TEST SPOT GURU and Daily Planet founder Fred Berkover continues to ply his years of expertise with a new company partnered with Swell president Mike Topel. Tentatively named Stealth, the company is located on the 14th floor of NBC Tower, as is 59 Films, Ron Lazzeretti and Ed Amaya’s production company.
OCT. 4 IS THE DATE set for the IFO’s “Sweet Home Illinois” party for Chicagoans who now work in the L.A. film industry. Producer Ginny Weissman and comedian Tom Dreesen are the volunteers pulling it together. They had hosted the late great Windy City West party in L.A. on which the IFO party is based.
ROBIN WILLIAMS will receive the Chicago International Film Festival’s Career Achievement Award July 17. And because the Festival is expecting a record turnout, even at $300 per ticket, the gala will be held at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers ballroom. Williams’ new movie, “House of D,” directed by David Duchovny, will be released this fall. Call 312/425-9400 ext. 100 for reservations.
TERRY THOMAS’ Christian Captions & Subtitle Services was one of only 30 vendors nationally to be approved by the U.S. Dept. of Education. The Service went through a series of stringent exercises to attest to the superior quality of its work in order to obtain the status.
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR REBA MESHULAM of Suite 100 Video & Communications is producing a video with the Olympic inductees for Allstate about the elements of sponsorship. It includes the torch run shot in St. Louis, and the induction of new athletes into the Olympic Hall of Fame.
THE SOUTH SIDE has been discovered as a serious filming location. Fuller Park (near Sox Park) was the location for a Chicagoland Chevy Dealers spot with the Sox’ Maglio Ordo?ez. Rino Liberatore directed for Mike Waterkotte’s agency … And Backyard’s Kevin Smith staged a block party in the 5700 block of South Parkside for a Smokey Bones restaurant spot … On the other side of town, Tate USA of L.A. went to North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park Zoo for Kaiser Permamente health care.
TOWERS PRODUCTIONS used closed-off Lower Wacker Drive as an apt substitute for the Paris underground for a reenactment of Princess Diana’s fatal accident … Sound/Video Impressions’ Bill Holtane is handling the Betacam taping during a tour of defense contractor Northrup Grumman’s facilities in San Jose, Buffalo and Opopka, Florida. Footage will be used for NG’s internal videos.
ANOTHER COUNTRY promoted Ben Keller to sound design/mix engineer. He’s worked on spots for McDonald?s, Sears, Sea World, Perkins, Kraft and Wrigley and several indie films.
FYI. DIRECTOR MARK COPPOS has shuttered his Coppos Films’ New York and L.A. shops after 20 years of business.
