L.A. POST HOUSE HIRES are Therese Hunsberger, Optimus’ executive producer overseeing all operation, while Cutters added editor Fernando Villena, both for their respective Santa Monica companies.
Award-winning Hunsberger is a 20-year post veteran who previously was FilmCore’s executive producer working on such high-profile commercials as Expedia, Gatorade, Geico and Toyota.
Villena, most recently with Brass Knuckles, cut David LaChappelle’s feature doc, “Rize.” Spot credits include Lexus, EA Sports, Coors Light, Mazda, Budweiser, Pizza Hut, Mattel, and Cannes-winning Doctors without Borders.
TWO MOVIES are close to filming in the area. Political thriller “D.O.A.P.” with an under $3 million budget, starts April 6, and scouting is underway for “Butterfly on a Wheel,” directed by Mike Barber for Irish Dream/Icon Entertainment.
EURO RSCG’S NEW CREATIVES are senior art director S. Gray Joyce, most recently freelancing, whose experience ranges from print, illustration and logo design to web, motion design and interactive; art directors Puja Bakshi, from VSA Partners; Erin Hughes, formerly with Discover Financial Services, and Jess Weida, who had her own J. Weida Design company.
CURTAIN UP on new space at 10 W. Hubbard St. for Tenner Pascal Rudnicke, departing from offices previously shared with the Actors Studio at 20 W. Hubbard. TPR’s casting agents are Micki Pascal, Jennifer Rudnicke, Jessica Remis and Matt Miller.
CHICAGO NATIVE DENNIS FARINA will be honored April 22 at the St. Michael in Old Town Parish’s inaugural dinner of the new Kendall College River Walk campus. He’s a graduate of the old, now-closed St. Michael’s high school.
AN $8 MILLION MOVIE from Warner Bros. could land in Wisconsin, pending expected passage of the incentives package next month. The first WB project — the film version of “A Million Little Pieces” — was canceled, along with publication of two other books by author James Frey.
ONE YEAR AGO THIS MONTH Bob Hudgins quit the Illinois Film Office where he’d been deputy director for eight years. Now the Texas Film Commissioner, he’s talking about how Texas needs film incentives. They include a low-interest loan program for filmmakers and loosening Texas Enterprise Fund requirements to help pay for infrastructure construction.
FYI. Hudgins is one of three former Chicagoans to head other state film offices. Charlie Geocaris heads Nevada’s and Harry Tate leads Arizona.
COUPLES WANTED for the Ganz Brothers’ series, “Life in Process,” with Dr. Laura Berman and filming at the downtown Berman Center. Producer Harry Ganz says they need 32 couples for the series and have signed half so far, and completed two weeks of shooting. Interested? Call 800/854-0018 and take it from there.
SPOT DIRECTOR JAMES GARTNER receives the Career Achievement by the 42nd Hugo television awards March 23 at Park West when other winners also will be announced.
Gartner also directed the current, highly-acclaimed feature, “Glory Road,” the story of Texas Western coach Don Haskins who led the first all-black college basketball team. See www.chicagofilmfestival or call 312/683-0121.
