MARK EGMON decided to step down as president of AICP’s Midwest chapter after an intense six years of service “to focus more intensely” on his growing branded entertainment company, Outer Radius.
The big Nov. 16 AICP Show will be Egmon’s seventh and he is predicting the biggest, with more than 800 attendees.
AICP board treasurer Joanne Bittmann of Crossroads also decided not to seek reelection next month.
IPA also will vote for a new board president as Eileen Willenborg, SAG/AFTRA executive director, won’t seek reelection.
OPRAH’S CREW returned Tuesday from shooting her documentary on Africa for the past 10 days.
STEVE MORRISON joined DraftFCB as director of creative editorial from Foundation Post, where his assistant, Damian Riddel was promoted to editor.
Riddel is wrapping a doc he directed/edited for Potbelly/Euro RSCG, about guitar player Jef Sarver, who attempted to break the Guiness Book of World Records’ current record for continuous guitar playing.
COMEDIAN TIM KAZURINSKY for the second time will host the 48th annual Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards Nov. 19 at NU’s Thorne Auditorium. Gospel great Otis Clay will entertain.
The evening’s pace will pick up by winners — in 64 categories and subcategories — not thanking everyone in person, but posting acceptance speeches on NATAS’ web site if they wish.
Afterwards, guests boogie over to the MCA to party, with an open bar for the first hour and Wolfgang Puck dishing up hors d’oeuves and desserts.
LOST IN THE NEWS about Wal-Mart landing at DraftFCB is the fact that small agencies E. Morris here and Bernstein Rein in Kansas City are still part of the Wal-Mart agency collective.
AD NOTES. At DraftFCB, Scott Johnson was named SVP/executive creative director of interactive, bringing 19 years of agency experience to the newly merged giant. Formerly he was creative head for Tribal DDB in Dallas ? GreenHouse added Christine Peterson as ACD, formerly senior AD at DraftFCB where she worked on GlaxoSmithKline, United States Postal Services and MilkPEP? What’s your news today? Email to Ruth@ReelChicago.com.
THE TAX CREDIT PROCESS at the IFO is accelerating with the hiring of tax credit specialist Elaine Tuman who brings the IFO staff number to nine. The tax credit has definitely spurred spot production, as producers note an increasing number of out-of-state companies are shooting here.
IN MEMORIAM. LEE DUNCAN, 78, the feisty but always charming president of Victor Duncan film camera/lighting rental and sales in Chicago for 25 years, died Oct. 27 in Dallas after a long illness.
Victor Duncan was the Fletcher Chicago of its day. Duncan started his film rental company in Detroit, and a few years later opened one in Chicago. Dallas, the Duncans’ home town, came a few years later. Working at Duncan put several of its managers on a success trajectory as they moved on to head film companies.
Victor Duncan was sold in the mid-?90s to Samuelson/Panasonic and that incarnation was sold a number of times until it ultimately faded away.
Mrs. Duncan is survived by her husband, Victor, of Dallas.
YOUR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AT WORK. Political ad spending this year on just national broadcast and cable will be a jaw-dropping $2 billion-plus, 17.6% more than 2004 AND $200 to $300 million more expected by next Tuesday, Election Day. That’s according to TNS Media Intelligence’s Campaign Media Analysis Group.
FACTOID: Since January, 2003, ReelChicago has posted 800 Calendar events, or approximately one event a day. These events are strictly local and totally film-oriented. Got an event coming up? Email us the details.
