In Memory of John Palestrini
John Palestrini, a visionary editor of television commercials whose expert cuts allowed the Purina Cat Chow kitty to cha-cha in an era preceding VFX, died of cancer Monday. He was 66 years old.
A pioneering artist who was also a born entrepreneur, Palestrini’s approach — putting a variety of standalone post-production companies under one roof to support clients and editors — was revolutionary.
Partnering with Ethel Rubinstein in 1992 was transformative. What began as a one-man editorial shop in 1977, the Palestrini Film Company, grew to become BlueRock, Spontaneous, Scarlett, Ballistic and other service companies, now known as Lively Group.
Born on July 8, 1946, John Henry Palestrini was raised in Coney Island, in the shadow of the famed Cyclone roller coaster. He grew up in a working-class family with his mother’s extended Italian-American family and got his street smarts playing games with the neighborhood kids.
Working as a messenger delivering packages in NYC after graduating high school, John didn’t have any thought of a career, but he was ambitious. In what became a life-changing experience, he found himself at a film editing company one day, and knew in an instant what he wanted to be: a film editor.
He entered the business in the late 1960s as an assistant and eventually became an editor at Harold Becker Productions. He went on to edit movie trailers, news specials, TV commercials and also worked as a supervising editor at the Project Group Advertising Agency.
In the course of his extraordinary 40+ year editorial career, John held a special place in the industry, respected as a businessman, and known as a good guy with a warm heart. He was an in-demand beauty-and-storytelling editor for over 25 years. Many clients enjoyed cutting with him as much as having a good laugh over a martini.
As a boss, he was an approachable presence, eager to share his experiences, insights and business acumen. He and Ethel were huge supporters of new talent, and many now well-known editors, artists and producers passed through the company’s doors.
Both were extremely proud that Darren Aronofsky did his first film, Pi, with Blue Rock, and that Bono chose BlueRock editor Olivier Wicki to cut the ground breaking film, U2 3D.
Editor David Mester described Palestrini as the ideal boss. “He never walked around BlueRock like he owned the place. He was never arrogant, never demanding. He spoke to everyone, from interns to editors, with the same warm smile and sincerity. John is the editor that every editor aspires to be, because he was so much more than just an editor.”
John often said that his best business decision was joining forces with Ethel, with whom he had worked extensively while she was head of Production at Geer DuBois and at RSA. Their 35-year friendship, coupled with their storied and successful business partnership spanning more than 20 years, navigated everything the ad game had to offer.
“We grew and learned from each other every day. His vision and generosity of spirit inspired me; he taught me the true meaning of partnership. I was privileged to have known him and honored to have been his partner,” said Rubinstein, who continues to run Lively Group.
Palestrini’s dedication to editors extended outside BlueRock’s offices. He was an unfailing advocate for the post-production industry. An active member of the Association of Independent and Creative Editors (AICE), he served as a local board member, later becoming the New York chapter president, national president and an international board member.
A resident of New York City and Weston, Conn., Palestrini loved to cook for family and friends, enjoyed landscape oil painting and was an avid fisherman. He leaves behind a wife, Lisa Rinaldi-Palestrini, two children, Jennifer (Marc), son Kris (Erin), four grandchildren, Ben, Sam, Lola and Fiona, and countless industry colleagues and friends.
Hearing the sad news of his passing, a former client spoke for many when she said: “The world is a bit darker without John’s ever-present smile, not to mention his bright blue eyes. We have lost one of the great ones.”
A wake will take place at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on Sunday, June 9, from 6 pm-9 pm and on Monday, June 10, also from 6 pm-9 pm. Palestrini's funeral will be private but a public memorial service will be held this summer (details to be announced). When finalized, the memorial service information will be posted on the Lively Group Facebook page in addition to the BlueRock, Scarlett and Spontaneous Facebook pages.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Palestrini to any of the following charities/organizations:
o Wounded Warriors https://support.
o International Cancer Advocacy Network
https://askican.ejoinme.org/
o St. Jude's Children's Hospital
https://shop.stjude.org/
(for family to receive notice of donation, include the Tribute Number 33694275)
