March 2023 – Below the Line

The Integrity of Joseph Chambers Editor Yvette M. Amirian on the Role of the Editor, the Importance of Sound, and Cutting Fiction vs. Nonfiction

March 28, 2023 Abe Friedtanzer Comments Off

As Editor of Robert Machoian‘s new indie The Integrity of Joseph Chambers, Yvette M. Amirian had the challenging job of crafting a compelling and involving narrative largely featuring just one character, an amateur hunter played by Clayne Crawford. An additional bar to clear was working with a director who had himself edited his previous film, The Killing of Two Lovers. Below the Line recently spoke with Amirian about getting to […]

Cocaine Bear VFX Supervisor Robin Hollander on Bringing the Film’s Coked-Up Predator to Life From New Zealand

March 27, 2023 Edward Douglas Comments Off

Elizabeth Banks‘ grisly horror-comedy Cocaine Bear has probably exceeded most expectations of how a movie with such a title could fare at the box office, where the film has taken in more than $80 million worldwide. The star-studded film has been well-received by critics and audiences alike, and even its detractors seem to have fallen for the title character, who is lovingly referred to as “Cokie” by those who worked on […]

Columns

Union Roundup: WGA Takes on the Next Strike, Too, as ChatGPT and Jung (!) Weigh in on AI

March 24, 2023 Mark London Williams Comments Off

Just as the Writers Guild is trying to catch up with current and previous technology — by which we mean streaming — in its ongoing talks with producers in a so-far-only-slightly-leaky cone of silence laid over Sherman Oaks, it seems, at the same time, to be anticipating what the next likely strikes will be about. By which we mean AI. With its willingness to be the “strikiest” of Hollywood unions, […]

John Wick: Chapter 4 Review: Reality Is Thrown Out a Window in Keanu Reeves’ Latest Action-Packed Sequel

March 24, 2023 J. Don Birnam Comments Off

To boost their middling viewership, the Oscars may want to introduce Best Original Headshot as a new category. The nominees for the past few months alone would include the sanguinary Violent Night, J-Lo’s Shotgun Wedding, and without question, Keanu Reeves‘ latest martial arts obscenity, the much-anticipated sequel John Wick: Chapter 4. It seems as if filmmakers are catering to an incessant audience desire for gore that centers around bullets, exploding […]

A Good Person Costume Designer Tere Duncan on Outfitting Florence Pugh and Reflecting Her Character Arc Through Clothing

March 23, 2023 Abe Friedtanzer Comments Off

In A Good Person, the latest film from Writer-Director Zach Braff, Allison (Florence Pugh) endures a tragedy that causes her to retreat within herself and grapple with opioid addiction. She gradually comes out of her shell as she reconnects with Daniel (Morgan Freeman), the man who was supposed to be her father-in-law, and his granddaughter, Ryan (Celeste O’Connor). Below the Line recently spoke with the film’s Costume Designer, Tere Duncan, about […]

Erik Lomis, MGM Executive and Pillar of the Distribution Community, Dies at 64

March 22, 2023 Staff Comments Off

Erik Lomis, the beloved head of distribution at MGM and United Artists Releasing, died suddenly at his home in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday. He was 64. According to Deadline, which first reported the news of his passing, Lomis grew up in the exhibition business, as his father, Irv, worked for the Philadelphia theater chain Sameric Corp. Lomis learned the biz from the ground up, starting out as an usher […]

John Wick: Chapter 4 Stunt Coordinator Stephen Dunlevy on Working With Keanu Reeves and What Sets the Action Franchise Apart

March 22, 2023 Daniel Eagan Comments Off

Keanu Reeves crosses paths with new foes as well as some familiar faces in John Wick: Chapter 4, the latest installment in a franchise that has redefined the action genre. This time around, Wick’s desperate attempt to clear his name from a High Table contract sends him to far-off encounters in Jordan, Osaka, Berlin, and Paris. Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne return alongside Reeves, who is joined by franchise newcomers […]

Fujifilm Announces New Fujinon Duvo HZK25-1000mm F2.8-5.0 PL Mount Cinema Box Lens

March 22, 2023 Staff Comments Off

FUJIFILM North America Corporation has announced the impending availability of its new FUJINON Duvo HZK25-1000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Cinema Box Lens (“Duvo 25-1000”). As noted in Fujifilm’s prior October 2022 development announcement, this native PL-mount cinema box lens achieves a zoom ratio of 40x and a telephoto focal length of 1000mm, the highest combination of magnification and telephoto reach available to date for large cinema sensors. Fujifilm North America Corporation […]

Saturday Night Live Strike Averted as Editorial Crew Reaches Tentative Deal With NBC Universal

March 21, 2023 Staff Comments Off

NBC Universal‘s long-running sketch comedy staple, Saturday Night Live, will not be facing a strike by the show’s post-production editorial crew, consisting of around 20 employees, as they have reached a tentative agreement with NBC. In the show’s 50-year history, there hasn’t been a debilitating strike that has caused an episode to be cancelled. For just over a month, the editorial workers had been threatening to strike before the April […]

The Consultant Production Designer Clarence Major III on His Vision for CompWare’s Sinister Offices and the Show’s Religious Allegories

March 21, 2023 Ian Spelling Comments Off

Back when Clarence Major III was designing raves, he didn’t harbor any major designs on a career as a Production Designer. Yet here we are decades later, and Major is a 25-year Hollywood veteran with credits spanning from Higher Ed and Mike Epps: Inappropriate Behavior to Amazon Prime Video’s new show The Consultant and the upcoming sci-fi feature War of the Worlds, not to mention countless commercials. He has also […]