Central Texas is rich with Best Practice Art in a
broad range of forms. We are fortunate in Central TX to be in one of the
Independent Film Capitals in the World. We have opportunities to be
involved with and to see
substantive
films and visual media. I am tracking some of the
opportunities
and
posting some
of my thoughts, as we participate in meaningful visual media
and artistic projects. 2010 is already an
exciting year with significant projects in development. Increasingly, we
are seeing great success for Austin personalities and/or feature films
that are positive, substantive, and inspirational such as The Blind
Side and Temple Grandin.
Lone Star tries to go viral
By Joe O'Connell
July 29, 20010
Fox is doing some interesting early promotion to
get the word out on new Dallas-shot series Lone Star. That includes
putting DVDS of the first episode in issues of Vanity Fair, and a glitzy
premiere of the show last week at The Paley Center for Media in Los
Angeles. Other avenues include cruise ships and hotels. Plus
Vanity Fair will also stream Lone Star through its iPad app. Note that
the show's title again is two words instead of Lonestar. The pilot shot
as Midland. Why can't TV shows pick one name and stick with it?
Here's a description of the show: “Robert/Bob
Allen” (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer
juggling two identities and two women....
Spy Kids 4 is in production? I'm used to
the secretiveness of the Robert Rodriguez camp (I even had to sign one
of those ubiquitous confidentiality agreements when my nephew was an
extra in the first Spy Kids), but it's always surprising how
quiet the ramp up of production of a new film is. Here's a little hint
from The Hollywood Reporter that the production of Spy Kids 4 is
under way for the Weinstein Company with a release date set for August
2011. (IMDB.com lists the complete title as Spy Kids 4: Armageddon.)
I know that casting has been active. Anyone know anything else?
Here's what Rodriguez told me in May: Rodriguez
said the Spy Kids reboot is for the Weinstein Co. and will
include new child secret agents with actors — whom he did not identify —
already in line to play the roles. “I thought it could be good to reboot
my own series,” he said. “That's my most loyal audience — not the film
geeks, but the kids.” The film's script already has been turned in.
“The Spy Kids Division has been closed down seven years ago,”
Rodriguez said. “We will see some of the characters from the previous
films.”
Texas casting director, Sarah Dowling, is looking for extras for the
movie Seven Days in Utopia, which stars Robert
Duvall and Lucas
Black. The open casting call is scheduled for Saturday,
July 24, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Sunday, July 25, from Noon- 4 p.m.
. The call will be held at Utopia School, 258 School Street, Utopia,
TX 78884. The casting call will involve a brief talk with a member
of the casting staff and possibly an on-camera interview. Those who
audition are to bring a non-returnable photo.
If anyone is interested, they are simply to report to the casting
area. No appointments are necessary. If talent has questions, they
can call the casting office at (830) 965-6601 or reach the staff by
e-mail at UtopiaExtras@gmail.com. The casting staff is looking this
weekend for the following: Two Steppers, Church Choir Participants,
Men, Women, and Children of all Ages.
Veteran actor, director Robert Duvall ( who has an Academy Award,
two Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards) has been a long-time
Texas favorite. Texas talent enjoyed working with him in Secondhand
Lions. Duvall performed in To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender
Mercies, both written by Texas playwright, Horton Foote. (Both
of these movies were awarded Oscars for Best Screenplay.) Duvall
played a former Texas Ranger, Augustus McCrae, in the TV miniseries Lonesome
Dove. He watched a special screening of his television
film Broken Trail with President George W. Bush, former Texas
governor, at the White House.
My Generation is an ABC Series produced
and written by
Noah Hawley,
who has co-produced the shows Bones and
The Unusuals. The My Generation
series is a faux-documentary drama about nine
high school classmates who come back to Austin,
their hometown, when they are 28 years old. The
series alternates between scenes of the group's
senior year of high school in 2000 and footage
of their lives in 2010.
Hawley has set the
show in Austin because he wanted a setting with
a cultural life that would realistically draw
smart, ambitious, creative people back to it.
The pilot in Austin has successfully paved the
way for the series. Production on My
Generation is creating cast and crew jobs
in Austin just as
Friday Night Lightsends this summer in the Texas capitol. A
100,000-plus square foot converted cold storage
warehouse near the Austin airport serves as the
production base for the show.
Beginning July 15, episodes are shooting in the
capitol city. Parts of the Driskill Hotel and
the Texas Capitol buildings are excellent
stand-ins for Washington, D.C. in the story. In
the pilot, Hawley has focused on the characters
more than the setting, but in the series he
intends to capture the color and culture of
Austin. He plans to take advantage of local
events to blur the line between fiction and
reality.
The story in the series follows a group of young
adults who have been filmed in a documentary
just before their graduation from Greenbelt High
School in Austin, Texas in 2000. The group
includes high school types. When the high school
graduates reunite ten years later, contemporary
events and issues have affected them. They see
that their dreams for the future have not
materialized exactly as they had hoped. The
series is set in the present with flashbacks to
the past. The show takes a serious look at
contemporary events and issues through the lives
of the characters.
The cast includes the following: Daniella
Alonso as brain, Brenda Serrano; Mehcad Brooks
as jock, Rolly Marks; Kelli Garner as punk, Dawn
Barbuso; Jaime King as beauty queen, Jacqueline
Vachs; Julian Morris as rich kid, Anders Holt;
Keir O'Donnell as nerd, Kenneth Finley; Michael
Stahl-David as over-achiever, Steven Foster;
Sebastian Sozzi as rebel, The Falcon; Anne Son
as Caroline Chang; and Elizabeth Keener as the
filmmaker.
It has been sad and sickening to hear of Mel
Gibson's violent and obscene rants in public and
private. It has been sad because he has produced
such good movie work in the past, especially
with
The Passion of the Christ.
It has been sickening to hear obscene language
come out of his mouth again, just as it has
become increasing commonplace and repulsive to
hear expletives out of the mouths of movie stars
and leaders of our nation in public and private.
It has been refreshing to see and hear civil
and gracious role models in movies, in public,
and in private.
David Strathairn
is such a refreshing role model, who has been
nominated for an Emmy
for his work in
Temple Grandin.
Not only was
David a role
model as an actor on the screen as Dr. Carlock
in
Temple Grandin,
but he was a
role model on the set here
in Austin. Many of my film students
from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in the
Austin region were a core of actors on set with
David for many days. He knew all of their names
and was consistently gracious with them. They
looked to him as a role model on and off the
set.
I pray for Mel Gibson and
Lindsay Lohan and their loved ones.
Mel and Lindsay have been out of control and
abusive in public and private. I pray that they
can find redemption and civility again. I am
also thankful that we still have some civil and
gracious role models in our public and private
lives.
Austin has received significant nods in the 2010
Emmy Nominations. We are proud of Beth Sepko
with her Austin Third Coast Casting and Beth
Sepko Casting for her nominations. They have
included Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
for Friday
Night Lights
and Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie
Or A Special for
Temple Grandin.
Congratulations, Beth, and thank you.
Friday Night Lights,
filmed in Austin, has been nominated for
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Kyle
Chandler as Eric Taylor has also been nominated
for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for
FNL. Further, Connie Britton as Tami
Taylor has been nominated for Outstanding Lead
Actress In A Drama Series for Friday Night
Lights.
HBO's
Temple Grandin,
in which many
local talent have performed as they
have in Friday Night Lights, has been
nominated in many categories. The lead actors
have been all nominated as best actors: Claire
Danes as Temple Grandin,
David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock, Julia
Ormond as Temple's Mom, and Catherine O’Hara as
Aunt Ann.
Further nominations
have included the following: Outstanding Made
For Television Movie; Outstanding Writing for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special;
Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries Or
Movie; Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing
For A Miniseries Or A Movie; Outstanding
Hairstyling For A Miniseries Or A Movie;
Outstanding Main Title Design; Outstanding
Makeup For A Miniseries Or A Movie
(Non-Prosthetic; Outstanding Music Composition
For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special (Original
Dramatic Score); and Outstanding Sound Editing
For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special.
It has been a joy and a privilege for us Central
Texas talent to participate in and support these
outstanding projects.
We cast and crew for
on-camera work continue to work hard
at raising the bar of our performances so that
we can continue to draw and participate in such
worthwhile television and movie productions. We
are grateful to our regional casting directors
and agents for their diligence and support.
Casting Directors Toni Cobb Brock and Sally
Allen are searching for the following talent for
Episode #102 of the ABC Television Series,
My Generation,
shooting in Austin. They are searching for
Series Regulars, which are speaking roles, for
which no acting experience is necessary. The
roles include the following:Tom Chung, who is
nine years old. Tom is also half Asian and half
Caucasian. As the son of Caroline Chung and
Steven Foster, he is being reared by his mother
and is preparing to meet his father for the
first time. Other Series Regular roles include
PFC Riggs, PFC Yang, PFC Waterhouse, and PFC
Jenkins. These characters can be males or
females. These roles are open to those of
various ethnicities, who are in their 20s-30s.
The characters are soldiers, who are serving in
Afghanistan in the same camp. They're
good-humored but deadly serious when under
attack. The casting directors are seeking real
veterans, who are willing to share their
own stories of war experiences and/or military
personnel with arms and combat training. These
characters are Recurring Co-Stars.
The casting directors ask that talent not
submit themselves, unless they fit the above
roles and specifications. If talent fits what is
required, they can e-mail brockallencasting@gmail.com
and include the following: name, age, height,
weight, ethnicity, city in which they reside. If
talent submits themselves for one of the PFC
roles, they are asked to include military
experience and training in detail.
OLC is casting
non-speaking roles and extras. The director
is Michael Katleman. Producers are Noah Hawley,
who is also the writer, and Warren Littlefield.
The filmmaker is Elizabeth Keener. The location
casting associate is Jennifer Kelly. Series cast
members include the following: Michael
Stahl-David as Steven Foster, Jaime King
as Jacqueline Fox/Holt, Keir O'Donnell
as Kenneth Finley, Kellie Garner as Dawn Barbuso,
Medhcad Brooks as Rolly Marks, Daniella
as Brenda Serrano, Julian Morris as Anders Holt,
Sebastian Sozzi as The Falcon, and Anne Son
as Caroline Chung.
More and more television
and movie production is coming to Texas, especially to Austin and
Dallas. This is due to a number of favorable elements: Texas
tax incentives, good crews, talented casts, good
locations, use of non-union employees (Texas is a right-to-work
state, where employees do not have to be part of unions), and
general user-friendliness. Further, Texas is drawing work and
workers from other states with more severe financial problems
(especially L.A., California). Austin’s Friday
Night Lightshas in recent years demonstrated the
viability of these positive factors for film projects. It has paved
the way for other television production in Austin. Recently the
television pilot in Austin, Generation Y, has led to the new ABC
series My Generation, which is also slated for production this
summer and fall in Austin. This project is a fictitious documentary
that covers characters in a group of Austin high school students ten
years after their graduation in Austin.
On Location Casting is set to cast paid extras for My
Generation, which is due to start in mid July and
continue through the fall of this year. Actors should give OLC time
to prep and should not inquire about My Generation until mid July.
At that time OLC will be looking for all ages and types of Austin
area talent, who do not necessarily need previous experience. (OLC
is not casting principal talent.)
Those who are already registered with OLC,
will automatically be considered for this project! All those who are
registered need to do is to make sure that their OLC profile and
contact information is up to date. They should also keep special
skills and other information current. For My Generation, OLC will be
looking for a broad range of types, including the following:
military personnel, high school students, business men, professional
women, college students, high school football players, high school
cheerleaders, Hawaiian surfers, up-scale professionals, politicians,
parents, and teachers. OLC will also be searching for Hispanic and
African American extras, stand-ins, and photos doubles for several
principal actors. These roles are to be paid at non-union rate,
$7.25 per hour with an eight hour guarantee ($58.00) plus overtime
after eight hours.
In order to be considered for extra work, talent needs to go to the OLC
Web site to complete a free talent application.( The
optional upgrade offered on OLC to an “Active Talent Account” is not
required in order to work on My Generation or any other OLC
project. Talent is automatically active in the OLC talent
database, when an account is approved. Texas residents are preferred
for this project. There is no pay for travel or accommodations in or
to Austin. Talent must have valid proof of Texas residency (Drivers
License, Voter Registration Card, or Full-time College ID Card).
Lonestar, starring Jon Voight (Midnight Cowboy) and
Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), will follow in the
footsteps of short-lived ABC series The Deep End at the Studios at Las
Colinas beginning July 27, 20th Century Fox Television spokeswoman Shari Rosenblum confirmed Wednesday.
Show creators had given a late look at Austin as a filming locale before
confirming the North Texas shoot. The show's pilot, titled Midland,
also was shot in North Texas.
An expected announcement by Gov. Rick Perry and Mayor Tom Leppert last
week of a Dallas Chaos shoot turned into a maybe as CBS and 20th
Century Fox tried to come to an agreement, including how many episodes
will be ordered.
Negotiations continue for the spy show that would be a midseason
replacement and shoot in the fall, Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film
Commission said Wednesday.
Lonestar joins a busy North Texas television slate this summer
that will include NBC's Chase and Fox's already-in-production
The Good Guys.
ABC, NBC, and Fox all have television series scheduled for Austin and
Dallas this summer. ABC's
My
Generation(Generation
Y
was the title of the pilot)is
due for production in Austin. NBC'sFriday
Night Lightsis
continuing production in Austin. ABC is is casting featured extras in
Dallas forThe
Deep End. Also, in North Texas, NBC is producing Chase. Further,
Fox is filmingLonestar
(former Midland) and The
Good Guysin
the Dallas area. Television jobs are available for cast and crew.
More and more television shows are being shot outside of L.A.
Texas
Film Incentives,
good locations, and available cast/crew are drawing increasing
television productions to Texas. Bob Hudgins of theTexas
Film Commissionsaid
that each episode of a television series could bring more than one
million dollars to the Texas economy.
is
casting for its continued fourth television season in Austin.On
Location Castingcasts
extras for this series. To register with them for extra work, go to
www.onlocationcasting.net, fill out a Talent Application, and upload one
or two photos. Include any special skills you may have. Include a
telephone number.
On Location Casting also casts for extras forThe
Good Guysin the Dallas
area. This television series is about the adventures of an old-school
cop and a modern-day Day detective. You can see some of the job
opportunities for this series on theOn
Location Casting Facebook page.
You do not need to pay for this service. On Location Casting provides a
reputable free casting service, as doActor’s
Access,Now
Casting,
andCasting
Networks.
Once you have posted a talent application and profile onwww.onlocationcasting.net,
you can find updates and opportunities on On Location Casting Facebook
page . You can even respond to casting calls n this page.
See Austin's Texas Film Commission's hotline for current film and
television projects with jobs for talent and crew.
I post sources forgood
information about auditions on my Websiteand
about specific jobs for talent, especially for those who do not yet have
agents, on theFacebook
page, Cru Film '10.
This information focuses on Austin, Central and North Texas; but there
is also national and international guidance for talent and job postings
for throughout the USA.
Be
careful of businesses and online links to services that ask or recommend
that you to pay for auditions, postings, bookings...
To earn more than minimum wage for extra work on television and film
sets, seek a legitimate, licensed agent. Go to a potential agent's Web
site. See if the agency needs talent like you. If so, carefully follow
the directions to apply for representation. Professional talent needs
ongoing training, a growing resume, and good headshots.
A foundational
college education for all in performance, production, talent work
provides you with greater knowledge, security, and a broad range of
opportunities for a lifetime. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
provides practical training for television, film, voice-over, and
e-technologies and much in its Performance Studies and Film Programs.
North Texas-based 'Chaos' series
awaiting CBS confirmation
By Joe O'Connell
May 27, 20010
DALLAS—Three television series will shoot
simultaneously in North Texas this summer, and a fourth might join them
in the fall.
What was to be a major announcement by Gov. Rick
Perry and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert at Dallas City Hall of a fourth
television show shooting in North Texas ended up being a “maybe.”
Twentieth Century Fox Television execs on Wednesday said they have yet
to get confirmation of a pickup by CBS of Chaos, a spy series set to
star Stephen Rea (The Crying Game). If picked up, they expect to shoot
13 episodes of the midseason replacement in the fall.
Perry said the flurry of major network
television production is a sign Texas has been “established an a
preferred location.”
Already shooting in North Texas is The Good Guys
for Fox, which recently added seven more episodes to its original
13-episode order.
This summer the show is expected to compete with
NBC’s Chase and Fox’s Lonestar (former Midland) for North Texas
locations and crew. In Austin, the ABC series My Generation is primed to
lens this summer as well.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Janis Burklund of
the Dallas Film Commission said of the demands on the North Texas crew
base. “Yes, it’s going to stretch us a bit, but that’s how we’ll grow.”
North Texas’ television resurgence began when
Prison Break shot here for two seasons beginning in 2006, said Twentieth
Century Fox vice president Jim Sharp. That led to shooting the
short-lived series The Deep End. But the area’s history as a television
hub dates back further to Walker, Texas Ranger, a show for which Burklund worked as a location scout.
It’s all part of a trend to shoot network
television shows outside of Los Angeles due to that area’s poor
incentives and changing physical landscape that has made finding
locations more difficult. Texas now hopes to attract some of the
longtime California crew members to the Lone Star State.
The Legislature approved in 2009 an increase in
state filming incentives funding from a two-year total of $22 million to
$62 million and added flexibility in how the funds can be meted out.
Perry said since then 206 projects have come to the state, creating
28,500 full-time jobs and attracting in-state spending of $184 million.
On average, each episode of a television series
shot should drop more than $1 million in the local economy, Bob Hudgins
of the Texas Film Commission said.
Why is Dallas the big winner? Leppert said it’s
a mix of great locations and a large pool of talents crew members.
“It means jobs and additional visibility for
North Texas, Dallas and all of Texas,” he said.
A key indicator is the current disparity between
Dallas and Houston, which was in the 1990s a leading Texas filming
location. Fox’s Lonestar is set in both the oil industry of Houston and
Midland.
Executives are taking what was termed a look at
Austin as a filming location on Thursday, but long ago ruled out
Houston.
Also set in Houston is Chase, the NBC series
from Warner Bros. It also ruled out shooting in Space City. 20th Century
Fox had to move quickly on the series, said Garry Brown, the show’s
co-executive producer and former Walker, Texas Ranger producer who has
been one of the pivotal voices behind the North Texas film resurgence.
During the film industry’s lean years earlier in
the mid-2000s when film and television projects were lured to states
offering hefty incentives, the Houston film crews dissipated. Dallas,
as a center for filming of commercials, industrial films, animation and
videos, kept its crews largely in place. Now the problem is making sure
there are enough workers here to handle three television shows shooting
in North Texas this summer, and Chaos potentially joining this in the
fall.
“There was more to offer to us immediately here
in Dallas,” Brown said. “They (Houston) need to build their crew base
up, and they’re working on it.”
Friday Night Lights
is casting for its continued fourth television
season in Austin. On Location Casting casts
extras for this series. To register with them
for extra work, go to
www.onlocationcasting.net,
fill out a Talent Application, and upload one or
two photos. Include any special skills you may
have. Include a telephone number.
On Location Casting also casts for extras for
The Good Guys in the Dallas area. This
television series is about the adventures of an
old-school cop and a modern-day Day detective.
You can see some of the job opportunities for
this series on the
On Location Casting
Facebook page.
You do not need to pay for this service. On
Location Casting provides a reputable free
casting service, as do
Actor’s Access
and
Now Casting.
I post sources for
good information about
auditions on
my Website and
about specific jobs for talent, especially for
those who do not yet have agents, on the
Facebook page, Cru
Film '10 . This information focuses
on Austin and Central Texas, but there is also
national and international guidance for talent
and job postings for throughout the USA.
To earn more than minimum wage for extra work
on television and film sets, seek a
legitimate, licensed agent.
Go to a potential agent's Web site. See if the
agency needs talent like you. If so, carefully
follow the directions to apply for
representation. Professional talent needs
ongoing training, a growing resume, and a good
headshot. A foundational college education for
all in
performance, production,
talent work provides you with greater
knowledge, security, and a broad range of
opportunities for a lifetime.
Granger gets its dirty closeup in True Grit April 27, 2010
By Joe O'Connell
Joel and Ethan Coen's version of True Grit
starts filming Tuesday in Texas, but it was the second biggest news in
Granger, Texas, on Saturday. First was the kolache sale at Sts. Cyril
and Methodius Catholic Church, where the ladies of the church cooked up
about 5,000 of the delicious Czech pastries--in traditional flavors like
poppy seed, prune and apricot--in the church's recreation center
Saturday. Down the road tourists were crawling around the downtown strip
where Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon will encamp starting Monday.
The wide, red-brick stretch of downtown--all of
a block or two--is now covered in a layer of dirt to simulate Fort
Smith, Arkansas. Workers bustled bout putting on the finishing touches.
Wagons, barrels, period signs dotted the storefronts that have been
retrofitted Old West-style.
Granger is an old-school Czech community where
the last U.S. Czech language newspaper is apparently still printed and
many residents, even if they don't speak the language, retain a hint of
a Czech accent. I asked and was told the editor does it with a computer
now and the editions seem to be few and far between. The church's
community center was bustling with people leaving with pizza boxes
filled to the brim with kolaches. During filming, the center will serve
up food for the cast and crew (they should probably ask the church
ladies to teach them kolache making). Outside a tent is already up
nearby for the movie's wardrobe department.
One woman wondered what they'd do with all the
dirt that was toted in.
"I just hope they can get it off of there," she
said.
Click on the photos (see link below) to see
larger versions of them. You might want to compare with these photos I
took a couple of weeks ago. You might also note what appears to be a
gallows in one of the last photos!
Train, horses and security arrive in Granger.
On of the draws of Joel and Ethan Coen filming
True Grit in Granger, Texas, was the railroad line that runs right next
to the strip of wide street where much of the filming there will take
place. Sunday the actual train to be used in the film arrived in town,
attracting even more tourists. It's a beauty, with a coal tender, a
Pullman car and a freight car attached.
The set looks very ready for action, and as you
can see the security guards have arrived. I also noted a Paramount truck
with New Mexico license plates! Bring on Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and
Josh Brolin.
Guys, be sure and make a stop five miles down
the road in Taylor for some barbecue while you're in the area.
'Waco film on track with Kurt Russell, Adrien
Brody, Sharon Stone?
That's what Production Weekly tweeted:
Kurt Russell, Adrian (sic) Brody & Sharon Stone
attached to Rupert Wainwright's Waco, which plans to film this fall.
It's the story of David Koresh and the 1993
Branch Davidian raid in Waco. (Should I mention I have a big box of
Koresh sermons on cassette tape sitting next to me as I type this? They
fell into my hands recently...) Take it for what it's worth since they
didn't even bother to spell Brody's name correctly.
The big question is where it will film, since
Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film Commission said the film will not qualify
for film incentives, a stance that led to a recent "award" from a civil
liberties group.
Hudgins questions the facts as presented in the
script based on a review by people portrayed in the film by name.
I talked to director Rupert Wainwright last year
when the film got its share of free publicity over the incentives flap.
"We have spent a lot more time investigating this story than the head of
the film commission of Texas has," he said then.
Wainwright and co-writer James Hibberd, a
University of Texas grad now writing for The Hollywood Reporter, also
scoured court transcripts and brought on documentarian Michael McNulty
(Waco: The Rules of Engagement) as a consultant.
Wainwright went so far as to hint that unnamed
federal officials had put pressure on Texas officials to quash the film.
That's a charge Hudgins flatly denied.
It's a film standoff that points to the
vagueness of the content clause, added in 2007 by Sen. Steve Ogden,
R-Bryan, in response to the film Glory Road, which some say exaggerated
racism within college basketball.
Did Terrence Malick have a small screening of Tree of Life?
That's the word being spread through Facebook.
Tree of Life is not making it to Cannes, it appears, but it also seems
close to completion. The said secret Terrence Malick film screening was
in Austin. Here's what was said about it (and take it with a grain of
salt):
"It will not make Cannes. The visual effects
aren’t done, but the footage that we’ve worked on is near complete. The
reason for the delay in post is because of the amount of detail IMAX 70
MM requires. I can assure you that the results are worth the wait..."
See more (including a whole lot of True Grit
set
photos) at
joeoconnell.com
Disney College Program, Paid Internship
Presentations, which are open to the public, are
held once a semester at the
University of Mary Hardin
Baylor in Belton, TX. For ten years,
students at UMHB in Performance Studies,
Graphics Design, Film, Art, Business and other
majors have served as college interns at
DisneyWorld. Many of them go on to work and/or
perform as seasonal employees, professional
interns, and full-time employees for the Disney
Corp. UMHB Disney students, alumni, and their
associates have gained excellent performance,
communication, and business training, while
interacting with people from all over the world
in a magical environment.
The Walt Disney Company operates four
main divisions: Walt Disney Studios, Parks &
Resorts, Disney Products, and Media Networks.
Their entertainment entities include Walt Disney
Motion Pictures Group, Disney Music Group, Walt
Disney Theatrical, Disney-ABC Television Group,
Radio Disney, ESPN Inc., and Marvel
Entertainment. Their resort parks are in
Florida, California, Tokyo, Paris, and Hong
Kong. Further, they offer the Disney Cruise
Line.
Austin's Beth Speko is to cast for
Spy Kids 4.Those interested in registering with Beth Sepko's Third Coast
Extras can find the registration form and instructions on
http://www.bethsepkocasting.com/.
The Spy Kids series has been about real but
small spies and their secret-agent parents. Rodriquez said that he wants
to reboot his own series because his most loyal fans are kids. The
family film will feature new kids and some of the stars of the first
three movies. Walt Disney is distributing the 4th Spy Kids
movie, which is not a sequel but a "reboot."
In 2002, Robert Rodriquez won an
ALMA (American Latino Movie Award) for Outstanding
Director for Spy Kids . He was also nominated for an ALMA for
Outstanding Screenwriter for this feature family film. For this movie,
Antonio Banderas was nominated for an ALMA for Outstanding Actor.
Alexa Vega was nominated for a Youth Artist Award for Best Supporting
Young Actress in 2002 and won the award in 2003 for the
second Spy Kids movie. In 2003, Robert
Rodriquez won the Imagen Award for Best Director for this sequel.
In 2004, the
third Spy Kids movie won the ASCAP Film
and Television Music Award for top box office film. The following young
actors were all nominated for Young Artist Awards for Best Ensemble:
Bobby Edner, Courtney Jines, Matt O'Leary, Emily Osment, Ryan Pinkston,
Daryl Sabara, Alexa Vega, and Robert Vito.
We are fortunate in Texas to have
many opportunities
for work as film, visual media, and audio
talent. Increasingly, more and more
legitimate casting is happening online through
reputable sources such as Facebook,
Actor's Access,
and Now
Casting, Austin's
Beth Sepko Casting,
and
On Location Casting.
With legitimate, reputable casting services such
as these, talent does not pay for auditions or
bookings. They simply post profiles
and headshots on these sites.
On Location Casting
is officially now in their Austin Friday Night
Lights office for the continuation of Season 4.
They are regularly booking extras for NBC's
Friday Night Lights
beginning today, 4/6/10. To register with them
for extra work, go to
www.onlocationcasting.net,
fill out a Talent Application, and upload one or
two photos. Include any special skills you may
have. Include a telephone number.
Once talent has posted applications and profiles
on
www.onlocationcasting.net, they
can find regular updates and opportunities on
On Location Casting's
Facebook page. They can even respond
to casting calls on a daily basis on this page. Talent in the OLC
Database can call 512-707-7934 once a week to see
what bookings are available.
Remember not to pay for auditions or bookings
for talent work. See
http://dianehoward.com/auditions.htm.
On this page you will find reputable sources for
auditions and agents. If you do not yet have an
agent, find a legitimate, licensed agent on this
page and those to which it is linked. Look at
the talent on the agent's site to see if the
agent needs talent like you.
Casting for the Austin pilot , Generation Y
(ABC) has wrapped with On Location Casting;
however, Friday Night Lights (NBC) is
now casting from
On Location Casting.
To register with them for extra work, go to
www.onlocationcasting.net,
fill out a Talent Application, and upload one or
two photos. Include any special skills you may
have. Include a telephone number. You do not
need to pay for this service. On Location
provides a reputable free casting service, as do
Actor’s Access
and
Now Casting.
Remember not to pay for auditions or bookings
for talent work. See
http://dianehoward.com/auditions.htm.
On this page you will find reputable sources
for auditions and agents. If you do not yet have
an agent, find a legitimate, licensed agent on
this page and those to which it is linked. Look
at the talent on the agent's site to see if the
agent needs talent like you. You can find
updated work for Texas cast and crew on the
Texas Film Commission
Hotline.
At the recent Austin South
by Southwest Film Festival, Robert Rodriguez
announced the return of his Spy
Kids. The
Spy
Kids series has been about real but small spies
and their secret-agent parents. Rodriquez said
that he wants to reboot his own series because
his most loyal fans are kids.
In 2002,
Robert Rodriquez won an
ALMA (American
Latino Movie Award) for Outstanding Director for
Spy Kids
. He was also nominated for an ALMA for
Outstanding Screenwriter for this feature
family film. For this movie, Antonio Banderas
was nominated for an ALMA for Outstanding
Actor.
Alexa Vega was
nominated for a Youth Artist Award for Best
Supporting Young Actress in 2002 and won the
award in 2003 for the second
Spy Kids movie. In
2003, Robert Rodriquez won the Imagen Award for
Best Director for this sequel.
In 2004, the
third Spy Kidsmovie won the
ASCAP Film and Television
Music Award for
top box office film. The following young actors
were all nominated for Young Artist Awards for
Best Ensemble: Bobby Edner ,Courtney Jines, Matt
O'Leary, Emily Osment, Ryan Pinkston, Daryl
Sabara,
Alexa Vega, and Robert Vito.
The screenplay for the
fourth
Spy Kids movie has been written.
Actors have been brought on the project.
The family film will feature new kids and some
of the stars of the first three movies. It has been a
successful franchise and with a growing audience
of kids and families, the fourth in the series
is likely to be another winner.
More family films to come from North Texas
March 19, 2010
By Joe O'Connell
Dallas-based Reel FX is in
preproduction on the animated film Turkeys, and it looks to be
just the start of a slate of family films that will be produced in North
Texas. The film features the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson
as turkeys that find a time machine and go back to the first
Thanksgiving to remove themselves from the holiday menu tradition. Luke
Wilson also will do a voice part in the film, which is scheduled for a
2011 release. The film slate is part of the launch of Bedrock Studios, a
pairing of Ed Jones' Reel FX, which has been based out of Dallas since
1993, and industry veteran Cary Granat. Bedrock's aim is to produce
films with budgets of less than $35 million both in Dallas and Santa
Monica, Calif., Variety reported Thursday.
"It's going to lead to a
lot more work here," said Janis Burklund, of the Dallas Film Commission.
"They will be doing both live action and animation. ... It shows the
depth in types of productions we're getting."
Austin film talent and crew are pondering The
Hurt Locker'swin for the Oscar for best picture
over
Avatar.
Having earned nine Academy Award nominations,
Avatar was
widely predicted to win for best picture. So why
did
The Hurt Locker
win over
Avatar?
The Hurt Locker
is gripping and captivating as it deals with
ultimate pain at multiple, complex layers. It is
these multiple facets, dimensions, and layers
that keeps audiences engaged and fascinated,
even though the story is painful to watch.
Further, as I have written and demonstrated
through years of research,
factual,
autobiographical stories are usually
more fascinating than fictional
ones. Autobiographical stories probe beneath
the surface issues and explore human desires,
conflicts, and motivations. When they expose
ironies and paradoxes, as does
The Hurt Locker,
they are especially captivating.
The Hurt Locker
won five other Academy Awards for best:
director, screenplay, film editing, sound
mixing, and sound editing. This movie
has skillfully told the story through
masterfully crafted visual and sound effects.
The
actors'
empathetic performances, enhanced by artistic
directing, film editing, and sound mixing, grip
and powerfully connect with audiences.
Austin, Central Texas, along with the rest of
our state and country, congratulate you, Sandra,
on your winning the Oscar for Best Actress! We
are proud of you and are pleased with The
Blind Side. We are also
impressed with your honoring caring
women, selfless mothers, and the other female
nominees for best actress.
We are grateful
for this substantive, entertaining,
inspirational film! Our country and the world
are hungry for stories with humor, heart, and
hope. It is also refreshing to see a film that
realistically depicts Christian people who reach
out in loving kindness and support to others.
The Blind Sideencourages us to value human relationships
and connections at a time when we especially
need this inspiration. It motivates us to reach
out with grace, respect, and compassion to
others in need.
You display substance and skill as an actor as
you effectively play a real life Steel Magnolia,
who develops in character as she provides for
the neglected Gentle Giant, Michael Oher in
The Blind Side.
You entertain, uplift, and inspire us in this
movie. You make us laugh, cry, and think. You
are a role model as an actor and as a woman.
For many years I have been conducting
research, writing, and presenting around the
world on the power of
role models in
autobiographical stories. I think
this work is especially significant today and
can bring light into our dark world of personal,
national, and international struggles. In
redemptive autobiographical stories, we can find
inspirational journeys of those who have
persevered and overcome against great odds and
high stakes. In
The Blind Side
we see parental and educational role models and
a film that meets criteria of what makes an
artistic, redemptive film.
ABC's national talent search for the family
summer series
Huge came to
Austin in March. In open casting calls, ABC is looked for
plus-size talent who could play believable teens.
In Austin,
Generation Y,
the documentary-style story of a group in their
twenties that flashed back to its high school
days ten years earlier, shot for ABC
in March.
Friday Night Lightshas begun to continue filming
the fourth television season in Austin in April.
Austin and Central
Texas talent also work in
Dallas, which is
currently an attractive city for television
series. The pilot
for NBC's Chase, a Jerry
Bruckheimer-produced crime drama is shooting
there. The Fox business series, Midland,has
wrapped. The Deep End has shot six episodes
recently in the Studios at Las Colinas. Code
58 is shooting all around North Texas.
Code 58' tv crew feels
at home in Dallas
Feb. 19, 2010
By Joe O'Connell
How do you turn a city into an attractive location to shoot television
shows?... Lemchen says..., "You're looking for people who are happy to
have you there
and who don't make your work more difficult." ...That's just one
intangible that has pilots for NBC's Chase, a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced
crime drama... shooting here.
It also led The Deep End to shoot six episodes recently in the
Studios at Las Colinas.
Code 58 is shooting all around North Texas,
but Lemchen says the buddy cop show from Burn Notice creator Matt Nix is
particularly pleased to
be handed the keys to Fair Park, originally the site of the 1936 Texas
Centennial Exposition, when it's not otherwise in use.
... rebate is from a filming incentives program the Texas Legislature
pumped up in 2009. Texas offers up to 15 percent of in-state spending or
up to 25 percent of wages, with both figures increased slightly for
filming in areas deemed underutilized.
It's still not higher than the rebate offered by the most competitive
states, but Lemchen says it was close enough when taking into account
other factors like available trained film crew and appropriate
locations. Georgia and Louisiana were the other possibilities, but the
available film crews were already stretched thin.
"It's a complex decision," Lemchen says. "We're always balancing
creative needs of the show along with the financial needs. [Show creator
Nix] felt the show overall would require a certain amount of action,
which it does. Dallas was a better opportunity for us to physically
shoot the show. Plus, it has a very beautiful downtown."
Will it result in even more television coming to North Texas? It's
likely. "Other producers here have had good experiences, and we all talk
to each other," Lemchen says.
...True Grit remake...film opens a three-month Central Texas
shoot in March with a cast including Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh
Brolin...
HBO's Temple Grandin
movie
has premièred. It is an inspirational and
redemptive
film with fine acting. Claire Dane is remarkable
as Temple Grandin. In this movie the audience
sees that Temple, who is autistic, is not
disabled but abled differently and brilliantly.
This project
has been filmed in the Austin area. Regional
talent, including many University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor film students, alumni, and
faculty, have been cast for multiple scenes with
Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, Catherine O'Hara,
and David Strathairn in this film about Dr.
Temple Grandin. There are many close-ups of UMHB
film students in scenes with Claire and David.
The students perform well as Temple's
classmates.
Those of us from UMHB,
who have been involved
in this
project, have been pleased to support it and to
be a part of it. We have been glad to
perform in this movie, which has been based an
autobiographical and
inspirational story. We have been impressed with
the leads, support cast, crew, and directors
involved with the production of this film. There
has been committed dedication to this movie and
a production atmosphere of congeniality,
artistry, and diligent work.
Temple Grandin is
a woman in her 60's with autism. She is known as
one of the leading figures in autism advocacy.
She is a role model who has shown both the
struggles and successes that can come from
autism. As a young person, she was different and
misunderstood. However, Grandin went to
college and eventually earned a PhD in animal
science. She ultimately also became an advocate
of humane slaughterhouses.
This passionate,
autobiographical film of her life is richly
meaningful. See the official
trailer and tease.
Avatar
is tied for most
nominations for the Academy Awards. The
categories for the best in film production
include the
following: Picture, Director, Musical Score, Art
Direction, Cinematography, Visual Effects, and
Sound. These nominations are not in best acting
categories.
Best acting Oscar
nominations this year are for live-action actors.
Digital effects and performance-capture seem to
affect an audience more as spectacle than on an
internal level. Live actors still seem to have
more power in connecting with and affecting an
audience. Live acting that projects
human personality, empathy, and soul still seem
to connect more powerfully and vitally with
audiences.
Spectacle and digital effects can entertain, but
they do not have the power of the human actor to
affect the hearts, minds, and souls of
audience members in internal, subjective, and
emotional ways. This is not to say that actors
in performance-capture depictions are less
skilled. To the contrary, it takes acting skill
to work with performance-capture technology. It
is just that technology affects audiences more
as spectacle and
live-action actors have
more of an advantage in humanly affecting, impacting,
and connecting with audiences.
Two more TV pilots set to shoot in Dallas
Feb. 10, 2010
By Joe O'Connell
Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Joe O'Connell is an Austin-based freelance writer.
Two major network television pilots are expected to shoot in North Texas
this spring and a third is headed to Austin, offering clear indications
that television production is the big prize from recent increases in the
state's filming incentives program.
Midland, a drama for the Fox network, will shoot here March 16 to
April 1, according to Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film
Commission. She confirmed the news with a post on Facebook that called
for potential crew members to e-mail resumes to
dallas.film@dallascityhall.com...The
pilot will be directed by Marc Webb from a script by Kyle Killen The
Beaver. Webb will also helm the next Spider-Man film. No cast
has been announced.
Also shooting here in March is the NBC pilot, Chase, from
producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The network says the series is about "a
crucial fugitive apprehension team comprised of U.S. Marshals that
tracks down the nation's most notorious criminals..."
In Austin, Gen Y, the documentary-style story of a group of
20-somethings that flashes back to its high school days 10 year earlier,
is set to shoot for ABC in March, said Bob Hudgins, head of the Texas
Film Commission.
Hudgins said the sudden onslaught of television production can be
credited largely to the influence of producers Garry Brown and Nan
Burnstein. Brown worked on Walker, Texas Ranger, and was
instrumental in bringing Prison Break, The Deep End and
Code 58/(formerly known as Jack and Dan) to North Texas. He
will also produce Chase. Burnstein produces Friday Night
Lights , which begins filming a fifth season in Austin in April.
Neither could be reached for comment.
"These things don't happen by accident," Hudgins said. "It's really
those line producers who are our biggest advocates right now."
Mattie, the lead character who is a young girl, is a simple, tough,
young woman in post-Civil War Arkansas. She has unusual nerves of steel
and true grit. She insists on going with two marshals to track down the
killer of her father.
A Coen Brothers movie
project has begun in Austin.
The brothers have adapted the story from
True Grit, the novel by Charles Portis.
This book has been adjusted for the screen as an
American Western film starring John Wayne. It is
a story about young Mattie, who insists on going
with two marshals (Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon)
to track down the killer of her father. Mattie
is a simple, tough, young woman in post-Civil
War Arkansas. She has unusual nerves of steel
and true grit.
Paramount Pictures has
wrapped its general casting call for extras for
this new Coen Brothers feature film.
The following updated information has been
posted on the
Texas Film Commission
hotline:
Still casting. PLEASE SEE TYPES NEEDED BELOW.
-----------------------------------------------
Paramount Pictures is seeking a WOMAN MISSING
HER LEFT ARM to be a photo double in TRUE GRIT,
a new film by Joel & Ethan Coen.
Character description: Photo double for adult
Mattie Ross: This woman must be MISSING HER LEFT
ARM. Optimally, she would be around 5’8”, 138
lbs, slender to medium build. However, we are
open to various looks.
To submit: Please do so asap! Send photos,
measurements & contact information to
texascasting2010@gmail.com. Photos should be
non-glamorous, simple snapshots (incl face and
body. It’s best to wear a tank top & shorts).
Measurements should include height, weight,
bust, waist & hips. Incl sizes, such as shoe,
dress, pants, etc. Include age, phone numbers &
place of residence. Approrpriate candidates may
also call our office at 512-637-6775.
Rate of pay: TBD
Note: TRUE GRIT is shooting in Austin, TX.
However, we are open to nationwide submissions.
------------------------------------------------
FRANK JAMES - Late 60’s - 80’s. Must be able to
portray a menacing look through his eyes!!
Beady-eyed ... Very mean looking! Thug.
Son-of-a-gun. Not a nice guy!
GRANDMA TURNER - Late 60’s - 80’s. Must be able
to portray a mean woman - decrepit & pruney
looking (great wrinkles/facial lines). She
snores loudly! 2 options: Old crone (mean old
lady) OR a very large woman (too big to share
bed w/Mattie).
General Women - Frontier, hard-bitten types of
WOMEN. Must have interesting faces (facial
lines, crooked teeth, larger noses, weathered
skin type, hard features). Preferably longer
hair w/no artificial color. We need rough
frontier types - NOT modern looking. No makeup!
Interested applicants should call our office
asap! 512-637-6775
People can mail photos - but calling us is
preferred - as this is time sensitive!
True Grit Casting / Debbie DeLisi
c/o DW Studios Productions LLC
1901 E. 51st St, Red Bldg
Austin, TX 78723
512-637-6775
Update on
Fox Series
Jack and Dan...now titled Code 58
Jan. 29, 2010
By Joe O'Connell/Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
...Fox
series Jack and Dan is now titled Code 58, and the title
may change again before all is said and done. It's at the start of a
13-episode Dallas shoot. The Matt Nix (Burn Notice) creation is
set to premiere at 8 p.m. June 7, with special previews May 12 and May
19. The new title is supposedly Dallas cop talk for a routine
investigation. Fox describes the comedic drama starring Colin Hanks and
Bradley Whitford as "what happens when an old-school cop and a
modern-day detective expose the big picture of small crime." Whitford
sported a monstrous '80s-style mustache for the show's recent press
meet. ... Will ABC order more episodes of North Texas-shot The Deep
End? The premiere episode finished fourth among major networks in
its time slot.
Congratulations to Sandra
Bullock! We are proud of her outstanding
performance in
The Blind Side, We
are grateful for this substantive,
entertaining, inspirational film! We in the
Austin Film Industry are especially proud of her
and this movie. Having seen The
Blind Sidein
December 2009,
I wrote that I
thought she was a
winner in this film.
I guess I was not the only one who thought so
because she, her cast members, and the film have
now won numerous awards for performances in
The Blind Side.
Sandra Bullock displays
substance and skill as an actor as she
effectively plays a real life Steel Magnolia,
who develops in character as she provides for
the neglected Gentle Giant, Michael Oher in
The Blind Side.
She entertains, uplifts, and inspires us in this
movie. She makes us laugh, cry, and think. She
honestly and convincingly plays a real Christian
woman, who like many real Christians, is doing
great good in the world. She encourages us to
value all human relationships at a time when we
especially need this inspiration.
For many years I have been
conducting research,
writing, and presenting
around the world on the power of
role models in
autobiographical stories.
I think this work is
especially significant today and can bring light
into our dark world of personal, national, and
international struggles. In redemptive
autobiographical stories, we can find
inspirational journeys of those who have
persevered and overcome against great odds and
high stakes. In
The Blind Sidewe see parental and educational role models
and a film that meets criteria of what makes an
artistic, redemptive film.
HBO's Temple Grandin movie
première is scheduled
for Feb. 6, 2010, 8 p.m. (EST). This project has been filmed in the
Austin area. Regional talent, including many University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor film students, alumni, and faculty, have been cast for
multiple scenes with Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, Catherine O'Hara, and
David Strathairn in this film about Dr. Temple Grandin.
UMHB students (Ashley Cook, Brittany Golden, Ariel Sheffield, Ashley
Ramirez, Laura Gebhart, Rachel Jeske, Brianna Edwards, Sarah Hughey,
Candice Green, Ashley Biederman, Chelsea Martinez, Jenna Keefe, Teaven
Barnum, Jordan Cash, Casey Cox, Travis Mitchell, Zach Raygoza, Jake
Tatum, Nathan Jenkins, Garrett Smith, Luke Cielonko, Alex Adcock, and
Kendall Doles) have especially performed as a core group of students in
Temple Grandin's high school days. Brittany Golden has been selected as
their team leader. David Dunlap, UMHB alumnus, has been cast in board
room scenes with Claire Danes, as Temple Grandin. Dr. Dave Howard and I
have been on the set for days of filming of Temple Grandin's
undergraduate graduation. Cast as parents, we have enjoyed scenes with
Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, Catherine O'Hara, and David Strathairn.
Those
of us from UMHB, who have been
involved in this project, have been pleased to support it and to be a
part of it.
This movie is an inspirational, autobiographical
story.
We have been impressed with the leads, support cast, crew, directors.
There has been committed dedication to this film and a
production atmosphere of congeniality, artistry, and diligent work.
Temple
Grandin is a 61-year-old woman with autism. She is known as one of the
leading figures in autism advocacy. She is a role model who
has shown both the struggles and successes that can come from autism.
As a child, she was derided by her classmates for being different. She
was nicknamed "tape recorder" because of her tendency to repeat things
numerous times. However, Grandin went to college and eventually earned a
PhD in animal science. She ultimately also became an advocate of humane
slaughterhouses.
This passionate, autobiographical film of her life is richly meaningful.
The Deep End and Jack and Dan cultivate North Texas roots
Dec. 18, 2009 By Joe O'Connell/Special
Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Expect to see the latest North Texas-shot network
series sooner than expected, a clear sign that television is indeed the
area's good-luck charm. ABC has moved the premiere of law-office dramedy
The Deep End
to Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. An indefinite spring date had earlier been
earmarked for the show, which just wrapped production of its sixth
episode last week at the Studios at Las Colinas.
Does this mean more episodes are likely to be ordered? No word on that
yet, said Shari Rosenblum, executive director of publicity for 20th
Century Fox Television, which is producing the show.
She added that "the good news is that we'll know sooner than later if
we're a hit, because we won't have to wait for a spring launch."
Here's a taste of what to expect in the first episode: "Dylan ... is
given an impossible pro bono custody case; Beth ... keeps mum when a
90-year-old man signs an agreement thinking that she's his daughter;
Liam... must get a client to sign with the firm under false pretenses;
Addy ...gets some attention from her boss when she speaks her mind; and
Malcolm (Austin native Mehcad Brooks ...) gets off on the wrong foot
when he's hired outside of the firm's traditional
process."
Just after the show premieres, Fox series Jack
and Dan starts shooting around North Texas. The detective show
created by Matt Nix..., starring Colin Hanks...(Tom Hanks' son) and
Bradley Whitford ...(West Wing), is unusual in that Fox has
committed to 13 episodes and 96 shooting days without ever seeing a
pilot. In contrast,
The Deep End shot not one but two pilot episodes before ABC
ordered episodes.
The first episode of Jack and Dan will be directed by Tim
Matheson... along with Whitford and series co-star Diana-Maria Riva, he
was in /West
Wing/.
"They will be all over Dallas, primarily, but also outside of Dallas
proper," said Janis Burklund of the Dallas Film Commission, who sees it
as a good sign for 2010 after a mostly lean 2009. The coming year
should also give a clear indication of how well the increased size of
the state's film incentive program will energize the industry. "
"I think considering the economy and everything
else going on, we did pretty well," she said of the North Texas film
scene. The Jack and Dan shoot "bodes well for what our new year
is going to be."
Will television continue to revive the North Texas film industry? It is
certainly keeping the area's experienced crews working, and some
interesting nibbles may be on the horizon. Consider the talk of a modern-day version of
Dallas. Burklund said Warner Bros. told her it's in the early
stages of development with a screenwriter recently hired; according to
The Hollywood Reporter, Cynthia Cidre (Cane) will write
TNT's new take on the series. The once touted big-screen version of
Dallas remains on hold.
Bonus footage... An interesting big-screen project has Dallas actor Lane
Garrison (Prison Break...) writing the true story of the
Gainesville State School's football team, consisting of teens convicted
of crimes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Garrison is now
out of prison after time served for vehicular
manslaughter. Dallas-based producer Steve Riach is behind the potential
film.
Sandra Bullock effectively
plays a real life Steel Magnolia, who develops
in character as she provides for the neglected
Gentle Giant, Michael Oher in
The Blind Side.
Jae Head, as S. J. Tuoghy, is especially
delightful as he is juxtaposed to Quinton Aaron
as Michael Oher.
The Blind Side is
entertaining, uplifting, and meaningful. The
comedy has audiences laughing and crying in
theaters across the nation. This film encourages
us to value all human relationships at a time
when we especially need this inspiration.
It is refreshing to see
a true story about
real Christian people
in Michael Oher's family and school, who learn
to demonstrate unconditional love and support
that leads Michael, who formerly had many odds
against him, to wonderful success in his life. I
am adding this movie to my
list of effective,
enlightening, and entertaining redemptive movies.
Thank you, Sandra Bullock, cast, crew, and real
personalities in the story of
The Blind Side.
This film is a holiday gift to those who see
it.
Inspirational,
heart-warming films
such as these reveal
universal ideas and
meaning that lift
viewers from negativism,
cynicism, and/or
pessimism to what is
positive, renewing, and
hopeful.
Although, they present
honest struggles, they
turn what can
be difficult and
debilitating to what is
freeing, beautiful and
eternal.
Proposed ABC
series
The Deep End films in Dallas Nov. 8, 2009 By Joe
O'Connell
...The Deep End was taping its fourth episode last Tuesday... The
series is about five newly minted lawyers trying to survive in a
powerful law firm..."Our job is to move you, hopefully to move you to
tears and to get you to laugh out loud," Hemingson says. In a few weeks,
after ABC executives look at the first episodes, a decision will be made
on expanding the number of episodes. "It's significantly less expensive
to shoot here in Dallas just because of the cost of doing business here"
as opposed to Los Angeles, says Garry Brown, the show's co-executive
producer and a driving force in both persuading the Texas Legislature to
recently increase the size of financial incentives for filming in the
Lone Star State and Fox to shoot in Dallas...Brown first came to Dallas
to work for a year on Chuck Norris' Walker, Texas Ranger. That year
stretched to six. After a few subsequent years back in LA, he found
himself in Chicago shooting Prison Break. Brown persuaded that show's
producers to move it to Dallas, where they would have no trouble finding
an experienced film crew and diverse locations. That experience led The
Deep End to Texas. "I believe in them," Brown says of North Texas crews.
"The film community we have here in Dallas deserves to work here."
Amelia,
directed by Mira Nair, has flown into movie theatres in
Austin and around the country. Hilary
Swank plays Amelia Earhart with Richard Gere as her husband, George
Putnam. We see again that true stories are often more fascinating than
fiction. Amelia Earhart’s story has continued to captivate attention and
imagination.
The trailer reveals soaring cinematography
and engaging music. However, the cinematic beauty of the film is
what many notable reviewers are describing as the movie’s best asset.
Beyond the cinematography, The New York Times describes it as a
dull production,
Entertainment Weekly also gives it
low ratings
because it doesn’t explore below surface facts.
What may be needed is more of an
autobiographical than biographical
approach.
The Washington Post
says the movie doesn’t probe deeper than what is
generally already known about Earhart. Viewers can remain fascinated by
the retelling of true film stories, but audiences generally want to
learn something new or see the characters in the story from fresh
perspectives.
For those who don’t already know much about Earhart, this movie may
still be inspiring. The charm of Swank and Gere, the music, and the
cinematography may fly viewers the highest.
Director Spike Jonze,
who directed Being
John Malkovich
and Adaptation, has
creatively and
masterfully
visualized Max's
conflicting
emotions, which are
especially related
to the
divorce of his
parents.
The seven
larger-than-life
Wild Things give
form to his inner
conflicts and
struggles. Film that
transports and
captivates us can
help us
process external and
internal struggles
by giving them
visual form.
The
Disney Corporation,
leading
international entertainment
and media organization,
continues to expand its
world-wide family fare.
Recently, Disney has
acquired Marvel
characters that have
joined Mickey Mouse and
his gang, Jim Henson
characters, and Pixar
personalities.
Recently at the 61st
annual Primetime
Creative Arts Emmys,
Disney won in a variety
of television categories
that has included
outstanding children’s
programming.
Disney-Pixar’s
Wall*E, which
has received an
Oscar this year for
best animated feature, is
now available in DVD,
High Definition, and Blu-Ray.
Disney’s 3D version of
the classic Dickens
tale, A Christmas
Carol, is coming to
theaters in
November. Disney’s
Up
is due out in Nov. in
DVD, High Definition,
and Blu-Ray. Disney's official
trailer
for
Alice in Wonderland,
starring Johnny Depp, is
available in
anticipation of big
screen releases in 3D
and IMAX for March,
2010. In anticipation of
the June 2010, Disney
Digital 3D release of
Toy Story 3, Walt
Disney Studios has
released Digital
3D versions of
Disney-Pixar's Toy
Story and
Toy
Story 2. See
online Disney updates
for
movie fare
and
family offerings.
The Disney Corp. also
provides
entertainment training
and employment in a
broad range of areas.
UMHB Performance Studies
and Film students have
trained at Disney World
in a breadth of
entertainment categories
as
Disney College Interns.
The Disney organization,
a Fortune 500
Company, provides
employment and ongoing
training for
those interested in
working in its
entertainment
industries.
UMHB student interns and
alumni, who are
now Disney full-time and
seasonal employees,
are serving and bringing
joy to those visiting
the Disney Parks in
Orlando, Florida this
fall and holiday
season. Disney
staff present the Disney
College program
for Disneyland in
California and Disney
World in
Florida to regional
students at the
University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor during
fall and
spring semesters.
Independent filmmaker stays loyal to
Texas roots
Sept. 25
By Joe O'Connell
Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
... easily the biggest
boon to the North Texas industry is the arrival of The Deep End,
an ABC series that starts filming Monday in the Studios at Las Colinas.
"The good news is we're busy," said Janis
Burklund of the Dallas Film Commission, adding that the economic
downturn is making it more difficult for many larger-budget films to
obtain financing. Millican, who has shot three of his previous four
films in North Texas, had to talk his New York-based producer into using
the University of Texas at Arlington as the backdrop for Rising Star.
"The producer wanted to go to Michigan for the rebates," Millican said.
"I want to make movies here; it's home to me. I had to convince him
there is the talent and crew here to do that. There are skilled
cameramen, gaffers, grips and makeup artists." It's the first film for
Millican to direct but not produce. He was wooed when a producer saw The
Imposter, which follows a Christian singer. Millican has been aiming the
film directly at churches, asking them to become theaters and raise
funds for charity. The Imposter led directly to Rising Star,
when Millican was asked to come up with a family-friendly film that
would be aimed at a secular audience but still be music-driven. The
result is the story of the finalists in a fictional competition that
features both young filmmakers and musicians. The cast includes Broadway
pro Fisher Stevens; ubiquitous Texan Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure);
Catherine Mary Stewart (The Last Starfighter); and Christian
music star Rebecca St. James. Millican, a UTA grad, said the film crew
occupied an auditorium, various classrooms and spots on the campus
grounds and were welcomed with open arms. "A movie is not an easy thing
to have on your grounds," he said. "We went in hoping to get
cooperation. What we got was so much more." ...
Congratulations to
Sometimes I'm Sad for nomination for Best Kids' Film
Sept. 24, 2009
By
Dr.
Diane Howard
Congratulations
to Javier Rivera, author/composer; Ashley
Ramirez, voice artist; and Hui Min Liu, illustrator of
Sometimes I'm Sad. This work has been
nominated for Best Film at the 2009 Kids First! Best Films at the Santa
Fe Film Festival.
Ashley is a UMHB Communication Major
and Film Minor. She is the president of the UMHB’s Delta Kappa Chapter
of Alpha Psi Omega, a national performance honor society.
Javier
Rivera has served as
the Director of Photography for
Cru Films,
Runaway
and The Good Wife. Javier has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Film and Video from Columbia College in Chicago and a Masters of
Education degree from Carthage College.
See more on the film’s Web
site,
http://www.sometimesweb.com/.
See photos on the artists’ page. See and hear the artists on the
trailer.
Films are promoted today largely through social
media. Social networks like Twitter,
YouTube, and Facebook are escalating in their development and are having
a huge impact on successes and failures of movies in their screenings
and distribution. Now independent filmmakers have direct access to
viewers and markets. Potential audiences can read about films on social
network sites and then go to the films’ own websites to see and learn
more before they see a film. Those who see films can immediately contact
their social networks, send out critiques, and contribute to the success
or failure of films almost overnight. Now word-of –mouth reaction to
films is lightening quick and speedily multiplies over social media and
networks.
In the past film studios promoted new work
through print and television ads to mass audiences. Now any independent
filmmakers can promote their films via social media, networks, e-groups,
and Web sites with more impacting access and at minimal cost. On social
networks, Web sites, and online sources, audiences are now more engaged
than ever with new films and can more personally interact with
filmmakers.
Sizzling
lineup of TV productions in Texas
Sept. 23, 2009
by Joe O'Connell
Add stars Kevin Bacon and
Kyra Sedgwick to the mix as television production continues to be red
hot in Texas. The married couple is producing a series for TNT
tentatively titled Zapata, Texas, and has been scouting locations in
Austin for the show's pilot. Bacon will direct. The story is set on the
Texas-Mexico border and, according to TNT, follows a newly elected
sheriff as he 'navigates the equally treacherous waters of small-town
politics and the volatile world of the U.S.-Mexico border.' Since
Sedgwick's The Closer is TNT's centerpiece series, a Zapata series
pickup is very likely.
Last month, it was reported that ABC midseason-replacement series The
Deep End would film in North Texas. The series has finally signed a deal
with the Studios at Las Colinas to start shooting there at the end of
September.
A second unnamed series also is eyeing North Texas, with the final deal
contingent on obtaining the right cast, according to Dallas Film
Commission head Janis Burklund. It, too, could join Friday Night Lights,
which has quietly begun production on its fourth season in Austin.
Meanwhile, Variety reports that actress Jenna Fischer of The Office is
executive producer of a proposed NBC show about real-life San Antonio
lumber salesman turned private investigator Charlie Parker that also
could end up shooting in the Lone Star State.
"Television right now is our best shot," Burklund says. "There was a
whole lot of interest during what was the pilot season this year, and
that's continuing. It's just a matter of the right shows at the right
time. "I think it's more about previous success," Burklund said about
the sudden surge in television production in Texas. Other networks have
"seen what Fox did with Prison Break and that they're coming back [with
The Deep End] is a good signal." Prison Break shot two seasons in North
Texas.
North Texas has a major advantage, Burklund said, because of easy travel
to Los Angeles through Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, a
diverse population, varied locations and a more temperate climate.
Bonus footage The big Texas shoot this month is Machete...Robert
Rodriguez...a feature film in Austin. The cast includes Robert De Niro,
Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Don
Johnson, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin and, in the title role, Danny Trejo.
...
...Mike Judge...next film project ...will produce Brigadier Gerard,
which is based on a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle.
He said it could shoot in Texas. ... SMU film school alumnus Sean
Whitley's documentary, Southern Fried Bigfoot, which he describes as
about all the …
wildmen rumored to prowl the bayous and bottomlands…of
the South, is airing on the Documentary Channel. Bigfoot screened this
month in North Devon, U.K., as part of the Weird Weekend, an annual
gathering on strange phenomena. The film highlights the Lake Worth
Monster said to have been spotted near Fort Worth in the '60s.
PBS in Texas and
around the country hase aired the
Masterpiece Special,Little
Dorrit.
With this film the
Brits have
topped dominant contender HBO in winning
the 61st Primetime Emmy Award for a
Miniseries. Little Dorrit earned Seven
Emmys for excellent writing, directing,
art direction, costumes, and
cinematography. The Emmy for
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries,
Movie, or Dramatic Special went to
Andrew Davies for his screenplay
adaptation of this Dickens novel.
The Emmy for Outstanding
Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or
Dramatic Special went to Dearbhla Walsh
for direction of the Dickens film
adaptation. This
excellent,
substantive film work,
co-produced by the BBC and WGBH Boston,
received awards for casting, direction,
costuming and cinematography Sept. 12 at
the 61st Annual
Primetime Creative
Arts Ceremony,
which was held over a week before the
televised Emmys. It picked up three more
Emmys Sept. 20 at the 61st Primetime
Emmy Awards Ceremony for outstanding
mini-series, screenwriting, and film
directing.
The Emmy for
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries,
Movie, or Dramatic Special went to
Dearbhla Walsh for direction
of the Dickens film adaptation. This
excellent,
substantive film work,
co-produced by the BBC and WGBH Boston,
received awards for casting, direction,
costuming and cinematography Sept. 12 at
the 61st Annual
Primetime Creative
Arts Ceremony,
which was held over a week before the
televised Emmys. It picked up three more
Emmys Sept. 20 at the 61st Primetime
Emmy Awards Ceremony for outstanding
mini-series, screenwriting, and film
directing.
The Brits have continued to challenge
American film standards. They have set a
high bar for screenwriting, acting, and
production. PBS continues to provide
rich, artistic, British programming
through Masterpiece.
The Little
Dorrit
special was nominated for eleven
Emmy awards:
Outstanding Miniseries
Outstanding Supporting Actors in a
Miniseries or a Movie
Outstanding Writing for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic
Special
Outstanding Directing for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic
Special
Outstanding Art Direction for a
Miniseries or Movie
Outstanding Casting for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Outstanding
Cinematography for a Miniseries or
Movie
Outstanding Costumes for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Outstanding Hairstyling for a
Miniseries or a Movie
Outstanding
Music Composition for a Miniseries,
Movie or a Special
Robert Rodriquez film produced with notable & personable
actors in Austin Sept. 20, 2009
by
Dr.
Diane Howard
Filming has been taking place in
Austin for a Robert Rodriquez movie. The cast has been identified on
EW.com.
The confirmed
cast of Robert Rodriguez’s (and protégé
Ethan Maniquis’s) next movie,
Machete, was announced in
Variety
today, and there are some unexpected
names making the cut. Machete
features Danny Trejo playing the title
character...Starring alongside Trejo
will be Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba,
Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Nash Bridges co-stars Cheech
Marin and Don Johnson, and in her first
major film role in some time, Lindsay
Lohan. The list puts to bed
rumors
that Jonah Hill would also join the
cast. Machete is
expected to hit screens next year.
Whenour own Terrance McGee,
http://dianehoward.com/talent_students_alumni.htm,
auditioned for a commercial for Beth
Sepko Casting,
http://www.bethsepkocasting.com/,
he was tapped for the Rodriquez film and
cast as a reporter in scenes with
Jessica Alba. Gaining valuable
experience, Terrance has been on the set
with Robert DeNiro and other notable
actors. Our Cassy Olvera, who was
also cast for the movie, has been on the
set with Lindsay
Lohan, Robert DeNiro... Cassy has
reported that lead actor Danny
Trejo has been especially personable
with the whole cast, much as David
Strathairn had been with the cast of
Temple Grandin, filmed last year in
Austin. It has been delightful to have
notable but personable film actors on
sets in our user-friendly film projects
in Central TX.
I highly recommend the
movie
The Sensation of
Sight,
which is now out in DVD.This
sensitive, thoughtful, independent film
about loss and need for connection is
unique,
redemptive,
and inspirational.
David Strathairn,
who plays the lead character, is a moving,
meaningful actor. He is deeply connected to
the story. See the trailer, blog, and notes-
http://www.thesensationofsight.com/.
This past year,
David Strathairn
was here with
Claire Danes,
Julia Ormond,
and
Catherine O'Hara
in Austin and Central Texas for filming of
the HBO movieTemple
Grandin.
Film students, alumni, and professors
from the
University of Mary
Hardin Baylor
were cast for multiple
scenes with Claire Danes and David
Strathairn in this film. We observed David
as a role model on and off the set. He was
an impeccable actor. He connected to the
other actors on set and knew the names of
Central Texas, UMHB
film personnel,
who were involved in the project with him.
The UMHB film students, who performed as a
core group of students in Temple Grandin's
high school days with David, still talk
about him as a role model and especially how
he connected to them.
David displays that
same sense of connection in the movie
The Sensation of
Sight,
both in the film and in the
behind-the-scenes footage. This movie is
deeply captivating in its focus on issues of
human meaning and connection in a small
town. The characters and town in this film
are every town and everyman/woman.
Austin casting directors,
agents, and talent are seeing good signs that the recent Texas Film and
Moving Images Incentives, which start Sept. 1, are bringing new work to
Central Texas. In a recent Texas Film Commission Report, over fifty new
applications have been made in recent months to the Film Commission in
Austin. These projects cross a broad spectrum that includes the
following: feature films, television programs, commercials, and video
games. These new projects should bring significant revenue, crew jobs,
and roles for talent. TXMPA,
http://www.txmpa.org,
has worked hard to facilitate the passing of new film incentives in
Texas.
In addition to ongoing
commercials, industrials, video projects, two network television series
and two major feature films are already in preproduction. This is also
due in part to Texas incentives. New live or animated qualifying
projects are entitled for payments of 5-15% of eligible Texas spending
on the completion of a review of Texas expenditures. Texas sales tax
exemptions are additionally available.
Texas has long been known as a
user-friendly state with vast, varying locations for film. Austin and
Central Texas have been recognized for good local casting directors,
talent agents, crews, and actors. Now, with added financial
incentives, Austin and the surrounding region are all the more drawing
new moving pictures projects.
The amount of
filming taking place on studios and public streets
here (LA) slid 31 per cent during the second quarter
of this year, according to FilmLA, an organisation
that streamlines the city's film permit process. But
this was no temporary blip, nor is it purely down to
the credit-crunch. There are now nearly 50 per cent
less feature film productions being shot in LA than
a decade ago – thanks in large part to the trend of
"Runaway Production", where studios take their
features to less glamorous states like Louisiana,
New Mexico, and Michigan, all of which offer
generous financial incentives.
"If we don't
become more competitive, we are not going to have a
film industry in LA," warned FilmLA spokesman Todd
Lindgren.
The fact
remains that Los Angeles is still a major hub for
the film industry, and all of the major film studios
retain a home here – as do a majority of the world's
best-known actors and actresses. But the trend for
actual filming to take place outside of the city is
a major worry.
Jennifer
Aniston, whose primary residence is in a leafy
enclave above Beverly Hills, has shot most of her
recent movies away from home. Management was
filmed in Oregon, Marley and Me
in Pennsylvania and her latest film, The
Bounty, is being shot in New Jersey and New
York.
Clint
Eastwood's recent film Grant Torino was shot
in the tough Michigan city of Detroit, better known
only as the location for films like
8 Mile, the biopic of the detroit rapper Eminem.
"We have very
generous incentives including a 42 per cent tax
credit for people filming in urban areas," said
Erica Hill,
director of special events and film at the Detroit
Film Office. "We also have a great waterfront and
great architecture. That is very attractive to
Hollywood people. People say why would they come
when they could be shot or killed, but if you make
the effort to travel to Detroit, you will find it is
actually a very nice place."
The incentive
schemes are not just about provincial towns wanting
a share of the limelight, however. In New Mexico,
where some 90 major film and TV projects have been
shot since 2003 – including
Transformers and In the Valley of Elah –
officials estimate the economic benefit to be around
$1.5 billion.
Perhaps the
ultimate insult to Hollywood's pride, though, was a
film currently in development, Battle: Los
Angeles, about a group of US marines defending
the city from invading aliens. Sharp-eyed moviegoers
may actually notice that they are actually defending
a series of locations around Baton Rouge in
Louisiana, nearly 2,000 miles east. As one movie
critic noted, "LA can't even land a role to play
itself in the movies these days".
California,
despite having a movie star for governor in the form
of Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been very slow to
respond. It was not until last February that the
state passed limited legislation offering tax
credits for lower budget productions, costing less
than $75 million.
The results
have been catastrophic for the film industry in Los
Angeles. Its share of US feature film production
dropped to 31 per cent in 2008 from 66 per cent in
2003, according to the California Film Commission.
FilmLA believes the recession has also resulted in a
sharp drop in the amount of commercials being shot
and the credit crunch has halted financing for small
film production.
Three Austin docs on Independent Lens
August 6, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
Austin filmmakers
Karen Skloss, Michel Scott and Keith Maitland will see their work on the
national PBS doc series Independent Lens. ITVS’s Beyond the Box blog ran the
full line-up for the 2009-2010 season and Skloss’s SUNSHINE, Scott’s THE HORSE
BOY and Maitland’s THE EYES OF ME each made the cut. The seasons kicks off Oct.
13.
Paradise recovered
August 5, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
...Paradise
Recovered... indie shot a week in Austin in July. The majority of the film
was shot in Indiana. What's encouraging? ... Austin shoot was largely due to the
new incentives Texas is offering.
The director is a
University of Texas grad with the wonderful name of Storme Woods. He says,
"Paradise Recovered is a modern-day retelling of the parable of the Good
Samaritan and a coming of age story about a young woman’s discovery..."
Note the Liberty
Lunch poster in the photo from the set!
...just meet with a large contingent of
professionals in California to promote the Texas film and video games
incentive that was just passed...
Omega Broadcast unveils
new studio sound stage
July 29, 2009
From Austin Film Forum
...Omega
Broadcast, about 2 blocks East of I-35 at 817 W. Howard Lane. (Google
Map )...A
picture of the new 40'X40' sound stage is here:
http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/sn334xey5j7jaj37j [Note
the Grid, Kino lights all along the cyc wall, and the thick black (sound
abatement) curtains.]
Austin Studios
July 27, 2009
From Austin Film Casting
AFS has renegotiated its lease with the City of Austin and secured
Austin Studios until 2042, ensuring facilities for filmmaking for a new
generation. The new lease defines the rules for development on the site,
provides for compatibility with the Mueller development, and
reconfigures our boundaries in 2012 to 20 acres that include the
National Guard Armory building and hangars.
Reflections,
lessons learned from the life of Michael Jackson
June 29, 2009
by
Dr. Diane
Howard
I have been reflecting on the death
of Michael Jackson and lessons I can learn from this tragic event. I think
Michael was constantly trying to transcend boundaries, even his own. Most
creative leaders seek to transcend boundaries, limits, and ineffective
traditions. It is important to challenge and transcend limitations in healthy,
constructive, and positive ways. If we challenge the margins in negative,
unhealthy ways, we take risks that may lead to our own demise.
ABC Series, The Deep End
July 21, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
ABC series The Deep End expected to
begin filming in North Texas... A new ABC television series, The Deep End,
is poised to film in North Texas. Texas Film Commission head Bob Hudgins
confirmed that the show is a 20th Century Fox Television production for ABC, not
a show for the Fox network as was previously reported. Thirteen episodes are set
to shoot; The Deep End is being scheduled as a midseason replacement
series. Hudgins estimates that money spent in North Texas will be in the
ballpark of $20 million. Plans for the shoot have been hush-hush while a deal
has been negotiated to shoot at the Studios at Las Colinas, an agreement that's
still not complete. Much of the show's filming is expected to be on a
soundstage. "I'm feeling pretty good that, regardless, they will stay in Texas,"
Hudgins said.
Show producer Garry Brown, who
also was instrumental in two seasons of
Prison Break shooting here and who has a local industry history
that dates back to Walker, Texas Ranger, is the North Texas link. Brown
has long raved about the talent of the North Texas film crew base. Brown
also lobbied the Legislature in 2007 and this year for a financial
incentives program for the film, television and video-game industries.
The Legislature earlier this year increased incentives offered and added
flexibility and additional funding to the program, which has $60 million
to dole out over the next two years to attract Hollywood back to Texas.
In recent years, many projects have veered to states that offer heftier
payouts, such as Louisiana and New Mexico.
The lack of local buzz about the impending shoot could be attributed to
the show's setting in a Los Angeles law firm. ABC described the dramatic
comedy as L.A. Law meets Grey's Anatomy. The cast includes a number of
fresh faces, along with some seasoned hands... The show description on
ABC.go.com gives a good example of the tone of the series: "Sterling Law
is one of L.A.'s most prestigious law firms. Each year it recruits four
new young lawyers from the finest law schools worldwide. It will
nurture, guide and shape these recruits into the best...lawyers they can
possibly be or else..."
Seen and heard at SXSW
March 26/09
By Joe O' Connell
South by
Southwest Film Festival... Tim McCanlies, whose wacky comedy The 2 Bobs
premiered at SXSW, said he took on the directing chores for Alabama
Moon, based on Watt Key's young-adult novel of the same name, with only
a few weeks' notice. The film was shot in New Orleans but could have
easily been lensed on McCanlies' 350-acre Bastrop County ranch if not
for the larger financial incentives offered in Louisiana, he said. Famed
more as a screenwriter and script doctor, McCanlies is having a hot year
behind the camera with the two films in the can and seeking
distribution. Little known fact? McCanlies put himself through Southern
Methodist University film school as a Dallas cop.
Austin-raised actor honors 9/11 heroes...Austin High School grad Todd
Allen has been in 50 or so film and television projects, including Grand
Canyon and AMC's Broken Trail, but he says his latest, the short
"American Identity," is perhaps the most personally fulfilling. Set
around the events of 9/11, it will tour military bases, starting with
Fort Hood. The idea came from fellow producer Stephen Rollins, who had a
birthday dinner Sept. 10, 2001, in a restaurant atop the World Trade
Center. While there he received a telephone call from old friends in
Boston, who would die the next day in a hijacked airplane. "As the son
of a Naval aviator and the nephew of a Marine who fought in Vietnam, it
is particularly gratifying," said Allen, who also recently starred as a
Texas Ranger who brings down a drug cartel in American Cartel, which
shot in San Antonio and Uvalde...
Rodriguez has films for children and adults in the
works
March 17, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: Director spoke at
SXSW film fest... Robert Rodriguez will shoot the futuristic thriller
Nerveracker
this June in Austin, he confirmed during a talk at the South by Southwest Film
Festival on Monday. Previously reported as a plural Nerverrackers, the
film is set in 2085 and revolves around Joe Tezca, part of an elite group sent
to stop a crime wave in a utopian world. The film, which will be made through a
reteaming of Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios and Dimension, already has a
release date of April 16, 2010. The San Antonio native often gives himself a
short time frame to complete a film. “I think you should make a movie like it's
your first movie, like you never have enough money or time,” he said. “Then you
have to find ways to solve problems.” He said he isn't a fan of linear
filmmaking and often finds himself composing a soundtrack for a film while still
completing the script. “I realize I've been doing it this way since I was 12,”
he said. “There's no point in teaching an old dog new tricks.”
...Rodriguez revealed that he finally completed his degree at the University of
Texas last year. The comment came in response to a question from a would-be film
student about the validity of a film degree. “I do strongly believe in higher
education,” Rodriguez said.
He said John Carpenter's “Escape
from New York” is the film that truly inspired him to become a filmmaker when he
realized Carpenter was responsible for so many different elements of the film.
“It seemed like moviemaking would be a place to do all of my hobbies at once,”
said Rodriguez, who already was dabbling in drawing, writing and making
music... Asked about his striving for independence from Hollywood studios,
Rodriguez replied, “One way you've got a job; the other way you are doing what
you love.”
SXSWfilm: Texas
claims Billy Bob
March 13, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
AUSTIN — Sorry, Arkansas. Billy Bob
Thornton is now officially a Texan. It happened Thursday night as the man who
portrayed Davy Crockett (also not born in Texas) was inducted into the Texas
Film Hall of Fame during ceremonies at a former Austin airport turned film
studio. Thornton received the Tom Mix Honorary Texan Award, so named for the
western star who actually hailed from Pennsylvania, in the Austin Film Society
ceremony that unofficially kicks off the South by Southwest Film Festival...
Fellow "Alamo" star Dennis Quaid
called Thornton a native of "Northeast Texas — Hot Springs, Ark." But Thornton
took mild offense to the honorary title, which acknowledges his work on a string
of Texas-centric films including "Friday Night Lights" and "Armageddon." He
reminded the crowd that he has lived in both Tomball and Austin.
"It's an artistic place, a creative
place," Thornton said of the Lone Star State. "When they say Texas is
bigger, Texas is better, I think they're right." He also spoke of the honor of
playing Crockett in the poorly reviewed "The Alamo," saying "I feel like we did
something that will live in history."
Also inducted into the hall of
fame were Fort Worth native Larry Hagman, aka J.R. Ewing of "Dallas" fame;
Powers Boothe, a Texas State University grad and Snyder native; "Twilight"
director Catherine Hardwicke, a McAllen native; and the film
Rushmore... Director Richard Linklater ("Dazed and Confused") also honored
the late Texas playwright Horton Foote,
calling him one of America's foremost storytellers...
Larry Hagman, TX
Hall of Fame
March 12, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
AUSTIN – In the winter of 1978,
Larry Hagman drove the cast of the new television show Dallas around the city of
Dallas... He was the only native Texan among them and felt it his duty, his
television wife Linda Gray said Thursday as Hagman was inducted into the Texas
Film Hall of Fame... "He's the consummate actor," she said of television's J.R.
Ewing. "He's funny. He's absolutely adorable. He's the man you love to hate, and
he's my best friend." The 77-year-old also apparently makes a great pitchman for
efforts to expand Texas' incentive program aimed at attracting more movies to
film in Texas. As Hagman told it, he paraded around the Texas Capitol this week
handing out $10,000 bills (with his own photo on them). "You have all these fans
here and you're going to get your money back a hundred times over," Hagman said
as he echoed the night's clarion call. "You can't miss."
... Don Stokes, the Dallas film pro
and president of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance, a film lobby group aiming to
persuade the Legislature to increase spending for its financial incentives
program. The legislation passed unanimously out of House committee this week.
"There are a couple of television series pilots (at least one eyeing Dallas)
that, if the bill passes in time, we have a significant shot at getting here,"
Stokes said. Event master of ceremonies Thomas Haden Church termed the
legislation a "call to arms," noting that a West Texas-set film he is a part of
is about to shoot in Australia. "I'm a Texan and I'd really like to see the
Texas film industry flourish," he said. Boothe spoke of growing up on a cotton
farm in Snyder and...telling his father, "I'm not sure what I'm going to do with
my life, but it's sure not going to be this. So I chose the movie business." The
hall of fame ceremonies unofficially open the South by Southwest Film
Festival...in Austin.
TXMPA has a bill!
Jan. 29/09
Houston Film Casting
TXMPA is pleased to announce its support of HB 873, filed on January 29, 2009 by
Representative Dawnna Dukes. There will be a companion bill filed in the Senate
by Senator Bob Deuell. These bills call for enhancements to our existing
incentive program and we are pleased that they reflect the interest of TXMPA and
its constituents in the Texas moving image industry. We feel this enhanced
incentive program will put Texas in a favorable position to bring production
jobs back to Texas.
Highlights of the bill include: - inclusion of film, television series,
commercials, digital interactive media, and educational and instructional
videos. - lowered thresholds for film and TV production ($250,000) - $100,000
threshold for commercial and educational/instructional videos and digital
interactive media production (single or series of productions) - 60% of a
project must be filmed in Texas to qualify - grant payout amounts are to be
determined by office rules (which means we can have a competitive and flexible
payout) - Underutilized areas now will receive a 2.5% additional amount on top
of the payout amount established by rules
There are additional provisions which we will detail later, all of which will
strengthen our program and make us more competitive. Information on the funding
of the program and the appropriation process will be available soon! See the
full text of HB 873 at
http://tinyurl.com/cgc5e9.
...
Top 10 of 2008
Jan. 2, 2009
By Joe O'Connell
1) No. 1 film scene draws battle
lines. MovieMaker magazine ranked Austin the best place to "live, work, and make
movies," while Austin film folks raised $60,000 at the Spaghetti Western
fundraiser toward efforts to convince the 2009 Legislature to increase Texas'
film incentives to a level that is actually competitive with other states.
2) Malick plants one in Smithville.
The 65,000-pound tree had to be hauled about seven miles through the middle of
Smithville, where auteur Terrence Malick shot The Tree of Life starring Brad
Pitt...
4) HBO finally goes to Temple
Grandin. It had been in the works for a solid nine years, and finally HBO shot a
film starring Claire Danes as Temple Grandin – who found great success despite
suffering from autism – when an aching Austin film scene most needed it.
5) Indie films keep it real.
Heather Graham starred in Ex-Terminators, Will – now renamed Bandslam – was a
coming-of-age "dramedy" featuring Vanessa Hudgens, and Conflict of Interest, a
political thriller written by Austin's Bonnie Orr, featured Michael Madsen and
Lee Majors...
9) Doing the film studio hokeypokey.
Austin Studios' long-awaited renovations took place this year. Meanwhile
Spiderwood Studios is quietly taking shape, and Ranch Studios remains busy..
* note by
Dr. Diane Howard- #5- UMHB Performance Studies/Film Alumnus, Will Johnson,
and Casey Cox, UMHB Performance Studies/Film student, were cast in Bandslam,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976222/
Wildfire hopes to
reignite the Austin film scene
Dec. 11, 2008
By Joe O'Connell
..."synergy" it's perhaps the
...description for Wildfire Films, a joining of four film companies, two from
Austin and two from Los Angeles, that just might give a drowsy Austin film scene
a needed shot of adrenaline by bringing a slew of new productions to town.
First up locally for the group is a
biopic tentatively titled 16 Minutes about Latino civil rights advocate Gus
Garcia (no relation to the former Austin mayor), who argued the landmark
Hernandez v. Texas case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 and cemented
Latino rights under the 14th Amendment, only to die 10 years later penniless in
San Antonio. The script is being co-written by Rodriguez and Austin
actress/playwright Amparo Garcia-Crow, who has been obsessed with bringing
Garcia's story to light since 1990, with help from Isidro Aguirre, who has been
fascinated by it even longer. Look for preproduction in the spring with
Rodriguez directing. "This isn't people coming in from the outside to do this,"
Rodriguez said of the new film company.
Wildfire Films LLC, a new movie production company based in Austin, announced
its formation Tuesday and that it is planning to start work early next year on
its first feature film, about lawyer and Hispanic civil rights leader Gustavo
"Gus" Garcia in Texas. The movie, titled "16 Minutes," is expected to focus on
Garcia's flamboyant, rough-and-tumble life leading up to his 16 minutes of
arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark 1954 civil rights case
Hernandez v. Texas.
Wildfire Films representatives said Tuesday that "16 Minutes" would be the first
in what they hope will be a series of Hollywood-backed movies to be shot in
Texas in the coming years. Operating from an expected base at the Austin Film
Studios, the company's partners are: Anton Diether, a longtime writer with
credits such as the Hallmark TV series "Moby Dick"; Mark Hacker, a story editor
and script consultant who's working on the screenplay for "16 Minutes" with a
team of writers, including Austin playwright Amparo Garcia Crow; Leon Rodriguez,
who recently directed "Double Tap," starring
Daniel Baldwin, and will direct "16 Minutes"...
Wildfire said it has partnered with Fred Roos Productions, Overture Films, Starz
Media and other companies to help finance coming productions. A budget of $25
million is expected for "16 Minutes," the partners said. Rebecca Campbell, head
of the Austin Film Society, said she welcomed the news of Wildfire's upcoming
work in Texas, "especially during a time when productions have been moving to
Shreveport and elsewhere because of incentives being offered in other states."
Campbell expressed hope that a new incentives package, boosting the current 5
percent tax break for filming in Texas up to 10 or 15 percent, would make its
way through the 2009 legislative session. Wildfire said it has not decided who
will play Garcia, which might begin shooting in South Texas in February. The
high court's decision in Hernandez v. Texas, which helped establish equal
protection under the law for Hispanics, was decided only a few days before Brown
v. Board of Education, the widely known landmark ruling that led to the end of
public-school segregation for black Americans. But some historians have since
said that the Hernandez case was just as important and has been unjustly
overlooked by history...
Remember that every performance
communication experience, encounter is a networking opportunity. It is important
to always have a positive attitude. Jobs go to people who have the following
qualities: willingness to work hard, positive attitude, openness to direction,
expressiveness (especially with eyes and face), flexibility, willingness to
support others...
If you do extra work in a positive, cooperative way, casting directors will
often keep you on a list of people to call for future projects. When you do
extra work with a good attitude, often directors will use you more, give you
more face time on camera, and give you extra character work.
UMHB film talent in Temple Grandin movie
Nov. 8, 2008
by
Dr. Diane
Howard
UMHB students have been cast for multiple scenes with Claire Danes and
David Strathairn in the HBO movie about Temple Grandin. Ashley Cook,
Brittany Golden, Ariel Sheffield, Ashley Ramirez, Laura Gebhart, Rachel
Jeske, Brianna Edwards, Sarah Hughey, Candice Green, Ashley Biederman,
Chelsea Martinez, Jenna Keefe, Teaven Barnum, Jordan Cash, Casey Cox,
Travis Mitchell, Zach Raygoza, Jake Tatum, Nathan Jenkins, Garrett
Smith, Luke Cielonko, Alex Adcock, and Kendall Doles have especially
performed as a core group of students in Temple Grandin's high school
days. Brittany Golden has been selected as their team leader. David
Dunlap, UMHB alumnus, was cast in board room scenes with Claire Danes,
as Temple Grandin. Dr. Dave Howard and I have been on the set for days
of filming of Temple Grandin's undergraduate graduation. Cast as
parents, we have enjoyed scenes with Claire Danes, Julia Ormond,
Catherine O'Hara, and David Stathairn. Those of us from UMHB, who
have been involved in this project, have been pleased to support it and
to be a part of it. This movie is about an inspiring autobiographical
story. We have been impressed with the leads, support cast, crew,
directors... There has been an atmosphere of congeniality, artistry, and
diligent work.
Temple Grandin
is a 61-year-old woman with autism known to be one of the leading voices in
autism advocacy. As a child, she has been derided by her classmates for being
different -- nicknamed "tape recorder" because of her tendency to repeat things
numerous times. But bursting out of that, Grandin went to college and
eventually earned a PhD in animal science, ultimately becoming an advocate of
humane slaughterhouses as well -- an ideal candidate to show both the struggles
and successes that can come from autism. ...A passion project that's been in the
works for almost a decade, filming begins this month in Austin with Danes
playing Grandin. ,http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278469/
.
Austin
Studios get pretty Aug. 14, 2008
By Joe O'Connell
...long-awaited studio renovations finally began last week via $5 million Austin
voters approved in November 2006. Austin Energy has thrown another $1 million
into the project, which has four guys currently ripping out temporary insulation
on Stage 5. It and Stage 1 are slated to be the flagships for the studios, once
soundproofing and air-conditioning are in place come December, says Rebecca
Campbell, executive director of the Austin Film Society, which operates Austin
Studios. The other sound stages will get sprinklers, digital infrastructure, and
security upgrades. "We finally get to pull the trigger," Campbell says. "Now if
we can [increase state] incentives, we'll be rocking and rolling again."
Austin the best place
1/31/08
By Joe O'Connell
... MovieMaker
magazine has proclaimed Austin the best place to "live, work and make movies,"
...MovieMaker ranked Austin No. 1 for the first time since 2004, citing
statewide cooperation that resulted in the new film-incentives program, a strong
crew base, great film-education opportunities, hot film festivals, and plain old
enthusiasm. ...
Don't give money up-front to agents,
casting directors
Oct. 3, 2007
By
Dr. Diane
Howard
From Dan Eggleston, Austin, TX- ...Please
remind everyone that it is ILLEGAL to charge someone for audition information or
to obtain a booking...Companies like this one will tell you that they are
charging you for your "web presence." Don't fall for this!!!
From Ken Farmer's PAG Notes, 2/07- ...When you go in for an
audition, there is usually a slot on the sign-in sheet asking for your social
security number. Do not, I repeat, do not, that's NOT, N-O-T, write down your
social security number on that sheet!!! By law, only your employer or a
governmental agency has the right to see your SS# and you aren't hired yet...
Warning from Dan Eggleston-
If you come across something like this, the odds are likely 100% that it's a
scam. Here's their "pitch." You will have instant access to amazing casting
calls with parts that are right for you - parts you can apply to right away so
you can get started immediately. You will get your own unique Talent Profile,
including photo, so I can find parts that are right for you, and others can spot
your star potential. You will be eligible to participate in our Superstar Talent
Search, where you can win incredible prizes like a personal consultation with a
Casting Director. You can access this all on the Web any time you like or you
can even choose to have parts sent to you! If you are ready to be discovered,
there is simply no easier way to get started. And it is absolutely free. A
credit card is required to ascertain your interest, and will never be charged
unless you choose to continue the service beyond the Absolutely Free period. You
have my Iron-Clad 100% Guarantee. As your virtual casting agent, I am in a
fantastic position to help you launch a career in show business. What's better,
I can do it right now, Absolutely Free, if you respond immediately by accepting
my invitation here. 10/03/07.
Marks of effective team players June 1, 2007
By
Dr. Diane
Howard
As we are celebrating new incentives and progress for Texas talent and
moving toward higher professional standards, I hope that those of us in
performance industries and organizations will continue to work at being
positive, constructive professionals, partners, and collaborators.
Effective team players inspire and
facilitate others to productively, use interpersonal, intrapersonal, and
public relational skills that include professional communication, which is
positive, constructive, and respectful. They empathize, "listen," and look
for common ground. They communicate verbally and nonverbally in positive and
constructive ways that inspire, facilitate, and support others to produce
maximum, positive collaborations, community, and results.
Effective team members
value others.
They guide and promote high standards and expectations in contexts of
praise, encouragement, and mutual respect. As role models, they lead
by example. They guide by their lives and words. They are calm and
enthusiastic. They are intense but not tense, passionate but not
impulsive. They are expressive and articulate but not rudely blunt. They
correct with patience and gentleness. They facilitate functional
people and relationships. They know that healthy people, relationships,
teams, and community produce the most positive products.
Note to actors about ethics, casting July 4, 2006 by Donald Iarussi
*A note to actors about casting directors, intensives, auditions and
audition workshops...*Acting, ethics and proper etiquette of casting
directors... I am in Austin, Texas… here… some casting agents local and
some who come to town…audition those who come to their casting workshops
and intensives. I have talked to many NYC Agents and L.A. agents who
believe as I do, that intensives are a … waste of money. If any agent
requires you to take their workshop or audition intensive or workshop in
order to audition for them…They are being unethical. Please subscribe to
magazines like
http://www.backstage.com
either in paper or on line. Read the articles and learn what you should
and should not be doing.
If a casting agent will only see you if you take their class. They are
being unethical and practicing a form of payola. If you know of casting
directors that will not see you unless you take their workshop or
intensive…Report them to the producers who she works for on projects…
The TV Network executive, AFTRA Actors Equity and most importantly to
SAG, The Screen Actors Guild.
http://www.sag.org
…some casting
agents are charging fees to actors that want to be in their office casting
files. The sales pitch is that, if you are in the files, you stand a better
chance of being called in for auditions. The truth is that the casting files
themselves are a revenue stream for the casting agents and have not much to do
with casting. Anyway, the practice of charging file fees is illegal and, sooner
or later, it will be challenged in court.
Staff attorneys for
the California State Labor Commission say that, when actors pay to be in a
casting agent's photo file, he is in effect asking the casting agent to function
like a talent agent. The hope is that the casting agent will go out into the
world and find acting roles for the actor to audition for. That's what agents
do, and according to both of the legal opinions I have read, this practice makes
fee-charging casting agents de facto talent agents and puts them under the arm
of the law. In California, it is illegal for agents to charge up front fees to
actors. In other words, even if a casting agent is calling himself a casting
director, he may be functioning like a talent agent if he is charging file fees.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.....
My strong advice to
new actors is that your primary short-term goal be to build a resume, get some
decent training and gain experience. Secondarily, get an agent. If you are
having trouble getting an agent, then you need to re-double your efforts,
perhaps change your appearance and market yourself differently. Whatever you do,
it is not a viable career strategy to stop pursuing agents on the premise that
you can cozy up to casting directors who will have you in on auditions anyway.
They may lead you to believe that this strategy might work, but it won't. The
business does not work like that. The casting directors will take your money to
be in their files and will still call talent agents when money-paying acting
work is up for grabs.
When pursuing agents, put yourself in the agent's shoes and ask yourself how
you would make money on yourself if you walked in the door, picture in hand.
Make certain that you are marketing yourself type-wise. Remember that most
agents make their money from commercials, so the best thing you can do is fit
into a commercial category. Watch TV shows that are aimed at your demographic
age….Watch the commercials. Those actors are your competition. Note how they
dress, their energy, the way they are presenting themselves. Then do the same.
When you get your photos taken, try to fit into a viable commercial category so
that agents know what to do with you.
Scene: GOP Gov. Rick Perry stands
on the shady shore of pristine Lake Bastrop, a pine
bough dangling over his head. He happily signs a
measure
authorizing grants to companies making movies, TV shows
and finishing similar projects in Texas. Many applaud. CUT!
...Perry was joined by actor and sometimes-Texas
resident Dennis Quaid, Democratic state Reps. Dawnna
Dukes of Austin and Joe Pickett of El Paso... The event
had a hooray-for-Texas/Hollywood quality, with everyone
expressing hopes the approved film incentives — tallying
$20 million up front that could be awarded to
productions spending considerable money on projects in
Texas — will foster creative results.
The big
twist, proponents said, is authorization in the state
budget for the Texas Film Commission to ask for more
money from state leaders — in the form of the
Legislative Budget Board — so long as it can show the
additional funds will go to producers that have already
poured plenty of money into working in Texas;
essentially that could make the incentive fund
unlimited.
“I hope one
day Texas will be the creative capital of the world,”
Perry said. For now, he added, he’ll settle for
recapturing film and TV business lost lately to
Louisiana. Dukes, noting estimates that Texas has lost
hundreds of millions of dollars of productions to states
offering tax credits to producers, said: “The days of
missed opportunities are finally over.”
Perry
played down the significance of lingo in the law stating
Texas “may deny an application because of inappropriate
content or content that portrays Texas or Texans in a
negative fashion. There’s been a lot of misplaced
concern about the provision,” Perry said.... Don’t look
for Ozzy Osbourne prancing around the Alamo, but
otherwise, it’s going to be lights, camera, action —
many green lights. Quaid’s punch line: “I’m moving here
in two and a half years. And I would like this to be the
new Hollywood.”
To supporters
and members of TXMPA
May 28, 2007
By Hector Garcia
Texas Motion Picture Alliance, President
It was a late night photo-finish-to-the-end in the Capitol, but the
Appropriations Bill passed with the $22 million in funding for the film
incentive grants. On Monday afternoon, May 28, 2007, the Speaker of the
House and the Lt. Governor signed the bill. The last step is to have the
Governor sign the bill. We do not anticipate a veto from the Governor. He has
been very supportive of this initiative. We have a program and the money! Thank
you all very much for all your efforts. Together we accomplished the nearly
impossible task of creating legislation in Texas. Our grass roots organizing and
the wise counsel from HillCo Partners, our lobbying firm, have produced an
incentive program to keep Texans working in our industry. Please give yourselves
a standing ovation.
...There is still lot of work to be done between now and the next legislative
session in January, 2009. TXMPA will assist in marketing the new program
and we need to monitor the results of these grants. We need to pursue an
Economic Impact Study and examine other incentives to consider. We have become
THE voice for the industry in Texas at the Capitol.
We will continue to keep you posted through our Web site (http://www.txmpa.org/)
and we will continue to fight for you, the members of the industry in Texas. And
yes, we still need donations. Please consider making one today through our Web
site (http://www.txmpa.org/)
or by mail (P.O. Box 40339, Austin, TX 78704)...
