Reel Chicago - Midwest film, production, TV, commercial, music, ad agency Reel Chicago News

With amendments, film incentives bill expects to pass

By Mike Morgan Dec 5, 2011

Michigan moved closer to new film incentives Dec. 1 with the House Commerce Committee revising SB 569 and sending it out of committee with a passing vote of 16-1. The Film Produ...

Daufenbach Midwest exclusive: new Scarlet-X 4K camera

By Mike Morgan Dec 5, 2011

Daufenbach Camera received early RED’s Scarlet-X 4K camera serial numbers 22 and 33 of the revolutionary new cameras that were shipped to buyers a few weeks ago, making ...

Dennis Farina to appear at MWFF’S Best Awards Dec. 6

By Ruth L Ratny Dec 5, 2011

VETERAN ACTOR DENNIS FARINA and director Joe Maggio of indie feature “The Last Rites of Joe May,” will be special guests at the Midwest Independent Film Festival’s Best of...

New owners give old-line Teletech Video a fresh start

By Ruth L Ratny Dec 4, 2011

The ownership of Teletech Video has passed from the founding family to three energetic employees, who are expanding HD production-to-distribution capabilities and reopening in n...

NBC Universal offering two TV studios for rental

By Ruth L Ratny Dec 2, 2011

It wasn’t long ago that NBC Universal stages in the NBC Tower were bustling with weekday production of the Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos’ syndicated TV shows. That w...

Lewis Lazare

Suit aims to expose how Lottery manager was picked

By Lewis Lazare Dec 1, 2011

It still isn’t over. Anyone who followed the quick, but torturous process to pick a private manager to run the Illinois Lottery knows it was not pretty. There were lots ...

15 Chicago area arts orgs win $25,000 Chase grants

By Ruth L Ratny Nov 30, 2011

CHICAGO AREA good works companies won the biggest number of grants – a total of $500,000 -- in the just-concluded 2011 Chase Community Giving program that asked the public to ...

ICG cites Chicago as one of 5 “great union locations”

By Ruth L Ratny Nov 30, 2011

Chicago’s ranking as a film city is a sometimes thing. There have been times when Moviemaker Magazine, for example, has put Chicago on top of a list of the 25 best cities to...

Lewis Lazare

Cheryl Berman allies with Element 79 on new campaign

By Lewis Lazare Nov 29, 2011

It must have something to do with the holiday spirit, because one sure doesn’t see ad agencies in Chicago working so happily together all that often. But that is exactly...

Keeping talent here is CAFM’s Holiday Party goal

By Ruth L Ratny Nov 28, 2011

The Chicago Actors in Film Meetup (CAFM) set the final same-digit day of the year, 12/12, for its annual Third Networking Night and Fundraiser at Chief O’Neill’s Restau...

Nick Sanabria’s 300 one-liners launch as 99 cent app

By Erik Martin Nov 27, 2011

Veteran voiceover and sound expert Nick Sanabria of Radio City Recording & Audio has employed his rich “1950s Don Pardo announcer voice” in a new audio app that he and n...

Ex-addict gives back with Extra Hands of Hope drive

By Ruth L Ratny Nov 22, 2011

The first thing film extra/actor and comedian Tommy Connolly talks about is the Extra Hands of Hope holiday drive he helped organize among actors and extra to collect “gently ...

Lewis Lazare

The race for Lottery business will be watched closely

By Lewis Lazare Nov 22, 2011

So the race is on to find the new ad agency of record for the Illinois Lottery. And from what we know now, it promises to be one of the most interesting races ever r...

Julian Grant

Five proven tips on how to write a no-budget movie

By Julian Grant Nov 21, 2011

Want to get your script produced? Are you tired of writing screenplays that go nowhere? Are you frustrated with the lack of response to your work? I'm going to show you how to w...

Indie Focus

Nov. 26 screening at new Southside Hub of Production

By Ruth L Ratny Nov 21, 2011

A TRIO OF SHORT FILMS about the Middle East and Middle East views of America will screen Saturday, Nov. 26 at the quite new Southside Hub of Production cultural center in Hyde P...

Workflow expert Gene Moliterno joins Fletcher Detroit

By Ruth L Ratny Nov 18, 2011

FLETCHER CAMERA DETROIT hired former Grace & Wild digital production guru and workflow specialist Gene Moliterno as sales/marketing liaison for Fletcher Detroit. Molit...

Lewis Lazare

Rosie says she’s in as Ch. 7’ “WCL” guest in early ‘12

By Lewis Lazare Nov 17, 2011

Everything’s coming up Rosie for WLS Channel 7’s live morning show “Windy City Live.” Yes, in a little nod to the cross-town competition, “WCL” co-hosts Val Wa...

Curtain Calls

Well-deserved grants to three worthy arts companies

By Kerry Reid Nov 17, 2011

YEAR’S END always brings accolades in the form of always-welcome grants, and there are three to acknowledge, starting with the generosity of The Helen Coburn Meier and Tim Mei...

Does the move to mobile signal R.I.P Windows, Google, Flash?

By David Rosen Nov 17, 2011

A remarkable piece by venture capitalist Roger MacNamee on those genius TED talks, reveals a massive move to mobile and tablets from the “desktop” universe that could herald...

Lewis Lazare

C-K and longtime client AirTran sever remaining ties