Benefit for the two williams (stilwell casting) Xtra Medium Live at Smith’s Olde Bar

Hello everyone!  This is Brian with another 2 Williams Project update.  As you all know our first Habitat Concert at Smiths Olde Bar was a smashing success, as we raised over $10,000 in cash and materials for our House #2 to be built at the beginning of next year.  This success was attributed to dedicated actors, agents, and to the Stilwell’s who have brought an overwhelmingly positive community come together. 

           

I am proud to announce that next week we will have Round 2 of our Habitat fundraising effort.  Smith’s has graciously given us a Saturday night for this event, and I must say it is quite an opportunity to raise more money and support, and have a great time dancing and partying with Xtra Medium.  In case you did not know, Xtra Medium is the band I sing for and we really know how to have a good time (last time I was on crutches after the show).  I am hoping that our acting community will rally together once again for a great cause. 

           

We really need those of you who have tickets to help get them out to the people.  We need those of you who have talent and friends that might want to support our cause to get the word out.  I really am having a hard time rallying the troops for this benefit, so if you can help… please do!!  I have tickets here at the office or you can get them online at:  http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/179.aspx .   Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event. 

 

Tickets are $10.00 and once again our band has decided to donate 100% of the proceeds to the 2 Williams Home #2.  All of you who came last time know that this is a wild concert experience and we are hoping that you will join us again, this time on a Saturday, so it should really get interesting.  If you would like to support our cause, please help promote our show and let me know if I can get you tickets or any other info.

 

Thanks,     Brian B. & The Stilwell Family

 

Saturday, June 7^th  9:00PM-2:00AM

For tickets :  Call Brian at Stilwell or go to http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/179.aspx

Tickets also available at the door

AFTRA, majors agree on deal, Pact must be ratified by members

Posted: Wed., May 28, 2008, 6:43am PT

By DAVE MCNARYThe majors and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have signed a primetime deal that will ease — but not eliminate — the town’s fears of an actors strike.

Following nine consecutive days of negotiations, AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers reached a tentative three-year agreement early Wednesday at AMPTP headquarters in Encino.The new pact must be approved by AFTRA’s national board and ratified by its members. It covers about a dozen shows including “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Rules of Engagement,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Dante’s Cove,” “Til Death” and “Reaper” plus new sitcoms “Project Gary,” “Harper’s Island” and “Roman’s Empire.”

The deal includes new media provisions similar to those in the DGA and WGA deals covering programs streamed over the web and downloads of TV shows along with setting the same thresholds for coverage of made-for-the-internet programs. As with the director and writer deals, the AFTRA pact did not include any gains in DVD residuals.

And AFTRA also said the pact retains actors’ consent over online use of clips, an issue that had emerged as a dominant concern at the negotiations. Both SAG and AFTRA had opposed the AMPTP’s proposal that actors agree to drop the consent requirement for online clips; the companies had contended that the change was essential in order to establish a viable business model that could compete with the massive levels of pirated clips on the web.

AFTRA said the pact calls for it and the companies to “develop a mechanism” by which performers can provide or withhold consent for non-promotional use of clips from TV libraries. For programs produced after July 1, companies can bargain for consent for the right to use clips at the time of original employment.

“This is another groundbreaking agreement for AFTRA,” said AFTRA national president Roberta Reardon in a statement. “In addition to achieving meaningful gains in compensation and working conditions for performers, it also establishes AFTRA jurisdiction in the dynamic area of new media and it preserves performers’ consent for use of excerpts of traditional TV shows in new media.

“This is a challenging time in the entertainment industry and this was a tough negotiation,” she said. “Our ability to achieve these crucial breakthroughs for performers was a direct result of AFTRA members’ pragmatic approach to collective bargaining. We recognized the hard realities currently affecting the traditional TV business and we focused on creating a framework that would allow union members to participate fully in the emerging new media marketplace.”

The AFTRA deal came with the Screen Actors Guild set to resume negotiations this morning after a three-week recess for the AFTRA talks. SAG’s feature-primetime contract expires June 30 and the lack of resolution of the guild’s deal had unnerved Hollywood with studios refusing to greenlight features until a new contract’s signed.

In a reflection of the poor relations between SAG and AFTRA, guild president Alan Rosenberg issued a muted reaction to the deal Wednesday morning.

“The Screen Actors Guild negotiating committee and staff will thoroughly analyze and evaluate the principles of a tentative AFTRA deal with the AMPTP,” he said. “We look forward to receiving an update from AFTRA staff regarding the negotiations as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing more during a face-to-face briefing with AFTRA’s negotiating committee as soon as AFTRA provides the opportunity.”

He noted that SAG’s talks with the AMPTP would launch at 10 a.m. as planned and added, “We remain committed to negotiating the best possible terms for actors for all motion pictures and the vast majority of television programs, pay TV and new media formats.”

SAG negotiated with the majors for three weeks but the AMPTP recessed the talks on May 6 over the guild’s objections. SAG insisted that it was near a deal at that point but it’s subsequently revealed that major gaps remain on half a dozen issues.

Most notably, the AFTRA deal sets a template for SAG to follow, much as the DGA deal in January set the parameters for the WGA agreement earlier this year. AFTRA’s been operating in previously unknown territory by negotiating the primetime deal on its own for the first time in three decades following a bitter break-up with SAG.

But it’s uncertain whether SAG will follow the terms of the new AFTRA pact, given the deeply troubled relationship between the performers unions. AFTRA split from joint negotiations in late March following a bitter jurisdictional dispute over “The Bold and the Beautiful,” while SAG’s repeatedly accused AFTRA of signing cable deals at lower initial terms.

AFTRA also spurned SAG’s two-pronged request May 6 to either step aside for a third time or go back to joint bargaining.

Much of the AFTRA and SAG negotiations have been devoted to a single issue — the companies’ proposal that actors agree to drop the consent requirement for online clips — and momentum has stalled on small details in recent sessions.

Many labor observers had expected the AFTRA talks, which launched May 7, to wrap before this week. But AFTRA took a tough stance on the clips issue — mirroring SAG’s position.

Rosenberg sent a message to members late Tuesday, reiterating that gaps remain on key issues including clip consent, DVD residuals, product integration, force majeure and jurisdiction over low-budget projects for the web. And in a sign of ongoing bad blood, he complained that SAG observers had only been allowed to attend six of AFTRA’s negotiating sessions with the AMPTP — none over the past week.

SAG leaders have insisted they don’t want to strike and have not asked members for strike authorization. Such a move would require 75% support among those casting ballots.

AFTRA also said its new deal improves minimums by 3.5% in the first year, 3% in the second and 3.5% in the third. Its also boosts employer contributions to the AFTRA Health and Retirement plan by 0.5% to 15%.

The pact also increases the number of covered background actors in Los Angeles; secures rest provisions for background performers in Los Angeles; and improves terms and conditions for performers who work under the CW contract.

“We appreciate the support we received from the Hollywood labor community, and we wish our brothers and sisters in the Screen Actors Guild the very best as they resume their own contract talks,” Reardon said.

AFTRA said details of the new agreement will be submitted to the AFTRA National Board at meetings scheduled for June 6-7 in Los Angeles. If approved by that panel, the pact will be submitted to AFTRA’s membership for ratification.

The AMPTP issued a statement noting that the new deal’s the fourth it’s negotiated this year following the DGA and WGA pacts along with AFTRA’s network code agreement, which covers non-primetime.

Both AMPTP and AFTRA were challenged during these talks to find a way to fairly and sensibly tailor our industry’s new media framework to meet the needs of actors,” the org said. “As a result of compromise and creativity by both parties, we reached an agreement that makes the new media framework work for all actors.”

The AMPTP’s statement also took a hopeful tone about the SAG talks, saying, “We now look forward to the resumption of talks with SAG, to building on the foundation laid during our first round of SAG talks, and to reaching an agreement that will prevent another harmful and unnecessary strike.”

 

 

 

 

__._,_.___

Another update from GPP

Movies set to be filmed in region: Film industry professionals continue to find their way to Southwest Georgia
Albany Herald
By Barbara Rivera Holmes
 
Barbara Best’s production company has a nation-full of choices for shooting its films, but the Orlando-based firm has picked Southwest Georgia as the setting for at least three of them.
On and off for about two months, Best has auditioned 200 area residents as extras in her movies and now has put out a call for a country band, which she hopes to cast in two of the films.
Best, director of acquisition for Off The Cuff Productions, has gone so far as to set up an office in rural Early County.
It’s no accident that the Off The Cuff, which Best said produces “21st century (family-friendly feature) films reflecting the values of earlier generations,” focused on Blakely. The town is close to Colquitt, home of the Southwest Georgia Film Commission and the Jokara-Micheaux Film Festival, in neighboring Miller County.
“We had heard through the grapevine that there were other films activities going on in that area,” she said Tuesday, “so ‘Why don’t we go over there and see what it’s all about?’ and we made some connections with Early County 2055.”
The area and Off The Cuff seemed like a natural fit.
“We’re trying to build a film community there,” said the Macon native, echoing the sentiment of all involved with the commission and in particular that of its founder, Ralph Wilcox.
“We’re trying to build industry there. … We are trying to give people opportunities,” Best said. “It’s an impoverished area, and we see the potential for a film industry to grow there and flourish.”
Community-building aside, Southwest Georgia in general is appealing.
“You’ve got beautiful weather … and just the locations are pretty. The architecture is pretty. It’s very well laid out,” she said.
“I’ve been in Albany,” said Best, who was in town in 2007 doing research and scouting locations. “I’ve spoken with several people at the chamber (Albany Area Chamber of Commerce), so we’re not just limited to Blakely. We are looking at other locations as well.”
But back to the country band; Best simply needs a good set of musicians.
“I’m wanting to audition the country music bands in that area (Southwest Georgia) instead of bringing someone in from outside the area,” she said.
“They can be a three-member band or a six-member band,” she said. “I want a band that sounds good. I want them to be studio quality. I know there are good bands in Albany, in Dothan, Ala., in Blakely, in Colquitt.”
Best said the band, and the extras, will get paid for their work.
Bands need to call and set up an audition time, a lesson Best learned the hard way when she auditioned extras.
“We had so many people coming in off the street that we were there until 10:30 one night,” she said.
She has planned for the band auditions to be June 12-14 from 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
News such as that of Off the Cuff’s work in Blakely is exactly what Wilcox, a veteran actor and Colquitt native, envisioned when he set out to make the area a film hub.
He noted that films produced by Sherwood Pictures, a division of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, has helped to put Southwest Georgia on the film map.
“Even in this region, people were doubting whether or not there was any viability,” Wilcox said. “Now people are saying, ‘My goodness gracious, it is very, very viable, and the job opportunities, construction, transportation, food services, painting, administration, all those areas literally employ people.’
“And although no one is getting rich, we just have to be steady and stay consistent … and understand that it can happen.”
Wilcox said that Gov. Sonny Perdue’s new tax incentive credit — from 15 percent before to 30 percent now — “makes us very, very competitive with Wilmington, N.C., and certainly Louisiana.”
He added that a project of the commission, The Lena Baker Story, screened recently at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and was a red-carpet opener at the Atlanta Film Festival. Come Labor Day weekend, the film will open this year’s Jokara-Micheaux festival.
“I really am very pleased with what I see starting to happen,” he said.

 

 

 

 

Female tennis player/host needed asap!

If you are this person, or know someone who is, please contact Mystie or Deborah asap for more details.  For talent wh oare not currently listed, email is preferred with headshot and resume. 

 

Prime-time cable TV series about vacation travel to some of the most exotic resorts in the world looking for a new on-camera host with the following attributes:

 

Female (25-35) with professional or semi-professional tennis background (former NCAA team members preferred).  2-3 years experience on-camera (news, sports, film).  Travel experience a plus.  Must have valid US passport and be in a position to travel domestically and overseas numerous times per year.

 

Need a highly experienced tennis player who can be molded into a host (NOT the other way around). 

States Race to Woo TV and Film

Recieved this today from GPP:

Producers Showered With Incentives; Moving ‘Ugly Betty’ By PETER SANDERS
May 22, 2008; Page A4
An arms race has broken out among states hoping to lure big-budget movie and television productions with financial incentives.In the past month and a half, at least four states — Georgia, New York, Mississippi and Michigan — have increased the scope of tax credits, cash rebates and other incentives to encourage spending money in the state and hiring local workers. They are competing with nearly 40 other states and U.S. territories that have incentive programs on the books, some with established film- and TV-production infrastructure, including New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

California, Hollywood’s home state, offers no incentives to producers despite several efforts in the state legislature. Concerns about “runaway production” cropped up again this spring when the producers of ABC’s TV hit “Ugly Betty” decided to move production to New York from Los Angeles. New York recently sweetened incentives so that producers can receive back up to 30% of their production expenses via a tax credit, or 35% of expenses in New York City.

The ABC move prompted the show’s Los Angeles crew to take out a full-page advertisement in the trade paper Daily Variety calling on the state to enact incentives.

The latest incentives bill, now in the California state legislature, faces long odds. In the wake of “Betty’s” departure, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would like to offer incentives similar to those offered by other states, but it’s difficult when the state faces a budget deficit that could hit $20 billion next year.

In recent years, Hollywood producers have flocked to Canada, Eastern Europe and other places chasing the business. But these days, the dollar’s fall against foreign currencies has made those places less appealing.

“We’re exploring more in the U.S.,” says Gary Barber, chief executive of Spyglass Entertainment in Los Angeles. “With the weaker dollar and incentives provided domestically, it’s now very attractive to shoot in the States.”

Among the U.S. states trying to attract his business is Michigan, which has been hit hard in recent years by a sagging auto industry and other economic woes. Last month, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a law that allows Michigan to offer some of the most generous rebates in the nation. Productions that spend more than $50,000 in-state are eligible for a 40% cash refund of their spending within the state, or 42% if they shoot in one of 103 “core communities.”

Georgia last week restructured its tax-credit program and took out a full-page ad in Variety touting it. The program gives producers up to 20% of their expenses back via a tax credit, with a minimum of $500,000 spent in the state. Companies that add a five-second clip of the state film commission’s animated Georgia peach logo to their program or film receive an extra 10%.

Michigan officials felt the need for a new law after earlier incarnations failed to attract attention. “Previously, we had a sliding scale of 12% to 20% rebates based on your Michigan spend, with a rebate cap of $2 million per production,” says Janet Lockwood, head of the Michigan Film Office. “We were overtaken by other states within half an hour of signing it in January 2007, and it didn’t work out because many states had better things to offer.”

Since the new law took effect, Ms. Lockwood says she has received more than 100 prospective scripts from television- and movie-production companies. State officials say that 15 projects have since been approved with rebates so far totaling about $39 million. Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. recently relocated a coming Clint Eastwood film, tentatively titled “Gran Torino,” to the Detroit area from Minnesota. Portions of a Weinstein Co. film called “Youth in Revolt” will be partly filmed in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company says.

“We’re building a whole new industry here in Michigan,” says Gov. Granholm. “You have to invest in order to grow and we are investing in a new sector in our economy, because we know we have the greatest need to continue to diversify our economy.”

In Holland, a western Michigan city of about 35,000 best known for its annual May tulip festival, native Hopwood DePree recently moved home to start a production company, after years living in Los Angeles.

He is reconfiguring a former Reddi-wip factory in Holland that closed in March as a soundstage. “The wide-open spaces that were used as coolers for the whipped cream make great soundstages,” Mr. DePree says.

His company, TicTock Studios, is also taking advantage of state tax incentives to train unemployed factory workers (including as many as 50 people from the closed whipped-cream operation) in the basic skills of movie production.

The lack of skilled workers and production facilities is a problem for Michigan. One studio-production executive says it would be expensive to truck film equipment to Michigan and import much of the crew. He says New Mexico is probably less expensive overall even though its tax credits are smaller.

Others are skeptical of the long-term benefits to the state’s economy. “The direct economic impact won’t justify any of these benefits,” says Don Grimes, an economic researcher at the University of Michigan. “I don’t think building a wide infrastructure will ever work out because it’s not an industry that will locally employ that many people.”

 

 

www.renucares.com please check it out.

Cars Crash Through Houghton Parking Lot

I thought that title might get your attention!

 

You all know that Collier Road is a very busy road.  You all know how fast the traffic travels down the hill.  What you may not know is that for some strange reason, many drivers seem to have trouble coming straight down the hill.  Instead, they have a puzzling tendency to crash through our parking lot.

 

Just in the last two weeks, two different people have lost control, careened through our lot, crashed vehicles, fences, shrubbery and even the building next door to us.  Luckily, these accidents occurred on the weekend and no one was seriously injured.  But they serve as a good reminder of just how dangerous our front lot can be.

 

So for your safety, we ask the following:

 

• Please park up the hill whenever possible, even if you think you may only be here for a few minutes.
• Never leave your children and other loved ones in your car when parked in our lot.
• Never leave your pets in your car when parked in our lot.
• Never leave valuables, especially your purse or laptop visible in your car, where ever you park.

 

STAY SAFE! 

 

Filmmakers have Georgia on their minds By Todd Longwell

We recieved this today from GPP’s Craig MIller:

Related
Production incentives
<http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0f532682e1fd239c4cfba3fcde20fb3c?pn=3>

When Georgia-based animal wrangler Renee DeRossett heard that Gov. Sonny Perdue was signing a law upping her state’s entertainment production tax credit to as much as 30%, she could barely contain her joy.

“Oh, my land!” she exclaimed. “That is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

It may seem like a silly thing to get so excited about, but for people like DeRossett, incentives such as these can mean the difference between buying a bigger, more expensive home and facing foreclosure on a smaller, cheaper one.

What’s truly good news for both DeRossett and Hollywood studios is that Georgia’s new incentive is generous, but not so generous that a skeptical public and fickle legislators are likely to demand it be repealed two or three years down the line.

“This is something you can count on,” says Georgia State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, noting that the bill had near-unanimous support in both houses before being signed into law by Gov. Perdue on May 12. “And we’re not going to be taking it back. We want to build a long-term relationship with the industry.”

It’s been a rough few years for the Georgia film and TV community. The state had been on a hot streak in the late ’90s and early ’00s, attracting such studio films as 1999′s “The General’s Daughter” and 2000′s “The Legend of Bagger Vance.” But in 2003, Louisiana and New Mexico made available rich incentive packages, luring away productions that would have otherwise gone to the Peach State, such as 2004′s “Ray” (shot in Louisiana). The Georgia legislature fought back with a 9% tax credit in 2005, creating a record-setting economic impact in 2006, with film, television and video game companies contributing $475 million to the state economy, an increase from $124 million in 2004. But business fell off sharply again the following year as more states one-upped each other with increasingly generous incentives, culminating with Michigan’s passage of a 40-42% tax credit earlier this year.

Through this dark time, one of the bright spots has been mutlihyphenate Tyler Perry, who has shot a string of films in Atlanta, from 2005′s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” to the 2009-slated Lionsgate release “Madea Goes to Jail,” as well as 100 episodes of the TBS series “House of Payne.”

In 2006, Perry paid a reported $7 million for Atlanta Stage Works, a soundstage and production office complex in the city’s Inman Park district, and rechristened it Tyler Perry Studios. Later this year, he plans to move his operations to a 30-acre space near Greenbriar Mall that will feature five soundstages, a 400-seat screening theater and a backlot.

Although Perry has taken full advantage of the state’s tax incentives, his primary motivation for basing his business in Atlanta is personal, according to the studio’s COO, Oscar Turner.

“One, Tyler loves the city, and two, it’s the town where he got his start and really began to develop his career,” Turner says. “Thirdly, it’s a great place for us to conduct business without a lot of the distractions a young up-and-coming company may have in Los Angeles.”

Although Perry’s productions typically employ crews of 100-plus people, it’s not enough to support an industry. What have others done during the production downturn?

“Starve,” says Gene Witham, a veteran makeup artist based in Savannah.

In truth, many followed the work to Louisiana, South Carolina and other states with more generous incentives. Some diversified, like DeRossett, who, in addition to wrangling animals for stage productions has also worked as a set dresser and served as a script supervisor for a visiting episode of “America’s Most Wanted.” Others, like Witham, found short-term work on the numerous commercials and photo shoots that come to the state to utilize its deep green forests and diverse architecture that ranges from antebellum mansions in Savannah to the modern high-rises of Atlanta.

The production infrastructure has also been sustained by the Turner Broadcasting System and its various divisions (including CNN), which are headquartered in Atlanta. Music video production also flourishes here thanks to the presence of several high-profile hip-hop artists and producers, including Dallas Austin, Big Boi and Jermaine Dupri.

When — and, the pessimist would add, if — productions return to Georgia en masse, RiverWood Studios is ready to pick up the slack. Its studio complex, a turnkey facility on 120 acres, 25 miles south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, currently boasts four soundstages, a backlot, production offices and a 10,000-square-foot construction mill and machine shops. A mile from the studio, the company is redeveloping Senoia — a 142-year-old town that has hosted 22 film and TV projects over the last two decades, from 1991′s “Fried Green Tomatoes” to Tyler Perry’s March release “Meet the Browns” — as a live-work community that can double as a movie set. It has new structures for residential, restaurant and retail space that match the authentic period architecture, featuring back alley access that enables productions to shut down streets without disrupting residents’ access to their homes.

“We want to roll out the red carpet here in Georgia,” says RiverWood Studios president Scott Tigchelaar. “It’s been a long time and we’re ready.”

Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office Contact:
Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner
75 Fifth St. N.W., Ste. 1200, Atlanta, GA 30308
404-962-4052
www.georgia.org/entertainmentindustry

Recent and continuing shoots: Red Five Entertainment’s “Conjurer,” Shadowlight Pictures’ “Good Intentions,” Wonder Entertainment’s “The Hill,” Lionsgate’s “Meet the Browns” and “Why Did I Get Married?” and TBS’ “House of Payne”

Production Incentives: Georgia now provides a 20% base tax credit for all in-state spend on qualified productions, including films, TV series, commercials, music videos and video game productions. (Prior to May 12, the state offered a 9% base credit.)

–An additional 10% tax credit is given to productions that include a qualified Georgia promotion. Examples include a five-second-long animated state logo appearing within a finished film and all promotional trailers, or TV programs embedding a five-second-long Georgia promotion during each broadcast half-hour.

–Productions must spend at least $500,000 in Georgia.

–Only $500,000 of any individual salary for a single project can be applied when calculating the tax credit.

– Projects must be certified by the Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office.

–The incentive has no cap.

–The tax credit is transferable, meaning it can be sold to third parties. But the credit is not generated or available for use until all expenditures have been made and the production’s tax return has been filed with the Georgia Department
of Revenue.

–The incentive has no sunset date. It will remain on the books until repealed or amended by the legislature.

–Additionally, the state offers a point-of-purchase sales tax exemption that can save qualified productions up to 8% on most below-the-line materials and service purchases, leases
or rentals.

Georgia on film

1. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Morgan Freeman chauffeurs Jessica Tandy all over Atlanta and its surrounding areas in the dramedy based on Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

2. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
The Peach State stands in for Alabama as Joe Pesci tries to defend his cousin and sidekick from a murder rap in the South.

3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
John Cusack discovers that Southern hospitality in
Savannah is not so cordial as he gets tangled in a local
millionaire’s murder trial in Clint Eastwood’s thriller.

4. Meet the Browns (2008)
Tyler Perry introduces audiences to the Browns of Georgia in traditional “Madea” fashion in this family dramedy.

 Links referenced within this article 

Production incentives
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0f532682e1fd239c4cfba3fcde20fb3c?pn=3 <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0f532682e1fd239c4cfba3fcde20fb3c?pn=3>
When in town … 
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0f532682e1fd239c4cfba3fcde20fb3c?pn=4 <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0f532682e1fd239c4cfba3fcde20fb3c?pn=4>  
     
 Find this article at: 
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i0f532682e1fd239c4cfba3fcde20fb3c?pn=2www.renucares.com please check it out.

AUDITION NOTICE for “Happy Hour”, a comedy short by Angela Gomes

MAY 28TH. YourACT / www.youract.tv

Please contact Tracy Martin for audition slot:  tracyjomartin@bellsouth.net

 

ABOUT THE FILM

“Happy Hour” is a short film about Allison, an attractive 20-something struggling

to get over her recent breakup with her boyfriend. She plans on spending the

day curled up on the sofa, drowning her sorrows in ice cream and bourbon, but

her friends show up with a crazy — and somewhat morally questionable — plan to

snap her out of her funk.

“Happy Hour” is an unromantic comedy short. Our target audience is men and

women between 16 – 45 and we feel the film would have a PG-13 rating for

strong language, adult situations and brief nudity. The film will be 12 minutes

long.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Angela Gomes recently returned to Atlanta after 12 years of living and working in

Los Angeles. She has worked as a DGA Assistant Director since 1996 and

became a DGA Director in 2005. She has directed several music videos, concert

videos and webisodes, as well as an episode of the UPN comedy “Eve”. She

currently has a development deal with a national cable network for an original

micro-series she will write and direct.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS

All the characters are attractive, but not model looking and in their early to mid

20’s. They should be funny, but able to play the parts straight, and not slapstick

or over the top (think “Being John Malkovich” not “Zoolander”).

Allison (lead) – Normally Allison is a smart, sassy, ass kicking momma who is

always in control of her life – but not today. After her boyfriend cheats on her,

she wants to spend the day wallowing in self pity and booze and is none too

happy when her plans are interrupted. (Think 25 year old versions of Parker

Posey, Elizabeth Banks, Rosario Dawson, Janeane Garofalo or Monica Keena)

Todd (lead) – Todd wants to be the sexy guy, but he’s too much of a dork to pull

it off. Thing is, he could actually be hot if he had any self confidence. This role

plays closer to straight comedy than the others, so this actor should have good

comedic timing. The role of Todd requires nudity. Although we won’t show

frontal nudity on camera, you will need to be naked during filming and will

spend the majority of screen time in various stages of undress. (Think

Michael Cera, Justin Long, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jason Segal, Casey Affleck,

Shia LeBeouf or a 25 year old John C. Reilly)

Steve (supporting) – Steve is the kind of guy who always knows how to say the

right thing to get out of a sticky situation. He cheats on Allison, but isn’t sorry he

cheated as much as he is sorry he got caught. (Think 25 year old versions of

Jude Law, George Clooney, Paul Walker, Mark Walberg or even a toned down

Jerry O’Connell)

Sarah (

THE DATES HAVE CHANGED FOR THIS…Mike Pniewski and George Watkins Offer Master Class Workshop

Well, I went and booked a job over the weekend of June 13-15.  So, we have moved the workshop to the last weekend of June – June 27-29.  That may work better for some of you who had other commitments.

 

Check the website for all the details:  www.masterclassworkshop.com

 

Hope to hear from you soon!

 

You’ve wondered about it, you’ve asked about it and you’ve missed it – they’re back!!!

 

 

 

 

The Master Class Workshop / Scene Study and Audition Preparation for Film and TV.

with Mike Pniewski and George Watkins returns to Atlanta on June 13-15, 2008.

 

These are two of Atlanta‘s most sought after acting instructors, together for one weekend ONLY!

 

3 days, 2 terrific teachers!!!

 

The writer’s strike is over, new tax incentives are coming, and we all need to get back to work.

 

This is a one of a kind class that will improve your auditioning skills, help you bring your best self to the work and give you the power to create unique performances that make you stand out and get work.  You’ll make more effective choices, add depth and spontaneity to your work and have more fun!  All in an environment that duplicates your experience working on a film set.

 

You’ll work on-camera doing audition preparation and scene study, all designed to make you more valuable to every production.

 

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to work with two of Atlanta‘s most respected professionals and raise your craft to a whole new level!

 

In addition, you’ll get invaluable guidance about how to bring greater purpose to your work.  You’ll become more focused, not just on success, but on creating a truly fulfilling acting career. 

 

The Master Class Workshop / Mike Pniewski & George Watkins

 

Friday evening, June 13, 2008 from 7pm to 10pm

Saturday, June 14, 10 am to 5 pm

Sunday, June 15, 10 am to 5 pm

 

Studio Chambers / 741 Edgewood Ave NE / Atlanta, GA 30307

 

$375  (10% discount for union members)

 

Space is VERY limited!!!  Sign up today!

www.masterclassworkshop.com

 

For more info call 404-863-6768 or email: filmski@aol.com

 

Experienced actors only.

If you knew Bevelyn Lummis…

Bevelyn Lummis was a hand model/actress/singer and dear talent and friend to Houghton.  This is a tribute her husband Jason Hardy sent.  Their son Luke was involved in an ad campaign about kids of parents with cancer and it’s so beautiful, I just have to post for those of you who knew her.  What an amazing woman and what a tribute her children will be to her life. 

 

I just wanted to past a youtube link of Luke’s interview for the Bausch & Lomb campaign.  This is different/informal version a friend of ours (who we met during the photo shoot) put together.  It has some different stuff on it, including a segment about Luke’s own “CANpaign” at school, where they are raising can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.

 

The link is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adiHrxbY0vo

 

Of course, if you haven’t seen the beautiful final copy www.renucares.com please check it out.

Casting Crowns video with Roy McCrerey

Just received this notification about a music video preview with our own Roy McCrerey.  The preview is today only-

 

“SLOW FADE” VIDEO PREMIERES ON YAHOO! MUSIC
Yahoo! Music is hosting a premiere of Casting Crowns’ brand new “Slow Fade” music video TODAY. Be one of the first to see the video by clicking on the Yahoo! Music logo below. It will be available on this page today only, so don’t miss out!

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/premieres/

Produced and directed by the Erwin Brothers, the “Slow Fade” music video was shot in Birmingham, AL, and follows the heart-wrenching reality of a deteriorating family. The song, which highlights vocals from lead singer Mark Hall’s daughter Reagan, was “inspired by the spreading cancer of moral failure in the fathers of this generation,” Mark says.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

reminder! women in film tonight (not just for women)

REMINDER

 

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

 

Women in Film and Television Atlanta proudly presents The Business of Acting

 

Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM   *Program will begin promptly at 6PM
(no reception; Soft drinks will be provided)
Location: The Art Institute of Atlanta, 6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd
Bldg. 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta, GA 30328-1649
Room#: 100 (Main Floor);  Parking is available both in front and behind Bldg. 100

 

Please note this program has 2 parts:

 

 

 

Part 1 is open to members and non-members FREE of charge.  It will provide actors with access to key industry resources to help move their careers forward.  Attendees will have the ability to gain valuable information pertaining to the business side of the craft, including marketing & training.  Scheduled guests representatives include: acting instructor, Della Cole (YourACT); former agent Kay Hallahan (content editor, The Actor’s Guide Online), Mindy Sevener (The Pixel Pusher – headshot reproductions, comp cards and business card services), Ted Westby (Nice Shot Ted, headshot photographer) and Melissa Goodman (Screen Actors Guild, Executive Director- GA branch).
 
Part 2 is a special activity called Speed Meetings: Actors, Agents & Casting Directors.  Participants will engage in five (5) minute timed one-on-one practical networking meetings with representatives from talent agencies, commercial/film and TV casting directors and filmmakers.  This special opportunity will only be available to a limited number of actors.  Scheduled guest representatives include: Casting Directors - Alpha Tyler (Tyler Perry Studios), Don Slaton (Don Slaton Casting), Talent Agents – Brenda Pauley/Film Agent (The People Store), Jeffrey Charlton/Commercial Print & New Media Agent (The People Store), Deborah Owensby (Houghton Talent).  

 

Headshots and resumes are required to participate.
Participants can sign up for as many meetings as time permits, and based on guests availability.  
Speed Meeting time slots will be filled based on a first come, first serve basis.  There is no advanced registration and this confirmation does not guarantee your participation. Participants must register for meeting slots upon arrival on the day of the event.  

 

There is a cost to participate in the special activity of:
$10 for current WIFTA Members; $25 for Non-Members (cash or check only)
Proceeds from this event will benefit and support Women in Film and Television Atlanta,
a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

 

NOTE: Once all meeting times have been allocated, registration will be closed.  No exceptions.

 

Directions to AIA  
 
From I-20 East

Traveling east on I-20, take the I-285
bypass north, exit number 51B, towards
Chattanooga/Greenville. Next, take the GA-400 north
exit, exit number 27, towards Atlanta/Dahlonega. Off of
GA 400, take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy
Road. Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody
Road. Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From I-20 West
Traveling west on I-20, take the I-285 bypass north,

exit number 67B, towards Greenville/Chattanooga.

Next, take the GA-400 north exit, exit number 27, towards Atlanta/Dahlonega.

Off of GA 400, take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left onto the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From GA 400 North
Traveling north on GA 400, take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From GA 400 South  
Traveling south on GA 400, take exit 5 and turn left onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From I-85 North
Traveling north on I-85, take the GA-400 bypass north, exit number 87.

Off of GA 400,take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.
The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From I-85 South  
Traveling south on I-85, take the I-285 bypass west,

exit number 95A, towards Chattanooga/Birmingham.

Next,take the GA-400 north exit, exit number 27, towards Atlanta/Dahlonega.

Off of GA 400,take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.
Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From I-75 North  
Traveling north on I-75, continue through downtown Atlanta and take the I-85 north exit,

exit number 251, on the left towards Greenville.

Next, take the GA- 400 north exit, exit number 87.

Off of GA 400, take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.
Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From I-75 South  
Traveling south on I-75, take the I-285 bypass east, exit number 259A, towards Greenville/Augusta.

Next, take the GA-400 north exit, exit number 27, towards Atlanta/Dahlonega.

Off of GA 400, take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.

Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.
Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
From I-285 East or West
Traveling on I-285, take the GA-400 north exit, exit number 27, towards Atlanta/Dahlonega.

Off of GA 400, take exit 5A and bear right onto Abernathy Road.
Turn left at the second light, Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Continue on Peachtree Dunwoody Road through the first light.

Take the next left into the Embassy Row complex.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left.  
 
By Marta  
Take MARTA rail north one stop past the Dunwoody station to Sandy Springs and follow signs to the pedestrian tunnel under Abernathy Road.

Turn right out of the tunnel entrance and walk a half block to the corner of Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Turn right and walk two blocks north to the Embassy Row complex, on the left.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is the first building on the left. 

Crawford Post 48 Hour Film Project

CRAWFORD POST

IS LOOKING FOR ACTORS & ACTRESSES FOR THE

48 HOUR FILM PROJECT

 

WHEN: June 27^th, 28^th, and 29^th.

 

Send a headshot & resume to:

 

Dan Reichard / Crawford Communications / 3845 Pleasantdale Rd. / Atlanta, GA 30340

 

…or email to dreichard@crawford.com

 

“HEY KIDS LET’S MAKE A MOVIE!”

News on Big Break Hollywood from Bob and Della at youract

Big Break Hollywood has some exciting new developments as we prepare for August 15, 16, and 17 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta.

 

We have made it possible to make payments rather than pay the full amount when registering.

Talent can now put as little as $100 down to reserve their spot, and have until August 1st to pay the balance.Alpha Tyler, casting director for Tyler Perry Studios, and Brandon Routh, who played Superman in Superman Returns have joined the Celebrity Panel. There has never been a group of industry execs like this to visit Atlanta.

 

Space is limited–we have deliberately kept the size of the event to a minimum to make sure we can give everyone a quality experience. Please pass this news along to your talent so they can come join us for this amazing weekend.  

 

  www.youract.tv   /  www.bigbreakhollywood.com 

Women Angle II Auditions

Please feel free to contact directly:

PROJECT 1
FLIGHTS OF ANGELS
Writer/Director: Kimberly Jürgen
Submit by Sunday, June 1 to: flightsofangels@gmail.com
Shooting schedule: 2 days (Sat/Sun) either August or early Sept
Pay: Stipend, copy, credit
SAG waiver available

Story:
Deah and Jason put off having a baby. By the time they were ready, getting pregnant was not easy. But they have beautiful baby Rose as a result of their efforts. Jason loves being a new dad, but, for Deah, each day is a struggle.

Character Breakdown:
DEAH – F late-30s-early 40s, first-time mom
JASON – M mid-40s, new dad of infant, marathon runner
ROSE – M/F, 3-9 months old in Aug; twins preferred

PROJECT 2
“A Peacock-Feathered Blue”
Director: Jenna Milly
Submit by Sunday, June 1 to: apeacockfeatheredblue@yahoo.com
Audition: Wed, June 4, 7-10pm, by appointment only
Pay: stipend, copy, credit
SAG waiver available

The Story: A third grade boy who’s failing science decides to invent a new color in order to win the science fair.

Character Breakdown
Male / 7-11 yrs. / white
MARCEL is a dreamer. He’s been in a state of solitude since his father died a year ago. When he realizes he’s failing science, he decides to win the science fair to improve his grade and make his mother happy again.

Female / 29-34 yrs. / white
THE MOTHER is sweet, respectable and perfect, not supermom perfect, but follow the rules perfect. She’s a working class waitress trying to make a stable life for her son. She wants to do everything right so she can get ahead. She’s the type of woman who never leaves a dirty dish in the sink. That would mean she’s not living right and making progress. Her husband died last year, and she’s raising her 9-year-old boy alone. She wants him to do well in school. She’s upset that he’s failing science. She can’t see his true potential for what it is, the artist inside of him.

Male / 40s / race unspecified
MR. BUG had a strict childhood. He teaches science at his former school, the very place where he was stifled. He’ll stop at nothing to discourage young minds from wandering off the beaten path.

Male / 7-11 yrs. / race unspecified
STANLEY is a type-A over-achiever. He’s so competitive, he spends his spare time thinking about ways to get a grade higher than A+. He’s dead set on winning the science fair.

Female / 7-11 yrs / race unspecified
FREDERICA has more of an edge than Stanley because she’s a woman. With her brains, she’ll win the science fair without breaking a sweat.

Male / 30s-40s / race unspecified
FIREMAN #1 feels sorry for the boy who lost his father, but… playing with fire is dangerous, even if Marcel means well.

Male / 20s-30s / race unspecified
FIREMAN #2 doesn’t understand why everyone is being so hard on Marcel, but being the lowest on the totem pole, he does what he’s told.

Female / 20s-30s / race unspecified
MS. BEAN is a young teacher who encourages students to be artistic. She’s having a tough time in this gray town where it seems everyone wants to color inside the lines. She sees something special in Marcel and hopes she can nurture his artistic ability.

What makes a cold read bad?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of actors I see on a weekly basis (both in the classes I teach and at Houghton) that do not have good cold reading skills. There are a lot of factors that can make a cold read bad, but today I just want to focus on technical aspects. Specifically, staying out of the script. Below is an example of a bad cold read (done for the purposes of this post):

Bad Cold Read

Now watch the better cold read:

Good Cold Read

It should be blatantly obvious what the differences are. The read itself could certainly be better, but the first thing to notice is that I am out of script on the first paragraph. Keep in mind that I spent less than 10 minutes looking at the script before taping the second take. The lesson is that you should ALWAYS HAVE THE FIRST FEW SENTENCES MEMORIZED. If you don’t, you make no connection with the audience (or your scene partner if it’s for TV/Film) from the outset, and you fight an uphill battle to salvage that callback.

By starting with your eyes out of script, you establish and IMMEDIATE connection, and the audience is engaged. Furthermore, by establishing that connection early, the decision-makers will be more willing to cut you slack when you have to look down at your script later. And you should be familiar enough with the copy that you only have to glance down for a few words here or there.

My first take is atrocious, but you’d be surprised how many actors think that’s an acceptable cold read (or they’re unaware of how buried they are in the script). This becomes even more of an issue with TV and film sides. If you want to ensure your audition gets sent to the client, then you better have spent time with the script. Enough to enable you to establish a strong connection from the start.

One last thing to notice is that gray is not a good color to wear against that blue backdrop

Actor’s Breakthrough Weekend

June 6-7 2008

Just twelve (12) slots are available and participation is by audition or agent/casting director referral only. I invite you to visit ACTORSBREAKTHROUGHWEEKEND.COM to review our offerings.

Breakthrough Weekends are especially designed to meet the individual needs of each participating professional. The small class size enables us to match actors according to skill level, experience, and commitment.

Having lived in Atlanta since 1997, you have my word that I will give my learners, your clients, my very best- and because Atlanta is home, I will be here to continue the mentoring process once these very special classes are completed.
My twenty-five years of experience ranges from industrial film, national on-camera commercials and VO, to the Chicago Shakespeare Rep, recurring roles on the The West Wing and The Sopranos, and more than 100 other primetime episodes and feature films.

Two scholarship spots are also available.

If I can be of service, or if you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally; 678 523-5200, gaw@actorsbreakthroughweekend.com
Best Wishes,

GregAlan Williams

From Women in Film

SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Women in Film and Television Atlanta proudly presents
The Business of Acting

 

This month’s program will provide actors with access to key industry resources and tools to help move their careers forward.  Attendees will have the ability to gain valuable information pertaining to the business side of the craft, including marketing and training.  Guests representatives include acting instructor, Della Cole (YourACT); former agent Kay Hallahan (content editor, The Actor’s Guide Online), Mindy Sevener (The Pixel Pusher – headshot reproductions, comp cards and business card services), and a headshot photographer.

This portion of the program is open to members and non-members alike and is FREE of charge.   

 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Program will begin promptly at 6PM)
Location: The Art Institute of Atlanta
6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd / 100 Embassy Row / Atlanta, GA 30328-1649 / Please RSVP to: info@wifta.org

 

Special Activity

 

Speed Meetings: Actors, Agents & Casting Directors – Up Close & Personal

 Engage in timed intimate one-on-one practical networking meetings with representatives from talent agencies,

commercial/film and TV casting directors and filmmakers.

This special opportunity will only be available to a limited number of actors

 

Partial list of Scheduled guest representatives include:

 

Casting Directors – Alpha Tyler (Tyler Perry Studios), Don Slaton (Don Slaton Casting),

 

Talent Agents – Brenda Pauley/Film Agent (The People Store), Jeffrey Charlton/Commercial Print & New Media Agent (The People Store), Deborah Owensby (Houghton Talent), Kitty Bundy (Elite Atlanta)

 

Headshots and resumes are required to participate.
Speed Meeting Sessions will last for five (5) minutes and participants can sign up for as many meetings as time permits based on guests availability.   
Speed Meeting time slots will be filled based on a first come, first serve basis.  
There is no advanced registration – Participants must register on site the day of the event.

 

Cost to participate in Speed Meetings:
$10 for current WIFTA Members; $25 for Non-Members
Proceeds from this event will benefit and support Women in Film and Television Atlanta,
a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization  Limited Space available

 

c&j offering workshop

“AUDITION “TUNE-UP” WORKSHOP

need to brush up on your audition technique?

                                    need a reminder on the do’s and don’ts?

haven’t booked anything in awhile and wondered why?

                                     been awhile since you auditioned?

auditioned yesterday and felt you were ‘off’?

wonder what the heck the client wants?

wonder what the heck the director wants?

know what they want but just can’t get it right?

COME JOIN US FOR THE C & J AUDITION WORKSHOP

WHEN:         Tuesday June 10^th, 2008

WHERE:        C & J Casting

WHY:           I want an answer to at least one of the above

TIME:           5:00 – 9:30pm (we’ll have dinner for you)

COST:           $150  (limited enrollment, a 50% cancellation fee will occur if you give us less than a 48 hour notification)

 

 

HOW:           just email Gigi at: cjworkshop@gmail.com to request a registration form. 

 

 

Georgia Boosts Incentives for Entertainment Industry

Received this email notice from GPP this evening:

Governor Perdue signs bill designed to attract more movie, TV and videogame productions to state

ATLANTA, May 12, 2008 – Governor Sonny Perdue today signed into law the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act (HB 1100), new legislation designed to encourage entertainment industry productions in Georgia. The signing ceremony took place at the studios of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), where the Governor was joined by Phil Kent, chairman and CEO of TBS, Inc., and over 100 attendees including legislators, industry leaders and members of the entertainment industry.“We know that our excellent talent base and outstanding locations make Georgia a very desirable place to film,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “This legislation puts in place the economic cornerstone that will encourage producers to convert that desire into action.”

The 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act reinforces and strengthens Georgia’s position within the entertainment industry. The new, more competitive incentives replace those currently in use by offering a 20 percent tax credit for qualified productions, which are then eligible for an additional 10 percent tax credit if they include an animated Georgia promotional logo within the finished product.

The incentives apply not only to qualified films, TV series, commercials and music videos, but also to video game productions. The economic impact of all these entertainment segments in Georgia was $413 million in 2007.

“We’re proud of this legislation; a lot of the credit goes to Governor Perdue for setting up the film commission,” said Rep. Butch Parrish, a sponsor of the legislation. “I think this bill will jump start the Georgia film industry.”

“This new incentive allows Georgia to once again compete for an industry we used to be famous for,” said Sen. Mitch Seabaugh. “It will be a catalyst that will spur immediate economic investment and create jobs. Georgia will once again be on center stage where it belongs.”

“The new incentives will put Georgia among the top five states in the U.S. in terms of financial competitiveness for entertainment projects,” said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). “We expect to see an increase in the number of industry jobs and overall economic impact for the state in the coming years.”

The state has seen success in the past with competitive incentives. The 2005 Entertainment Industry Investment Act (HB 539), signed by Governor Perdue in 2005, led to a record-setting economic impact in 2006 when film, television and video game companies contributed $475 million to Georgia’s economy, up from $124 million in 2004. The total economic impact of entertainment productions from 2005 through 2007 has been over $1.17 billion, due in large part to Georgia’s entertainment incentives. Since then, however, film activity in the state has decreased as other states, regions and nations boosted their competitive packages.
“The 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act (HB 1100) will return Georgia to its rightful place of prominence in all major entertainment industry segments,” stated Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of the Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office, a division of GDEcD. “We expect a significant increase in film and television projects, and Georgia will be the most competitive state in the country for video game productions. Georgia is one of the few states whose entertainment incentives support the video game industry.”

Governor Perdue was joined at the event by Sen. Greg Goggans, who carried the legislation in the Senate, Rep. Ron Stephens, and Rep. Rich Golick.

“House Bill 1100 is a key piece to the puzzle in sustaining Georgia’s entertainment industry for the long haul,” said Ric Reitz, an actor and producer from Atlanta. “It will provide many new jobs for Georgians, improve the state’s entertainment infrastructure, and grow Georgia’s indigenous companies.”

The Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office, formerly known as the Film, Video and Music Office, conducts extensive business development, sales, marketing and promotional activities in order to attract entertainment projects and businesses to the state. The office also assists the local, national and international entertainment industries with information, expertise and resources. The staff points movie production companies to Georgia’s highly-trained crews, state-of-the-art facilities, and diverse locations. Georgia’s temperate climate and easy access afforded by Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are also factors that attract the industry’s interest.

Georgia has been investing in the entertainment industry for over 35 years. Since the inception of the Georgia Film Commission in 1973, more than 575 major motion pictures, independent films, television series and pilots, and TV movies have filmed on location in the state. As a result, over $5 billion has been generated for the state’s economy. Georgia’s music industry continues to thrive with an economic impact of $1.97 billion in 2007. Movies were first produced in Georgia as early as 1912, and have continued without interruption during every decade since then.

 

 

 

---

About the Georgia Production Partnership (GPP)
The Georgia Production Partnership is a not-for-profit coalition of companies and individuals who are active in the state’s film, video, music, and interactive game industries. Established in 1998, this professional group has been instrumental in the grass roots organization of the production community and the development of key legislative incentives. Our goal is to bring Georgia back to the forefront of U.S. production.Be informed + involved. Your voice is important. Join us!

We look forward to meeting you at one of our upcoming GPP events…
http://www.georgiaproduction.org/public/events

 

 

 

A quick note on slates

Just so everyone knows, at Houghton your slate is framed most often like this:

Usually it’s even tighter than that. This means that it doesn’t matter what your pants look like, or whether your shirt is tucked in. It also means that when I am framing you up, you shouldn’t move at all from that position when you slate. Too often I cue the actor to slate, and they shift their weight to one side, which sometimes takes them completely out of frame.

One last note on slates. Pay attention to what I ask for. Often I will ask only for name, or just name and Houghton. Some actors decide to tell their life story in their slate. While some of you were taught to be original in your slates, don’t make it longer than it has to be. If you take longer than 3 seconds to slate, you’re doing too much.

Boys in the Band

Michael Snow is directing ‘Boys in the Band’ by Mart Crowley this summer
at Whole World Theatre in Atlanta, GA, a not for profit theater.
http://wholeworldtheatre.com in their ’3rd Space’ theater.

Audition info:
There are 9 roles for men and we are open to all ethnicities between the
ages of 20–45 with one role requiring an African-American man, age 27-40.
They are looking for natural comedic performances; not stereotypes.

Auditions will be held the week of June 9. Actors will be given sides.
Rehearsals begin June 23 and the show opens on August 7 and will run
Thur-Sat eves thru September 13 with a possible extensions of two weeks.
To schedule an audition please email headshots and resume to:
michael.boysintheband.snow@gmail.com

Expecting Isabel at 7 Stages

Pay What You Can / Industry Night

8 PM on Monday, May 12th.

Reservations and more info. www.synchrotheatre.com in little Five Points

The show runs a little over two hours.

Some quick acting notes from Matt

When I started taping at Houghton, initially it was all commercial/industrial stuff. When I took over taping TV and Film, some issues started to arise with auditions that I hadn’t noticed previously. I’m going to try and impart some tips to everyone using this blog. Here are some initial thoughts:

1) Take control of your audition. Unlike auditioning at Stillwell or a client’s office, you have the benefit of being in the room with someone from Houghton. You should enter that room having full knowledge of what you are going to do. You know the setup in there. Don’t come in asking “so what are we doing?”. That is a death sentence! Even if you give a good read, you will never stand out among the dozens of other “good” reads that the casting director will see.

2) I cannot stress enough that taking a class that focuses on cold-reading skills is paramount! Would you enter a weightlifting competition without going to the gym for several months/years beforehand? Your acting “muscle” needs the same workout. And while weekend workshops have their place, without constant reinforcement, your acting “muscle” will never grow. Some of you are getting smoked by your peers in that audition room because your “muscle” is flabby. Okay, enough with the analogies

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more tips!

MASTER AUDITION WORKSHOP REGINA MOORE OF MOORE CASTING

DATE:  June 28, 2008 / hosted by Alan Dysart

TIME:    9a-4p

LOCATION:  Nashville TN

PRICE:      $125

Regina Moore casts feature films, TV pilots, commercials, music videos and all other areas of on-camera performance. This is a rare opportunity to be one of a small group to study and audition for this very in-demand talent specialist in an intimate and informal atmosphere.

Topics will include:

Advanced audition techniques

Scene Work

Improv

How casting directors and talent agents communicate

Important relationships for performers

Learning who you are professionally

Promotional materials and marketing yourself

First impressions

call to register 615-831-0039

 

 

 

 

Atlanta Premiere – A Powerful Noise – May 22nd

From Tom Cappello/Crazy Legs Productions:

We are on our way back from a wonderful world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. We had 4 sold out screenings and standing ovations, so we feel we met the mark. And quite possibly exceeded it! It is with great pride that I invite all of you to come to our Atlanta premiere of our film, A POWERFUL NOISE, at the Atlanta History Center on May 22. The main character from Bosnia, Nada Markovic, will be in town for the event and she is someone you should definitely meet. Please come to support the movement of women’s empowerment and be inspired by these remarkable women. If you have trouble viewing this evite, please go to

 

 

 

 

http://www.apowerfulnoise.org/evites/evite_atlanta_general.html.

MOST IMPORTANTLY – Forward this evite on to anyone and any organizations. This is not an exclusive event and we 400 seats to fill. We want them all filled! That being said, get your seats soon. They are selling fast. Hope to see everyone and celebrate together.

All the best-

Tom

A Powerful Noise
Official selection of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

Thursday, May 22, 20086:00pm Patrons’ Reception

 

6:30pm

 

 

Doors Open for General Admission
7:00pm Film Screening followed by Reception
McElreath Hall
130 West Paces Ferry Road, NW
Atlanta, GA 30305

 

 

Patrons’ Reception: $200 per person
(Includes a pre-screening reception with Sheila C. Johnson and
Dr. Helene Gayle at 6pm, and reserved seating for the film).

 

 

 

 

 

This inspiring documentary follows three extraordinary women – in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Mali and Vietnam – as they overcome barriers to lead day-to-day battles against
ignorance, poverty, oppression, and ethnic strife.

RSVP by Thusday, May 15, 2008
To register for this event, visit: www.apowerfulnoise.org/atl
or mail your check to CARE at:
CARE SE Office, 151 Ellis Street, Atlanta, GA 30303
Call (404) 979-9142 for more information.

Limited seating | Business casual attire
Proceeds benefit CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty

SECOND SUNDAYS / THE WOMAN’S ANGLE FILM SALON

The Woman’s Angle educates, mentors and promotes women directors.

In an effort to introduce directors, writers, filmmakers and audiences to quality film shorts, The Woman’s Angle has partnered with Image Film and Video to host a monthly film salon. Join TWA the Second Sunday of each month at Image Film and Video from 6:30 – 8:30 for a selection of film shorts and an opportunity to participate in the Atlanta scene.

In addition to hosting “Second Sundays,” TWA also conducts an annual Directing Program to assist women directors in developing and completing a compelling and entertaining short film or video.

Visit us! To learn more about The Woman’s Angle and our programs visit us at:
www.womansangle.com

Upcoming Second Sundays…

May 11th – Presented by Connie DiCicco

Connie DiCicco is a native of Georgia and a freelance editor living in the Atlanta area. After graduating from Florida State University with a Masters Degree in Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts, Connie worked for several years as Director of Programming for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina. In 2005, Connie started her own production and post production company, Dragonfly Films. In addition to editing, Connie also consults with documentary filmmakers regarding their works in progress and finished films. She lives in Marietta with her husband and her husband’s dog.

$5.00 suggested donation

Second Sundays
www.womansangle.com

Image Film and Video / 535 Means St NW  / Atlanta, GA 30318  / (404) 688-1970  / thecontemporary.org

Driving Directions to IMAGE:

TRAVELING SOUTH
From I75/I85 — Take the North Ave/GA Tech exit, turn right onto North Avenue.
Take the third right onto Tech Parkway.
Take left at first traffic light, Means Street.
Crosses Marietta Street (Salvation Army is on the left, Engineers Bookstore on the right).
Stay on Means as it goes down small hill and takes sharp turn to right.
IMAGE is located inside the Contemporary which is at end of road on right.
Park in the free lot opposite the Contemporary.

TRAVELING NORTH
From I75/I85 — Take 10th street exit, turning left onto 10th at the exit.
Stay on 10th street for ¾ mile – GA Tech will be on your left – until you reach Northside Drive. Take left onto Northside Drive.
Northside Drive soon forks – take right fork, staying in left-hand lane (left turn only).
Take next left, at traffic light, onto Marietta Street.
Take third turn to right onto Means Street at Engineers Bookstore.
Stay on Means as it goes down small hill and takes sharp turn to right.
IMAGE is located inside the Contemporary which is at end of road on right.
Park in the free lot opposite the Contemporary.

 

Welcome to our Blog!

We hope you enjoy all the new ways we are keeping you involved with what we’re doing here at Houghton Talent! This is a BRAND NEW BLOG, which we will use to communicate news from around the office, keep you informed on workshops, extra opportunities, and answer frequently asked questions. You can copy this link into your browser, follow the links from your April Newsletter, or www.houghtontalent.com.

This is going to be used by everyone here in the office: Gail, Mystie, Deb, Sally, Verda, and Chase. We will do our best to be thorough in our posts and to update our FAQ to anticipate any questions you may have, but if you still have questions please email us for clarity. We have disabled comments on our posts to keep this blog as cleaned-up as possible.

Make sure to check back often to see what’s new and any feedback you have is greatly appreciated!

~ Your Houghton Talent Team

What is the difference between “first refusal” and “hold”?

When a casting director or client issues a “first refusal”, it means the final casting decision hasn’t been made; the casting director or client is requesting that the performer contact him/her before accepting a booking for another job on the same day(s), giving the original producer the first opportunity to book the person. “First refusal” is not a booking and the performer has no contractual obligation to get back to the casting director or turn down the second job nor does the producer owe a cancellation fee if the performer is not used. It is, however, a professional courtesy that clients and casting directors expect so our position is if you are on first refusal and then are presented a second opportunity, you let us know so we can see if the “First refusal” client wants to commit to or release you from the booking.

“Hold” means the producer has engaged the talent and a cancellation fee is due if the producer cancels the engagement.

Because these terms are not always used properly, if you have a question as to whether you are definitely booked, ask us.  If we’re not sure, we will ask our contact on the project.  

Juneteenth Second call for entries

The first annual Juneteenth Atlanta Film Showcase, takes place Wednesday through Friday, June 18-20, 2008.  Entries are still being accepted for the two day film showcase of short and feature length films which celebrate the diversity, strength and survival of African Americans.  Narrative features, documentaries, shorts, animation and television productions on film, video and digital media may be submitted.  Youth produced works are highly encouraged.  Films should be written/directed or produced by an African American, or feature African Americans in prominent roles.  Submission fee is $25 for entries received by the final submission deadline of Sunday, May 25th.  For submission details and entry form, visit www.juneteenthatlanta.com.  The Juneteenth Atlanta Film Showcase opening program will include a special presentation of a portion of the event’s proceeds to a representative of The Campaign for the Ossie Davis Endowment (www.ossiedavisendowment.com).  A member of the Davis family will be on hand to accept the donation.              What is Juneteenth?  Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.  It was June 19th, 1865 when the slaves in Galveston, Texas learned that they were finally free -though slaves had actually been freed two and a half years earlier with the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863.  While its roots are in Texas, Juneteenth has become a special day for African Americans all around the United States and the world.  For an overview of the worldwide celebration, visit www.juneteenth.com.              Juneteenth activities will take place at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta June 18-20, 2008, with a special exhibit at the Southwest Regional Library.   Schedule of events and advance ticket sales will be available online at www.juneteenthatlanta.com beginning May 10, 2008.  Program booklet ads are $100 for a full page.  Additional sponsorship opportunities are also available – commit early for reduced rates.  For details call 404-799-8115.   The Big Picture Film & Video Foundation is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established to support, utilize and retain students and newcomers in film and the visual arts in Georgia and across the southeast.  The Foundation also produces the bi-annual Georgia BIG PICTURE Conference (GABPC), a film & video convention targeting future filmmakers, animators, editors, actors, writers, sound techs, game techs, and digital media artists for two days of networking with peers and industry professionals.  The next GABPC takes place in Atlanta spring 2009.  For additional details or to register, visit www.gabpc.com.  IKAM Productions is an Atlanta based production company specializing in projects in film/video, theatre and television, with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth to create images using all mediums while encouraging them to realize the power of their voice and fostering their creative spirit.  For a schedule of events and productions, visit www.ikamproductions.com.  # # #   Booker T. Washington (Emancipation Level) Sponsors:  The Georgia BIG PICTURE Conference (GABPC) IKAM Productions

SPONSORSHIP  Sponsoring the first annual Juneteenth Atlanta Film Showcase includes a variety of promotional opportunities for your organization, product or event.  Sponsorship levels: W.E.B. DuBois (Freeman Level) Sponsor Booker T. Washington (Emancipation Level) Sponsor Harriet Tubman (Underground Level) Sponsor Frederick Douglass (Abolition level) Sponsor  Sponsorship level benefits are negotiable, and where applicable, products or services are welcome.  Commit early for best rates and the most promotional exposure!  For additional details, email sponsorship@juneteenthatlanta.com, or call 404-799-8115.