Scene Magazine - July/August 2015 by Scene Magazine

Emilia Clarke & Jai Courtney in

LFEA’s

FOCUS ON FILM MADE IN LOUISIANA ANT-MAN in Theaters

TERMINATOR: GENISYS BEFORE THE SCENE WITH

JAMES MADIO PREVIEW:

ESSENCE FEST 2015

OCTAVIA

SPENCER Insurgent

OCT 30 - NOV 1 2015, NEW ORLEANS

JANE’S ADDICTION + SANTIGOLD + DUKE DUMONT + GIORGIO MORODER CLUTCH + ZHU + DJANGO DJANGO + LETTUCE + THE GROWLERS + BABES IN TOYLAND + JACOB PLANT TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE + NINA LAS VEGAS + FANTASTIC NEGRITO + JOYWAVE THE STRUTS + THE SUFFERS + THE WANS + VERIDIA + MIKE DILLON’S PUNK ROCK PERCUSSION CONSORTIUM MISSISSIPPI RAIL COMPANY + CARMINE P. FILTHY AND A BOY NAMED RUTH KOMPRESSION WITH UNICORN FUKR & HERB CHRISTOPHER

SLIGHTLY STOOPID + THIRD EYE BLIND + THE CULT + TCHAMI + BRO SAFARI FISHBONE + TITLE FIGHT + DUMPSTAPHUNK + ELLIPHANT + MIJA

VOL. 6, ISSUE 4 • July/August 2015

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Micah Haley CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erin Theriot ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Kelli Binnings STAFF WRITER Jordan McGuire GRAPHIC ART DIRECTOR Burton Chatelain, Jr. SALES Beth Burvant, Charles Ravaglia, Hope Story

EDITOR’S LETTER

or our readers in Louisiana, there have been a lot of changes that affect the film industry here. A major bill made it out of the House of Representatives and the Senate and was signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal. I’ve personally seen many lament on social media of how this will hurt the film industry, but there is great excitement among those of us who have followed this process closely. Although some provisions in the bill, which is now law, are not favored by the film industry, there are also some incredible opportunities for filmmakers, especially indigenous filmmakers. There is indeed a cap of sorts now in place of $180 million, but there will still be many film and television shows made here. And legal

8 | July/August 2015

challenges may be able to successfully remove the cap. There are still many questions to be answered, but there’s no reason to be fearful. If you are interested in following this matter closely, sign up for Scene Today at w w w. s c e n e - t o d a y.c o m . Tech is next. This fall, Scene is sponsoring NX, a new tech and entrepreneurship con to be held from September 16-18 at the New Orleans Convention Center. Whether you are a tech company, a startup or an existing company ready to learn how tech strategies can take your company to the next level, NX is what’s next. Register and find out more information at nx-no. com. We’ll be there, too.

MICAH HALEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@sceneent.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Randee St. Nicholas, Kate Haus, Melinda Sue Gordon, Zade Rosenthal, Alan Markfield, Drew Guillory, Andrew Cooper, Tracy Bennett, Dale Robinette, Jae-Hyeok Lee CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AJ Buckley, Aaron Williamson, Jacob Peterman, Susan Ross, Elizabeth Glauser, Arthur Vandelay Scene Magazine At Celtic Studios Baton Rouge 10000 Celtic Drive • Suite 201 • Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-361-0701 At Second Line Stages 800 Richard St. • 4th Floor • New Orleans, LA 70130 504-224-2221 info@sceneent.com • www.sceneent.com Published By Scene Entertainment, LLC For Scene Entertainment, LLC CEO, Andre Champagne President, AJ Buckley Vice President, Micah Haley Display Advertising: Call Scene Magazine for a current rate card or visit www.sceneent.com All submitted materials become the property of Scene Entertainment, LLC. For subscriptions or more information visit our website at www.sceneent.com. Copyright @ 2015 Scene Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used for solicitation or copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher.

Protecting You and Your Assets SPECIALIZING IN FILM AND MARITIME SECURITY Executive Protection / Close Protection Set Containment / Static Security Tactical Drivers / Risk Management Private Investigation David Burke

504-915-1340

Introducing our new look at

www.tectus.com Security Partner New Orleans Film Festival

OďŹ&#x192;ce

504-941-2292

CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

ON THE COVER

ON THE SCENE

H&M OPENS IN NEW ORLEANS

Octavia Spencer

WWW.SCENELOUISIANA.COM

BROKEN LIZARD LIVE AT THE CIVIC THEATRE

photo by Randee St. Nicholas

BEFORE THE SCENE WITH

NBA ALL-STARS IN NOLA LSU BASEBALL

ABOVE THE LINE

Octavia Spencer is Insurgent

BEFORE THE SCENE

BLAKE

MAR

tom

HoN haNKs oRS W Wii VeteRA NS

Lenn Kravity z

The Avett Brothers and Sam Smith

MUSIC/SOUND SPEED

Casts

Essence Fest

TECH SCENE

NX Convention

the simplify HoLi seasoN dAy G if ideASt BehiN

D th SCeNee

a spe

Voo

doo

Drews Bree iana’S

louiS

Emin Em • Wolf Kiss • Ja moth nE’s a Er • flamddiction ing li ps

200

Saint

HEALTH SCENE 52 Emilia Clark and Jai Courtney

jobSCENE

ON THE SCENE 22 Made in Louisiana LFEA’s Focus on Film

THE UNSCENE 60

Follow @SceneEnt on Twitter for breaking news and more from Scene Magazine. @sceneent

10 | July/August 2015

EMB

010 CH 2

l cove

Specia

Ant-Man in Theaters

DEC

THE FASHION ISSUE

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOKS

Classy Chic

COMING SOON 14 SCENE IN GEORGIA

steV LAWMeN seaGa AN l

LIVELY

A Conversation with James Madio

SCENE IN TEXAS

MICHAEL RAPAPORT

PREVIEWS:

200

Voted #1 small city to live and work as a ďŹ lm maker in 2015 by Movie Maker Magazine

www.ďŹ lmbatonrouge.com

by AJ Buckley

JAMES MADIO

James Madio is a veteran actor from the Bronx. His long career includes roles alongside Robin Williams in the Steven Spielberg classic Hook, as Pedro in Basketball Diaries and as Sergeant Frank J. Perconte in HBO’s seminal miniseries Band of Brothers.

What made you want to become an actor?

What was your lowest point?

When we were younger, my father used to bust out the video camera and make us do these little funny skits with me and my sisters. He’d make me imitate Elvis or Michael Jackson and we would just have a good time. For family time, instead of watching TV, we’d just pull out the video camera. When I was thirteen, my father [knew of a] manager who represented kids. He said, “Hey, I’d like to bring my son down see what she thinks.” I went in and she had me read a Smucker’s commercial, who are always like, “Hey, I like Smucker’s jam and jelly because it makes me happy!” You’ve got to smile and look like a happy kid. I went in and did it totally like Bronx, New York style. I remember her telling me and my father, “Well, he’s very specific, I’m not so sure that he’s going to work as much as you’d like.” Then, about a month later, we got a call from her saying that I had an audition for a film called Hook that’s a Spielberg film. That was my first audition and I booked it. I just remember meeting Steven and that was it. That was my intro into the business: a lot of luck. I don’t think any of the kids, or at least the Lost Boys, knew what we were getting into until you got to the set and saw how big it was. Never Never Land and the pirate ship. I just remember a lot of big A-list actors showing up with their kids just to see the set, like it was a theme park. It was pretty cool. It felt like you were at a theme park every day at work. You go get makeup, grab some cool little equipment, go skateboarding, play basketball, shoot darts and water guns and food fights. It was a lot of fun. I also remember Hoffman talking to my father and saying, “Hey, do you mind if I introduce James to somebody?” My father said, “Yeah, sure, of course.” Hoffman introduced me to these two producers, Laura Ziskin and Joe Caracciolo. He told them, “Hey, I’d like this kid to play my son in my next movie.” And that was it. I went right to my second studio film. No audition. I got a nice intro into this industry.

After Basketball Diaries, I did very well in the indie market. That’s when festivals were first starting to come on to the scene. We were at Sundance for Basketball Diaries. After that, I started to take acting a little more seriously. I wanted to work more. This is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I made that decision at nineteen and with it came a lot of rejection. I thought I was going to work a lot more and I thought my career was going to take this shift, and it didn’t. It actually went the other way. I just remember not having representation shortly after that movie and not auditioning. Just hanging out with friends, drinking in the park and doing an odd job. It was one of the first and pretty much only “regular” jobs that I’ve ever taken. I did plumbing with my brother-in-law and I remember working a lot of hours, being dirty and sweating. Which is fine. Some people are built for that and I wouldn’t knock that. I have a lot of friends and family that work very hard. But for me, that was probably the most difficult time. For about a year, I didn’t work and I had to just find jobs and ways to make ends meet. It was just a low time in my career. That’s happened a few times throughout my career. There’s been these lows that were very difficult. Even after Band of Brothers. I came out swinging and went right to a show called Queens Supreme with Oliver Platt and Robert Loggia. But after that, I didn’t work for a year and a half. I lived in Manhattan and I had really high expenses. Then, I had to learn how to budget and manage. That comes with the territory if you want to do this for a long time. It is a marathon. It’s not a race. You’re not trying to win this in a year or two.

What’s been your biggest fear? My family and the future of my family. That’s my recent fear. I just got married three years ago and my baby’s two, so that’s the most recent fear. But before, to be honest, I really didn’t have any fear. I always looked ahead, I always had faith and I always thought that something would come my way and more breaks would happen. If I just kept my nose clean, kept my contacts and was very friendly with people, I’d continue to work. I’d like to tell you that my fear would be never to work again or failure, but I never was really afraid of that. Now with my wife and kid, the stakes are higher because I have to provide for family. To do that, I have to find longevity and stability within this career.

12 | July/August 2015

What kept you from walking away? The one thing that I have always known, what I’ve always hung my hat on, is that I believe that I’m good at what I do. As long as I just keep reinventing myself, from being a kid to a teenager to an adult who can now be a math teacher, a father, a policeman - all while staying sharp and focused and loving what I do. That’s what motivates me to keep going. There have been many times throughout the twenty-five years where, although I haven’t thought about quitting and following another path, I’ve slightly second guessed myself and thought, “How am I going to survive?” But I always just hang my hat on that one hook and go, “Well, you’re good at what you’re doing, so just keep on going.”

Who was your closest ally? I’ve had a few close allies. I’ll give you two. The one that’s always been there in this business for me, always checked in and given me great ideas and insight, and has driven me, is my father. My father’s always been behind me and pushed me to do more. Another one of my allies is AJ Buckley. We definitely push each other to do better and be better. To focus on the work. The only way you’re going to succeed for a long time is to be good at what you do. You’ve got to practice and continue to work on material, read scripts and collaborate with people who are hungry and putting out good material. AJ is one of them. We definitely push each other. Outside of those two, the whole Band of Brothers family are tremendous allies to me. We’re still friends. We have our Bands of Brothers reunion once a year and we check up on each other and check each other. We make sure that everyone’s focused and taking care of each other and being there for each other’s family.

What were you doing before an audition that changed your life? Before Hook, I was this thirteen-year-old kid on the street just playing some handball and cutting up in school, probably chasing girls. Before Diaries, it was pretty much the same thing. I was hanging out in the park and not focusing and not worrying about my studies. Before Band of Brothers, that’s when I was probably the most focused. I was taking the time to really read the book, work out, get educated on the history of it all. I wanted to physically and mentally just be there for that audition. And for Band of Brothers, I actually had made the decision to move out here [to Los Angeles], so I was actually out here auditioning. I was in the grind, in the mix around actors, working on stage on some stuff and in acting school. I was ready to go out swinging. I took it very seriously.

What words do you have to inspire others? In this business, you’ve got to be hungry. You’ve got to want to do this. Rely heavily on your instincts because they are going to be your best friend. If you struggle with false moments, and you don’t know how to rely on your instincts, it’s going to be a little bit of a ride for you. And I’m not sure that this business is for you.

How do you think you have you changed? I’ve become more patient and more understanding with the process. I take rejection much better than I ever have. I understand it. I don’t wish any bad luck to anybody if someone wins the job over me. When you’re first starting out, it’s competitive. And it should always be competitive: that’s what’s going to make you better at what you do. I’ll always enjoy that part of it, but I’m definitely more understanding, more respectful and the rejection doesn’t get to me anymore at all.

A partner in Scene Magazine and the president of Scene Entertainment, AJ Buckley has starred for the last eight years on the hit CBS show CSI:NY. Originally from Dublin and raised in Vancouver, he has spent the last twelve years in Los Angeles acting, writing and directing. He starred in and produced the film Home Sweet Hell, which is now available on video-on-demand. He can next be seen in Steven Bochco’s Murder in the First, which premieres on TNT on June . Find out more on Twitter @ AJohnBuckley and at www.ajbuckley.net.

JAMES MADIO

Something Robin said to the Lost Boys one time. He said to me on set, “Make sure that you spend less time in your dressing room and more time on the set learning the craft and learning the trade. Spend more time listening.” Those are words I’ve always remembered. Spend more time listening. And that’s what I did. I didn’t spend much time in my dressing room. I listened to what Robin said, which is basically “just pay attention.” That’s the honest truth. I’m not saying that because he’s not with us today. I say that because that’s the truth.

photo by Kate Haus

BEFORE THE SCENE

What were the words that kept you going?

sceneent.com | 13

COMING SOON

photo by Melinda Sue Gordon

TERMINATOR: GENISYS - JULY 1

Shot in New Orleans, the newest installment of Terminator stalks into theaters. Kyle Reese will travel back in time to connect with Sarah Connor to hopefully stop Judgment Day from ever happening. Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, JK Simmons and Arnold Schwarzenegger star. 126 min. Rated PG-13.

MAGIC MIKE XXL - JULY 1

Mike has been out of the game for three years but now returns as the Kings of Tampa hit the road to Myrtle Beach. Channing Tatum, Elizabeth Banks, Amber Heard, Matt Bomer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Donald Glover star. 115 min. Rated R.

MINIONS - JULY 10

The yellow jelly bean-like tots of perfection get their shot at the big screen. Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob attend Villain-Con and are hired by the super-villainous Scarlet Overkill. Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton and Steve Coogan lend their voices. 91 min. Rated PG.

TRAINWRECK - JULY 17

The hilarious duo of Bill Hader and Amy Schumer go head to head in this comedy. Written by Schumer, Trainwreck places an anticommitment woman in the hands Mr. Perfect. 125 min. Rated R.

by Jordan McGuire

Paul Rudd as Ant-Man

photo by Zade Rosenthal

ANT-MAN - JULY 17

Paul Rudd has the ability to shrink in size and grow in strength. Rudd will play con artist Scott Lang and must become Ant-Man under the tutelage of Dr. Hank Pym. Evangeline Lilly, Judy Greer, Corey Stoll and Michael Douglas star in the next Marvel box office giant. TBA min. Rated TBA.

PIXELS - JULY 24

Adam Sandler’s next project stars Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad and Kevin James. This comedy allows video games to come to life when aliens misinterpret video feeds of vintage arcade games as war threats. Rated PG-13.

THE VATICAN TAPES - JULY 24

A priest and two Vatican exorcists do everything in their power to save the soul of a young woman. The horror/thriller stars Michael Pena, Kathleen Robertson and Kjimon Hounsou. 91 min. Rated PG-13.

PAPER TOWNS - JULY 24

A young man and his friends undertake a coming-of-age road trip to find the missing girl next door. Rated PG-13.

VACATION – JULY 29

Rusty Griswold takes a trip down memory lane and wishes to bring his family with him. The new Vacation gang will travel to “Walley World” in this hilarious sequel. Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Mann and Chevy Chase star. Rating and Runtime TBA.

MORE COMING SOON 14 | July/August 2015

COMING SOON MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION - JULY 31

Tom Cruise holds on to soaring planes while Hawkeye and Simon Pegg join the cast of the most impossible mission yet. Enough said. Rating and Runtime TBA.

SOUTHPAW - JULY 31

Jake Gyllenhaal fights his way to the top until his world is flipped upside down and shatters. It is solely up to him to claw his way back to supremacy. The boxing drama stars Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker and 50 Cent. 123 min. Rating TBA.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON – AUGUST 14

NWA emerges from the streets of Compton and hits the screens of Hollywood. The most controversial hip-hop pioneers cause havoc in pop culture in the mid-80s. Paul Giamatti, Keith Stanfield, Aldis Hodge, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jason Mitchell and Corey Hawkins star in the story about a group and their life in the hood. Rated R.

MASTERMINDS - AUGUST 19

Jared Hess directs this action packed comedy thrill ride based on a true story. Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Ken Marino and Kate McKinnon star in one of the biggest bank heists in American history. Rated PG-13.

HITMAN: AGENT 47 - AUGUST 21

An assassin helps a woman find her husband and unearth countless tales of her ancestry. The action film stars Zachary Quinto and Rupert Friend. Rating and Runtime TBA.

Ryan Reynolds photo by Alan Markfield

SELF/LESS - JULY 31

New Orleans-shot Self/Less stars Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds. Kingsley plays the man who built New York. He is a self-made man, whose buildings symbolize the strength and power his life once had. When his health begins to deteriorate, he is brought an opportunity of immortality. 116 min. Rated PG-13.

FANTASTIC FOUR - AUGUST 7

The origins of the four are illustrated as they team up and teleport to a dangerous alternate dimension. They discover powers and abilities and must band together to save Earth from Dr. Doom. Shot in Baton Rouge, the superhero flick stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Toby Kebbell, Jamie Bell, Michael B. Jordan and Tim Blake Nelson. Rating and Runtime TBA.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E – AUGUST 14

Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E stars Alicia Vikander, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. A CIA agent and a KGB operative take part in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization. Rated PG-13. 16 | July/August 2015

photo by Alan Markfield

AMERICAN ULTRA - AUGUST 21

The Adventureland romantic duo have teamed up again for the Louisiana-shot film American Ultra. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart star as two slackers in love. He’s about to propose and wham, he’s a secret spy, and the government is trying to eliminate him. Prepare to see Eisenberg and Stewart go full Jason Bourne in this film. Rating and Runtime TBA.

WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS - AUGUST 28

Zac Efron stars as an aspiring DJ. The electronic scene is in full effect as this West Coast drama drops a beat. Rating and Runtime TBA.

     

chillers delivery & pick up power washing & debris removal misters & fans layout board & stair protection flooring

     

tents generators climate control make up stations directors chairs tables & chairs

819 Central, Suite E • New Orleans, LA 70121 • (504) 737-0555 10000 Celtic Drive • Suite 208 • Baton Rouge, LA 70809 • (225) 330-6160

SCENE in

GEORGIA

ANT-MAN IN THEATERS by Jordan McGuire

arvel is tackling the superhero genre with incredibly likeable stars, comedy and action. The Motown of movies, Marvel’s next stars Paul Rudd as Ant-Man. Stepbrothers penman Adam McKay, flanked by Joe Cornish and Paul Rudd, tackled the script, embracing the inherent comedy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Georgia-shot film is directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Marvel mega producer Kevin Feige. Rudd plays Scott Lang, a conniving thief contacted by Hank Pym to continue his life of crime under a new identity, the Ant-Man. Hank Pym is played by Michael Douglas, and the two were both excited to work with each other. In interviews leading up to production, Paul Rudd was seen grinning profusely at just the thought of working with Michael Douglas. The two mesh well and have a playful onscreen chemistry. Ant-Man’s powers are not like any other superhero gifts you’ve ever seen. He has the ability to shrink in size, but in doing so, enhances his power. He also has complete control over the entire ant population. The premise, plot and persona of the Ant-Man are exuberant and fun, both adjectives that apply equally well to Rudd. Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman and Role Models are just a few of Rudd’s hilarious performances. Evangeline Lilly will play Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll will play the villain Yellowjacket and we’ll see appearances from the alwaysamusing Judy Greer, Marvel veteran Hayley Atwell, Boardwalk Empire’s Bobby Cannavale and rapper turned thesp TI. 18 | July/August 2015

Paul Rudd as Ant-Man photo by Zade Rosenthal

Corey Stoll is on fire after starring in Netflix’s House of Cards and Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain on FX. In House of Cards, Stoll went toe to toe with Washington’s baddest politician. In AntMan, Stoll will play Darren Cross, the leader of Cross Technological Enterprises, which rivals Stark Industries. Stoll looks to match the smoothness of Tony Stark but has a dark side. Or, a yellow side. Evangeline Lilly will play Hope Van Dyne, the daughter of Hank Pym. She is ruthless, tough and very easy on the eyes as she grooms Scott Lang into becoming Ant-Man. There is a scene in the trailer where her and

Lang are seen in fight training. Lang runs his mouth until she smashes him in the mouth. The Marvel marketing machine has been pumping out trailers, posters and even miniature Ant-Man sized stickers to reaffirm the film’s whimsical tone. Preproduction began in October 2013 and principal photography ran from August to December in 2014. Filming took place at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia. The cast and crew also took a trip out west to San Francisco for exterior shots then travelled back to Atlanta to wrap up production. The summer blockbuster opens wide on July 17.

SCENE in

TEXAS

by Elizabeth Glauser

THE AVETT BROTHERS AT CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL PAVILION

olk rock favorites the Avett Brothers will bring their renowned live show to Houston to headline the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday, July 17th. The group’s combination of soulful folk ballads and energetic indie rock makes for an eclectic performance and a show that will easily resonate with audiences. The foursome has been playing for over ten years, with eight studio albums under their belt. The group made their major-label debut with the critically acclaimed I and Love and You. Their two follow ups The Carpenter and The Magpie and the Dandelion came only a year apart, with the latter serving as a companion piece to its predecessor. The group’s live shows are known for their performances of emotional anthems like “I and Love and You” combined with faster fare such as “Another is Waiting.” No matter the tempo, their performances is hypnotizing, with every song pulling the

audience in. Get a taste of the band’s live performance with one of their three concert albums. Visit theavettbrothers.com for more information on this must-see artist or to get tickets.

SAM SMITH

AT THE TOYOTA CENTER

ne solo artist that can rival the soulful emotion of the Avett Brothers is R&B newcomer Sam Smith. It’s been a whirlwind since his breakout single “Stay With Me” took over airwaves. His debut album, In the Lonely Hour, was released only a year ago but since then the English crooner has won four Grammy Awards and is now headlining in arenas across the United States. Smith will bring his show to Houston at the Toyota Center before finishing out the North American leg of his world tour. Though already making waves in his native England, international success came with the gospel-inspired single, “Stay With Me.” His emotional performance permeates throughout In The Lonely Hour, which was inspired by the artist’s experience with unrequited love. Now, it’s looking like the artist has no shortage of admirers as he rubs elbows with the pop-music elite like Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran. There’s also the millions of fans he’s accrued, helping him have the second highest selling album, behind only Taylor Swift’s monster successful 1989.

20 | July/August 2015

Catch Sam Smith before he heads back to Europe on Friday, August 17th. Tickets are available on his website, samsmithworld.com. Prepare for the show by sampling more of hits like “Like I Can,” “I’m Not the Only One,” and “Lay Me Down” featuring John Legend.

The first independent green studio in New Orleans with three stages built to industry standards. Green Lantern • The Mechanic • 21 Jump Street • Looper • Django Unchained Bullet to the Head • Killing Them Softly • Killer Joe Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter • The Butler • Old Boy

800 Richard St. | New Orleans | 504.528.3050

www.secondlinestages.com

ON THE SCENE

MADE IN LOUISIANA photos by Drew Guillory

Made in Louisiana gathered filmmakers and performers from across the state to Baton Rouge to celebrate film and television shows made in Louisiana, from reality TV series to theatrical hits like Pitch Perfect 2. Louisiana state senators and representatives were also in attendance.

Big Sam of Big Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funky Nation

Peter Santoro of Fotokem

Pitch Perfect 2 producer Scott Niemeyer 22 | July/August 2015

Cherie Thibodaux

ON THE SCENE

Producer Jason Hewitt and Family

Rep. Roy Burrel

sceneent.com | 23

ON THE SCENE

MADE IN LOUISIANA photos by Drew Guillory

Senator Mike Walsworth

Rep. Ray Garofalo

Rep. Steve Pugh

Jolene Pinder and Clint Bowie of the New Orleans Film Society 24 | July/August 2015

Quixote CEO Mikel Elliot

ON THE SCENE

Actress Ronnie Hooks

Rep. Frank Hoffmann

Rep. Katrina Jackson

Rep. Joel Robideaux

Rep. Ebony Woodruff

ON THE SCENE

LFEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOCUS ON FILM photos by Drew Guillory

During the 2015 session of the Louisiana Legislature, senators and representatives gathered to meet members of the Louisiana film industry at the Hilton Baton Rouge.

26 | July/August 2015

ON THE SCENE

sceneent.com | 27

ON THE SCENE

LFEA’S FOCUS ON FILM photos by Drew Guillory

sceneent.com | 28

Law Offices

MARTI OGDEN

ATTORNEY • MEDIATOR

Mediation General Liability Medical Malpractice Admiralty and Maritime Law Insurance Defense and Coverage Litigation Products Liability Complex Commercial Litigation Construction Defect Litigation Contract Negotiation

1martiogden@gmail.com

225.933.3005 (m)

Baton Rouge • Lafayette • New Orleans • Shreveport • Houston

ABOVE THE LINE

OCTAVIA

SPENCER INSURGENT by Micah Haley

ctavia Spencerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey has been anything but overnight. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, the Academy Award winner saw her first film sets in her home state while working in production, first in extras casting and then as a production assistant. In 1995, she worked on the film that made Matthew McConaughey a star, A Time to Kill, which was shot in Mississippi. In it, she made her screen debut. Fifteen years later, Spencer returned to the Southern state to shoot The Help, the film that would earn her an Oscar. In The Help, Spencer brings to life Minny, a maid in 1960s Mississippi. Outspoken and brash, Minny is the emotional center of the much lauded film, bringing a sense of mirth that balances out the painful truths portrayed. Spencer has since appeared in Diablo 30 | July/August 2015

Codyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise, Get on Up and Fruitvale Station, which she also executive produced. She starred in the television series Red Band Society and Mom. She appeared in the Bong Joon-Ho dystopian thriller Snowpiercer and also starred opposite Kevin Costner in the New Orleans shot drama Black or White, which opened the 2014 New Orleans Film Festival. In that film she co-starred with New Orleans native Anthony Mackie, whom she befriended during filming. And this year, she joined the cast of The Divergent Series, portraying Johanna in Insurgent. Now a personality widely beloved, Spencer is just hitting her stride on both the big and small screen, her best performances still to come. Octavia spoke with me over the phone from Los Angeles.

Octavia Spencer as Johanna in The Divergent Series: Insurgent photo by Andrew Cooper sceneent.com | 31

ABOVE THE LINE

Octavia Spencer with Anthony Mackie in Black or White

MH: Anthony Mackie has been great to us. He was kind enough to do an interview with us right as The Hurt Locker was winning the Oscar as best picture and he’s just been a great supporter. OS: Aw, he’s a great guy. A really great guy. MH: And such a terrific actor. I have so enjoyed watching his career explode over the last five years. OS: Yes, it really has. He’s pretty fantastic. I’ve known of him, but we have just really fermented a friendship when we worked together on Black or White. MH: Let my pull my fancy questions. OS: Alright. (laughs) MH: They’re not that fancy. OS: Well, the answers won’t be fancy either. (laughs) MH: So first of all, you were absolutely hilarious at the Oscars this year. I thought that bit with the predictions was so funny. OS: Well, thank you. MH: Early in your career, you worked in production. Is that right? OS: I did. I was an intern in the extras casting department, then became a PA in the casting department and then a set PA. That was pretty fun. MH: Many actors never see that side of the filmmaking process. How did that pay dividends into your acting career? Did it help your process in any way? OS: Honestly, I don’t know that it helped me as an actress. It definitely helped me as a person. And also how to conduct myself in this industry, 32 | July/August 2015

photo by Tracy Bennett

because we all see movies as this glamorous thing. But it’s a business. It’s a job. It’s just like working at a bank. You wanna be on time. You wanna do your job. Whatever it is that you do - whatever field in the entertainment industry that you’re in - you just wanna conduct yourself professionally. It was great in that regard. It was also great meeting people and just kind of demystifying the whole movie conundrum for a person from Montgomery, Alabama. I can’t say that it helped me as an actor, but it definitely gave me opportunities. The directors’ were always saying how animated I was and I’d hear, “You just have this personality.” They wanted me to read for stuff but I was ill prepared because I was not a person who had studied at that time. MH: You’re a native of Montgomery, Alabama. Acting isn’t exactly a common professional there. What made you want to become an actor? OS: I had always wanted to be an actor. From my earliest memory of seeing a Steven Spielberg movie, I though, “What is it that they’re doing?” I didn’t even know what it was called but they were in movies. My mom was a very practical woman, and so I didn’t think that pursuing acting was practical. She always wanted us to have jobs or careers where we could basically have fulfilling lives, but also be able to take care of ourselves. So, acting was always a dream that I had since I was a child. MH: After you began your training as an actor, and began to embark upon your career, what was your biggest fear? OS: I don’t know that I had any fears. I mean, I’m fearful and neurotic of bugs and things like that. But I wasn’t fearful in the way of thinking, “What’s life going to be as an actor?” I never really had any of that fear. You can’t take that kind of stuff on. I was always a very hopeful person and opportunities always seemed to present themselves.

Octavia Spencer with Kevin Costner in Black or White

photo by Tracy Bennett

We all have the fear of “Am I going to be able to make enough money to take care of myself?” But I don’t know that I was ever worried that it wouldn’t happen. That I wouldn’t get to act. Success is measured in different ways. For some people, it’s being on covers of magazines. And for other people, it’s, “Hey I’m working at a dinner theater making good money, supporting myself and doing great plays.” Do you know what I mean? Getting to do what you love is measured differently. MH: Your success hasn’t been overnight. You’ve built it brick by brick. Did you have a low point? Did you ever consider giving up on acting? OS: No, no, no! I had a wonderful support group of friends and we were all starting out at the same time. We just kept each other motivated and when jobs weren’t happening all the time, you just did what you needed to do to pick up the slack until you got that next audition. Or you borrowed $500. My group of friends borrowed and repaid the same $500 to each other several times over. I’m not even kidding! MH: I’ve been there! I don’t think you’ve really worked in the film industry unless you have that story to tell. OS: No. Unless you’re a child born with silver spoon in hand, not understanding the opportunity that’s being given. But I just had a very wonderful, ambitious group of friends and we were all there. There

Octavia Spencer in Black or White

photo by Tracy Bennett

sceneent.com | 33

ABOVE THE LINE

Octavia Spencer with Viola Davis in The Help

photo by Dale Robinette

are low points where you’re thinking, “Ugh, when’s the next job gonna come?” But quitting was never an option. It was never even anything I thought about.

OS: (big laugh) Well, thank you! That makes me smile because, whew, that’s the job. You have to make it seem as if you’re not searching for it. Thank you, I appreciate that.

MH: What were you doing right before the audition that really changed your life? OS: I worked at a market research company because there had been a writers’ strike. Jobs were coming back online. The studios and everyone were getting back to work after the writers’ strike but it was slow. So I did several things. But the one that I did most regularly was, I worked at a market research company.

MH: You really do that. Even watching a drama like Black or White, You look so comfortable in your own skin. Are you really comfortable on set? How do you do that?! OS: (laughs) By being the most neurotic person on the planet! Honestly, it comes from all of the preparation that you do, trusting in your process and the director and other filmmakers’ process. But definitely the director: you are in a partnership. And then your scene partner. But for me…I just don’t know! I’m really neurotic. If they don’t ever say, “We have it,” then we’ll keep going until I feel like they have it. You can ask me, “What do you think of your performance in this?” And I’m going to say, “I could have done better. I could have done something different.” I’m always wanting to keep exploring the path of whatever character I’m playing. You only know yourself. When you’re trying to bring another person to life - to give them authenticity and find their humanity - it takes a lot of detective work. Sometimes you solve the mystery and sometimes you don’t. One thing that you must do is make people feel that they know you. That they identify your character as a real human being. So when you say, “Oh, you make it look easy. You make it look effortless,” that is a huge compliment. Thank you! Because that’s one of the things that it’s our job to do.

MH: And what was that audition? OS: It was The Help. MH: What a great film. One I revisit frequently. You are wonderful in it! OS: Thank you! MH: I was fortunate to meet director Tate Taylor when he premiered Get On Up in Jackson, Mississippi. He was such a sweetheart. OS: He is indeed. He loves Mississippi and he always takes whatever projects he’s working on to bring economic growth to the state. I think that’s really beautiful for a favorite son of the state. That’s really great of him. He’s pretty fantastic. MH: Your performance in The Help just looks so effortless. In fact, many of your performances just seem so naturally effortless! I know they’re not, but that’s my impression.

34 | July/August 2015

MH: You are welcome and it’s a well-deserved compliment. I’ve heard that, long prior to working with him on Black or White, you were a huge Kevin Costner fan. OS: I am, indeed.

ABOVE THE LINE

Octavia Spencer with Viola Davis in The Help

MH: How do you prepare to work with someone like that? Someone who has been a part of film for so long and that you have watched for so long? OS: With someone like Kevin, you have to do your homework. You have to be prepared. You have to be ready because he is. Knowing that he paid for this movie out of his pocket, you just want to do your due diligence and you just have to be prepared. And I loved working with him. He’s just a joy. MH: He’s amazing. I can’t wait to watch this phase of his career. OS: Yeah, I know. MH: So some of my favorite scenes in Black or White are with you and Andre Holland, who is an extraordinary talent. OS: Yes! MH: He is so good. I had just finished watching The Knick, Soderberg’s new Cinemax show, and he is incredible. OS: I haven’t seen it yet, but he is a brilliant actor. He’s a force of nature. He’s very grounded and authentic. There’s this depth that he always has with every character. He’s just very deep as an actor. I love him.

photo by Dale Robinette

blinded that entire time. Sometimes love is blind. That someone would chance throwing everything away for that fleeing moment of instant gratification. Nobody wants to see anyone throw their life away or an opportunity away. It was also for the granddaughter. She gives that whole monologue about how precious each and everyone is. She feels like he had to do his part because it’s not his decision to make, now that he has a child. He has someone else that he has to be responsible for. When you have someone else that’s a minor depending on you, then you gotta man up. It was all of those things combined, I think. MH: Interesting. I found Rowena very sympathetic until, I would say, the third slap. The first and second, she’s obviously doing the best she can to protect her babies. But with the third slap, I was suspicious that she may have been mildly abusive with Reggie as a child. OS: She’s not an abusive person. She honestly was upset. It’s a disappointment and how dare he throw his opportunity away? Rather than going to court to fight for this child, he is getting high? So no, she wasn’t an abusive parent. Not at all. She was too much of a doting parent, in my opinion.

MH: In the scene where you, as Rowena, catch Reggie (Andre Holland) smoking, why do you think she slaps him more than once? OS: I think she does because it’s the disbelief that she had been sceneent.com | 35

ABOVE THE LINE MH: That answer makes my day. You also appeared recently in Snowpiercer and I was so delighted to see that you were in it. In fact, I have been able to convince several people to watch it because you are in it. OS: Oh boy! That’s interesting. MH: I think you are a great piece of the casting puzzle. Captain American himself Chris Evans will certainly bring some people to the theater. And Bong Joon-Ho has a following for his Korean films. But because you are in it, I can recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of The Help. OS: That’s great! MH: What was that set like? It looks absolutely uninhabitable. OS: It was. We filmed in Prague at one of their studios. It was all on stage so it was a very controlled environment. It was really one the most diverse groups of people I’d worked with. We had a Korean crew and we also had the Czech crew and the English speaking crew. The English speaking crew were pretty much the Americans and the Brits. Director Bong is really a cinophile and he loves American movies but he has his own unique voice. It was just wonderful working with him because you could tell when he delighted in a take. He was just diffusive with the way he said “Cut!” It was also very different in the way he worked. We were all given a little book with the storyboards. That was our script. We had a regular script but we all had a storyboard book. It was a little comic book. What I learned very early on is that if it wasn’t in the story board, then it wasn’t going to be shot. He showed us exactly how he was shooting the movie. With an American movie, at least in the way I’ve worked with American directors, they shoot a scene and then they cover it. Bong knew exactly what pieces he wanted covered from the scene. So, there was not always a master and then coverage. There might have only been the master and might have only been coverage from different angles so it was very unique experience. I really enjoyed working with Director Bong. MH: Were you familiar with his work beforehand? OS: Oh yes. I’d seen The Host and two other of his movies. They were amazing. MH: Snowpiercer was great. And you know what else was great about that movie? The fact that it actually did well in theaters! OS: Yeah, it did huge all over the world but they never reported that over on our side. It had already made like $80 million before it was released here. I think in its first couple of months, Snowpiercer made so much money. It made its budget back. It was great. And Chris Evans is amazing in it. I love him as the anti-hero. It was a great cast and a great project to be a part of. MH: I worked on a movie with Chris about five or six years ago and one of my memories of him was just how studied he was. He was very devoted to the sides and took it seriously, like a stage actor.

Octavia Spencer in the Korean poster for Snowpiercer

photo by Jae-Hyeok Lee

OS: Well, you can’t come to work ill prepared. Chris is the constant professional and you want your number one leading man to be ready to work. To be ready to be in scenes with you. You want to be able to do your part and that definitely is Chris Evans. It was such an enjoyable experience because he was always ready to work. But watching him do stunts so effortlessly was amazing, too. MH: Thank you for speaking with me, Octavia. It has been an honor. OS: Thank you honey!

36 | July/August 2015

MUSIC |

IF IT’S SUMMER, IT’S

ESSENCE FEST 2015

by Jacob Peterman

The best summer fest returns to New Orleans over the July 4 holiday weekend. The Essence Music Festival, known as “the party with a purpose”, is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana every year since 1995 except for 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina. It features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages. In 2008, for the first time since its 1995 inception, the festival was not produced by the original producer team. Instead, Essence Communications, owner of the festival and the Essence magazine, contracted Rehage Entertainment Inc.. A new main stage facelift was designed by production designer Stefan Beese. In 2013 MSNBC broadcast live from the Essence Festival. MSNBC returned for the 2014 festival. For tickets and the full lineup, visit the official website of Essence at www.essence.com.

MARY J BLIGE

LALAH HATHAWAY 38 | July/August 2015

KENDRICK LAMAR

| MUSIC

CHARLIE WILSON

MISSY ELLIOTT sceneent.com | 39

MUSIC |

USHER

STEVE HARVEY 40 | July/August 2015

DJ CASSIDY

Less than 5 minutes from Celtic Studios 5500 Hilton Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 • 225-924-5000 • www.marriott.com/btrmc

FILM CREDITS: •Thunderstruck •Oblivion •The Reaping •Zipper •true blood

•Glory Road • fantastic four •Cirque du Freak •Beautiful Creatures •Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn •Dukes of Hazzard •God’s Not Dead •Autopsy •All the King’s Men

Production Office Space Available Massive Parking Lot for Production Vehicles Film Friendly Billing

PRODUCTION INSURANCE

FROM PREP TO POST... WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! • Feature Films • Short-Term Productions • Annual Productions • Venues/Events/Festivals • Production/Recording Studios • Errors and Omissions • Television Productions (TV Pilot or Series) SERVICES QUALIFY FOR LOUISIANA STATE TAX CREDITS

McINNIS TYNER, Inc.

Penny Starkey, CIC 7814 Office Park Blvd • Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-215-4952 • pstarkey@mcinnistyner.com

www.mcinnistyner.com/entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION Locally Owned Since 1929

TECH SCENE

WHAT’S NX

A NEW TECH-CENTRIC CONVENTION DEBUTS SEPTEMBER 16-18 by Susan Ross

Across the country, there are so many conferences that trade heavily in tech and in entrepreneurship. Why start NX now and in New Orleans? No single city in Louisiana can singlehandedly replicate what has happened in Silicon Valley or in New York, Chicago or Seattle. Collectively, however, interaction and cooperation among industry leaders from all state metropolitan areas can be tremendously impacting. Louisiana has an emerging entrepreneurial and technology ecosystem. New Orleans has Idea Village and New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW). Baton Rouge has Louisiana Technology Park and Baton Rouge Entrepreneur Week. I could continue to describe similar efforts in other cities but the important point is that, for the most part, the focus is local. It is fragmented across the eight major cities and various regions of the state. NX’s mission is to inspire, educate and, most importantly, connect participants in these two sectors statewide and across the South. NX marshals the resources to unite tech across the state and invite the other industries to particpate. Finally, while these conferences may be commonplace in other national cities and other states, NX is unique to Louisiana and the Gulf South, our primary target markets. Louisiana hasn’t historically been a hub for tech companies. What has changed in the last ten years? Oil and gas industry has been the central engine of the Louisiana economy for decades. Prior to the last ten years, our state education system has been focused to producing talent for core industry. Louisiana has the highest percentage of native-born population: 79%. That’s great for maintaining cultural heritage, but a continual influx of people with new ideas and different perspectives stimulates innovation. In 1984, Atlanta’s population was approximately 1.5 million. Beginning around that year, Atlanta saw the rise of Ted Turner’s CNN and TBS television, Home Depot as a publicly traded company, Delta Airlines with the demise of Eastern, and the influx of other Forbes’ Top 1000 companies. The result was that Atlanta companies began to attract the best and the brightest talent from colleges across the country, many of whom would work for their initial employee for a brief period of time and then set up their own entrepreneurial businesses, frequently in the technology arena. Within twelve years, Atlanta was hosting the Olympic Games, touting itself as a hub for tech companies and entrepreneurs. Louisiana has followed a different course towards the same goal over the last decade. Stimulated by an attractive tax incentive program and a recruitment campaign by Louisiana Economic Development under the guidance of Stephen Moret, we have been able to entice tech-based companies like IBM, GE, CGI and EA to establish operational centers across the state. Our universities and colleges have been involved in these efforts and, as a result, their respective curriculums now emphasize entrepreneurship. NX’s vision is to globally showcase the advancements of the past ten years, while inviting in the best from across the globe. 42 | July/August 2015

SEPT 16-18

NEW ORLEANS

WHAT’S NEXT IN LOUISIANA

How is tech changing the business climate in Louisiana? Technology is reaffirming that we now live in a global community. Connectivity is the norm, and along with it, the instant communication of new ideas, new products and new ways of doing things. Disruption isn’t just a buzzword: it’s a reality. If your business is not constantly innovating, there is a competitor somewhere that is working to disrupt your business model and put you out of business. Businesses throughout the South and across the country recognize their environment is now ever-changing. Companies, small and large, are springing up across Louisiana, both competing with established businesses and evolving the arsenal of the establishment. NX will provide Louisiana and the South an opportunity to witness both. How is New Orleans uniquely suited to service the tech community outside of Louisiana? New Orleans offers a new technology frontier. It does not have a fully developed tech community. It offers outsiders a chance to be a foundational part of that emerging community. A startup often needs time to ramp up, iterate, pivot, reiterate and maybe even pivot again until it finds its path to success. A fully competitive environment does not allow a startup that rare commodity: time. New Orleans offers a nurturing, patient environment to do business. If I’m starting a business, why start in New Orleans versus Texas, California or another state? When starting a business, the type and quantity of staffing, financial and technical resources and business climate for your particular enterprise are major considerations. When New Orleans is considered based on these criteria, the city jumps to the forefront. The fifteen-year effort of Idea Village to develop and nurture a vibrant, self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem has taken root. The city is experiencing an emergence of entrepreneurism and technology-driven innovation. This movement is grabbing the attention

Built for business and the high speed demands that the film industry require. Affordable, reliable, broadband service is available locally right now.

Servicing the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area

504-272-2966

www.skycom1.com

SKYCOM1 your gateway to the internet your window to the world

FEST 2013

l cove

SKAT Twilight | Battleship | Green Lantern | Battle: Los Angeles | The Curious Case KRISTINA ANAPAU TRUE BLOOD’S

THEATERS ROL LS INTO

BEFORE THE SCENE WITH

MAR

of Benjamin Button | Treme | Django Unchained | G.I. Joe 2 | Abraham Lincoln: CRAIG ROBINSON

201

ANNALYNNE Mechanic | The Expendables | The Last Exorcism | I Love You Phillip Morris | Deja ZZ WEEK

JA FEST

McCORD

NOLA

E GRAC Flypaper | The PARK

Guardian

Gives Back GELA AN AN RAFYMist | SA The

fall/winter 2013

Dre Breew s

NAUGHE

O a’S Sa OR cCSkarsgard M int Stewart ’ IN NE W Alexander | Bruce Willis | Kristen | Taylor Swift PS LIV IN JUS T KEE LEA NS

louiS

ian

Advertise in Scene Magazine, the authority in entertainment.

Lady Gaga | Seema Sudan | Sandra

TECH SCENE of prominent companies, influential disrupters, aspiring entrepreneurs and the media. New Orleans has incubators and accelerators, networking groups, funding competitions, New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and a whole host of other support resources invaluable to startups. The city is teeming with technological talent, creative inspiratory and investor interest necessary to fully establish a self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem over the next three years, coinciding with its tri-centennial celebration. What are the challenges of starting a business in Louisiana? While the culture and homegrown support here are attributes for starting a business, these can also pose a challenge to an entrepreneur. In mature tech business environments, entrepreneurs adhere to the adage, “fail quickly and fail often.” In these locales, a company, after receiving millions of dollars in seed and Series A funding, suddenly ceases operation and its founder, practically the next day, is pitching his next concept to angel investors and venture capitalists willing to back his startup. Historically, our culture has not harbored failure lightly. If you failed, the obstacles to getting financial support to undertake another venture were numerous. Louisiana has not fully embraced the “fail quickly and fail often” mindset, but the stigma is no longer firmly branded like a scarlet letter. It’s part of the cultural change that’s occurring. Many Louisiana entrepreneurs lack familiarity with alternative sources of financing. That and the corresponding ease of access to alternative financing networks are two additional challenges. Again, in mature tech business environments, entrepreneurs don’t depend on the traditional banking system for funding. They seek out alternative financing sources from crowdfunding to seed dollars to Series A and subsequent funding rounds from a pool of angel investors and venture capitalists. Sharing these solutions is part of the core mission of NX. Is there an investor class interested in nurturing startups in Louisiana? Or is that an area of growth? Graffagnini, A Law Corporation, recently published its third annual, Louisiana Venture & Angel Capital Report. The report confirmed “that there are at least twelve formal, early stage investment networks or funds already active and in existence in Louisiana.” But the report also acknowledged a “mismatch between total amount of money sought by companies in Louisiana and available angel capital…and that…[Louisiana] lacks large number of investors interested in the risk profile of many startups and emerging companies.” These disparities can’t be dismissed. Part of the issue for both investors and startups is merely identifying the opportunities. NX’s core mission is focusing attention on startups and emerging companies that are solid investment opportunities. Next comes assisting these enterprises in developing investor presentations that command investment. NX will also shine the spotlight on the state’s current investor sources, which currently include Louisiana Angel Network, Angels of Southwest Louisiana, NO/LA Angel Network, South Coast Angel Fund, New Orleans Startup Fund, Catalyst Fund, BVM Capital, Sisung Capital, Source Capital and Stonehenge Capital Corporation. Our goal is to nurture a rapid and exponential growth both in the number of investors and the amount of dollars available for investment. What are some of the success stories of other companies that have started in Louisiana (or who’s growth has exploded by coming to Louisiana)? 44 | July/August 2015

TurboSquid, founded by Matt Wisdom and Andy Wisdom, has an interesting history that is inspirational for any Louisiana startup. It’s a digital media company that sells stock 3D models. TurboSquid’s online site describes it best: “TurboSquid models are used by game developers, news agencies, architects, visual effects studios, advertisers and creative professionals around the world.” That includes computer games, architecture and interactive training. As I understand their business model, the company brokers the sale of 3D models in return for a percentage of sales. While maintaining a New Orleans headquarters, it does most of its business outside Louisiana. The majority of its sales are global. TurboSquid is a Louisiana success story, and one that’s especially powerful knowing that the entire staff evacuated post-Katrina (albeit to return later)and sales continued at a record pace, uninterrupted. Venyu is a Baton Rouge-based, technology solutions provider at the forefront of offering cloud hosting and cloud backup services throughout the Gulf South. The company touts that the Baton Rouge and ShreveportBossier data center facilities are among the best in the United States. Moonbot Studios, a media company based in Shreveport, possesses an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Moonbot Studios may not be Pixar yet but it is recognized and respected by Hollywood and Silicon Valley. These are three of the higher profile success stories that immediately come to mind but in September at NX, we will draw attention to many Louisiana-based business success stories. Who are the types of attendees I can hope to connect with at NX? It’s already going to be a great crowd! You can expect established entrepreneurs, startup companies, small business leaders, corporate recruiters and executives, angel investors and venture capitalists. We want to connect attendees with information and the business resources they need to start, continue or grow their current concept. If you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur, or an intrapreneur, NX is a great place. For more on NX New Orleans, visit the new convention’s official website at www. whatsnx.com.

SCENE |

LAKEHOUSE CATERING

HOW TO USE A HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD LANDMARK TO PERFECT ON-SET CATERING by Arthur Vandelay

ight now, the versatile chefs at Lakehouse Catering are prepping your next meal. They’re currently feeding the crews of the new TV series Underground, the Key & Peele comedy Keanu, working with the CBS show Zoo and the super stealthy big budget movie The Long Night. Next up, Cayman Sinclair and his team have Summertime and a slew of other projects that are coming to Louisiana. And on top of the prime rib studio projects, the veteran team also serves national commercials, utilizing their fine-dining experience all along the way. The talented team at the Lakehouse, which is both a restaurant and event space on the Northshore and a roving entertainment catering company, is large and still growing. It includes Chef Gary Fonseca and Stefani Solberger doing research and development on great new dishes, along with a number of other veteran chefs. Leading them is Cayman Sinclair. What’s your story, Cayman? And what’s the sixty second pitch on Lakehouse? I was born In New Orleans. We love the film industry here. It’s had such a big impact on our business and enabled us to hire people. The local fare that we use is real important. We don’t do your typical Louisiana food with étouffées and heavy cream sauces, but we take the seafood that we get from Louisiana and we lighten it up and do more of a California or New York style approach to Louisiana seafood. We can certainly do jambalaya and gumbo but that’s very rare. Maybe once or twice on a long shoot we’ll do a Louisiana day with catfish and stuff. But we do use Louisiana products and Louisiana seafood a lot. It’s a big part of our menu, but we do it in a lighter, healthier way so that people on set can survive in a hundred degree heat. The history of the Lakehouse is really something. What would you like to share with those unfamiliar with it? The Lakehouse was built in the early 1800s as part of a home to the man who founded Mandeville. It was the place where a lot of New Orleans people would come over on boats and celebrate on weekends. It had a bar and specialized in foods like flounder and soft shell crab. And it was on the lake front. This family basically lived up stairs and ran the restaurant downstairs. It was very popular. Walter Percy spent lots of time there. Joe Frasier came there and weighed in before a fight. The building itself has lots of history. When did the Lakehouse start catering offsite? After working in the restaurant world, I went off on my own and did tons of catering. We did hurricane work for Katrina. I worked out of state. And in 2008, I opened up the Lakehouse. When did Lakehouse start catering to the film industry? 2011. I had just finished the BP Oil Spill, which started in May 2010 and ended in November 2010. I had bought a lot of equipment and acquired trucks for that contract. Then, I was 46 | July/August 2015

doing a wedding and a location manager named Dana Hanby told me about the film business. He said, “You should try film catering.” It sounded like an awesome business to get into. I got into a bunch of smaller movies and started building the name. Now, I am so blessed. I have my beautiful restaurant in Mandeville, which doesn’t have any crime. It’s safe for my son to walk to school and I just drive right across the lake and have a whole new catering business just sitting there waiting for me. Sometimes you’ve got to rethink your business to get better. My philosophy is that if we’re the best - at our presentation, at food quality, if our trucks are the cleanest and the nicest – then you don’t have to worry about anything. The people that are shabby have to worry. If we have the best looking food, the best platters, the best chefs, then we’ll get the work. How busy have you been recently? From August to December of last year till February of this year, we haven’t had any lows. It’s been non-stop. In summer, we start to get nervous because in July and August it’s not as busy. But this year, we have a show that goes all the way through mid-August. We’re excited about that.

SCENE | We have just as good of a shot as anybody on the $5-30 million dollar movies. They have to have a caterer [because of the union contract]. I’ve had plenty of shows call me last year from Ohio, New York, New Jersey. It was from people that I worked with here. Now, I have a crew that’s half L.A. based, half Louisiana-based. They can go anywhere. They’re finishing a show in Baton Rouge now, and they’re saying, “Send us to Georgia or send us to wherever!” How much has the Lakehouse business grown since you began servicing the film industry? It’s doubled. That’s incredible. Film is matching what you’re doing at the brick and mortar facility? What film has enabled me to do is to not have to compete as a restaurant on a daily grind. Restaurants are hard as margins are like 8%. And our location is off the beaten path. We’re not in a location that people pass a lot. Film helped me focus more on just events and the film business, rather than have to concentrate on a restaurant. We’re only open three days a week as a restaurant: Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Instead of being open seven days a week, we open three and do tons of events. Last weekend, we had four weddings. The film business has helped me with my core business. It’s given me the money to market the Lakehouse. People see our film trucks in New Orleans, they call us and say, “Do you cater weddings?” When they see us doing film catering, they think, “They do movie catering, so they can do our catering.” What’s keeping you busy this week? This week, we did a Capital One promo. We’re working in Baton Rouge on Underground, the TV series that we’re catering. Today we’re doing second unit, tomorrow we’re doing a commercial and I’m also doing another movie for Key and Peele called Keanu. Key and Peele are so funny. I can’t wait to see that movie. They’re loving us, too. They’ve been really nice to us. What were some of the early film successes that helped you get established? I did Baytown Outlaws and a photo shoot for Taylor Swift. Those were at the beginning of 2011. From there, I got the bigger movies. I did Parker and director Taylor Hackford took a special interest in me. I started getting a lot of movies. We’ve had growing pains, and you’re only as good as your last meal. I constantly have to do research and development. That’s what I’m doing now: coming up with really interesting dishes. Then, I’ll come to set and do a station. I’ll show up and do scallops, oysters, lobster lollipops in tempura batter. I’ll do fancy stuff a few days a week on set for my clients. That allows my crews to concentrate on what they’re doing everyday: breakfast and lunch. Then, I come out and do something fancy. There are many chefs “with a truck.” What has helped distinguished Lakehouse Catering as you have gotten more of the film industry business? We have talented chefs and nice equipment. We have refrigeration trucks that keep of our food cold. A lot of people don’t have that. The other film caterers might show up in the morning and drop off 48 | July/August 2015

stuff. We order a week’s supply of groceries so if somebody wants something special, we just go get it off the refrigeration truck. We have a huge walk-in refrigerator with us wherever we are. That’s a big thing. We also have the Lakehouse itself. They help do all the fancy desserts, lots of different sauces, the salad dressings we make homemade. We’ll do specialty items there. I have a team of chefs there that are really accomplished. Having a brick and mortar facility to augment everything that’s being cooked fresh on the truck is amazing. We might think, “Let’s do a barbecue station on the movie and use the pickled watermelon rinds we’re making this week at the Lakehouse.” The facility does help us become better. We’re not just five guys on the road with a food truck. We have more depth. We have five guys out in the truck and then we have another five guys at the Lakehouse. Last night, we did these white chocolate mousse cups with these little spoons and fresh strawberries, along with mini cheesecakes and high-end cupcakes. Other caterers can’t do that unless they have a big commissary. We prep everything that a caterer normally would on the truck, assisted by the refrigeration truck, and then in addition to that, we also have items that require a bigger kitchen. We use it to enhance the food, rather than to make shortcuts.

Catering with Distinction. Service to impress. Our experienced, local team, fleet of equipment & 2 historic venues are just some of the reasons why you want us to cater your next project

The Lakehouse CULINARY REVIVAL

Call Cayman to cater your next production or event 504.236.5341 | cayman.sinclair@yahoo.com

SCENE |

There’s just some food that can’t be prepped on the back of a truck. Tons of stuff, like the desserts that we do. I don’t care if it’s a forty-foot cooking truck, they don’t have huge walk-ins, a huge Hobart mixer and big blenders. They don’t have a sixty-eight degree kitchen. I also have big smokers and we’ll just smoke food all night. If you’re on a truck on the road, you can’t smoke it if you’re leaving the location overnight. We can smoke for twelve hours and then fly it out to set. What did you do to cater for the Made in Louisiana event for the legislature? We had forty employees. We had oyster shuckers, a cochon de lait, a bowl of shrimp. We had everything you could think of that was Louisiana and it was all us. I didn’t sub out any labor or any chefs. I didn’t have to rent out any equipment. It was 100% Lakehouse. We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do to support the film industry at the legislature. Many people in the film industry have specialized diets and sometimes they’re medically necessary. How do you prepare for those specific needs? We have a research and development professional. Her name is Stephanie Salzburger and she basically comes up with new dishes. She does most of the vegan, vegetarian and very light stuff. She cooks for most of the commercials because they like lighter food. So, we have a person who really spends a lot of time and energy cultivating dishes that we do on set.That includes different types of grains, bulgur wheat, quinoa, different types of lentils. She comes up with all those different things, we do trial and error at our commissary, and then we come up with dishes and use them on set. On Keanu, there’s some people with gluten allergies, somebody with celiac disease and Stephanie will prep some things for those people. On another show, the principal actor was allergic to everything so Stephanie came up with a menu for her and we did it. Even though you’ve had big success working on big films, Lakehouse also does tons of other projects in the entertainment industry. Can you tell me about a few of those? We do the artist catering for Jazz Fest, along with the company that live streams Jazzfest. And we also do the crew and the artists for Voodoo. And we also do a big fest up in Virginia called Lockn Music Festival. We feed all their VIP and super VIP guests. We also do lots of benefits for charities like St. Jude.

50 | July/August 2015

Sumrall’s Truck & Trailer Services PROUD LOUISIANA TRANSPORTATION COMPANY SINCE 1968 REPAIR TRUCK AND TRAILER PHYSICAL DAMAGE LIFT GATE REPAIR AND SALES CERTIFIED HYUNDAI TRAILER DEALER

CALL US TODAY!

(985) 345-9901

www.sumralltrailers.com

18191 N I-12 Service Rd

Insurance West AGENTS & BROKERS LIC # 0786031

MEMBERS OF PERA AICP ASEPO SDSA

Hammond, LA 70403

CALL KEN TUCKER (800) 576-6194

SPECIALIZED INDUSTRIES • SPECIAL EFFECTS • TRANSPORTATION • LIGHTING & GRIP • STAGES • WARDROBE • SETS • POST PRODUCTION

• MINIATURES/MECHANICALS • PROPS • COMMERCIALS • MUSIC VIDEOS • VIDEO DUPLICATION • BROADCASTING • AUDIO, SOUND, VIDEO

MOTION PICTURE SUPPORT SERVICES INSURANCE PROGRAM

FREE

EXCULSIVELY THROUGH / OFFERED BY:

Insurance West

2450 TAPO STREET • SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 E-MAIL: KTUCKER@INSURANCEWEST.COM

LEGAL SERVICES FOR RENTAL CONTRACTS

Q&A with

Aaron Williamson

Aaron Williamson is a health advisor and fitness trainer to the film industry. He has helped craft the physical transformations of Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained, Zac Efron in Neighbors and Josh Brolin in Oldboy. He recently finished molding Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke into legendary action heroine Sarah Connor for Terminator: Genisys. Find out more at aaronwilliamson.net.

Aaron Williamson on Training Terminator’s Emilia Clarke Were you a fan of the Terminator movies growing up? Oh, for sure. It was a little surreal getting the phone call to come train the cast. I remember calling my dad and telling him about it because we used to watch Terminator all the time. The movie’s iconic, the Terminator’s iconic, Sarah Connor’s iconic. The whole franchise is just amazing. How did you go about taking actress Emilia Clarke, who plays a physically delicate queen on Game of Thrones, and crafting her into an action heroine? It was a challenge and I was excited about it because it’s the type of character that I like to train someone for. Sarah Connor represents this strong, powerful woman who can basically take on the world. It was so cool to be a part of helping this young, amazing actress become this hardcore iconic figure. And it started with some hard, hard training. This process is about flipping a switch & embracing the fact that it’s going to be tough & there will be some pain & discomfort associated with it. But that’s the fun part, right?! Pushing those new limits to transform your body. Where do you start with that? Emilia came in from L.A. to start training and we had a good chunk of time before production started, about four weeks. We spent hours a day in the gym. We would start our morning off doing cardio, whether high intensity interval training or low intensity steady state type stuff, maybe on the treadmill or some Stairmaster work. She’s a phenom on the rowing machine too; I couldn’t even keep up with her on it! That would basically be our first session and then we’d break. We’d sit back in the break room to regroup for a bit and relax, eat and get ready for round two. We weren’t able to split the training up throughout the day so we had to maximize the time we had, which was typically early mornings. The training was different. You’re not going to get the look Sarah Connor has by training with free weights and dumbbells alone. So we were very creative to help her have a lean, toned look and to be able to run and carry heavy weapons. Emilia’s not a tall or very big woman, but she’s gotta carry some pretty heavyduty weaponry during the film. The approach in the gym was very functional. What was training like during prep for the film? Cardio was typically forty-five minutes to an hour. We might take about a twenty-minute break, we’d do a shake and we rotated her foods around quite a bit. Hemp protein, some chia seeds. We’d throw in a brown rice cake or maybe some fruit just depending on what we were doing for the day’s training. After the cardio, we’d go into the ‘dungeon’ and do a lot of functional work, a lot of TRX, ropes, kettle bells. All your non-traditional free weight stuff. And then two days a week we would try to focus on getting free weights in. We wanted to have that long, lean muscly look, so it was steady combination of functional training, metabolic conditioning and strength training. The functional fitness makes so much sense for the character because in Terminator 2, Sarah Connor builds this physique in an institution where she’s flipping her bed up and doing inverted push ups and pull ups. She’s not exactly working out in a traditional gym. No. We might go on a circuit with box jumps, we’d hit TRX squats, we’d do plank push ups, we’d do a set of kettle bells where there’d be swings or stiff leg dead lifts. When you’re circuit training, you’re going to be able to keep an actor engaged better than if you’re sitting on a bench curling a dumbbell. Out of all the training I’ve done in my career, I’ve spent more time with her than anyone 52 | July/August 2015

photo by Melinda Sue Gordon

else, so she put in some hours, especially during pre-production. And on top of our training, she would leave from the gym and go straight to stunt training. She would just have a completely physically exhausting day of non-stop stunts, weapons, training with me, cardio and then I had her on a low calorie diet on top of it. That’s tough. I have a lot of respect for her. How did the training change during filming? The training time got cut down obviously. The obstacle was the energy because on top of working the long day, she would have to get to set maybe two or three hours earlier to get ready. Her days were so long. When you factor in how much sleep she was able to get before she was back in the gym with me, I don’t care who you are, it will be tough. What made it even more difficult for her was that the schedule started on night shoots for 6 days a week. Talk about throwing your body off! What was your plan for nutrition? We’d have meals prepped and protein shakes ready. But low calorie is low calorie. You’re going be hungry. It can be a little stressful for an actor because you’re trying to memorize pages of dialogue and be in the scene, you’re tired because you’re not sleeping, and you’re hungry. She put in so much work for this character and that’s even more reason why I’m so excited to see the finished product. On set, it looked like a hell of a performance covering every area of the emotional spectrum: sad, hurt, angry, commanding. She can pull it all off. In the trailer, she looks strong and powerful. I’d like to think that we accomplished our goal.

‘

Jai Courtney The character of Kyle Reese was portrayed by Michael Biehn in James Cameron’s classic film The Terminator, which came out in the early 80s. What’s in your mind when you think about crafting the physical look of the new Kyle Reese portrayed by Jai Courtney in Terminator:Genisys? Jai is a genetic freak. He’s probably the most genetically gifted person I’ve ever worked with and I’m very jealous of that! He can naturally be a big guy but for the character of Kyle Reese, he doesn’t need to be a big guy. So the goal is to bring him down in weight and lean him out so he doesn’t look like a Terminator. We needed to soften the look a bit so it looks more realistic. Someone who trains, but trains like he’s in the field training, where your workout might be pushups or pull-ups and crunches, or just carrying about heavy stuff all day. Yeah, the character of Kyle Reese is this guy, this soldier, from a future where they don’t exactly have gyms to join. A lot of his physique comes from weapons handling and constantly running from point A to point B. It’s that kind of functional stuff that we try to emulate in the training. Traditional weight training was completely out of the question because if he touched the weight, he just got big. We had to be very careful about that. His diet was very strict, very low carb, lots of vegetables, lots of avocados and nuts, good fats. He was eating anywhere from five to six meals a day. He actually started leaning out before he even came to New Orleans. He was set up on a program back in L.A. to get him prepped to come in because he was bigger coming off of his last film. Every morning, he’d get up and hit the treadmill right out of bed for an hour and he was taking some simple supplements - beet powder, l-carnitine, CoQ10 - just things that were good for the heart, good for the immune system and help with recovery and fat burning. He got here a little bit later than Emilia, so we had about two weeks of training before production began. We focused primarily on plyometric work, a lot of bodyweight training and TRX work. Anything that had weight and resistance, we had to be very careful about. Usually, you’re trying to bulk them up, so this must have been unusual. Yeah. The goal was trying to bring him down to a weight that would resemble the Kyle Reese that everyone knows. And we definitely pulled it off. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to him because he looks good, but he doesn’t look like he’s spent all day, everyday in a gym. It just looks real. Once filming started, Jai was also doing very physical work on set, including lots of stunts. How did that affect training? There were probably a few weeks where he would literally be running around barefoot. And if you’re running around on concrete or some type of hard floor barefoot take after take, it’ll beat the hell out of your lower back, your legs and knees. That was just one obstacle we had to work through. This production was very mentally & physically taxing on the actors. I’m pretty sure there were days where the last thing he wanted to do was see me in the gym! Haha. It’s a real physical challenge on these action films. When you see someone running in a movie, that may have required the actor to run for hours a day for weeks on end at full speed. And being barefoot doesn’t help! No, it doesn’t. Jai and Emilia both did a lot of deep tissue massage work to keep their bodies in check. It was a very stunt heavy film. Jai did some wire work where he’s strapped into the wire getting yanked around, so there were days when he’d come in just sore everywhere. I might have a plan, but that would have to go out the window and I would have to say, “We’re going do this instead.” Just being able to adapt was important so that we didn’t hurt him. In many cases

photo by Melinda Sue Gordon

we would incorporate the Concept 2 rower, the Stepmill and battle ropes into the training routine for the day. All very heart rate centric exercising. What was the schedule like during shooting? We started off five days a week, spending about an hour at a time. As filming went on, we dropped down to four. He was dedicated to staying in there, and occasionally we’d makeup sessions on the weekend, sometimes twice per day. Did you work with him on set at all and, if so, what did that look like? We would do a little bit here and there if we needed to, mostly some pump up work. But there wasn’t a real need to even do it. I just can’t even express how genetically gifted he is. It blows my mind. It’s almost like training a natural athlete. They just have it. Plus, he just knows his body. He did a lot of training for Spartacus, which was very physical, so he’s very familiar with what he can and can’t do. Let’s talk diet. What did you have on the menu for Jai? He was dedicated. Egg whites in the morning, maybe an egg white omelet with some veggies. Lots of chicken and fish. Lots of mixed nuts. And catering was excellent: they were good about getting his meals every few hours and just loading up the lean proteins for him, which he needed. What else stands out in your mind from working with Jai? Just the fact that he’s a solid guy and cares about everyone around him. It was fun to watch him work and it was fun to train with him. I can’t wait to see the film. For more health and fitness tips, read the Health Scene online at health.sceneent.com and visit Aaron’s website at aaronwilliamson.net to send Aaron your fitness-related questions.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is intended to provide general information and does not constitute medical advice. The content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete or up-to-date. This information is not intended to create a client relationship between you and Aaron Williamson, Scene Magazine, or any associated companies, and you should not act or rely on any information in this publication without seeking the advice of medical doctor. In reading this article, please note that the information provided is not a substitute for consulting with an experienced medical professional and receiving counsel based on the facts and circumstances of a particular transaction. Many of the principles mentioned are subject to exceptions and qualifications, which may not be noted. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any health and exercise program.

54 | July/August 2015

FEEL BETTER...FASTER

Infusion Therapy for

Energy Athletic Performance Cold/Flu Hangover

504-301-1670

1224 St. Charles Ave.

theremedyroom.com

TOD AY

Entertainment. Everyday

Introducing Scene Today. A daily email you'll actually want to read.

TODAY!

If you are in the film industry and have information or corrections for jobScene, we welcome your emails at info@sceneent.com.

We’ve provided on-location catering services to over 150 motion pictures! 8 Mobile Kitchens Recent Credits: Treme, Burn Notice (7 seasons), Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Twilight: Breaking Dawn, 12 Rounds, Contraband, Looper, Drop Dead Divas (5 seasons) **List of full credits available on website

Since 1997

www.hannabrothers.com

985.781.9401

Baby Driver

Feature – Sony (TriStar) Starring Lily James, Ansel Elgort Director: Edgar Wright Status: October 2015 Location: New Orleans

Into the Badlands

TV Series – AMC Starring Emily Beecham, Sarah Bolger, Oliver Stark, Daniel Wu Director: David Dobkin Resumes: Badlandspa@gmail.com Status: Shooting now Location: New Orleans

Carter & June

Feature – Independent Director: Nicholas Kalikow Status: June 1 Location: New Orleans

The Dunning Man

Feature – TBA Resumes: thedunningman2015@gmail.com Status: July 6 Location: New Orleans – Atlantic City

The Free World

Feature – Untitled Entertainment Starring Bryce Dalls Howard, Cillian Murphy, John Cho Writer/Director: Jason Lew LP: Rene Besson Resumes: laura@untitledent.com Status: July 13 Location: New Orleans

Hunter-Killer

Feature – Independent Starring Willem Dafoe, Gerard Butler, Billy Bob Thornton Director: Martin Campbell LP: D. Scott Lumpkin Resumes: hknola@gmail.com Status: Late Summer 2015 Location: New Orleans 56 | July/August 2015

Keanu

Feature – New Line Cinema Starring: Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Will Forte Director: Peter Atencio Resumes: keanuresumes@gmail.com Status: June 1 Location: New Orleans

The Long Night (aka Deepwater Horizon) Feature – Lionsgate Starring: Mark Wahlberg Director: Peter Berg Resumes: thelongnightresumes@gmail.com Phone: 504.682.7688 – Fax: 504.682.5119 Status: Shooting now LP: David Womark – UPM: Todd Lewis Location: New Orleans

Neighbors 2

Feature Starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne Director: Nicholas Stoller Writer: Andrew Jay Cohen, Brendan O’Brien Status: August 15 Location: New Orleans – Los Angeles

Quarry

TV Movie/Series Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Stellan Skarsgard, Logan Marshall Green, Noah Taylor, Jamie Hector Director: Greg Yaitanes Resumes: quarryresumes@gmail.com LP: Joe Incaprera – PM: Alan Blomquist Status: Shoots March 30 to July 15 Location: New Orleans

Roots

Miniseries – History – A&E – Lifetime Writers: Mark Rosenthal, Larry Konner, Charles Murray Resumes: rootsresumes2015@gmail.com Status: Early-August 2015 Location: New Orleans

Scream Queens

TV Series – FOX Starring Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele Executive Producer: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuck Resumes: sqprodoffice@gmail.com Phone: 504.224.2227 – Fax: 504.224.2291 LP: Bob Williams Status: March 12 Location: New Orleans

“Advertising in Scene Magazine helped to promote and build our film and entertainment book of business. We received more than sufficient responses from all over. The results speak for themselves.” Penny Starkey McInnis Tyner Insurance sceneent.com | 57

Richmond Inn & Suites

2683 Energy Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70808

225-924-6500 bestwestern.com/ plusrichmondinnandsuites

Providing Southern Hospitality & Superior Customer Care • Spacious guest rooms and suites with bedrooms, separate living rooms & full kitchens • Complimentary Southern Style full hot buffet breakfast daily • Complimentary wireless internet throughout • Lounge with complimentary hors d’oeuvres nightly • 24-Hr fitness center • Outdoor pool, hot tub, and SportCourt • 24-Hr business center • 24-Hr laundry facilities • Same day dry cleaning • Competitive film industry prices • Negotiated corporate, group & long-term discounts

Camp Cool Kids

Feature – Independent Starring TBA Director: Lisa Arnold Status: May 24 Location: Baton Rouge

Hap and Leonard

Series – Sundance Channel Starring Michael Kenneth Williams Director: Jim Mickle LP: Josh Throne Status: Mid-April 2015 Location: Baton Rouge

Magnificent Seven

Feature – Sony Pictures Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke Director: Antoine Fuqua Resumes: m7batonrouge@gmail.com Phone: 225.435.4967 – Fax: 844.370.4010 LP: Guy Riedel Status: May 18 Location: Baton Rouge

Replicas

Feature – Independent Starring Keanu Reeves Director: Tanya Wexler Writer: Chad St. John Status: Active Development Location: Baton Rouge

Scream

Series – MTV Starring Bex Taylor-Klaus, Willa Fitzgerald, John Karna Exec. Producer: Jill Blotevogel LP: Robert West Status: Shooting now Location: Baton Rouge

Underground

TV Series – Sony Pictures Television / WGN Starring Christopher Meloni, Jurnee Smollett-Bell Director: Anthony Hemingway Resumes: undergroundcrewresumes@gmail.com Phone: 225.330.6911 – Fax: 225.330.6912 Status: Shooting now LP: Mark McNair – PM: Gary Huckabay Location Baton Rouge 58 | July/August 2015

Welcome to Peril

Feature – Pitch Dark Director: Trevor Anthony Resumes: info@pitchdarkfilms.com Status: May 4 Location: Baton Rouge

The Midnight Man

Feature – Independent Director: Travis Zariwny Resumes: frankie@scootywoopentertainment.com Status: July 13 Location: Shreveport

Corrosion

Feature – Independent Director: Craig Viverios Status: Fall 2015 Location: Louisiana

Masters of the Air

Miniseries – HBO Producer: Steven Spielberg Status: Active Development Location: Louisiana

Parallel

Feature – Independent Writer/Director: Jason Aleman Status: August 17 Location: Louisiana

Unforgettable

Feature – Independent Director: Amma Asante LP: Ravi Mehta PM: Bob Dohrmann Status: July 2015 Location: Louisiana/ Georgia

“We bring our shop to you!” Hose Guys Film Supply Division offers on-site/on-time services and assistance for many of your specialized requirements to supply, build and complete Special Effects and Construction for the various demands of the film industry. In addition to Hydraulic, Pneumatic, Propane and other misc, Hose, Fittings and Adapters, we supply:

For full details on Georgia, Mississippi and Texas productions, along with daily updates, visit jobs.sceneent.com.

Hydraulic Cylinders, Actuators, Accumulators, Valves, Controls, Etc. Pipe and tubing fittings, Adaptors, Etc. Safety supplies and equipment, Oil clean-up, Etc. Metal working and Welding supplies and consumables Fasteners and Hardware

Call or e-mail. We’ll help you any way we can!

Visit our website hoseguys.net for more information on our services. hoseguys.net

2569 Hickory Avenue

Metairie, LA 70003

505-739-1515

sceneent.com | 59

THE UNSCENE SHIFTING SANDS OF OPPORTUNITY Although many lament the changes to Louisiana’s entertainment laws, there’s much opportunity on the horizon. Especially for those who have long called Louisiana home. It will take a little time for clarity to come. But in that time, prepare your projects. Make no mistake: there is great opportunity at hand. Don’t waste it by focusing on the past. Intellectual property owned by Louisiana companies will soon be at a premium. And the opportunity for investors has never been greater. The UnScene Writer Submit tips to unscene@sceneent.com. Anonymity guaranteed.

60 | July/August 2015

W I L L S | P O W E R S O F AT T O R N E Y | T R U S T S S U C C E S S I O N S | FA M I LY L AW | P E R S O N A L I N J U RY

Unfor tunatel y, rel ati on ship s d onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a lways l ast fore ver.

L eg a l issues ar is e and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help.

Call us at 504-267-9700 2800 Veterans Memorial Boulevard Ste. 213 Metairie, LA 70002

Ryan P. Delaney, Esq.

Brandon H. Robb, Esq.

Andrea L. Rubin, Esq.

WE PROUDLY SUPPORT

SEPT 16-18

NEW ORLEANS WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT IN LOUISIANA

NX wants you! Students, established entrepreneurs, startup companies, small business leaders, corporate recruiters and executives, angel investors, venture capitalists, and more. Find out more about NX at www.nx-no.com.

Louisiana's premier tech and entrepreneur conference happening September 16-18, 2015 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.