420 N. Wabash… Jim Demas and Ro Gazga’s SPI-tv’s good business allowed it to bring freelance editor Lucia Perez aboard full-time.
I HEARD NARY A PEEP from any post house owners about a recent Tribune editorial in which the city’s post houses were sniffily put down as “unsophisticated.”
The editorial stated: “Chicago doesn’t yet have sophisticated postproduction facilities that compete with Los Angeles and New York. [Naveeen] Chathappuram said he chose to do postproduction for “Ca$h” in Los Angeles.”
The editorial was ostensibly about the tax credit, saying “It has the potential to make Chicago a destination for Hollywood productions …” like it hasn’t been said destination since 1975? “and also a center for independent film activity” … hello?
Methinks Columbia College’s PR department promoted the editorial, since the school was prominently mentioned throughout the article along with two of its alums: Chathappuram of the low-budget indie “Ca$h” and John Bosher of “Chicago Overcoat.”
Media stories are usually innocuous column notes about the movie stars shooting here. But when a big force like the Tribune pokes a stick in the eye of one of our biggest sectors, surely it calls for vocal reaction other than mine.
The editorial stated: “Chicago doesn’t yet have sophisticated postproduction facilities that compete with Los Angeles and New York. [Naveeen] Chathappuram said he chose to do postproduction for “Ca$h” in Los Angeles.”
The editorial was ostensibly about the tax credit, saying “It has the potential to make Chicago a destination for Hollywood productions …” like it hasn’t been said destination since 1975? “and also a center for independent film activity” … hello?
They need to read ReelChicago and keep up with the times. The local post industry does about $100 million in mostly spot business. That’s quite an achievement considering that local agencies will shoot 95% with bicoastal companies and finish here. If the many Hollywood companies that film movies and TV shows also did some eding here, the post houses would quickly respond with more “sophistication” that would even impress the Tibune writers.
