Chicago, Illinois - April 14, 2008 - Chicago has become the home to a new boutique post-production house with the addition of Hootenanny, a shop founded in April by former Avenue artists Jim Annerino and Liz Tate. The shop opened April 14th, taking over 5000 sq ft. of space at 211 E. Grand Avenue. With a combined 35 years of experience at Avenue, the choice for Tate and Annerino was not a simple one. "It was a big move for Jim and me," says Tate, "but we saw that we had both come to a place in our careers where we knew how we wanted to run a post house". Tate is the first creative editor on staff, while Annerino will be returning to his role as a smoke artist. Both will share in the day-to-day business affairs.

Also partnering in the space with Hootenanny will be fxphd, a high-end online training company founded by visual effects artist John Montgomery and Sydney-based Mike Seymour. With members from over 65 countries around the world,-including over a dozen in Chicago-, the site has become the top online training center for visual effects artists. Fxphd.com is the sister company to the visual effects news site fxguide.com "When John threw his hat into the ring, we jumped at the chance to work with him again. His expertise and creativity are great to have in-house, as well as his worldwide link with new technology. It will allow us to be competitive in the constantly changing media environment," states Annerino.

Although separate companies, Hootenanny and fxphd will be collaborating on projects to parlay the strengths of each office. Montgomery will be adding visual effects work and design to the Hootenanny arsenal, while Tate and Annerino may be helping with fxphd work when needed. "I'm excited to be working again with my friends and clients," says Montgomery. "With both of my online sites, we pay close attention to the latest trends in technology in post and production and have great contacts with the folks making our software. We had one of the first RED cameras in the world -- and with its use in commercial post-production becoming ever more common, I think our knowledge will really help our clients projects to go smoothly. I'm excited about getting back in the creative end of things on the box as well as using our knowledge and contacts to help out the Hootenanny crew."

"The move has really invigorated us both", says Tate. "We are getting a very strong response from our clients that they are looking for a new post-production model that is a little leaner, a little more flexible. We hope to provide that, and hopefully meet some new creatives who never knew about us before."

Hootenanny, LLC is a boutique post-production company offering SD & HD services in creative editorial, finishing, graphic design, and visual effects, Hootenanny was founded in 2008 by Jim Annerino and Liz Tate. The core business focus is commercial broadcast post-production across all media platforms including television, web, corporate video, and interactive media.

For information: www.hootenanny.tv
Contact: info@hootenanny.tv
Phone: 312-670-7777

For information: www.fxphd.com, www.fxguide.com
Contact: johnmont@fxphd.com