McLean confirms Labatt’s plans

Industry rumors about The Partners’ Film Company splitting from Labatt Breweries are somewhat grounded in fact, says Partners’ president Don McLean. Labatt definitely wants out of the film production business, he says. But the who, how, and how much of any separation is still being worked out.

According to McLean, Labatt has wanted to sell Partners’, its u.s. affiliates, and Skyvision Entertainment, the long-format production company jointly owned by Labatt and Partners’, for the past 18 months. It’s no secret that Labatt wants to divest itself of its entertainment enterprises and concentrate on the beer business, he says.

McLean won’t reveal how much the group is worth, but says the plan is to sell the three as a package.

In other Partners’ happenings, the separation of The Directors Film Company from parent company Partners’ is contingent on a reasonable offer from Directors’ Doug Moshoian, says McLean.

Moshoian offered to buy the company for $1 last year, incurring all liabilities and debts. What at one time seemed like a done deal was shelved after the two parties quibbled over capital expenditures. Now it seems both sides are at a stand-off.

Says McLean: ‘We’ve been trying to split Directors off for a long time. We’re waiting for Mr. Moshoian to come back and take over.’

For his part, Moshoian says several people have asked him if he’s making a deal to buy the company but he ‘doesn’t know anything about it.’

McLean won’t say how much of Directors is owned by Partners’ or what that piece of the company would sell for. ‘But it’s not a dollar.’

LTB puts new business plan into action

Boston-based director Sean Tracey has left The Partners’ Film Company by mutual agreement and becomes the third to join L.T.B. Productions in as many weeks.

Like directors Paul Lynch and Vince Misiano, Tracey’s interest was piqued by the company’s new commitment to ‘accountable representation,’ part of ltb’s new business plan being front-lined by executive producer Sarah Ker-Hornell.

After four years with Partners’, Ker-Hornell started at ltb last October, replacing William Cranor who left to head up SPY Films, ltb’s sister company.

Ker-Hornell says when she began at ltb, the company had a reputation for finding talented directors but being unable to keep them. Therefore, key to the revamped ltb is high-maintenance staff relations, says Ker-Hornell. Directors are able to call for a weekly update on who’s seen their reel and what boards they might be bidding for, virtually impossible in bigger shops, she says.

On the client side, there is a similar commitment to service, meaning structured production teams in place. The facility is being tailored to provide long-term crews of line producers, cameramen, editors and production co-ordinators to make clients comfortable bringing in repeat business, says Ker-Hornell, who acts as the link through the whole production process. ‘There’s a common thread throughout, only possible in a smaller company.’

Ker-Hornell is pleased to have just won a piece of the Sears fashion retail business, which traditionally belongs to Partners’. Greg Gould, repped through ltb in Canada and Propaganda Films in l.a., has been hired as the director.

Sugino goes CD

About 1,000 production companies will see director Shin Sugino’s work in full motion via computer when he launches a cd-rom version of his reel and stills photography the first week of March. Copies are being sent worldwide, but few details are being released until the product is in the mail, says Circle Productions’ Karen Tameanko.

Speaking of Circle, Dallas-based director Jim Beresford has returned to the fold. Originally represented in Canada by Circle, Beresford left about a year ago for Apple Box Productions, but has returned for undisclosed reasons.

In other industry moves, dop Barry F. Peterson has moved home base to l.a. Represented by Sesler & Company, a Toronto agency representing the people behind the camera, Peterson will remain active in the Canadian market despite the relocation, says company executive Dora Sesler.

Something to snicker about

Chocolate is circulating pre-Valentine’s Day at Jolly Roger. The start-up production company, headed up by directing star Steve Chase, just finished its first commercial since it hung out its shingle in November, producing a spot for Snickers out of Bates Canada.

The two-day shoot was directed by Curtis Wehrfritz and aired during the Superbowl on an extended run in Canada.

Wehrfritz signed on for commercial representation with Jolly Roger after his production house, Revolver, began specializing in music videos as a satellite of Stripes. He continues to work out of Revolver on music videos and is represented by Jet Films in Montreal.