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CONTENTS

VOLUME TEN

ISSUE TWO 2014

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andrew Vogel andrew@louisianafilmandvideo.com EDITOR-AT-LARGE Shanna Forrestall CONTRIBUTING EDITOR W.H. Bourne ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katie Sauro contact@louisianafilmandvideo.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tara Bennett, Weland Bourne, Odin Lindblom, Alexander Brian McConduit, Sean Richardson, Chasah West, Marshall Woodworth SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins SALES Steve Joseph PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak

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Photo courtesy of Sean Richardson

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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FILMING IN LAFAYETTE: A LOUISIANA DREAM

14 LAND OF THE FILMMAKER, HOME OF THE BAYOU 20 THE UNACCOUNTED FOR: AN INTERVIEW WITH WILL FRENCH 22 2014 AFCI LOCATIONS EXPO SPOTLIGHTS THE EASE OF LOUISIANA LOCATIONS 24 PLANTATION VILLAGE STUDIOS TO HOST LA YACHT PARTY AT CANNES 28 THE NEWLY LAUNCHED MENTORSHIP & FILM TRAINING PROGRAM SPONSORED BY LOUISIANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE

30 LOCALLY-SHOT ELSA & FRED TO PREMIERE AT LIFF 34 HOW I BECAME A HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER

38 TEACH YOURSELF FILMMAKING THROUGH A GUERILLA WEB SERIES

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OFFICE MANAGER Audra Higgins INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn

44 (PART 1 OF 3) HOW A CHILDREN’S BOOK BECOMES A FEATURE FILM: AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY FOR DONKEY OTIE AND ITS AUTHOR

46 WHAT IS SHOTGUN CINEMA? 50 INDIE COMEDY SHOOTS THROUGHOUT APRIL IN NEW ORLEANS 52 LOUISIANA CRUISES INTO NAB 2014

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ON THE COVER: Actor Laura Marano, best known for her work on Disney's Austin and Ally, tries to keep warm in between takes for A Sort of Homecoming which recently wrapped shooting in Lafayette.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR t’s a hot topic among local film folk, and rightfully so. Just a mere decade since the inception of our tax incentive program, our numbers have grown exponentially, to the point that we are now reigning as the film production capital of the world. As many of you know, the Los Angeles Film Office (Film L.A.) released a study stating that 18 out of 108 major studio productions released in 2013 were shot substantially in Louisiana.

This is a quote from the study: “Louisiana’s emergence as a film production center happened quickly.

After just 10 years of investment in the film industry, the Pelican State surged ahead of California, the nation’s one-time film production capital. Louisiana, which some have taken to calling ‘Hollywood South,’ is now outpacing the real Hollywood by a key measure of film production volume.”

This is a powerful statement that, coming from our competition’s film office, means a great deal. More than just the numbers, it means those who once second-guessed our industry, or the state as a whole, may now be second-guessing themselves.

After the study was released, a friend of mine, a local, expressed a concern that, I think, is not uncommon. She said, “If we are the film production capital of the world, why aren’t more of us working?”

Now, the truth is there is a large number of “local” production jobs being fulfilled non-locally. But what we often fail to realize is that the number of jobs that are fulfilled locally is constantly and consistently growing. Our industry is in its infant stages and needs time to develop. I was fortunate

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to interview Will French of the Louisiana Film & Entertainment Association (LFEA), and he enlightened me to this fact, as well as many others. Learn more on page 20.

Proof of our developing industry is the Louisiana International Film Festival, or LIFF. Only in its second year, the organization is gaining major clout and has now partnered with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge to bring Louisiana a full-fledged training program for aspiring filmmakers. The first program kicks off during LIFF, held May 8-11. (Page 28.)

Further proof is the emergence of Lafayette. In this issue, Chasah West, of the ever-blossoming Holbrook Multi Media Inc., brings us into the heart of Cajun Country film and offers insight into a number of different projects, including John Fallon’s The Shelter (page 14). We also hear from Julie Bordelon of the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative with a production update (page 18), and read about Lynn Reed’s A Sort of Homecoming (page 8). It’s becoming apparent: Lafayette has proven itself to be a hub for production and innovation.

West writes, “Lafayette’s status as a producer’s utopia was once a wellkept secret and now, with the city experiencing a boom in attention and an influx of projects, it seems the beans have been spilled.”

All the best, Andrew Vogel, Executive Editor

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FILMING IN LAFAYETTE: A LOUISIANA DREAM

Laura Marano on location in Lafayette for A Sort of Homecoming.

STORY BY W. H. BOURNE PHOTOS COURTESY OF BELIEVE ENTERTAINMENT

or screenwriter and producer Lynn Reed, shooting her feature film A Sort of Homecoming was just that—a homecoming. The Lafayette native returned to her hometown to film the coming-of-age drama set in the world of high school speech and debate. The production just recently wrapped providing a great opportunity for both Reed and director Maria Burton to speak with Louisiana Film & Video about the project, women in film, and working in Lafayette.

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“I had written a couple of scripts including a TV pilot spec script,” began Reed. “Then I went out to Hollywood to one of those pitch fests. It’s kind of like speed dating where you get eight minutes to go up to producers’ tables and pitch your ideas. It was exhilarating, but I also learned a lot about the realities of the business. I realized that those producers sitting in that room didn’t have huge pots of money either. They were looking for ideas that they could go to investors with and raise money for.

That’s when it really clicked for me.”

She continued, “If I was going to do this film about high school speech and debate, it was a pretty niche thing. I mean, we’re not talking about superheroes or zombies here. If all these other production companies were going to have to go out and find investors, well, then I could go do that myself. I worked in politics and campaigns; I was no stranger to having to raise money for large enterprises. I figured it was at least worth a shot to see if I could do it. I reconnected with Marcus

A Sort of Homecoming spent several days shooting in New Orleans.

DP Arlene Nelson on location in the French Quarter.

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DP Arlene Nelson shooting A Sort of Homecoming with the Arri Alexa.

Brown in Lafayette. He and I had gone to high school together there. I knew he was a successful actor in Louisiana as well as a producer. We talked, he read the script, and we worked together on it for almost a year.

Every day we talked, if nothing else but to say, ‘what can we do to get the ball moving forward?’ It really is one of those stories where persistence really paid off.”

Reed selected Maria Burton as director of the film, explaining, “The story is from a woman’s perspective, and I just believed it would be better in a woman’s hands so I hired Maria.”

Said Burton, “Lynn Reed had read the research on women directors bringing richness and depth to female characters. She put the word out through the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) when she was looking to hire a director for A Sort of Homecoming, and happily, I got the job. I then brought on the amazing DP Arlene Nelson. If there’s anything harder for women in the film business than being a director, it’s being a DP.” In addition to directing, Burton is cochair of AWD, an organization of professional women directors that advocates for more work in an industry where the numbers are appalling.

“Women made up only 6 percent of directors on the top 250 films in 2013, which is down from 9 percent in 1998,” said Burton, “and not for lack of talented and hardworking women directors. For exam10

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A Sort of Homecoming shoots a crowded French Quarter scene.

ple, half of the students entering film school and grad school directing programs are women so it is not until they try to enter the industry that they are not hired. As you can tell I’m passionate about this, not only because it affects my ability to tell the stories I want to tell but because it shapes our society. Media molds culture as much as it reflects; children grow up to be what they see.”

Telling stories about women is also a passion for Reed. A Sort of Homecoming is loosely inspired by her own high school

years growing up in Lafayette. The film stars Laura Marano, Michelle Clunie, Katherine McNamara and Kathleen Wilhoite.

“We were very lucky to get Laura Marano from Disney’s Austin and Ally. It’s amazing how large and dedicated her fan base is. They were coming out of the woodwork to see her,” exclaimed Burton.

Having an outsider like Burton, who lives in Los Angeles, can often bring a fresh perspective to a Louisiana-centric film, especially when it’s created by locals.

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“I was particularly taken with the ride from New Orleans to Lafayette. While the locals were complaining about the two-hour commute, I thought the drive through the Atchafalaya Basin was so beautiful, so much so that I convinced Lynn to rewrite the beginning of the film to include this image,” said Burton.

“I brought in my DP, but everyone else working on the film was local,” continued Burton. “We had a really good UPM, Brad Southwick... He was really able to help us a lot with this project.”

“We’re also hoping to use a lot of local music for the score,” added Reed.

Burton seemed to enjoy her time in Louisiana, although it was not without its challenges.

“One of the producers’ wives made crawfish étoufée for us one evening, which was really nice. The whole town seemed to be involved in the project. Unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time to enjoy all the restaurants and everything that Lafayette had to offer since we were working really long hours,” explained Burton. “And the biggest challenge was the weather. Everyone had assured me that this was a great time to shoot because you avoided the horrible heat, but it was unseasonably cold. The script takes place in the summer, and at times it was so cold that you could see the actors’ breath.

We had to change some of the dialogue to

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Monitoring a classroom scene shot on location in Lafayette.

accommodate for this.”

“It was such a rich opportunity for me to be there in Louisiana as more than a tourist,” continued Burton. “Spending several

months living in a place, especially with such a warm and welcoming local community, is one of the benefits of filming on location. You fall in love with the place!” LFV

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LAND OF THE FILMMAKER, HOME OF THE BAYOU STORY BY CHASAH WEST PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOLBROOK MULTI MEDIA, INC.

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n Louisiana, Lafayette’s status as a producer’s utopia was once a well-kept secret. But now, with the city experiencing a boom in attention and an influx of projects, it seems the beans have been spilled.

Innovation, art and culture churn together in a smooth blend in this city, often referred to as “the heart of Cajun Country.” The result, as many are finding, is a warm, effusive mix that caters to filmmakers and the entertainment industry in a distinctive way. It’s more than just the tax incentives offered (which are great), and it’s more than just the unique locations available (which are many); Lafayette offers top-notch facilities, crews, support, talent and a certain je ne sais quoi that has piqued interest, and is holding it.

The national spotlight turned to Louisiana recently, as numbers from a study conducted by Film L.A. revealed that we’ve dethroned California as the movie-making capital of the world. Many of us in the Southern-based film industry have taken that as a sort of feather in our caps, and with good reason—it’s truly something to be proud of.

Those who have been paying attention, though, aren’t too surprised; production has been climbing rapidly in the South since Disney’s Secretariat, released in 2010. Those same people would be able to tell you that film and television aren’t the only hot commodities up for grabs in the Bayou State. Lastly, they would also tell you that while many Southern cities are flexing their production chops, Lafayette is steadily gaining a reputation as the “it” spot for independent films and shorts, reality and docu-drama shows, post-production work and cutting-edge digital initiatives.

Producers are taking advantage of the resources offered by the metropolis: talent, studios, directors and panoramic backdrops.

Many of those avenues and services are being explored right now. Holbrook Multi Media has a couple of productions brewing in Lafayette, and Lafayette has some excit14

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Holbrook Multi Media COO and cinematographer Bobby Holbrook while at NAB this year tested many of the industry’s latest cameras to secure for the growing production division, including the Arri Amira and their Alexa XT.

ing enterprises that are further proving the city to be a formidable competitor and a production haven.

The Shelter Writer and director John Fallon brought the production of his film The Shelter to Lafayette and Holbrook Multi Media in January, having heard all that Lafayette has to offer. The haunting and nightmarish story portrays the arc of a down-on-his-luck man who finds solace in an abandoned mansion. The mansion, possessed by the spirit of his jilted dead wife, refuses to let him go once he has entered. The movie prominently features the Acadiana region— most of the scenes were filmed in Lafayette and the surrounding areas of Delcambre and Abbeville. The majority of the crewmembers hail from Louisiana and Lafayette, with the exception of Fallon himself, who is a proud Canadian.

Said Fallon, “Working with Holbrook Multi Media on The Shelter production was simply a delight! They were knowledgeable, hard-working, talented and brought positive energy to the set.”

The horror story features cult-film legend Michael Pare, who also shared his thoughts on the experience. He, too, enjoyed his first time in Lafayette and working with

Holbrook Multi Media, saying it “was a lot of fun. The whole crew seemed to have a great time! They had all the equipment a director could ask for, were truly in their element, and almost like kids with new toys on Christmas morning. It was a great experience.”

A pattern has begun to emerge here in Lafayette in the realm of film. As one wraps up, two more begin production. That was the case most recently as John Fallon called cut on the final scene of his psychological and visually-captivating thriller.

Courage of Faith The cameras stopped rolling on Fallon’s film and, soon after, discussion began for pre-production on an independent, faithbased feature. The upcoming project is called Courage of Faith and it tells an original story centered on an adolescent boy named Chase Taylor, who navigates life with a set of defined rules, a unique outlook on life and strong values instilled in him by his mother and father. The script was written by movie veteran Al Eady, who has served as script supervisor for a multitude of productions, both in Lafayette and around the country.

While still in the earliest of stages, it is already projected to have scenes shot at vari-

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Jewelry designer Erica Courtney, one of the reality show’s talents, during her visit to Kiki, a store that sells her line. The interaction was lit with the LED Bright Shot.

As director of photography for The Shelter, Bobby Holbrook captured some thrilling shots. Michael Pare’s character ‘Thomas’, in a moment of great despondency, considers hanging himself.

ous well known landmarks within and around Lafayette, allowing it to have some of that local flair. National and regional casting for both star talent and extras will be taking place in the near future, and production for the film is expected to begin in late 2014.

Eady’s decision to have production take place in Lafayette means that the film will be eligible for the larger Louisiana tax incentives, and will have support from the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative. Said Eady, “I have chosen Holbrook Multi Media to handle all aspects of production, postproduction and marketing, which means the film will benefit from their plethora of digital cinema equipment, and their first-class video and audio editing suites.”

Director of photography will be Bobby Holbrook, Louisiana born and bred (and proud of it). He has actually just returned from the NAB Show (see page 52), where he got a glimpse of the industry’s newest and most buzzed about camera equipment.

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ects in the South will also benefit from this recent trip. The first to benefit will be Courage of Faith.

“We have secured a number of new gadgets,” said Holbrook, “and we’re really excited to dive into Courage of Faith and bring some of our new tools to the set to begin exploring them.”

Reality TV Lafayette is growing in the realm of docudramas and reality shows. Holbrook Multi Media has recently wrapped scenes on the pilot of a refreshing, inspiring new reality show produced and created by Emmy-nominated producer Diane Charles. This was the first project shot immediately following The Shelter.

This is one Hollywood producer who certainly felt the world-famous Southern hospitality. Said Charles, “I needed to hire a crew in Lafayette. Coming from Los Angeles, I felt I was going in ‘blind,’ so I did a lot of research to determine who would be best to work with—everything pointed to Holbrook Multi Media.”

She added, “I’ve worked with many crews over the years... Bobby Holbrook, Robert ‘Tweety’ Francis and Colby Huval always over-delivered whatever was requested—in expertise, attitude, effort, and equipment— and did so with such enthusiasm and professionalism that the shoot was a joy and my talent ended up feeling very comfortable…

Makes me wish I could relocate my company.”

If she were to move her company, she would receive the alluring incentives for filming in Lafayette: • A 30% tax credit for in-state expenditures on motion picture production • A 5% labor tax credit on the payroll of Louisiana residents • No limit on incentives and they are fully transferable • No state fees required • All permits are free Post-Production & New Facility The post-production world is seeing increases in interest and projects, too. Both Diane Charles and John Fallon arrived in Lafayette with plans to complete their production and bring the editing process to boutiques out of state. On both occasions, after finishing production in Lafayette, they each decided to award post-production to Holbrook Multi Media.

With both projects currently in the editing stages, this marks another positive trend Holbrook is hoping to continue in the future: double-duty.

“Being that their work ethic was bar none and that they understood the project, I decided to go with them in terms of postproduction on the picture,” said Fallon. “I couldn’t be happier to complete this journey with them.”

Charles agreed, saying, “Because of Bobby’s attitude and experience, I awarded him post on the project and am discussing future projects that will be shot in the next month.”

Finally, one of the more exciting developments is the new Holbrook Multi Media facility, soon to break ground. With master plans complete and architectural plans on their way, once completed the new facility will offer multiple soundstages and more onsite high-tech production equipment and services than you can shake a stick at, including a range of 4K cinema cameras, a Neve V3 in the recording studio, a great space for production and client meetings, and a whole lot more.

LITE Center The technology sector aside from Holbrook Multi Media is packing a punch, too, building up some cool technology and adding infrastructure to Lafayette. One of

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A mock-up of the upcoming Holbrook Multi Media client and production meeting space.

Louisiana’s most innovative companies, specializing in the visualization of new technology, rests smack dab in the middle of Lafayette. Through one of their latest and most exciting ventures, the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) Center is revolutionizing the world of employees through immersive gaming.

They are blurring the line between the digital and physical worlds to create new training simulations, and hold the infrastructure for 3D and virtual world creation. Companies using this technology are benefiting, not only through lower expenses, like travel, but by also having the opportunity to give their employees real-life simulations with logical and everyday occurrences. Instead of learning the job off of the page, this new technology is helping workers by letting them train on virtual equipment. This is just one of the numerous cutting-edge technologies they are offering, and I’m excited to see what else they have up their sleeve.

All Eyes on Lafayette A few more movie projects are being lined up for production in Lafayette, definitely making it a city to keep an eye on in the coming months. Projects like Holbrook’s and movies like Lynn Reed’s A Sort of Homecoming will continue to bring in outside talent and eyes to Lafayette, and bring opportunities to Acadiana.

Gorgeous backdrops and panoramic landmarks make up the backbone of Cajun Country, and can be anyone’s for the shooting. From stunning cityscapes to sprawling countrysides, Lafayette can look like Anytown, USA, and is often considered to be a character of its own. The local government also has open arms to production 18

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crews, and supports creativity through the many notable festivals, including Festival Acadiens, Festival International and many others, as well as the Acadiana Center for the Arts and other arts and entertainment

centers and groups.

With so much to offer, and more still to come, I wouldn’t be surprised if two more movie projects take their places as the current productions begin wrapping up. LFV

AN UPDATE FROM JULIE BORDELON OF THE LAFAYETTE ENTERTAINMENT INITIATIVE Julie Bordelon is the assistant to the CityParish President/Film-Media at Lafayette Entertainment Initiative (LEI). Here, she gives an overview of all the recent productions and other film events in the area: have been working in some aspect of the film industry in Louisiana, mostly Lafayette, since 2006. Lafayette has always been my home… and if you ask me, I think it is America’s best kept secret! I’ve spent time as a location manager and field producer, I am the executive director of the Southern Screen Film Festival, and in 2011, I began working for the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative (LEI), a department of the Lafayette Consolidated Government. In this position, I serve the Lafayette area as a film commissioner, also supporting music, live performance and digital media. The job also entails community outreach and education, and building infrastructure and production resources. Lafayette offers great resources and incentives to both out of town productions and local filmmakers, and we are excited about the growing scene in the area.

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Recent productions in Lafayette (2014): The Shelter (pre & post production) A Sort of Homecoming Muse (short)

In the Mind of the Maker (documentary) Pixel Magic (VFX post production) Features: When the Game Stands Tall 22 Jump Street Selfless TV: Nashville TV Series There are always new and exciting things coming out of Lafayette. We are happy to have steady work, but are always open to more projects!

The Lafayette Entertainment Initiative is encouraging Lafayette and Acadiana locals, as well as Louisiana crew interested in working on Acadianabased projects, to sign up in our database at www.LafayetteEntertainment.org. And anyone signed up with LEI will automatically be in the Louisiana Entertainment database. Plus submissions open May 8 for the Southern Screen Film Festival held in November. To submit to the Southern Screen Film Festival go to www.SouthernScreen.org.

For more information on the Lafayette Entertainment Initiative go to www.LafayetteEntertainment.org. Julie Bordelon can be reached at jbordelon@lafayettela.gov or by calling 337-2913456.

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THE UNACCOUNTED FOR: AN INTERVIEW WITH WILL FRENCH ne thing we know about the Louisiana film industry is that it is great for the economy and the state as a whole. But currently, we have no real gauge on just how beneficial it is. Our state studies estimate that 14,000 film production jobs were generated in 2013, and the Los Angeles Film Office (Film L.A.) ranks our state as the filmmaking capital of the world when it comes to live action films. This is powerful information to be sure, but there are a number of other factors that aren’t being studied, and as a result, these factors are not being taken into account by our legislature.

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“The state studies leave out a lot of important economic data, which we need to study.

The film industry supports better paying jobs than most other sectors. It funnels capital into our state. And, it’s causing people and businesses to relocate here. These people and businesses hire people, buy houses and cars and greatly contribute to our economy. It’s making our state better and our economy better. That information needs to be assessed and understood, and we need to disseminate that information so that people on the state level have that data before they make recommendations to change the tax program,” says Will French, president of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association (LFEA).

French and LFEA have set out on a mission to study these factors that benefit our economy and produce meaningful statistics that our legislature can use to make informed decisions on our tax incentive program. One such endeavor that is currently underway is called the Brain Gain Survey.

This 10-question survey, according to a LFEA press release, aims to count those who have relocated to Louisiana to take advantage of the growing number of film and TV jobs here, as well as those who work in the industry without ever leaving. (Among the questions: How long have you worked in the film industry? How long have you lived in Louisiana? Did you move to Louisiana specifically to pursue work in the film industry?)

The challenge, however, is convincing the people who are working to stand up and be counted.

French says, “These people came to Louisiana to work, and the last thing they want to do is get involved in policy issues and legislative affairs. So it’s tricky to get them taking surveys. But, it is so important that they do because reversing the long standing brain 20

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drain is huge, and it’s happening. Now we need to prove it with hard data.”

Quite an undertaking on its own, the Brain Gain Survey is only the precursor to a much larger and much more expensive study.

French explains, “We are working at LFEA on funding a major new study to really gauge all these other factors and assess all the potential economic benefits other than what the state looks at, which is really just a handful. Once we get this information, it’ll be much easier to show state taxpayers and the legislature and the governor how important this film industry is, and how many good things come from the growth of the film industry in a state where it didn’t exist as recently as 10 years ago.

Our program has justified itself purely on job numbers. Once we start to count these other factors, nobody will question the incentive wisdom.”

Louisiana is not the only state working towards gathering more inclusive statistics. In fact, Florida studied “induced tourism” in relation to their film and television industry, finding that 20 percent of the people who visited Florida had done so because they had seen Florida in a positive light on film or television.

“That’s important stuff. Tourism is the number one industry in New Orleans. So that’s a benefit we need to be calculating,” says French.

Another component not being accounted for is what’s called “advertising dollar equivalent.” New Zealand did a study after Lord of the Rings to determine what the country would have had to spend on advertising in order to get the same brand awareness and adrelated recognition had they not shot the films there.

According to French, “Something like 47 million advertising dollars were derived from the fact that those movies were made in New

Zealand.

Those numbers are not factored into the economic benefits of our program either.”

Among other notable yet unaccounted for factors are the increase in the entertainment law practice, the influx of actors and agents, and the rise of smaller indie films.

In addition, French talks about the increased student enrollment in our local film schools: “The professors are seeing it and bringing it up, saying, ‘you need to study the economic impact this is having on our schools.’”

French also points out a glaring truth about our industry. All things considered, the state’s investment in our film industry is a small one.

“I look at the amount of money that the state spends on the tax incentive program as an investment towards building an industry and creating a job sector for our economy and generating a lot of additional tax revenue in the future,” he says. “If you look at how much it costs the state, it’s about $160 million a year after factoring in new tax collections.

That’s about .64 percent of our state’s budget. In other words, we are investing less than 1 percent per year into building this industry. We’ve already added 14,000 jobs, if not more. And if we are increasing Louisiana’s brand awareness around the world and showing off what our state has to offer, thereby helping to change the perception of Louisiana in a very good way, that’s a pretty small investment, and it’s really a smart one.”

One common concern among locals is the fact that, although many jobs are being created in Louisiana, many of these same jobs are filled by people from out of state.

French addresses the issue by pointing out that it isn’t much of an issue at all and is, in fact, part of an expected continuum.

He says, “When we first started this program in Louisiana, there was virtually nobody here with experience in the film industry. No real film crews. So everybody had to be brought in from out of state. Now we have 14,000 workers locally and studios popping up everywhere. And we still have a long way to go. The fact that we still have

workers coming in from out of state to meet the need is to be expected. In fact, the longer we go with a significant amount of production volume, the more people will relocate permanently to Louisiana and bring their families and their companies. That’s really what we are seeing and what we want to capitalize on. The industry is on the move, and we need to capture it while it’s on the move.”

The film industry is indeed “on the move” as French points out.

One of the reasons the Louisiana incentive program has become so effective is a result of what’s called “decentralization” from Hollywood.

“The fact of the matter is that the industry itself has been artificially concentrated in Hollywood for the last 60 or 70 years; with new technology and socioeconomic factors, it can and is breaking away from Hollywood,” says French. “Tax incentives are just the tools we use to steer it into our own borders. The trend of decentralization has many, many more years to go. This process isn’t going to happen overnight. It is what’s creating the benefits we are getting, and there’s lots more to come.”

Following the Canadian model, Louisiana was the pioneer of the tax incentive programs in the U.S. and has seen tremendous growth over the years. The Louisiana industry is 65 times larger than it was in 2002. Although the tax incentives have a great deal to do with those numbers, they aren’t the only reason people like filming in Louisiana.

French comments, “We have great and unique locations and culture that gives plenty of story lines and content for reality shows and features alike. And people like coming down here to shoot their movies. Actors, directors and producers on talk shows are always saying how great of a time they had filming in Louisiana. It’s an environment and a culture that people just naturally like.”

According to French, once the true value of our industry is revealed, there will be virtually no obstacles preventing its growth. LFV

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2014 AFCI LOCATIONS EXPO SPOTLIGHTS THE EASE OF LOUISIANA LOCATIONS STORY BY WÉLAND BOURNE AND W. H. BOURNE PHOTOS BY WÉLAND BOURNE

ocal film commissioners from across Louisiana recently converged in Los Angeles for the annual Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Locations Expo. Film commissioners handed out location materials, tax incentive information and swag as they tried to lure new business to the state as well as their local film offices. Interest in Louisiana was high due in part to a slew of recent high-profile projects including several Academy Award winners. Additionally, Ease Entertainment’s “Spring Fling” Incentives Panel, which immediately preceded the AFCI Locations Expo, surely helped steer business toward Louisiana.

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Dama Claire with Ease moderated the panel, which included New Orleans local Leonard Alsfeld, CEO of FBT Investments and FBT Film and Entertainment.

Alsfeld kicked off the session saying, “I’d like to remind everyone to get Dama’s incentive book. It’s absolutely fabulous. She updates it every six months. With legislation going on and changes that we see, it’s the best way to try to track and determine where you can get the most bang for your dollar. And if you are not sure about what the heck I said, when you go to leave, pick up a copy of Louisiana Film & Video Magazine. We’re always on the back cover so you can feel comfortable calling me about anything we may run out of time to address.”

“It’s difficult not to feel great about being a Yankee man living in New Orleans,” proclaimed Alsfeld, “because if you watched the Academy Awards, it was a celebration of Louisiana both in the actors and the celebration of the movies that were mostly independent, Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave. These were movies that probably couldn’t have been made in other states with 22

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Maggie Bowles, Baton Rouge Film Commission, at the 2014 AFCI Locations Expo.

the success that they had. It’s led to an incredible boom in 2014. ” “Forbes Magazine about a month ago gave me some additional ammo to sell the state,” continued Alsfeld. “We are considered the world leader in the ability to draw major movie productions to the state. There are a lot of reasons for that. The legislators who started this program back in 2002, where the level of academia didn’t matter in getting a job, recognized that in order to get green businesses to come to the state, they had to put together a very creative program. That originally landed Ray, which also had success with the Oscars. Lately we’ve seen success with HBO, which had Treme there, and had an absolute killer with True Detective, which, as you probably know, on the last of their season finales blew out HBO’s downloads systems. This doesn’t seem to be unusual because Duck Dynasty scored off the charts its first day back in the new season.”

“So we are able to create some interesting settings and environments probably because the structure of what we do is so simple, and it’s part of the reason that I’m here to encourage you to better understand what we do in the state of Louisiana,” explained Alsfeld. “When you film in Louisiana, it feels

Leonard Alsfeld with FBT, and Dama Claire with Ease at the Spring Fling Incentives Program.

like home except it’s a richer, vibrant, unique, untapped environment with no paparazzi so the actors can walk around free without being compromised. We currently have the largest slate of major movie productions in our history, and we are on schedule to have a year that beat last year’s record by over 50 percent.

Upcoming films include Independence Day 2, Terminator 5 and 6, Jurassic Park 4 and Fantastic 4.”

Alsfeld joked, “I wonder every time when I come into LAX airport if there is going to be a sign with my face there that says ‘wanted as enemy of the state (of California)’ because every time I come here (Los Angeles), I spend

an extra three or four days looking for the gaps, those things that you have and enjoy in the state of California that we don’t have or didn’t have in the state of Louisiana. I use this exercise to come and find them and import them into our state (Louisiana).”

“We have studios literally at all four corners of the state,” continued Alsfeld. “We are known for our locations, obviously anything from Duck Dynasty to Benjamin Button all look different. We shot Battle L.A. in Baton Rouge’s Celtic Studios. With our infrastructure, we have been able to attract different kinds of companies in the industry to Louisiana. Ease Payroll opened an office in New Orleans a couple of years ago. Back then, I came to Los Angeles and I wanted to get either Fotokem or Deluxe to open an office in the state. Successfully, with help, we landed Fotokem in our state. Payroll and production companies are easy to convince to relocate, but I had the toughest time recruiting lawyers to leave Los Angeles and come here.”

Incidentally, Alsfeld has managed to convince his daughter to be a lawyer in Louisiana.

“My primary focus in the beginning in 2002 was to find credits to broker and sell to taxpayers in the state,” explained Alsfeld. “I realized through the audit process how to identify and isolate those issues that have been a problem in the past. We do require audits and that’s a positive thing, by the way.

Kelly Gustafson with the Houma Area CVB and Jo Banner with the River Parishes Film Commission at the 2014 Locations Expo.

budget. They know it’s gonna happen. The difference is we pay that fee from reoccurring revenues. That creates an opportunity for what I do because I am owned by the bank.

To have unlimited access to those funds by the bank is a huge advantage for me to be able to compete. My company can produce cash the day you get your certificate from the state.”

“We currently have the largest slate of major movie productions in our history, and we are on schedule to have a year that beat last year’s record by over 50 percent.” -Leonard Alsfeld I know some states don’t, and as you know the industry sometimes gets some negative press about people who twist the rules a little and get outside the law. The fact that we have an audit helps. It’s now an extremely successful and profitable business. Our activity is deep and intense. We are best at helping independent movies. The independent movies that come to our state are treated with the same respect as the Hollywood studios.”

“For every dollar you spend in the state, you get a 30 percent credit back,” advised Alsfeld. “Four years ago, the state decided they would offer to buy back the credit. I’m happy to call myself a broker. The state now pays productions on that certified credit for 85 cents on the dollar, so the major Hollywood studios are there with these $100million blockbusters because they can function with that credit as part of their

“Our role is pretty simple,” said Alsfeld.

“We help you understand the rules of the state for the tax credits. FBT provides the opportunity to have a seamless transition into the state including understanding how you register and how you go through the process.

I work very exclusively with CPA Clint Mock.

I love our film commissioner Chris Stelly. You have the opportunity to come into the entire state without having to work on taxes on your above-the-line because we don’t have it. We have no caps; we have no sunset clauses. You shoot a $100-million movie in the state of Louisiana, then do an audit confirming you spent $100 million in the state, and Louisiana will give you a certificate for $30 million. How can you beat that?”

At Locations Expo, local film commissioners were definitely seeing the benefit from Alsfeld’s praise. Of course the change

in venue didn’t hurt either. Held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, the show was in a high traffic industry area surrounded by Fox Studios and agency giants CAA and ICM. “I think the AFCI Locations show has been going great for the day and a half we’ve been here,” said Pam Glorioso from the Shreveport-Bossier Film Office. “We’ve had a lot of people stopping by from very good productions. The location has brought a lot more visibility to the show. The proximity to Century City and Beverly Hills, where a lot of productions are made and people live, has been great.”

“So far we’ve had a lot of people coming through this year. Great crowds, great location and layout,” added Maggie Bowles with the Baton Rouge Film Commission. “Everything’s been really nice, and we’ve been well taken care of in Century City.”

Said Jo Banner, River Parishes Tourist Commissioner, “Well, this is my first time attending here and I feel like we’ve made a lot of great contacts in the industry. It’s been great seeing Los Angeles and learning about what producers need for their films. I’ve been giving them more information about the incentives and about our area. I think it’s been really helpful.”

“It’s been a great show so far. We’ve met with a lot of people who are interested in Louisiana and what we have going on there,” said Houma Area CVB representative Kelly Gustafson. “We have some great incentives and tax credits for people and just the right locations. We’re not just swamps and bayous and the French Quarter. We have things that can be Anywhere, USA, so it’s great to let them know about what we can do and offer them.” LFV ISSUE TWO

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PLANTATION VILLAGE STUDIOS TO HOST LA YACHT PARTY AT CANNES lantation Village Studios, a premier all-inclusive film studio located in Baton Rouge, is hosting a yacht party at Cannes Film Festival in France to celebrate the state of Louisiana and to attract filmmakers. Featuring bigname journalists and above-theline talent like Kelsey Grammer and John Michael Higgins, the occasion is sure to have a booming impact on those unaware of what Louisiana has to offer.

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John Ross, head of business affairs at the studio, tells us, “The party is to let people know about the tax incentive program in Louisiana and how it works. It’s to let people know about the crew base and how much talent is in Louisiana. It’s to publicize the state. And of course to attract films to our studio, as well.”

He continues, “Louisiana is fast becoming a premier filming destination and many people out of the country aren’t even aware of it yet.

They’re not really aware of how to produce in the states in general, and they aren’t really confident in tax credit programs.”

Plantation Village owner Jake Seal— producer of Breaking the Bank, starring Kelsey Grammer—will also be launching a film fund at the party in order to attract new projects and investors.

“We’re actively looking for people to partner with and do business with,” explains Ross. “We’re in an interesting space now where we have a slate of projects that have been grandfathered to us and that are highly mitigated and highly attractive to investors.”

The studio itself is built on a historic plantation village and offers an all-inclusive experience well suited to take a project from inception to the final stages of post-production.

“The vision is to have people come and stay as long as possible,” says Ross. “It’s great for them with the tax credits because it’s all qualified expenditure. They have everything they need in one place. For example, we have editors and post-production and visual effects. People can stay at the studio while they work, with shared office space and accommodations at the same time.”

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Levy House was orginally built in Jackson, LA, on the site of the current post office in 1848 and moved to Asphodel Village about 30 years ago. It housed the famous Asphodel restaurant.

Entrance into Levy House.

Among the many amazing features of the property, the studio features a 10,000square-foot soundstage with a 35-foot ceiling, a private screening room, 20,000 square

feet of office space, private suites with full bathrooms, and even its own airstrip. The studio further separates itself from the pack with Seal, the facility’s owner. Not only does

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Seal have an extensive background in digital effects, but he was one of the first people to get involved in 3D filming, shooting the first ever 3D music video.

“There’s been increasing requests for 3D filming or 2D to 3D conversions, and there’s just not that expertise in Louisiana,” says Ross. “So it’s exciting for us to be able to provide that.”

Plantation Village has immediate plans to open a bar and grill on site for its guests and, eventually, a small movie theater.

“We’ve already got the projection gear and everything else, and the idea is it will be open to the public. Because the closest theater right now is 30 minutes away,” explains Ross. “It’s just about giving people what they’d love to have.”

The site also has some remarkable history to it, housing old film productions like Desire in the Dust and Long Hot Summer.

“It was the first ever bed and breakfast in Louisiana,” says Ross, elaborating on the site’s rich history. “It was famed for its theater and restaurants, and over the years it’s changed plenty of times. About six or seven years ago we turned it into a studio.

Now all the old antebellum buildings have been restored.”

Furthermore, community is a vital aspect of Plantation Village. They have developed an integrated community that houses all of

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Office inside the Levy House.

the businesses, expertise and laborers needed to produce great films. And the local population has become a major part of the process.

“We have a large amount of locals employed with us, anywhere from loggers, tree cutters, lumber mills, carpenters, glass workers, plumbers, electricians, etc. And

they are all as local as you can possibly get,” says Ross. “If you build a community, then you will keep films coming back, and they will see that it’s changing and constantly getting better.” LFV For more information on Plantation Village Studios, visit www.plantationvillagestudios.com.

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THE NEWLY LAUNCHED MENTORSHIP & FILM TRAINING PROGRAM SPONSORED BY LOUISIANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE

STORY BY TARA BENNETT

n case you haven’t heard, Louisiana has become a prime hot spot for today’s film industry, earning itself the moniker of Hollywood South. After beating out Los Angeles for most films made in 2013, job openings in the film industry are on the rise, bringing with it an increase in demand for special courses and workshops focused on the art and business of film.

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To aid those who wish for film training, the Louisiana International Film Festival & Mentorship Program (LIFF) has come together with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge to launch a new educational program for aspiring filmmakers to receive the necessary education and resources that will give them an advantage as they break out into the world of film. The program will serve as an entry point for adults to gain access into the world of film and digital media.

The first program, entitled “An Introduction to the World of Film & Digital Media:

Throughout the three days of the program, participants will discover what it is like to become part of Hollywood South with workshops taught by industry professionals on a variety of topics such as acting, voiceover work, screenwriting, documentary storytelling, digital FX, and special FX. Open panel discussions will feature key highlevel cast, crew, and filmmakers, along with new technology presentations. The program will provide free daily lunch, which is designed for each participant to be able to interact and network with industry players in a private, non-

“We are so excited to announce the first program from the Louisiana International Film Festival Mentorship program. The guest instructors we are bringing in are powerful, progressive leaders in film and digital media and will bring a wealth of current knowledge and industry expertise to our participants. We would like to encourage anyone 16 years or older who is interested in the program to contact us ASAP to register for this program.” – Shanna Forrestall, Program Coordinator Developing and Presenting the Story with your Unique Voice,” will kick off during the 2014 Louisiana International Film Festival, held May 8-11. Throughout the weekend, participants will attend workshops and panels taught by industry professionals, view film screenings and receive opportunities for private discussions with filmmakers.

Some of the special guests announced for this year’s program include actor Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild, 12 Years A Slave); director Katherine Brooks (The Osbournes, The Real World); Seed&Spark CEO Emily Best; casting director Paul Weber; and Head of Innovation for the Super Bowl, Chris Garrity, among many others.

Each special guest will serve on panels, teach workshops, or host Master Classes to share their insights on the current state of the industry, and participants will learn about the tools they can utilize in their own filmmaking ventures.

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formal setting.

Participants will be able to attend screenings of films from around the world and receive chances to participate in Q&As hosted by the international filmmakers, such as a curated animated film screening by Comedy Central, hosted by Scout Raskin of Sonic Bunny Productions.

As another additional benefit, each participant will receive six free Flix Passes to attend additional LIFF screenings, such as God’s Pocket, with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christina Hendricks and John Turturro; Elsa & Fred, starring Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer; The Double with Jesse Eisenberg; A Thousand Times Goodnight with Juliette Binoche; and director Roman Polanski’s second North American screening of Venus in Fur. At the end of the program, each participant will receive a Certificate of Completion showing that they have gained basic knowledge of the film

and production industry.

The certificate serves as a stepping stone into future educational endeavors, as all recipients will become candidates for additional training, including mentorships by industry professionals, internships and employment opportunities.

All events throughout the festival will be held at Perkins Rowe, located on Bluebonnet Road in Baton Rouge. The program is open to adults ages 16 or older at the cost of $100 per person. Residents of Old South Baton Rouge can attend at no cost due to grant funding provided by JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

Registration for the program can be done through the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge website at www.acgbr.com. For more information about the program, e-mail mentorship@lifilmfest.org or call 504-267-0451. LFV

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: EMILY BEST Emily founded Seed&Spark to make a contribution to the truly independent community in which she would like to make moving pictures. In 2011, she had the great fortune of producing her first feature with a remarkable group of women. The spirit, the community and the challenges of that project, Like the Water, inspired Seed&Spark. Before producing Like the Water, Emily produced theater, worked as a vision and values strategy consultant for Best Partners, ran restaurants, studied jazz singing at the Taller de Musics, tour guided and cooked in Barcelona, and before that, was a student of Cultural Anthropology and American Studies at Haverford College. Emily was named one of the 2013 Indiewire Influencers, dedicated to 40 people and companies who are asking the big questions about what the independent film industry is today (and why) and, more importantly, what it will become. Emily is touring film and tech festivals around the world, Sundance and Tribeca to Galway and Louisiana, to educate filmmakers and learn their best practices in connecting with their audiences to build a sustainable career.

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LOCALLY-SHOT ELSA & FRED TO PREMIERE AT LIFF ouisiana-shot Elsa & Fred is set to close out the Louisiana International Film Festival on Sunday, May 11, at 7pm. This will be the Louisiana premiere and the only public screening outside of the Miami Film Festival.

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From director Michael Radford, this wonderful new romantic comedy stars two of the finest actors alive today, Academy Award winners Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer. Elsa (MacLaine), a vivacious retiree in New Orleans, gets straight-laced widower, Fred (Christopher Plummer), as an unwanted next-door neighbor—until he ultimately surrenders to her bold and beautiful madness, and the two soon discover it’s never too late to fulfill a lifetime fantasy.

The film, also starring Marcia Gay Harden, George Segal and Chris Noth, is a rousing remake of the hit Spanish-Argentine film. Elsa & Fred features performances from many Louisiana talents, including New Orleans’ own Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Suits), Jackie Tuttle (Pitch Perfect), Sam Medina (Olympus Has Fallen, Machete Kills), as well as father/daughter Lance E. Nichols (Treme, Benjamin Button) and Indigo (Treme, Common Law). LFV

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HOW I BECAME A HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER STORY BY SEAN RICHARDSON

Editor’s note: Most people know Sean Richardson as the co-director of King of Herrings (along with writer, co-director and star Eddie Jemison), the unique black and white film that won the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 2013 New Orleans Film Festival. While working with Sean and Eddie on their pieces, which appeared on LFV’s website (www.louisianafilmandvideo.com), we discovered that Sean has been creating some of the most interesting, innovative actors’ headshots around. In this article, Sean tells us how he became interested in doing something other than standard headshots, and gives actors some advice about getting the most out of this must-have marketing tool.

photograph people; that is my passion.

I started taking headshots about three years ago. I have many friends who are actors, so I’ve seen my share of headshots. The one thing that’s pretty consistent about their headshots is that they were forgettable. Headshots in Louisiana have had the same approach for years. The actor looks emotionless.

There is nothing to read off their face. Their eyes are wide and that reads unsure.

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As someone who loves taking captivating photos of people, these important photographs frustrated me. I knew my friends as fascinating people and gifted actors. Their headshots just didn’t do them justice. One day I was talking to actor and friend Matty Ferraro, who has since become my studio manager and business partner. “Matty,” I asked him, “why is it that all headshots suck?”

He didn’t understand what I was asking: headshots were just, you know, headshots— just something all actors had to have.

Actors, agents, casting directors and photographers don’t really think about what makes a great headshot. Yet there’s probably not a more important tool to get an actor hired for a job. Intrigued, I started doing research. I studied some of the greatest portrait and headshot photographers in the world. Gregory 34

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Michael Papajohn. An example of a headshot by Sean Richardson

Heisler, Richard Avedon, and Peter Hurley’s work all drew me. The more I researched, the more I became obsessed with creating something amazing for the actors in Louisiana. I wanted to give them the best product to represent themselves as they increasingly competed against actors from Los Angeles, New York, London and the rest of the globe.

I was drawn to Hurley’s work. It was simple, but powerful. Ideas of how I wanted my work to look began forming in my mind. I brought a simple game plan to Matty. He was the first person I ever shot a headshot for. We did a studio shoot with a white backdrop, and the image would be landscape, not portrait. The first images from that test shoot needed work (which is a kind way to put it). But I saw something there I liked. I talked to a few actors and agents about the direction those images were

taking me.

Choosing to shoot this way would be much more controversial than I would have ever imagined.

Everyone told me that if I wanted to be a headshot photographer in Louisiana, I would have to shoot portrait (vertical image) and I would have to shoot natural light (exterior/on location). That just didn’t interest me.

Every headshot I saw in Louisiana was a natural light portrait style image. They seemed boring to me. So I wanted to bring something different to the table. When I started, I got mostly good responses, but still they said there is only one correct way to shoot a headshot.

Let me be clear, I don’t think shooting natural light portrait style is wrong. I have seen some beautiful headshots. It just wasn’t my style.

ANIMAL TALENT

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Monika Guiberteau.

Headshot by Sean Richardson.

HOW ACTORS CAN GET BETTER HEADSHOTS Headshots are not something to be overlooked as an actor. They are likely the first time the casting director will see your face. They can help you get an agent or get you into an audition.

Here are some practical tips: 1. Stay away from friends with cameras. Hire an experienced pro. With headshots, your time is your most precious resource. You can’t afford a bad first impression with casting directors and potential agents. If you have an agent worth her salt, she won’t let you use those images to begin with.

2. Research those professional photographers.

Look at their work, and ask yourself if it speaks to you. Great photographers are worth it, but it is an investment on your part so don’t go into it blindly. Ask friends who they recommend, or talk to your agent.

3. Above all else: find the right fit for you. If the photographer cannot get the desired reactions out of you, they most likely will not give you great headshots.

Wayne Pere.

Headshot by Sean Richardson.

Michael Scott.

Headshot by Sean Richardson.

For me, it’s all about capturing the emotion of an actor. I want to look at a headshot and see more than just a person’s face. As photographers, we have to bring those images to life. It doesn’t matter if they are on a solid white backdrop or a downtown skyline, as long as the image says something and tells a story.

Now this style of headshot is being more and more adopted in Louisiana. New York photographers have been shooting mainly studio headshots for a while now. So I’m not exactly implementing a new concept. We just want to give actors effective options so he or she has the best chance to win that career-making role.

In the sidebar, I’ve made some specific suggestions for working with a photographer to get the best work done. Generally I say think of your headshot session as an audition. If you go into an audition tense and nervous, what are the odds of you booking that role? Be yourself, and let the emotions come. That’s where the duty falls to the photographer: my job is to get the best out of you; your job is to be yourself.

I look forward to seeing you on the other side of my camera. LFV For more on Sean Richardson, visit www.greenpotatophotography.com.

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4. While you’re sitting for the shots, avoid the “deer in the headlights” look. Keep your chin forward. Many people having their picture taken—even experienced actors—move their chin back as soon as they stop thinking about it. It’s just not a very flattering angle. Stay present throughout the entire session.

When an actor comes to our studio, the most important thing I can tell them is to come relaxed. It’s just a picture, after all. Yes, it’s a very important picture that can be the difference in you getting an audition and booking a gig or being passed over, but you have to come in confident and relaxed. Make sure you relate to the photographer and have a good time. Feel good about yourself and that will come through the lens. Acting is hard enough, so make sure your headshots are your friends, not foes.

Carol Ann Scruggs Carol Ann was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi with most of her years spent in the Jackson, Mississippi area. She grew up entertaining with her love of dance, gymnastics and school plays. She had a lifelong dream of being an actor but access was limited in Mississippi. This was reignited when Hollywood came knocking in Mississippi and worked as background on ÀOPV VXFK DV $ 7LPH WR .LOO *KRVWV RI 0LVVLVVLSSL DQG 7KH &KDPEHU ,Q DIWHU UDLVLQJ D IDPLO\ DQG D FDUHHU LQ KHDOWKFDUH VKH PDGH WKH GHFLVLRQ WR SXUVXH KHU SDVVLRQ IRU DFWLQJ 6KH FRPPXWHG WR 1HZ 2UOHDQV IRU RYHU \HDUV WR VWXG\ DQG EHFRPH D WUDLQHG SURIHVVLRQDO DFWRU 6KH UH ORFDWHG WR 1HZ 2UOHDQV LQ WKH IDOO RI WR IRFXV RQ KHU DFWLQJ FDUHHU ,Q addition to acting she has expanded her creative talents to writing monologues, shorts and a freelance journalist for a ORFDO ÀOP PDJD]LQH &DURO $QQ KDV VWXGLHG DFWLQJ ZLWK D FHUWLÀHG ,YDQD &KXEEXFN LQVWUXFWRU -HUU\ .DW] /DQFH 1LFKROV -LP *OHDVRQ 3DXO :HEEHU 7RP 7RGRURII DQG PDQ\ RWKHUV 6KH KDV ZRUNHG RQ PDQ\ IHDWXUH ÀOPV VKRUWV DQG FRPPHUFLDOV WR LQFOXGH $ ( QHWZRUN 'UHDP :DONHU 0RRQ 3LH /DYDQGHU %OXH &URVV 0V /D DQG PDQ\ PRUH Del Corral & Associates

501-324-3782

delcorralandassoc@msn.com

carolannscruggs@gmail.com

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TEACH YOURSELF FILMMAKING THROUGH A GUERILLA WEB SERIES STORY BY MARSHALL WOODWORTH

t wasn’t until 2009 that I tried my hand at being a serious filmmaker. I knew nothing of ISO settings, video compression, color temperatures, shutter speed, resolution, digital sensors, lenses, grip work, or lights outside of basic key and fill. Being a photographer, I could compose shots and accentuate their meaning through movement and music.

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New Orleans rapper Mystikal shoots a scene for We are the Beginning. Here is an example of guerilla filmmaking. Woodworth drives, while production partner Kristian Hernandez imitates a high angle Steadicam shot by sitting with tripod on the trunk of the car.

Armed with a Canon XL-1, I wrote, shot, then edited a 15-minute video called We are the End. With no budget for lighting and my inability to control colors, I converted the video to black and white, bumping up the contrast to accentuate the internal conflicts of my two heroin junkie protagonists. Thankfully, the on-board mic of the Canon XL-1 (with built-in compression) was good, so I didn’t need to use another microphone.

I knew I could use this dark version of New Orleans as a palette for me to learn how to make films. I thought up scenarios that I could shoot for no money, scenes and events I could edit together on some future date as part of an ongoing series. Since these scenarios took place before the events depicted in We are the End, I called it We are the Beginning.

As of April, six of these webisodes are available on townspot.tv.

Throughout this process, I turned technical limitations into creative challenges. Here’s what I can tell tyro filmmakers who have little money:

Woodworth is caught off guard while getting low angle video with his Canon 60d. He is shooting B-roll of the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville for Down South Paranormal Investigations.

1.

Forget 4K for no-budget films.

When I have a budget, I use Ralph Madison as my DP. He shoots 5K with the Red Epic. People have asked me what I shoot my “nobudget” films on. I tell them the truth—a Canon 60d. It’s a workhorse and heck of a DSLR. I’ve put my camera through hell and back and it still works beautifully. The down side of the 60d is struggling to have enough light that I can shoot with an ASA (or ISO) of 100. That’s the golden number I strive for. To get a 60d, which already has a .6 cropped sensor, down to ASA 100, you need a lot of light, so much for interiors that it’s a fire hazard to have that many lights on a small set. Though 4K gives you optimal choices for color correcting, as well as a high dynamic range and resolution, it consumes an enormous amount of drive space. Most people will be watching your film on laptop screens where the difference between 720 and 4k is barely distinguishable.

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Woodworth was lucky to have former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards star in a scene for the crime drama We are the Beginning. This scene was shot with a Canon 5d Mark III and Canon 60d. Edwards was not used to being an actor, so Woodworth talks extensively with him ahead of time about the script.

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2.

You don’t need fast lenses, either.

I work as a photographer and just scored a magazine cover. While lenses account for one-third of your visual elements, ‘it ain’t the tools that matter, it’s what you can do with ‘em.’ For We are the Beginning, I use the standard 18-135 lens (ƒ/3.5) that comes with the 60d. Though it’s a slower lens, it suits most of my guerrilla shooting needs because I can have immediate access to the wider angle (for walking with the actors) or a compressed image (when zoomed in all the way).

Shooting a chase scene, I used a fish eye for the first time. This allowed flexibility when moving backwards with the camera as the actor walked forward towards it. I could swiftly run backwards while minimizing camera shake. The wider the lens, the easier it is to lessen camera shake and create (if you practice hard enough) shots that resemble Steadicam movements.

I occasionally use a 50mm prime or faster lens when I need that shallow depth or shooting in low-light situations. And that’s something to remember about lens choice—when you have a tight budget with no permits, you don’t have time to constantly swap out lenses. When you are working with a volunteer crew and cast, I find zoom lenses allow me greater flexi-

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Woodworth sets up a scene from We are the Beginning with production partner Daniel Waghorne. They are using a Canon 5d Mark III on a Cine Slider for smooth horizontal movement.

bility under time constraints, allowing me to quickly reframe a shot.

3.

Having enough light is going to be a challenge.

With little money for lights, I tried to keep the scenes daytime exteriors, only using reflectors and bounce boards. I use a 5-in1 reflector with gold, silver, or white sides.

Though I don’t like having characters stand in front of white walls, they provide much practical bounce in sunlight. I’m a big fan of backlighting. If I’m shooting in direct sunlight, I’ll wait until 4pm, when the sun is at an angle. I keep the sun to the actor’s back, giving them a radiant backlight, while I illuminate them from the front with a reflector. Remember to write scenes that you can shoot quickly so the sun doesn’t change too much during the course of your scene. Avoid the college filmmaker trap of shooting your films inside standard-looking apartments, the dorms or office buildings just ‘cause it’s free.

4.

Good sound is more vital than good camerawork.

Don’t get me wrong, good camerawork is also crucial and is much more difficult to execute properly. Point is, I’ve learned that bad sound equals a bad film—period. I

consider actors and the sound the two most important elements. Whatever your errors, an audience will not tolerate bad acting or bad sound.

A few webisodes in, I realized how difficult getting proper sound is. Sound people face many variables: cars, jets, dogs, road construction, chatty neighbors, wind, softspoken actors, even the boom pole. With guerilla films, you’ll need portable equipment that is easy to set up.

To cover my sound needs, I use the Zoom H4N field recorder (with two builtin condenser mics) and a Rhodes N2G boom mic. That’s enough coverage if we are indoors shooting a couple actors. I have learned to write scenes that I can shoot, so I try to avoid having exterior scenes close to traffic.

5.

“Don’t write what you don’t know.”

I see a lot of college filmmakers writing about things they haven’t experienced or been personally affected by. You can somehow feel it when watching their films. Film something that has happened to you personally, especially if it formed a spiritual connection. Even if you don’t make the best film out of it, an audience can still subconsciously detect whether the film has real substance. Since web series don’t need

cohesive styles or traditional plots, you can experiment with astounding flexibility. It’s a great platform to play around and take risks, as long as you end each webisode with a cliffhanger so the audience is sure to tune in to the next one.

In short, if your budget’s tight with volunteers and no permits, limit the cast from one to three actors interacting in practically lit interiors (for sound control and maximum light through windows) and use daytime exteriors before 10am and after 3pm. Avoid traffic areas with unwanted noise. Use a zoom lens, giving yourself flexibility when choosing camera angles under time constraints. Don’t write your script about something you are not personally affected by. If you are not inspired, your film will not be inspiring.

Most importantly, keep a strong spirit and don’t give up. LFV Marshall Woodworth has wanted to be a film director since seeing Tim Burton’s Batman as an eighth grader.

In the mid-90s he honed camera skills working as a portrait photographer for Olan Mills and as a studio director. Today he owns Marshall Woodworth (www.facebook.com/WoodworthProductions?ref=hl).

To see We are the Beginning and his other work, visit www.townspot.tv/profile/marshallwoodworthfilms.

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SUNKEN CITY: AN #ONLYINNOLA WEB COMEDY STORY BY ALEXANDER BRIAN MCCONDUIT

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unken City wrapped its first season with a night of food, drinks and stand-up comedy.

It was obvious at the Sunken City wrap party that the group had created something special. There’s no other way to explain why more than 100 people would cram into Chickie Wah Wah, a small bar in Mid-City, when only a few blocks away, most locals were partying at the largest free music festival in the South, French Quarter Festival. It was a special night for the creators of Sunken City, as they celebrated their first season. It turned out to be a special night for everyone who was there, and as comedian Joe Cardosi put it during his set, it was something that would happen #OnlyInNOLA. Sunken City is a web comedy, created in New Orleans by CJ Hunt and Kyle June Williams. The duo also stars in the series as they each portray three different groups of characters. Beau and Linda are two wealthy uptown residents who deal with a host of first world problems, Warlock and Anne attempt to run a haunted walking tour company in the already crowded French Quarter, and Curry and DJW are two entrepreneurs who don’t have a clue about what they’re supposed to be doing.

Hunt and Williams met at The New Movement Theatre and both have a background in improv and sketch comedy. Williams is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and has worked with sketch groups Brave Aunt Beth and BriTANIck. Hunt studied at the Improv Olympic in Chicago and graduated from the Comedy Conservatory in New Orleans. He’s also a trained improv teacher and toured the country as a member of the group, Stupid Time Machine.

Soon after the two decided to move forward with their idea for Sunken City, they met director Jonathan Evans, pulled their resources together to shoot a pilot and launched a Kickstarter campaign to get the funds needed to bring their series to life.

“We wanted to actually have something to show for our Kickstarter campaign, instead of just talking about it, like others,” said Williams. After a well executed campaign, the group earned more than $11,000, but more importantly, they received contributions from 292 people, some of whom became an integral aspect of Sunken’s success.

“We knew we needed to raise money because none of us are wealthy,” said Evans, “and executing a successful campaign gave us a good feeling of support as we took on the production.” With cash in hand and a few extra helpers, they got to work and (l to r) Jonathan Evans (director), CJ Hunt, and Kyle June Williams. filmed their first season.

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CJ Hunt (left) and Jonathan Evans.

(l to r) Jonathan Evans, Kyle June Williams, CJ Hunt, Liz Beeson, Jeremy Blum, and Danny Marin.

The crew filmed all around the Big Easy and even wove real people and places into its fictional web landscape. NOLA retail mogul Lauren Thom, better known as Fleurty Girl, played herself in the series and was included in multiple episodes. People like local entrepreneur Chris Schultz and locations like his collaborative workspace, Launch Pad, added a touch of reality to Sunken’s virtual world.

“It’s a great story about what’s going on in New Orleans in a lot of different ways and it’s exactly the type of thing that I personally like to support. People who are willing to put themselves out there and do something they’re passionate about,” said Schultz, who connected with Williams as she worked at Launch Pad. Although the trio had some experience working with each other, this was their first time work-

ing together on a scripted web series like Sunken City.

“It was a really great learning and bonding experience. I had never tackled something of this scale or scope with so many locations, actors and moving parts,” said Evans. “I think we made mistakes here and there along the way, but I also never felt like we were going to fall off course.”

Back at the wrap party, you could sense that this was a tight-knit group. The headliner for the night, Andrew Polk, did a stand-up set at the crew’s screening in January and also played a small role as a barista in episode three. The crew raved about how much support they received throughout the entire production, and at the wrap party it showed.

“Be open to the idea that good people will

find your project. We couldn’t have planned for any of them to work with us and now some of them are a part of our permanent crew,” said Hunt. “It’s just kind of nice when you’re working on something and good people come up and say, ‘Hey, I want to work with you.’”

After their first season, the group has high hopes for Sunken City. Their YouTube channel has amassed more than 20,000 plays and over 500 subscribers. Since its release, the show has been developing a buzz and was recently featured on Indiewire.com.

“I want us to have a platform on television,” said Williams, “or on a big network provider like Netflix or HBOGO that gives us the money to make more.” LFV To catch the first season of Sunken City, subscribe to their YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/oursunkencity) or visit their website to learn more (www.oursunkencity.com).

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HOW A CHILDREN’S BOOK BECOMES A FEATURE FILM: AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY FOR DONKEY OTIE AND ITS AUTHOR (PART 1 OF 3)

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he adventure of Donkey Otie’s Forever Birthday Story is a “rags or riches” tale that readers of this magazine may have an integral part in ultimately defining.

A children’s book by the same name has been published in two languages, and is currently in development as a feature film. The unexpected author/screenwriter is Vicky Branton, a native of Louisiana.

As of this writing, the 24-page storybook can be purchased primarily online in English and French, a translation by a Louisiana resident who is a native of Jonquieres, France. New for 2014, the Spanish translation is expected to be in print for Christmas.

Described by Branton as having a life of its own, Donkey Otie’s Forever Birthday Story truly is a Cinderella story. Here’s how the story began its journey from concept to its development as a feature film: Little Donkey Otie came to life first as a poem not even bearing his name. In answer to a heart cry for a friend dying of cancer, Branton awoke in the wee hours of a December 2002 morn and penned Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. The 18-verse poem spoke of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Just as the inspiration for the poem was unexpected by Branton in 2002, six years later, when it became the foundation of a feature film, the transition was equally surprising. The script was intended as a 10-minute video to accompany a unique consumer product that will become part of Donkey Otie’s licensed merchandise.

After the birth of the screenplay, the question arose: “How am I ever going to get an animated film produced from Lafayette, Louisiana?” At the time, Moonbot Studios, the Oscar-winning animation studio in Shreveport, was in its infancy and totally unknown to Branton. Yet within three weeks of thinking the odds impossible, news arrived of an upcoming Red Stick Animation Festival in Baton Rouge. Branton’s attendance brought an introduction to Canadian-born Darren Cranford, thus beginning the transition to possible.

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Donkey Otie is making the transition to feature film.

centered on the screenplay becoming a feature film. Not until the second year at the festival did the discussion turn to the possibility of creating an illustrated children’s book.

Two years after their chance meeting, Cranford returned the first official portrait of the lead character in the newly titled Donkey Otie’s Christmas Tale. Branton fell in love at first sight, and it was then she knew Donkey Otie had come to life.

The story had transitioned into a character-driven retelling of the night Jesus was born. The well-received book of illustrated verses was funded by Branton’s family and “Family Approved” by The Dove Foundation. The poem was evolving to bring visual definition to delight both children and adults.

For nearly a year, the duo of Branton and Cranford collaborated on the concepts for each frame, combining descriptions from within the poem itself with elements that would come later in the animated version.

The key ingredient became the light captured masterfully on every page.

With the screenplay written and with illustrations on the way, the title then became a hindrance to a story that has no bounds.

Because stories of Jesus are shared throughout the calendar year, wise counsel suggested

the removal of ‘Christmas’ from the title.

The result was magical: Donkey Otie’s birthday story had become forever.

Branton knew challenges would face her to find distribution and funding to complete the task of launching Donkey Otie’s world tour.

Every step during the past 12 years, when the impossible held up a hand to say “Stop,” the possible waved her on. Through building relationships, opportunities continue to raise momentum.

Will Donkey Otie’s Forever Birthday Story span the globe as an independent animated musical? Will it become a mega-film produced by one of the major studios known for such accomplishments? Or will it be swallowed up and never heard from again?

Time will tell. Branton is looking for someone interested in saving Donkey Otie like Walt Disney saved Mr. Banks. You will have a front row seat as Louisiana Film & Video Magazine introduces Donkey Otie to those who could play a major role in bringing this story to the silver screen. In sharing the journey, this magazine will continue to report on the progress of Donkey Otie’s world adventures. LFV For more background information or queries, visit www.DonkeyOtie.com.

Raymond on Film & Photography is a Raymond Creativity publication.

Raymond Creativity offers research services, web design, lens-created imagery, and other creative solutions for the new media world. Watch for our new audioseries “Merely Famous.” To find other publications, products, and services offered by Raymond Creativity, see www.raymondcreativity.com.

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WHAT IS SHOTGUN CINEMA? hotgun Cinema is a nonprofit film organization based in New Orleans. Currently, we show films monthly at the Marigny Opera House. Our ultimate goal is to build out an art house movie theatre that will show daily programs of new independent and repertory films on digital and film formats.

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At the moment, Shotgun Cinema is made up of two co-founders: Angela Catalano (programming director) and Travis Bird (technical director). Angela is a talented programmer who can put interesting things on screen, and Travis is a projectionist who can make whatever is on screen look as good as possible.

We believe in and have experienced the power of seeing films on a big screen, in a theatre, in a group: such events inspire individuals privately, they create conversation, and they form focal points in a community. We think it’s critical for audiences to be exposed to a wide range of titles in order to form a sense of what film is, what it has done, and what it is capable of.

Furthermore, as moving images transition from film to digital, we find it essential to highlight work made and projected on film, and we are committed to fostering a future role for celluloid as a curated and preserved, yet still living, artistic medium.

We are a non-profit because we’ve seen film festival and exhibitor organizations around the world that benefit from the collaboration, community engagement and programming flexibility of non-profits, as opposed to the constraints of for-profit enterprises.

Where did it come from?

Shotgun Cinema was conceived by Angela and Travis, (coincidentally) both originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Angela was previously programming manager at Milwaukee Film. Travis was (and is) a projectionist at film festivals around North America. After meeting at the 2012 Milwaukee Film Festival, we quickly found common ground in film and personal taste.

Eventually, Angela visited New Orleans and fell in love with it, but found that despite existing film exhibition of varying priorities and quality, there was definite room for 46

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improvement. Despite investment in film production, south Louisiana audiences aren’t experiencing film culture in meaningful ways.

We don’t have regular choices about what to see, and we aren’t often able to see beautifully shot films in a way that does them justice.

Shoot-the-moon sessions became reality in May 2013: Angela moved to New Orleans in December 2013 and the first Shotgun Cinema screening—In The Mood For Love—took place two weeks later at the Marigny Opera House.

What are you currently working on?

Most importantly for readers, we are continuing our monthly screening series at the Marigny Opera House, a former Catholic church turned into a performing arts space.

We bring everything into the Opera House— digital projector, playback and audio processing, screen and masking, speakers, and even material for blacking out windows, all of which takes a full day to set up.

Our next film is Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train, screening Wednesday, May 14. It’s set in Memphis, centers around Elvis, and features the surreal, lowdown grittiness of his more widely seen films like Down By Law and Dead Man. We write weekly blog posts on our website on a variety of film-related topics. We also have a weekly e-mail newsletter that summarizes our activities and film-related news, recommends screenings, and highlights other local orgs.

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Other than that, we’re doing fairly common non-profit stuff: courting new board members, budgeting, pursuing fundraising channels to grow our organization, and looking for ways to expand what we can do.

How can I get involved?

There are tangible things you can do to help us. The best way, of course, is to come to our screenings and engage with the films. The second-best way is to spread the word: sign up for our e-mail list on our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and tell people about what we’re doing.

You can also support us by donating money through our website. The New Orleans Film Society is our fiscal agent, and all donations go through their apparatus.

Finally, we have a variety of volunteer and collaborative opportunities. We can use help during our screenings, and we’re always looking for folks with non-profit knowledge to help us grow best—resources on legal, accounting, development, and other issues will help us get to the next level and be able to offer more films to our audiences. LFV Mystery Train screens on Wednesday, May 14, at the Marigny Opera House, 725 St. Ferdinand, 70117. Doors at 6:30, film at 7pm, $7 cash or charge at the door. Visit www.shotguncinema.org for more information.

John Ashker

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3waterent@earthlink.net • 818-430-8208

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INDIE COMEDY SHOOTS THROUGHOUT APRIL IN NEW ORLEANS uring the month of April, C Plus Pictures filmed their newest movie, Sex, Guaranteed, in the New Orleans area.

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The film tells the story of Kevin (played

by Grey Damon), a roofer in New Orleans who believes he’s cursed—in fact, every time he even thinks about sex, something bad happens. Co-stars include Bella Dayne, Dan Fogler, James Debello and Kim Allen.

Sex, Guaranteed is co-directed by Brad and Todd Barnes of Barnes Brothers Unlimited, whose feature film The Locksmith (previously titled Homewrecker) received the first Best of NEXT Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

C Plus Pictures’ award-winning films have also had a presence at various international film festivals, including: Cannes, Sundance,

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Slamdance, Berlin, Tribeca, GenART, Newport Beach, Woodstock, Kudzou and many more.

These two growing film industry players are joining forces for their first collaboration to produce and direct Sex, Guaranteed.

“We knew from the script that this proj-

ect was special,” says C Plus Pictures’ Mike Landry, “but the greatest gift has been working with the Barnes Brothers and watching them bring this story to life—with our amazing cast in the perfect city. Sex, Guaranteed has been an inspiring and hysterically funny ride.” LFV

CREDITS Writers: Brad Barnes and Sophie Goodhart Directors: Brad and Todd Barnes (Barnes Brothers Unlimited) Producers: Mike Landry and Carlos Velazquez (C Plus Pictures) Co-Producer: Ryan Charles Griffin Executive Producers: Skipper Bond, Gardner Grout, Greg Shockro, Amy MitchellSmith, Luigi Ghilardi II and F. Stanley Pearse, Jr. Co-Executive Producers: Claudio Bellante and Luca Garbero Associate Producer: Paulie Litt

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504-919-9142

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LOUISIANA CRUISES INTO NAB 2014 Shreveport based Elio Motors was the star at Showstoppers at the 2014 NAB Show.

STORY BY ODIN LINDBLOM AND W. H. BOURNE PHOTOS BY ODIN LINDBLOM

he annual National Association for Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas this year was filled with lots of gear including HD, 2K, and 4K cameras. The biggest Louisiana presence was not a large group of attendees or camera gear; however, it was the most unusual new product at the show. Premiering in Showstoppers was the new car from the start-up Elio Motors. Elio took over the former GM plant in Shreveport and is bringing the car to market next year.

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Drones such as this quadrocopter can be outfitted with the new Ninja Star from Atomos.

Let’s face it, strapping a camera to a family car isn’t going to do much in the way of making your production photos look cool.

There’s nothing quite like a sexy camera car, but exotic cars have always been very expensive until now. Looking like a concept car from the future, Elio Motors was showing off

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Black Magic's new Cintel Scanner could revitalize use of film for productions.

their new three-wheeled car. With a sticker price of under $7,000 and getting over 80 mpg, even your accountant will think it’s hot.

It wouldn’t be NAB without big camera releases and this year was no different. The market for cinema cameras got a bit more crowded. Blackmagic Design introduced the URSA, and Panasonic showed a new Varicam. Even JVC and AJA had cinema cameras on display. Arri displayed their new Amira camera, which they are marketing as a lower-cost alternative to their popular Alexa, but with a starting price of $40,000, it may be a hard sell for indie productions.

4K film scans may become a lot cheaper thanks to a new Cintel scanner costing less than $30,000. Blackmagic Design bought Cintel earlier this year and had the new Cintel Film Scanner on display in their booth. The scanner works with 16mm and 35mm negative or positive film stock capturing at UHD (3840x2160) resolution and is small enough to fit on a desktop. An optional pin registered gate will also be available for the Cintel scanner.

One of the challenges to working with small cameras is that they tend to record in very low bitrates causing the footage to have artifacting issues. Looking to help with that, Atomos developed the new Ninja Star field 54

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JVC showed off their new cinema camera.

recorder that takes the HDMI out of your camera and records in 10bit 422 Apple ProRes. At 3.5 ounces the Ninja Star is small enough to be mounted onto a camera drone and retails for $295.

The past few years at NAB saw offerings for storage and software licensing on the cloud. This year Amazon and Nvidia have teamed up to offer something new. They are now offering cloud-based GPU rendering.

While it’s not an entirely new concept, many companies offer off-site rendering services; they are typically only for large projects. This

is the first time that you can rent as little as one GPU per day making it a great option for short animation and effects work as well as proof of concept pieces.

The most exciting thoughts about NAB this year: I can buy an Elio and then strap on a Blackmagic 4K Production Camera. I can upgrade my computer with a new Nvidia Quadro K6000 to process the 4K, get the latest 4K editing software with a cloud subscription, and purchase a quality 4K monitor to view the footage on all for less than $25,000! LFV

Leonard Reynolds Location Manager

Positive One Productions 504.606.4110

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LACOPTERCAM BRINGS AERIAL SHOOTING TO NEW HEIGHTS Shooting inside the Mercedes Benz Superdome for Monster Jam with Octo #1.

ichael Koff, owner of LAcoptercam LLC, has developed a company that is revolutionizing the film industry down South. With 20 years’ experience in flying and building custom drone helicopters, Koff ’s services have begun to completely replace the need for full-size helicopters and technocranes, which are typically thought of as the most practical option for aerial film shots.

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“We can get shots that a crane can easily get, but a technocrane takes hours of set up with multiple crew, a tech and a big trailer.

It’s a big footprint,” says Koff. “Not to mention, moving a technocrane from point A to point B can often be a huge task. These are non-issues with our rigs.”

Koff mentions that directors and DPs often quickly recognize the practicality of the Coptercam on set and keep it around for much longer than expected.

“The biggest difference about our system versus a full-size helicopter is we are able to get shots that aren’t possible with a full-size aircraft,” he says. “The clients hire us for a specific shot, but when they actually see how easy it is to move around and how versatile it is, we start getting really busy. We end up staying for 8 or 10 hours because they start picking up every shot under the moon that

Flying through the Hero Garden on the Nicholas Sparks film The Best of Me.

our rig can be used for.”

LAcoptercam has worked on major 56

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productions such as Nicholas Sparks’ new film The Best of Me, CW’s Starcrossed, CNN’s Inside Man, and many industrial commercials. Next up is a three-day shoot with Tabasco.

One of the reasons for the company’s success is its dedication to excellence.

“Our company has a very high level of service,” says Koff. “We will turn jobs down if we feel our rigs are not the best platform for the client’s vision. I like to under-promise and over-deliver.”

Koff also makes every effort to ensure safety and efficiency on set.

“We will show up to set with a primary and a secondary copter, just in case a piece of equipment isn’t working. That way the client isn’t out of their shot,” he explains.

“Myself as the pilot and my gimbal operator will walk through with the DP and director and make sure we are all on the same page. We try not to put the helicopter in the air until everybody is ready, until all safety precautions are taken, and until the shot is well planned and thought out. We do system checks before and after each flight.”

But the safety provisions don’t stop there.

In fact, Koff ’s new safety system is more than just useful, it’s awesome.

“We are currently rigging three of our rigs with ballistic parachutes,” he says. “This is a brand new thing that will be thoroughly

tested and will serve as an additional failsafe.

It’s a last-ditch safety system that deploys if something were to go wrong in the air.”

The drone helicopter business is a delicate one, as any mistake or misuse of the equipment could be detrimental.

“It worries me that people who are inexperienced and don’t have concern for safety are claiming that they can provide a service,” says Koff. “My company is fully insured. We have multiple rigs that we go to locations with, and we treat it like a business.

We know that there is a magnifying glass on this industry. If one novice comes in and drops a copter into a crowd, it brings a negative light to the entire commercial drone industry.”

LAcoptercam is the first company of its kind in Louisiana and is taking the industry to new heights of achievement.

“We are in the final stages of testing our first unmanned airplane camera platform,” says Koff. “This plane will allow us to shoot glass-smooth images with a three-axis brushless gimbal and hold professional cinema cameras. The plane will allow us to fly at heights and speeds not possible with helicopter platforms. From all the R&D I’ve done, I believe this is the first ever aerial cinema airplane platform.” LFV For more information, go to www.LAcoptercam.com.

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3rd Coast Digital Films Baton Rouge, LA 225-751-3456 www.3cdf.com 444 Camera Harahan, LA 504-734-3973 www.444camera.com Abstract Productions LLC New Orleans: 504-644-4185 Baton Rouge: 225-297-2595 www.abstractproductions.net Advanced Audio & Stage Lighting Inc. Denham Springs, LA 225-667-4855 www.advancedaudiobr.com American AVL New Orleans, LA 888-835-8039 www.americanavl.com Anytime Rentals New Orleans, LA 504-261-4881 www.anytime-rentals.com Atherton Pictures New Orleans, LA 504-818-2190 www.athertonpictures.com AV Express, Inc. Baton Rouge, LA 225-929-6961 www.avexpressbr.com Available Lighting, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-831-5214 www.availablelighting.com Berning Productions Metairie, LA 504-838-3960 www.berning.com Blade Studios Shreveport, LA 318-213-0777 www.bladestudios.com CamTrek New Orleans, LA 504-734-3973 www.camtrek.net Center Staging, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-247-0020 www.centerstaging.net Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-731-6050 www.chapman-leonard.com Cinelease Jefferson: 504-267-9075 Shreveport: 318-207-0299 www.cinelease.com CineSouth Lighting New Orleans, LA 318-426-8014 www.cinesouthlighting.com Composite Effects, LLC Baton Rouge, LA 225-756-7875 www.compositeeffects.com Comprehensive Technical Group Kenner, LA 504-466-4454 www.ctgatlanta.com Covert Camera Bikes Prairieville, LA 888-761-6664 www.covertcamerabikes.com

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The Creative Bloc Baton Rouge, LA 225-266-0100 www.thecreativebloc.org Digital FX Baton Rouge, LA 225-763-6010 www.digitalfx.tv Division Camera Baton Rouge, LA 225-308-9990 www.divisioncamera.com Event Producers New Orleans, LA 504-218-4564 www.eventproducers.com Event Rental Gretna, LA 504-362-8368 x217 www.youreventdelivered.com Full Motion Productions Harahan, LA 504-220-2129 www.fullmotionproductions.com GSE Audio Visual Kenner, LA 888-573-6847 Gulf Coast Tent Rentals Harahan, LA 504-468-8368 www.gulfcoast-tent.com Hertz Entertainment Services Kenner, LA 877-HES-7320 www.hertzentertainment.com Holbrook Multi Media Lafayette, LA 337-989-2237 www.holbrookmultimedia.com Hollywood Rentals Sylmar, CA (additional locations in Baton Rouge & New Orleans) 818-407-7824 www.hollywoodrentals.com Iron Grip, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-450-1721 www.irongripllc.com LA Post, Inc. Baton Rouge, LA 225-303-0165 www.lapostgroup.com Lightnin Production Rentals Lawrenceville, GA 770-963-1234 www.lightnin.com Louisiana Media Productions Baton Rouge, LA 225-610-1641 www.lampbr.com Louisiana Public Broadcasting Baton Rouge, LA 225-333-2269 www.lpb.org M&M Sound and Media Alexandria, LA 318-452-2958 www.mandmsoundandmedia.com M3 Systems Folsom, LA 504-616-3999 www.m3systems-jibs.com MBS Equipment Co. Culver City, CA (additional location in New Orleans) 310-558-3100 www.mbseco.com

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PRODUCTION & POST EQUIPMENT RENTAL

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NOLA Film Logistics Metairie, LA 504-710-3626 www.nolafl.com Ophion Entertainment Abita Springs, LA 501-772-8078 www.ophionfilms.com Outland Technology, Inc. Slidell, LA 985-847-1104 www.outlandtech.com Pace Systems New Orleans, LA 504-837-4224 www.pacesys.com Panavision New Orleans Harahan, LA 504-733-3055 www.panavision.com Paramount on Location New Orleans, LA 504-736-2177 www.paramountonlocation.com Paskal Lighting New Orleans, LA 504-602-9510 www.paskal.com The Pinnacle Group Audio Video Lake Charles, LA 337-477-7469 www.pingroup.com Pro-Cam Louisiana Kenner, LA 877-773-2266 www.procamrentals.com Production Plus Studio Rentals Shreveport, LA 310-321-7813 www.productionpluss.com Production Zone/Media 2-Way Radio Dallas, TX 214-935-3800 www.media2wayradio.com; www.productionzone.com Propaganda Audio New Orleans, LA 504-229-0773 www.propagandagroup.com PSAV - New Orleans New Orleans, LA 504-830-4360 www.psav.com Pyramid Audio Productions, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-731-3412 www.pyramidaudio.net Quixote Studios LLC Saint Rose, LA 504-465-8321 www.quixote.com Ragtime Rentals Baton Rouge, LA 225-330-6902 www.ragtimerentals.com Reece Cinematography LLC New Orleans, LA 504-390-7781 www.reececinematography.com Rhino Staging Gonzales, LA 225-644-5600 www.rhinostaging.com Royal Productions Metairie, LA 800-776-9252 www.royalproductions.com

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RZI Lighting, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-525-5600 www.rzilighting.com

Second Line Stages New Orleans, LA 504-528-3050 www.secondlinestages.com

See-Hear Productions Bogalusa, LA 985-886-9358 www.seehearpro.com

Smart Source New Orleans, LA 504-737-2247 www.smartsourcerentals.com

Solomon Group New Orleans, LA 504-252-4500 www.solomongroup.com

Soupfactory Digital Metairie, LA 504-813-7856 www.soupfactorydigital.com

Spectrum of NOLA (Spectrum FX) Harahan, LA 504-322-7236 www.spectrumeffects.com

StageLight New Orleans, LA 504-818-1880 www.stagelight.com

Story Teller Effects Group LLC Jefferson, LA 504-832-9800 www.storytellerfx.com

VER - Video Equipment Rentals New Orleans, LA 504-831-6966 www.verrents.com

Vidox Motion Imagery Lafayette, LA 337-237-1700 www.vidox.com

Worldwide FX Shreveport, LA 318-841-3582 www.wwfx.net

WyndChaser Lighting Baton Rouge, LA 225-216-1546 www.wyndchaserlighting.com

YES Productions Metairie, LA 800-736-8812 www.yesproductions.com

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Abstract Productions LLC New Orleans: 504-644-4185 Baton Rouge: 225-297-2595 www.abstractproductions.net ACT Technologies Reserve, LA 985-536-2934 www.acttechnologies.com Aggreko, Inc. Baton Rouge: 225-751-3525; Lake Charles: 337-625-3450 New Iberia: 337-365-5479; New Orleans: 504-461-0556 Shreveport: 877-603-6021 www.aggreko.com American Audio Visual, LLC Baton Rouge, LA 225-928-3334 www.aavbr.com American AVL New Orleans, LA 888-835-8039 www.americanavl.com Anytime Rentals New Orleans, LA 504-261-4881 www.anytime-rentals.com Audio Visual Mart Inc. Kenner, LA 504-733-1500 www.av-mart.com AV Express Baton Rouge, LA 225-929-6961 www.avexpressbr.com Available Lighting New Orleans, LA 504-831-5214 www.availablelighting.com Barnstorm Cinema New Orleans, LA 504-458-4665 www.barnstormcinema.com Berning Productions Metairie, LA 504-838-3960 www.berning.com Blue Hawk Aviation New Orleans, LA 504-613-6630 www.bluehawkaviation.com Blueline Rental West Monroe, LA 318-398-9030 www.bluelinerental.com Briggs Equipment New Orleans: 504-733-5640 Baton Rouge: 225-926-9206 www.briggsequipment.com Camera Copters, Inc. Miami, FL 888-463-7953 www.cameracopters.com Carruth Brothers Lumber Co., Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-522-1113 www.carruthlumber.net CAT Entertainment Services Baton Rouge, LA 225-389-1181 www.es-cat.com Center Staging, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-247-0020 www.centerstaging.net

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4QFDJBMJ[JOH JO

"FSJBM 'JMN %JHJUBM .PUJPO 1JDUVSF 1SPEVDUJPOT

Camera Systems • Nation Wide Coverage • SAG Pilots • Cameraships • Storyships • Location Scouting • Motion Picture Manual • Mobile Refueling • Ground Support & Communications. • Two In-House Cineflex Camera Systems • Wescam • SpaceCam • Tyler Mounts • GSS Camera System • Arri Alexa • Red & Sony F55 Camera Options • Custom Cineflex Mounts for Vehicle, Marine, Motorcycle and Snowmobile Applications

704.792.1807 XXX IFMJWJTJPO DPN

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Chaps Party Rentals New Orleans, LA 504-944-2536 www.chapspartyrentals.com Cinelease Jefferson: 504-267-9075 Shreveport: 318-207-0299 www.cinelease.com CineSouth Lighting New Orleans, LA 318-426-8014 www.cinesouthlighting.com Comprehensive Technical Group Kenner, LA 504-466-4454 www.ctgatlanta.com DCAV New Orleans New Orleans, LA 504-813-0845 www.dcavno.com Digital FX Baton Rouge, LA 225-763-6010 www.digitalfx.tv Encore Event Rentals Shreveport, LA 318-222-2000 www.encoreeventrentals.com Event Producers New Orleans, LA 504-218-4564 www.eventproducers.com Event Rental Gretna, LA 504-362-8368 x217 www.youreventdelivered.com Event Restroom New Orleans: 866-424-4164 Lafayette: 337-269-0358 www.yourrestroomdelivered.com Exchange Communications New Orleans, LA 888-679-6111 www.exchangecom.net Full Motion Productions Harahan, LA 504-220-2129 www.fullmotionproductions.com Graci Electric Metairie, LA 504-832-7997 www.gracihartelectric.com GSE Audio Visual Kenner, LA 888-573-6847

Gulf Coast Cinema Trucks Houston, TX 713-682-3572 www.gccts.com Gulf Coast Tent Rentals Harahan, LA 504-468-8368 www.gulfcoast-tent.com Hawthorne Global Aviation Services New Orleans, LA 504-248-5240 www.hawthorne.aero Helivision Concord, NC 704-792-1807 www.helivision.com

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JEFFERSON BATTERY COMPANY MOVIE PRODUCTION BATTERY SUPPLIES Batteries for a Portable World 700 Jefferson Highway Jefferson, LA 70121 Wholesale - Retail - Commercial - Private We will meet your needs!

Medical - Marine - Military University & Corporate Automotive & Heavy Machinery Computers & Back-Up Systems Digital Cameras & Camcorders Smartphones, Mobile Devices, & PDA’s (Energizer Lithium AA)

BRANDS: AC Delco, Exide, Universal Power Group, YUASA, Motorcross, Gates Hawker, Poloroid, Sanyo, Duracell Procell, Cyclone, Panasonic, Saft, Tadiran, Schumacher Chargers, Cadnica, Hawker, Powersonic, Enersys, Eagle Picher, Ultra Life, Midtronics, Autometer, DEKA, Associated Equipment, and many more!

Tel: (504) 835 -1685 / Fax: (504) 835 - 5773 / E-mail: mail@thebattman.com ISSUE TWO

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EQUIPMENT RENTED

Hertz Entertainment Services Kenner, LA 877-HES-7320 www.hertzentertainment.com Holbrook Multi Media Lafayette, LA 337-989-2237 www.holbrookmultimedia.com Hollywood Rentals Sylmar, CA (additional locations in Baton Rouge & New Orleans) 818-407-7824 www.hollywoodrentals.com Hollywood Trucks Baton Rouge: 225-330-6126 New Orleans: 504-528-2480 www.hollywoodtrucksllc.com Home Team Productions New Orleans, LA 504-733-8326 www.hometeamproductions.net Hotard Coaches & Calco Travel New Orleans, LA 800-356-6831 www.calcohotard.com J Custom Supply Co. Baton Rouge, LA 800-226-5657 www.jcustom.com Jefferson Battery Co. Jefferson, LA 504-835-1685 www.thebattman.com

We Are Your One Stop Shop For All Of Your Aerial Needs!

Max Air Helicopters, LLC is a full service helicopter company, located in SW Louisiana, at Chennault Intl.

Airport. We utilize full size helicopters, along with heavy lift Cinema UAVs and Digital Camera Stabilizers that will carry virtually any production camera, from a Cannon 5D to the ARRI ALEXA. Add the ability for the DOP to have a remote controlled, video downlink, with remote follow focus and zoom/iris control, LIVE from the camera system, your results will only be limited by your imagination. Utilizing our special quick change mounting system, the Digital Camera Stabilizer can be exchanged between being hand KHOG WR YHKLFOHV $79V MLEV Ă \ OLQHV 8$9V RU IXOO VL]HG KHOLFRSWHUV LQ D PDWWHU RI VHFRQGV VDYLQJ \RX valuable production time. We also offer sales, service, rental, repair and training for the UAV and Digital Camera Stabilizer.

Please visit our website to see all of our aerial services & samples of our work.

4500 Chennault Pkwy, Lake Charles, LA 70615 • 337-802-4209 • maxairhelicopters.com • events.maxairhelicopters@gmail.com

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Company City, State Phone Web site

UI U PM N EN ICA T TIO ST N AG EE QU IP ME B NT TR ARR AF IC FIC AD /S ES AF / ET PO Y RT AB LE RE ST TE RO LE OM PR OM S PT E RS A CO V E MP QU UT IPM ER EN S T/ GE NE RA TO RS /H IN VA C D C LIF ONSUST R T E TR IA BA QU UC L/ T TT ER IP ION IES /

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EQUIPMENT RENTED

LAcoptercam, LLC Metairie, LA 504-656-4649 www.lacoptercam.com Lightnin Production Rentals Lawrenceville, GA 770-963-1234 www.lightnin.com Louisiana Lift & Equipment Inc. Alexandria: 318-448-3877; Baton Rouge: 225-753-5700 Shreveport: 318-631-5100; St.Rose: 504-463-3400 www.lalift.com Louisiana Media Productions Baton Rouge, LA 225-610-1641 www.lampbr.com Louisiana Public Broadcasting Baton Rouge, LA 225-333-2269 www.lpb.org M&M Sound and Media Alexandria, LA 318-452-2958 www.mandmsoundandmedia.com Max Air Helicopters, LLC Lake Charles, LA 337-802-4209 www.maxairhelicopters.com MBS Equipment Co. Culver City, CA (additional location in New Orleans) 310-558-3100 www.mbseco.com

Cameras Love Us! Lighting Loves Us! Stunts and Audio, Too! What We Have

What We Do Camera Platforms Lighting Towers Stunt Platforms Custom Platforms Electrical Distribution Truss Roof Systems Sound Reinforcements Lighting Systems Concert Staging Food & Craft Booths Viewing Stands Theater Productions Site Consultants Cam-Lok Connectors

Stage Crews Labor Crews Scaffolding Mobile Stages 35K ft Wood Decking 4K ft Alum. Decking Multi-Quip Generators Power Distribution Feeder Cable Bleachers Ballast Blocks

30 ft. high stunt platform for “The Courier” movie

Plus all the stuff you need but can neer find

“We can build any platform, stage or structure in any size or configuration you need!”

We have the best equipment, the best prices and the best service.

.

Center Staging, Inc. Serving New Orleans & The Gulf South Region (504) 247-0020

(866) 508-0975 70

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www.CenterStaging.Net

We do all the heavy lifting for you and specialize in getting the job done right the first time, on time, every time.

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Millennium Studios Shreveport, LA 318-841-3599 www.millenniumstudios.net NES Rentals Geismar: 225-673-3155 Sulphur: 337-625-4446; Harvey: 504-368-4277 www.nesrentals.com New Orleans Moving Pictures Co., LLC Terrytown, LA 504-533-8638 www.nompco.com NOLA Film Logistics Metairie, LA 504-710-3626 www.nolafl.com Pace Systems New Orleans, LA 504-837-4224 www.pacesys.com Panther Helicopters, Inc. Belle Chasse, LA 504-394-5803 www.pantherhelicopters.com Paramount on Location New Orleans, LA 504-736-2177 www.paramountonlocation.com The Pinnacle Group Audio Video Lake Charles, LA 337-477-7469 www.pingroup.com Production Plus Studio Rentals Shreveport, LA 310-321-7813 www.productionpluss.com Production Zone/Media 2-Way Radio Dallas, TX 214-935-3800 www.media2wayradio.com www.productionzone.com Professional Restroom Solutions, LLC Benton, LA 318-965-0211 www.professionalrestroomsolutions.com Propaganda Audio New Orleans, LA 504-229-0773 www.propagandagroup.com PSAV - New Orleans New Orleans, LA 504-830-4360 www.psav.com Pyramid Audio Productions, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-731-3412 www.pyramidaudio.net Quixote Studios LLC Saint Rose, LA 504-465-8321 www.quixote.com Rhino Staging Gonzales, LA 225-644-5600 www.rhinostaging.com Royal Productions Metairie, LA 800-776-9252 www.royalproductions.com RZI Lighting, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-525-5600 www.rzilighting.com

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:FBST &YQFSJFODF *O "FSJBM 'JMNJOH 1IPUPHSBQIZ -PVJTJBOB 'BNJMZ 0XOFE #VTJOFTT "FSJBM 4FSWJDFT 1SPWJEFE 5ISPVHIPVU 5IF 6OJUFE 4UBUFT

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Second Line Stages New Orleans, LA 504-528-3050 www.secondlinestages.com See-Hear Productions Bogalusa, LA 985-886-9358 www.seehearpro.com Show Time Rentals Metairie, LA 504-883-7329 www.showtimerents.com Silver Screen Rentals New Orleans: 504-737-0555 Baton Rouge: 225-810-3005 www.silverscreensupplies.com Smart Source New Orleans, LA 504-737-2247 www.smartsourcerentals.com Solomon Group New Orleans, LA 504-252-4500 www.solomongroup.com South Coast Helicopters, Inc. New Orleans, LA 888-836-0882 www.southcoasthelicopters.com Southern Helicopters Sunshine, LA 225-642-0075 www.southernhelicopters.com StageWorks of Louisiana Shreveport, LA 318-221-3175 www.stageworksla.com Studio Services, Inc. Sylmar, CA (additional location in New Orleans) 888-833-8803 www.studioservices.com SunCruisin’ RV Baton Rouge, LA 281-548-7878 www.suncruisinrv.com T & M Aviation, Inc. Abbeville, LA 337-893-9074 www.tmaviation.com The Tent Man New Orleans: 504-780-8368 Northshore: 985-624-7368 www.tentmantents.com That’s A Wrap Slidell, LA 504-952-9662 www.thatsawrapservices.org VER - Video Equipment Rentals New Orleans, LA 504-831-6966 www.verrents.com Vidox Motion Imagery Lafayette, LA 337-237-1700 www.vidox.com Workbox, LLC Port Allen, LA 888-528-1605 www.workboxllc.com WyndChaser Lighting Baton Rouge, LA 225-216-1546 www.wyndchaserlighting.com LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE

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