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SAG-AFTRA members gain $200 mm in new contract

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 15, 2016

SAG-AFTRA members earned more than $200 million in wage increases for all categories of performers in the new three-year broadcast contract agreement reached with the ANA-4A’s...

REEL THINGS

Optimus editor Schimmel to join The Whitehouse May 1

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 13, 2016

EDITORIAL STAR DEB SCHIMMEL is making a major change in her career. After 21 years as a top tier, award-winning editor at Optimus, she is moving to The Whitehouse as of May 1. ...

Gary Adcock's Tech World

Pre-NAB look at two new and exciting camera systems

By Gary Adcock Apr 13, 2016

With NAB coming up fast April 16-21 in Las Vegas, my mailbox has been filled with foolishness, speculation and a steady stream of pontification.Yet, there is always something th...

REEL LA

How drone use makes indies look like Hollywood epics

By Brandon Howard Apr 11, 2016

Robin Christian, an Illinois and Los Angeles-based screenwriter, director and producer, is looking ahead to the latest technological trends that may have the largest impact on f...

Utopic edits Burnett / Esurance election spoof video

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 11, 2016

From the time Utopic received the footage for Leo Burnett’s Esurance campaigns, the post house whirled through a week of editing and finishing to deliver a 2-minute spoof on t...

Cubs’ rising stars featured in 2016 campaign from SCC

By Colin Costello Apr 11, 2016

The Chicago Cubs’ 2016 ad campaign, “Kids. They Grow Up Fast,” created by agency Schafer Condon Carter for the fourth season, was designed to help fans get to know the tea...

Dick Wolf recipient of Local 476 Honorary Gold Card

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 10, 2016

“Chicago” television franchise producer Dick Wolf was surprised and pleased last Tuesday when he was presented with the highest honor a film industry union can — and rarel...

Gary Adcock's Tech World

How Oculus VP headset can harvest your personal data

By Gary Adcock Apr 7, 2016

Once again, an emerging technology is bringing us back to awareness about the omnipresent End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) in our computing society, those annoying endless pa...

REEL THINGS

The Onion touts “Lawnbnb” in a pair of Scotts spots

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 7, 2016

Spring has arrived along with a pair of refreshing 50-second native content videos for Scotts Lawn and Care created by The Onion Labs.Produced and created for Boston-based...

Famous feature DP lenses Burnett / Marshall’s spot

By Colin Costello Apr 7, 2016

Leo Burnett’s newest advertainment for retailer Marshall’s was shot by acclaimed Euro/LA-based cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (“Interstellar,” “Spectre”), c...

Crain’s: DigitasLBI #1 Best Place to Work in Chicago

By Mike Morgan Apr 5, 2016

Interactive agency DigitasLBi has the honor of being named by Crain’s the #1 Best Place to work in Chicago, in the business publication’s 8th annual survey – the only ad a...

REEL THINGS

MillerCoors, Beam agency Mekanism set up shop here

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 5, 2016

WHILE MEKANISM AGENCY has been quietly in Chicago for several months to support its MillerCoors brands and Jim Beam US accounts on an up close and personal basis, the official a...

“Like a Girl” creative A.J. Hassan joins R/GA as ECD

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 5, 2016

A.J. Hassan, the Leo Burnett VP/CD, acclaimed for her work as a key creative on the multi-honored viral phenom “Like a Girl” for Always/P&G, has joined R/GA as executive...

Ad industry, SAG-AFTRA tentatively agree on contract

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 4, 2016

The advertising industry and SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative agreement Sunday for a new television and radio contract — likely worth more than $1 billion per year in billings �...

NY firms back Chicago-made TV comedy show “The Jamz”

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 1, 2016

If there ever were an “overnight success story,” this is it! Unknown Chicago-made and Chicago-set comedy shorts called “The Jamz” is discovered by New York powerbrokers ...

GERTRUDE’S new RAYE brands with shipping containers

By Colin Costello Apr 1, 2016

A common brand mandate for agency creatives is to think outside of the box. Otis Gibson, founder / CEO 11-year-old global brand and development agency, GERTRUDE,INC. has upturne...

Tribeca taps indie producers to pitch at film market

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 1, 2016

“Signature Move” producers filmmaker Eugene Sun Park and Brian Hiegglke, publisher of Newcity magazine, were selected as 2016 Tribeca All Access Fellows attending the Tribec...

Incubator Stage 18 set for office and stage buildout

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 30, 2016

Construction of 7,500-sq. ft. of office space for Stage 18 at Cinespace Studios, the area’s first media and entertainment incubator, will start shortly and is expected to be f...

REEL THINGS

Four local agencies win 7 social media Shorty Awards

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 29, 2016

FOUR CHICAGO AGENCIES — DDB Chicago, Leo Burnett, DigitasLBI, and Havas Worldwide — are among the 66 category winners of the 8th Annual Shorty Awards for content o...

Annual union basketball game wins big for charity