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Urgent business keeps Quinn from L.A. visit

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 23, 2012

GOV. PAT QUINN had to bow out of heading the Chicago contingent at the important TV Production Executives Dinner in L.A. on Aug. 1 due to pressing government business in Springf...

SAG-AFTRA postpones early commercial contract talks

By Mike Morgan Jul 23, 2012

SAG-AFTRA and the advertising industry agreed to postpone their previously-scheduled early negotiations of the union’s commercials contract, the union board announced Saturday...

Curtain Calls

Diane Lane stars in Goodman’s fall season opener

By Kerry Reid Jul 20, 2012

THE GOODMAN THEATRE continues its mini-streak of turning to high-profile actors with the surname “Lane.” After Nathan Lane’s turn in Robert Falls’ monumental production ...

Chicago needs to creatively rethink its film future

By Tom Lewis Jul 19, 2012

Like the recently revealed Chicago Cultural Plan for expanding the arts, here is a film professional’s vision of how to move Chicago into the top tier of entertainment product...

Lewis Lazare

Ch. 7’s ‘WCL’ ratings not far behind Oprah’s numbers

By Lewis Lazare Jul 19, 2012

A little more than a year after its launch, WLS-Channel 7’s “Windy City Live” is hitting its stride. There was plenty to be skeptical about when former Channel 7 general m...

Cinespace grows with Keslow Camera, new stages

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 18, 2012

Tremendous progress in elevating Cinespace Studios as the central core of Chicago’s film infrastructure in just 14 months, since Gov. Pat Quinn cut the studio’s opening cere...

Grace & Wild, Postique gear up for online auction

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 18, 2012

High-end HD video production equipment of long-established Detroit Grace & Wild production/post and company-owned Postique Studios, will be sold via an online only auction b...

Lewis Lazare

Grandiose City Cultural Plan doesn’t address funding

By Lewis Lazare Jul 17, 2012

It’ll never happen. Whatever good Mayor Rahm Emanuel hoped might come from his hideously verbose Chicago Cultural Plan — a draft of which was released Monday — isn’...

Magnanimous adds digital Blackmagic Design cameras

By Ed M. Koziarski Jul 17, 2012

In their two years in business, Magnanimous Media has emerged as a lower-cost, scrappy South Side competitor in the Chicago camera rentals scene. Cofounder Craig Maltby says Mag...

Method, Company 3, Beast now under one local roof

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 17, 2012

Two international posthouses have joined their established Chicago sister editorial company to form a powerhouse collective of talent and services, located in new 9,000-sq. ft. ...

Paige Wiser

“Boss” an important show for director Van Peebles

By Paige Wiser Jul 16, 2012

Say this for Mario Van Peebles: Despite the dark themes of Startz “Boss,” the director presides over a festive set. Before filming ended on the second season July 10, ...

Indie Focus

Timely ‘God particle’ doc screens July 16 at Landmark

by Ed M. Koziarski Jul 13, 2012

BEFORE SCIENTISTS at the CERN particle accelerator outside Geneva, Switzerland apparently discovered the long-sought Higgs Boson or “God Particle” earlier this month, 137 Fi...

Curtain Calls

Playwright Saracho wins Sundance Theatre Lab slot

By Kerry Reid Jul 13, 2012

IT’S PROBABLY SAFE TO SAY that Mexican-born, Chicago-based playwright Tanya Saracho has emerged. She adds another impressive notch to her professional belt by being selected a...

Lewis Lazare

Escape Pod’s Lunchables cinema spot rates four stars

By Lewis Lazare Jul 13, 2012

Guess we can add food critic to adman Vinny Warren’s list of accomplishments now. He has just put the finishing touches on a spectacular new in-cinema commercial for Osc...

Hootenanny assistant Halvorsen upped to editor

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 12, 2012

NEW EDITOR is newly elevated Sean Halvorsen, who has been an assistant (mostly to editor Graham Metzger)since he joined the editorial house shortly after its founding in 2008. H...

Hollywood insiders hear script pitches this weekend

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 12, 2012

Writers who said what they wanted most to have from their Chicago Screenwriters Network membership was direct-Chicago-to-Hollywood access will get their wish Sunday, when the fi...

Lewis Lazare

Street signage won’t drive traffic into empty malls

By Lewis Lazare Jul 12, 2012

What a laugh! Chicago may be the city that works (some of the time), but it has never really had much of a clue how to market itself to tourists — or locals for that mat...

Indie Focus

Vitamin-made short screens at Blue Whiskey fest 7/27

By Ed Koziarski Jul 11, 2012

VITAMIN’S DANNY DELPURGATORIO, creative director/director of Filmworkers Club’s motion graphics division, directed a short with a Vitamin crew of 15 that showcases July...

Lewis Lazare

Euro’s Pucker vodka TV right mesh of sound and visuals

By Lewis Lazare Jul 10, 2012

When it comes to marketing liquor — especially those products aimed at a young adult demo — it of course helps immeasurably to be extraordinarily alert to current trends in ...

Wong reunites with old friends at Noise Floor

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 9, 2012

Noise Floor’s Cory Coken says he and partner Jamie Vanadia are “totally stoked” about their old friend and fellow Avenue Edit sound designer/mixer John Wong joining their ...

TOP STORIES

Jeremy Piven returns to Chicago to film stand-up special at The Vic

Director, Duane Edwards talks about ‘Laura Louise’ set to film in Chicago

NBC confirms One Chicago returning cast members