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CONTENTS

VOLUME TEN ISSUE THREE 2014

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andrew Vogel andrew@louisianafilmandvideo.com

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EDITOR-AT-LARGE Shanna Forrestall CONTRIBUTING EDITOR W.H. Bourne ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katie Sauro contact@louisianafilmandvideo.com

"

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS W. H. Bourne, Wéland Bourne, Meg Kaul, Liza Kelso, Odin Lindblom, Shanda Quintal, Jason Raymond, Carol Ann Scruggs, Corey Vaughn SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins SALES Steve Joseph

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. PHOTO BY WETA – TM AND ©2013 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION.

PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker

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Letter from the Editor

47 Big Films On The Big Muddy: Size and scope of industry continues to impress

Film Industry Expo Returns October 11

13 Home Grown Talent At Real Screen West 15 Nuggets Of Wisdom From The PGA

49 Local Stars Shine At Premiere Of John Schneider’s Smothered

53 Holbrook Multi Media Wraps Second Unit Production For A Sort Of Homecoming

17 Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Swings Into Theaters

55 Rene Broussard: I’ll Book Your Film If...

58 Jazz Fest Live From Your Couch

SPECIAL FOCUS

Baton Rouge What’s new in the Capital City?

27 Hollywood In The Red Stick Celtic Media Centre lures major feature films to Baton Rouge

63 2014 IFTA Conference Focuses On Dollars And Sense 65 From Fringe To Binge: Re-imagining At 67 VER Creates CINEVERSE 69 Big Easy Provides Big Incentives 73 Stage Profiles 83 Aerial Cinematography Profiles

33 BIC Media Solutions Grows Film, Video Services 37 Louisiana International Film Festival And Mentorship Program Comes To Life

39 LF&V Road Trip!

LOUISIANA INDUSTRY LISTS

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Stages/Soundstages

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Aerial Cinematography

41 Surprises And Honesty During Panels At The LIFF Mentorship Program

45 LIFF Program Highlight: Emily Best of Seed&Spark

ON THE COVER: Caesar, portrayed by Andy Serkis (in performance suit), the leader of the ape nation, and Malcolm (Jason Clarke), a representative of a colony of human survivors, reach a fragile peace in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. PHOTO BY DAVID JAMES – TM AND ©2013 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION.

DIGITAL EDITION AVAILABLE AT: WWW.LOUISIANAFILMANDVIDEO.COM 4

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WEBMASTER Jon Hines OFFICE MANAGER Audra Higgins INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn

61 Summer Heats Up With NOVAC Events

The NCTA Cable Show

23 Baton Rouge Production Update

DESIGNERS Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells

LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO PUBLICATIONS A DIVISION OF MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP

P.O. Box 50036 New Orleans, LA 70150 (800) 332-1736 contact@louisianafilmandvideo.com www.louisianafilmandvideo.com www.louisianaproductionindex.com Display Advertising: Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card.

Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Subscriptions, call (800) 332-1736 for information and rates.

Copyright © 2014 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be used for solicitation or copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR he past couple months have been some of the most exciting, challenging, exhausting and inspiring days of my life. I had the privilege of working on a number of film projects, one of which afforded me the opportunity to work directly opposite two great icons of film, Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. I drove close to 10,000 miles on trips to Atlanta, Shreveport and Baton Rouge and dedicated more than a few 14-plus-hour days to filming. I stretched myself as an actor, maybe as a person, in the process. At times I felt proud and confident, other times doubtful and humbled by the greats.

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Now that life seems to have settled a bit, I find myself reflecting on my journeys, both literal and figurative, and I can’t help but think that my life would be drastically different if it wasn’t for the sudden emergence of a Louisiana film industry. I unfortunately don’t think I would be acting. And I certainly wouldn’t be writing for LF&V. It’s funny, though—now I can’t imagine doing anything else.

I’m one of thousands that now have careers doing something they are passionate about as a result of this industry. That’s incredible to me. So I’m not worried about Louisiana being number one in film production worldwide (even though it’s awesome), as long as we maintain this fertile ground for newcomers who aren’t ready to jump into Los Angeles or New York. Yes, of course, we will continue to grow, and our talent pool will become bigger and better. But for now, I’m thrilled to be in a place

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where dreams have a chance to gain footing before Hollywood can attempt to squash them.

This issue highlights the littlebig city of Baton Rouge, whose Southern hospitality knows no bounds, and as a result, major productions like Pitch Perfect 2 and The Fantastic Four have found a home there. According to Patrick Mulhearn, executive director at Celtic Media Centre, The Fantastic Four has “taken up every square inch on the lot… No other film has done that.” Read more on page 27.

We also hear the latest from Liza Kelso and the Baton Rouge Film Commission on page 23. And for those who attended the Louisiana International Film Festival this year, you just may see yourself on page 37.

Thanks for reading, Andrew Vogel, Executive Editor

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FILM INDUSTRY EXPO RETURNS OCTOBER 11 AS LOUISIANA FILM INDUSTRY RISES TO THE TOP STORY BY SHANDA QUINTAL

ouisiana was recently named the number one film production capital of the world by FilmL.A., the Los Angeles regional film office that tracks filmmaking worldwide. Although this current moniker reflects the number of large, big-budget films produced in the state, Louisiana has also made cultivating an indigenous, independent, self-sustaining filmmaking community one of its main priorities. And to support that effort, the 6th annual Film Industry Expo, the oldest and largest film industry conference in the Gulf South, returns to New Orleans bringing film industry leaders to the heart of Hollywood South. New this year, Kickstarter, the number one crowdfunding online platform, will develop a presentation on creating successful crowdfunding campaigns based upon the case studies of and featuring three filmmakers who succeeded and surpassed their crowdfunding goals.

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(l to r) Seth Coltan of Breakdown Services and casting directors Ryan Glorioso and Pam Dixon.

Jason Teresi, Breakdown Services (center), with casting directors Lisa Marie Dupree and Anne Massey.

Actors and independent filmmakers at the 5th annual Film Industry Expo.

Casting director Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd and actor/acting coach Lance Nichols.

(l to r) Melissa Wiseman, Entertainment Partners; Jason Hewitt, CEO, Films In Motion; Eric Thompson, Esq., representing Twentieth Century Fox; and Laura Medina, University of New Orleans, DGA.

Exhibitor Echo Effect Media.

According to the FilmL.A. 2014 study, Louisiana has surpassed Los Angeles, New York and Canada in film production. In the report, it was stated that in 2013 Louisiana produced 18 films; Los Angeles and Canada tied for second, each producing 15; followed by the United Kingdom with 12. New York produced four films.

Considering that in 2002, there was only one unknown feature film made in Louisiana, the rise to the top has been astounding.

But it’s not just the big-budget films that have positioned Louisiana as the filmmaking capital of the world. In a study recently released by MovieMaker Magazine, Louisiana has two of the top five cities with populations under 500,000—New Orleans and Shreveport—for independent filmmakers to live and make movies.

And with the recent successes of big-budget productions and independent feature films such as Beasts of the Southern Wild, 12 Years a Slave, and the currently filming The Fantastic Four, it’s clear to see that Louisiana has earned its position as the leading film production capital of the world.

Building upon these successes, Louisiana has made one of its main goals the creation of a thriving, indigenous independent filmmaking community by developing and nurturing inde-

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and actors from throughout the country.

This year’s programming will include three tracks of informative panel discussions, engaging presentations, workshops and industry networking opportunities. The Expo also features a free and open-to-the-public exhibit hall showcasing companies that provide the tools and resources actors and independent filmmakers need to succeed in their careers. Among the panel discussions, presentations and seminars at this year’s Expo are:

LOUISIANA HAS MADE ONE OF ITS MAIN GOALS THE CREATION OF A THRIVING, INDIGENOUS INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING COMMUNITY BY DEVELOPING AND NURTURING INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS AND ACTORS. pendent filmmakers and actors. This year, New Orleans hosted the 12th annual Filmapalooza, the final worldwide competition of the 48 Hour Film Project, drawing independent filmmakers throughout the world.

The spotlight on Louisiana started with the creation of the Louisiana Motion Picture Tax Incentive Act of 2002, which attracts multimillion-dollar productions wanting to take advantage of the 30-percent tax credits being offered. To qualify for this program, there is a minimum in-state spend of $300,000 and on the surface, it seems that lowand micro-budget independent filmmakers are unable to participate in the state’s tax credit program. But this is not the case, according to Chris Stelly, executive director of the Louisiana Economic Development Entertainment Division, the arm that oversees and administers the tax credit program. With creative packaging, independent low- and micro-budget productions can also leverage the tax credits.

Creative packaging, best practices for crowdfunding, agent meetings, auditions and much more will be featured at this year’s Film Industry Expo, which continues to provide invaluable information, timely resources and networking opportunities to independent filmmakers

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• Successful Crowdfunding by Kickstarter • Film Festival Strategies • Indie Budgeting • Independent Distribution • Pitching Your Script • Self-taping and Skype Auditions • Headshot and Resume Reviews • Elements of Casting

• • • • • • • • •

Casting Critiques Auditions Creating a Web Series The Acting Studio Presents Developing the Child Actor Coogan Accounts The Business of Acting Casting Etiquette Agent Meetings

Every year the Louisiana film industry expands and every year the Film Industry Expo grows with it to meet the needs of actors and independent filmmakers from throughout the country. For more information, go to www.FilmIndustryExpo.com.

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HOME GROWN TALENT AT REAL SCREEN WEST STORY BY W. H. BOURNE • PHOTOS BY RAHOUL GHOSE PHOTOGRAPHY/REALSCREEN

eal Screen West is the Hollywood version of the famous east coast reality summit. This was the six year anniversary for the west coast conference, a reality producer’s dream come true with everything from educational seminars, intimate mentoring roundtables, 30 minute info sessions where Internet, cable and TV channels discussed their current reality needs, and the opportunity to pitch.

Speakers included creators of some of today’s hottest shows including Pawn Stars and Duck Dynasty. Channel representatives included companies such as Discovery, Nat Geo, Spike TV, ABC, SyFy, Bravo, History, TLC, A&E, OWN, VH1, and AMC.

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One thing most production companies and execs agreed upon was “characters” as the driving force and barometer of a successful show. Producers discussed recruiting tactics ranging from looking through endless hours of tapes to driving to small towns in America.

Pawn Stars executive producer David George explained, “Most networks want something unique and a little bit outside the box…

Characters are what makes things break through.”

Deidre Gurney of Gurney Productions also addressed character as she talked about her hit series Duck Dynasty. Her husband and production partner Scott Gurney (also in attendance) is from Louisiana and grew up knowing the Robertsons. Scott is a hunter and knew the Roberstons had a show on the Outdoor Chan-

Scott Gurney

nel. While the original show just featured the Robertsons hunting, Scott believed a much better show would have the entire family involved.

“Duck Dynasty showed that you didn’t have to have negativity to have a hit show,” said Deidre Gurney as she illustrated the importance of character.

The Gurneys currently have five shows shooting in Louisiana and take advantage of the tax incentive to achieve “efficient” budgets, an issue that most reality shows grapple with.

“I love shooting in Louisiana,”

Deidre Gurney

Jenny Daly

said Gurney. “It gives us a chance to visit Scott’s family there.”

While the Gurneys enjoy both the tax credits and time with family, other production companies are flocking to Louisiana to find unique characters.

“You drive to a bar in Louisiana and you’re going to find five or six guys who have been shot by every development executive in New York and Los Angeles,” remarked producer Geno McDermott.

Characters aside, Louisiana’s tax incentives have definitely drawn reality productions to the Bayou State.

Illustrating dedication to story and struggling with financial constraints producer Jenny Daly commented, “I was in the swamps in Louisiana in the water, six months pregnant with an alligator four feet away.”

Marissa Ronca of truTV who works with Daly summed it up best saying that in today’s market channels are looking for great characters and great storytelling at a great price. LFV

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NUGGETS OF WISDOM FROM THE PGA STORY BY ODIN LINDBLOM, W. H. BOURNE, AND WÉLAND BOURNE • PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP/INVISION

hat do Norman Lear, Seth Rogen and Francis Ford Coppola all have in common? These producers were some of the many speaking at this year’s Producers Guild of America (PGA) Produced By Conference at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles. Sessions ranged from financing and film incentives to the viability of VOD to the latest news on disruptive media.

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Scott Stephens, executive producer on True Detective, talked about location choices for his recent HBO show, “Our show takes place in Louisiana, but it is also an incentive state which is great.”

The PGA’s incentive panel was the only panel sold out in advance. Executive director of Louisiana Entertainment Chris Stelly was at the session and was called upon to talk about the production tax credits. After the session, we were able to catch up with Stelly to get his opinion on the panel.

“Louisiana was well represented and thought about by most panelists speaking at Produced By,” said Stelly. “It is always great to be recognized by industry professionals as one of the top states to do business with and in. Our program is stable, reliable and has matured to the point where we see a lot of repeat business.”

Companies’ representatives including Cathy Schulman from Mandelay, John Sloss from Filmbuff, Jason Janego of TWC and Sam Totes of Vimeo discussed the ongoing problems with VOD. They reported that VOD purchases capped out at $1.5 million suggesting that production budgets needed to cap out at $50,000 and needed to include stars. With financing by soft money, equity and foreign buyers, many panelists did not feel that a straight to VOD deal was a viable option.

Sam Totes at Vimeo was also on this panel and explained his frustration saying that he had only been with Vimeo for a couple months since his departure from Warner Bros. He’s still trying to figure out how to optimize the platform at Vimeo.

Social media seemed to be the hottest topic. Some of the best talent in this forum included notables such as Shira Lazar of What’s Trending as well as several publicists whose focus is specifically new media.

“Social media is the new water cooler,” said Lazar.

Lazar noted that the relevancy of water cooler topics is only a few days before audiences move on to the next latest and greatest thing. This leaves very little time to capitalize on the attention and attract new audiences.

“Social media energizes the audience to watch the episode that day and not a week later,” explained Matt Warburton best known for his work on The Simpsons, Community and The Mindy Project.

Peter Micelli, an agent at CAA, highlighted the ongoing problems with new media, “The biggest disruption is technology.”

Dana Brunetti, producer on The Social Network and the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey response was, “Be an early adopter!” LFV

Francis Ford Coppola

Seth Rogen Norman Lear

On Warner Bros. lot.

Talking incentives with the PGA.

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DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES SWINGS INTO THEATERS STORY BY W. H. BOURNE • PHOTOS BY WETA AND DAVID JAMES - TM AND ©2014 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION

Malcolm (Jason Clarke) tries to make peace with Caesar (Andy Serkis), Koba (Toby Kebbell) and Maurice (Karin Konoval).

for the performance capture,” Serkis continued. “No one has ever attempted that combination of shooting native 3D in a practical location, at least not to this extent. What was really exciting was to take the aesthetic of photorealistic apes and then put these characters in naturalistic situations. It’s important to be thinking about what’s right for the story, so my first thought about the work was not necessarily about 3D; it was, ‘what’s this moment about?’”

“It’s simply amazing—old-growth forest, 3D cameras, motion cap cameras, wires going everywhere, smoke machines, fog machines, rain and mud, a crew of hundreds and then there’s 50 actors performing as apes walking around the forest,” said actor Jason Clarke who portrays Malcom, Caesar’s primary human contact. “I always prefer shooting on location rather than on a soundstage. It just brings so much in terms of realism to the project. This goes for the actors portraying the human characters and for the ‘apes actors’ as well. These guys are not just sitting in a vacuum. They’ve got to interact with people and the forest and the mud and everything else and the rocks and the stones

awn of the Planet of the Apes opens July 11 in theaters nationwide. The film which shot in Louisiana and Vancouver is groundbreaking in that 85% of the film was shot in exterior locations. Motion capture without a stage is amazing alone; add to that the complexity of shooting in 3D while depicting a community of 2,000 apes, living in wild surroundings in humid, rainforest environments, and it’s easy to see why this is such a technological achievement.

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Andy Serkis plays Caesar and reprises his role from Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The actor is considered a mo-cap genius and rose to fame with his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies.

Serkis has an extensive history with Weta, Peter Jackson’s VFX company.

Together, they have been on the leading edge of mo-cap in both technology and performance. For this movie, Serkis was so impressed with Weta’s latest developments that he proclaimed this was a “huge technical leap that enables there to be no disconnect with the other actors.”

To capture the performances, Weta Digital had 35 people on each unit, an array of 50 or so mo-cap cameras and eight witness capture cameras that were constantly rolling on anything that involved an ape character.

“Everything around us, and everywhere we shot provided challenges

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Director Matt Reeves on the set of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

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and the rain.”

“Being able to record the performance capture on location and working with all the other actors means you have a more coherent performance,” said Joe Letteri, senior visual effects supervisor. “Everyone is in the moment together. And that’s really what we were trying to do with the new technology we developed.”

Letteri noted that this groundbreaking technology must always be in the service of the story and the performances. This worked seamlessly for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes where it’s obvious the movie is not about the cool VFX shots but the carefully crafted and compelling story; likewise, the film did not want to focus on an apocalypse but rather survival.

“There is a sense in the beginning of the story that apes have inherited the Earth,” said director Matt Reeves. “A small group of humans is struggling to come back from devastation, and the apes are

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(left to right) Kirk Acevedo, Keri Russell, Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Enrique Murciano.

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fighting for survival. It’s an ape world, and we explore whether apes and humans can figure out a way to live together without violence.”

“Matt, from the beginning, has been very explicit about this being more than just a post-apocalyptic world,” said production designer James Chinlund. “This is a story about the birth of a civilization. I think it’s sort of a restart for the planet Earth. We did a lot of research into the way nature would reclaim the earth, and the first steps in how a primitive society would evolve. It was exciting to try and imagine how that would happen and also watching this new society built its world. I feel like the apes are going through the same evolutionary path that we did and running into the same pitfalls and trying to figure out how to build their new world. It was a really fun opportunity to try to think like an ape and help create that society.” LFV

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SPECIAL FOCUS

Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE PRODUCTION UPDATE:

WHAT’S NEW IN THE CAPITAL CITY? STORY BY LIZA KELSO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BATON ROUGE FILM COMMISSION

Center) to roll out several film courses throughout 2014. Nicknamed ‘BROVAC’ (Baton Rouge Organization/Video Access Center), this non-profit organization works with the Baton Rouge Film Commission and Celtic Studios identifying students and offering courses that include, but are not limited to, an intensive PA Boot Camp, a weekend-long Film Budgeting Intensive and a Script Supervisor Training Course. In its infancy, BROVAC has already placed 33 graduates in working positions on 11 local projects, ranging from films to national commercials to live events, thus solidifying its huge success.

With nearly $200 million in production budgets hitting the Baton Rouge market in the first and second quarters, 2014 looks to be a

he Baton Rouge Film Commission works in concert with Celtic Media Centre, the largest design built studio in the Gulf South, to serve our productions with not only stage space, but state-of-the-art equipment and various logistic needs, as well as post-production services. In addition, the Baton Rouge area has seen success with productions repurposing buildings and warehouses. For example, besides occupying all seven stages at Celtic Studios, The Fantastic Four has also taken over the former Earl K. Long Hospital as an additional hero site, which has led to another feature project inquiring about utilizing this successful footprint.

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With exponential growth, the need for more experienced crewmembers to live locally here in Baton Rouge has greatly increased. Recognizing this need, the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development partnered with NOVAC (New Orleans Video Access

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banner year. Hospitality, service, and an engaged Mayor’s Office all contribute to the success of filming in the Red Stick. To say that we work ‘out of the box’ is an understatement… it is all hands on deck to ensure that our filmmakers find exactly what they need for their shoot.

• Set Locations - Assist With Location Directors Finding Places To Film • Familiar With Most Of South Louisiana • Educate Property Owners In The Process & Their Expectations

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FILMS IN PRODUCTION: The Fantastic Four, directed by Josh Trank. Cast includes Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan. Principal photography began on May 5 and will wrap on August 10.

Pitch Perfect 2, directed by Elizabeth Banks. Cast includes Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin and Adam DeVine. Principal photography began on May 21 and will wrap July 23.

RECENTLY WRAPPED: The Final Girls, directed by Todd Strauss Schulson. Cast includes Nina Dobrev, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig and Taissa Farmiga.

Produced by Groundswell Productions, this indie horror flick was filmed both in Baton Rouge and in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

PIPELINE PRODUCTIONS: Baton Rouge and our surrounding areas have several projects in the pipeline that are not for public consumption at this time, one being a Disney Channel made-for-TV movie.

For more information about filming in Baton Rouge, call 225-382-3563 or visit www.filmbatonrouge.com.

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SPECIAL FOCUS

Baton Rouge

HOLLYWOOD IN THE RED STICK CELTIC MEDIA CENTRE LURES MAJOR FEATURE FILMS TO BATON ROUGE eltic Media Centre has raised the bar in Louisiana film, hosting the largest production this state has seen to date, 20th Century Fox’s The Fantastic Four.

“The film has taken up every square inch of the lot and will be there until the end of the summer,” says Patrick Mulhearn, executive director at Celtic Studios. “No other film has done that, including Twilight and Oblivion.”

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Stage 2 located in the O'Connor Building.

Executive director Patrick Mulhearn and operations manager Aaron Bayham.

He continues, “It’s rare that someone comes in and books every single stage. We are the largest studio in this part of the U.S. Even with Oblivion, we still had two open stages, and we also had Breakout Kings, The Host, Beautiful Creatures… though not all at the same time.”

Celtic Studios, after a recent breakaway from Raleigh Studios, is now completely locally owned and operated.

Mulhearn comments, “The relationship had run its course. When you’re calling for stage space, you don’t call Hollywood to book stage space in Baton Rouge. You call Baton Rouge. We are all about streamlining and cutting out red tape, making it easier on everyone.”

For Mulhearn and the Celtic team, Southern hospitality is essential to their success.

“You can rent a warehouse in Boston, but are they going to take you to a football game? We do that all the time. (Filmmakers) often meet

The back-lot at Celtic Media Centre.

Inside stage 2.

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Inside the Rebecca Building, stage 5.

Stage 4, the Brianna Building.

the mayor before they even come here. Personal touch goes a long way. We’ve got the hospitality card down. That sets us apart,” says Mulhearn. He continues, “Places like Atlanta are much bigger international cities and have a lot of other things going on.

You may not get the same warmth and level of attention you get here. And it’s welcome attention. We don’t have the unwelcome attention of paparazzi chasing you around. We don’t do that here.”

Personal touch goes a long way, indeed. So much Stage 7, the Alisa Building. so that repeat business has

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become a huge factor for the studio.

“Gold Circle did The Haunting in Georgia here, and that was enough for them to say, ‘Baton Rouge is not a bad place, so let’s try this film called Pitch Perfect,’” explains Mulhearn. “And they had such a good experience with Pitch Perfect. It blew everybody’s expectations away. So they came back again and did one called Search Party that will be coming out this fall. And that went well enough to say, ‘Okay, well, let’s do Pitch Perfect 2.’”

Celtic isn’t alone in setting higher standards of service. The City of Baton Rouge truly works as a unit

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to provide a unique and memorable experience for filmmakers.

“There’s such a great community in Baton Rouge,” says Mulhearn.

“You have the Mayor’s Office, the Baton Rouge Film Office… LSU rolls out the red carpet for executives and producers who are in town. I mean, to bring them to the chancellor’s tailgate and maybe get to walk on the field as the Tigers are walking on the field out the tunnel… Who will do that for you? People go above and beyond here.”

When asked his thoughts on the state of Louisiana film as a whole, Mulhearn replied, “In the past two years we’ve had two films shot in Louisiana that were nominated for Best Picture. One of them wins this year. We stay busy here, and practice makes perfect. Our crews are getting better. I think in a couple years people will argue that our crews are some of the best in the world.” LFV For more information on Celtic Media Centre, visit www.celticmediacentre.com.

The back-lot at Celtic Media Centre.

Stage 4, the Brianna Building.

Celtic Media Centre has just under 5 acres of green space available throughout the property.

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Enhance Your Marketing Efforts BIC Media Solutions (BMS) is a marketing and communication, media advisory and event planning company within BIC Alliance. With three decades of experience and expanded outsourcing capabilities, contact us to bring your marketing and sales to the next level.

Management & Marketing Consultation Media/Film Investments & Partnerships Independent Media Representatives Custom Book Publishing Event Planning Speaker Services/Keynote Presentations For more information, please contact Earl Heard or April Crifasi at 225.751.9996 or visit www.bicmediasolutions.com.

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Baton Rouge

BIC MEDIA SOLUTIONS GROWS FILM, VIDEO SERVICES hortly after BIC Alliance celebrated its 30th anniversary with networking events in Baton Rouge and Houston, BIC Media Solutions has reached exciting new heights and deserves a celebration of its own. A division of BIC Alliance, BIC Media Solutions is now extending its services to include film and video production, as well as investments in inspirational, family friendly and faith-based films, and has begun offering wrap parties and red carpet events to companies ranging from those completing a turnaround to those making movies.

S

From left, A Gift Horse stars Katie Kelly, Madeline Thelton and Kyla Kenedy rehearsing a scene at Providence Hill Farm.

A GIFT HORSE IN PRODUCTION A Gift Horse, starring John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard) and Kyla Kenedy (The Walking Dead), is in production in several Southern locations, including Providence Hill Farm. BIC Media Solutions and IVS Investment Banking’s John Zapalac partnered with Louisiana-based film producer Matt Keith to help fund and co-produce the family-friendly, inspirational horse film for all ages.

From left, BIC Alliance’s Earl Heard, Check the Gate Productions’ Lisa Arnold, Esenjay Petroleum Corp.’s Michael Johnson and his wife Gail, and Red Entertainment Group’s Jarred Coates talk after watching The Identical, a film for which Johnson was the executive producer.

Since launching in 2005, BIC Media Solutions has accomplished great feats, including publishing nine books and hosting many networking events. The original intention behind the media division of BIC Alliance was to guide the energy sector with networking and training events, keynote speakers and custom book publishing. That goal later expanded into additional publications like Louisiana Sports Legends and Heroes—Leaving a Legacy and Michael Learns to Listen and now, to film and video.

BIC Media Solutions has joined forces with new partners, like the Baton Rouge fullservice video production company Launch Media. Working closely with Launch Media’s president and executive producer John E. Jackson, BIC Media Solutions is producing webisodes and short videos to air on BIC TV. BIC Media Solutions has also partnered with Louisiana’s premier film production company, Red Entertainment Group LLC, which co-produced the recently released inspirational faith-based film God’s Not Dead, and has plans to produce more faith-based films in the near future.

By working with media professionals, BIC Media Solutions covers all corners of the media world nationally and internationally. BIC Media Solutions can connect book authors with screenwriters and industry innovators with movie producers, and helps to not only introduce opportunity beyond the energy realm but also supports the film industry and the peaking interest in the faith-based and family friendly film movement that has been largely successful in the recent past. Specifically, BIC Media Solutions has

Veteran actor John Schneider portrays Mr. Canton, a wealthy ranch owner, in A Gift Horse.

BIC Alliance and IVS Investment Banking Partner John Zapalac testing out the sound on set of A Gift Horse.

Zapalac is also an executive producer on the film.

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partnered with Jarred Coates of Red Entertainment Group in the production of Classic Restoration, a short film of the Bible’s classic “Prodigal Son” story, told with a modern-day translation. Heard also recently connected with Esenjay Petroleum Corp. CEO Michael Johnson to help raise print and advertising money for marketing and promotion of The Identical, a film for which Johnson was the executive producer.

Additionally, BIC Media Solutions and IVS Investment Banking partner John Zapalac have connected with film producer Matt Keith to help fund and co-produce an inspirational feature film titled A Gift Horse, starring veteran actor John Schneider. The heartfelt film is the

From left, BIC Alliance’s Earl Heard discusses film and investment opportunities with A Gift Horse lead actor John Schneider and producer Matt Keith.

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story of a young girl and her struggle to accept a new woman in her father’s life.

Through trying times, the two women bond over an injured horse despite their differences.

Plantation Village Studios owner Jake Seal, left, and BIC Media BIC Alliance’s Earl Heard meet to discuss upcoming Solutions continenergy and film-related opportunities. ues to connect with other publishers and film producers to help promote their messages. After partnering with the entertainment publication Scene Magazine last year, Heard reached out to other publishers and movie producers, including movie producer and actor Jake Seal who recently moved to Louisiana. Seal purchased the historical Asphodel Plantation and converted it into Plantation Village Studios, a film studio complete with a 10,000-square-foot soundstage, plus production facilities, cottages for housing visitors during production, a screening room and more. Heard and Seal are now discussing future energy and filmrelated opportunities nationally and internationally. LFV For more information on BIC Media Solutions’ custom books, event planning and speaking services or other services BIC Alliance offers, contact Earl Heard, April Crifasi or Catie Ragusa at 800-460-4242 or e-mail earlheard@bicalliance.com, april@bicalliance.com or catie@bicalliance.com.

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For All Of Your Filming & Accomodation Needs 1-225-658-8808 info@plantationvillagestudios.com

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LOUISIANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE

Baton Rouge

STORY BY CAROL ANN SCRUGGS

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he second annual Louisiana International Film Festival was hosted in Baton Rouge on Perkins Rowe from May 8-11. In a joint effort by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, this year’s festival became the Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program.

The festival exceeded all expectations with over 7,000 in attendance. The tone was set with the opening night premiere of Belle (from the studio that brought us 12 Years a Slave), as both the initial showing and the unplanned showing immediately following were sold out.

Many Louisiana films

Andrew Vogel (executive editor, LFV) and John Schneider (actor, Dukes of Hazzard, & director, Smothered) at the LFVsponsored after-party following the sneak peek premiere of The Fault in Our Stars.

(l to r) Dan Ireland (co-artistic director, LIFF) and Bernard Rose (director, The Devil’s Violinist).

Lee Guilbeau and Lauren Collignon with their Bayou Benders from Purusa, a Baton Rouge yoga studio opening in August.

CFX mask

(l to r) Sharice Williams, Jency Griffin Hogan (liaison director, LIFF), and Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild).

Alexander “Conquistador” Antebi (PR specialist) and Sydney Harris (festival liaison).

(l to r) Chesley Heymsfield (executive director, LIFF), Jasmine Vishay (festival liaison), and Jency Griffin Hogan.

(l to r) Shanna Forrestall (program coordinator) and Valentina Caniglia (panelist)

were spotlighted at the festival, such as We Won’t Bow Down, the legacy of inner-city African Americans and their hand-beaded Indian costumes (complete with live Indians at the Sunday showing). Other Louisiana films included LA-308, the assassin thriller; Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind; and Bayou Maharajah, a documentary about “troubled genius” James Booker. Locally shot Elsa and Fred, the reboot starring Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer, offered some pleasant surprises for local viewers and featured a number of local actors, including Lance Nichols, Jackie Tuttle, Deanna Meske, Sam Medina, and many more.

Louisiana Film & Video had the honor of sponsoring the sold-out Friday night Sneak Peek of The Fault in Our Stars, the heavy emotional drama starring Shailene Woodley.

All festival attendees were invited to attend the panels and workshops with free admission by presenting a film ticket stub. Over 200 people took advantage of this great opportunity to gain invaluable insights into the industry. LFV

Lin Smith (festival liaison), Monica R. Cooper (producer, We Won’t Bow Down) and Jency Griffin Hogan.

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LF&V ROAD TRIP!

On Friday, May 9, Louisiana Film & Video sponsored the sold-out sneak peek of The Fault in Our Stars and an after party at Louisiana International Film Festival. Throughout the festival weekend, LF&V managed to take a quick road trip between New Orleans and Baton Rouge to visit some key industry folks and snap some pics.

Outside Panavision in New Orleans.

Executive editor Andrew Vogel and actor Dwight Henry.

Outside and inside Quixote Studios.

LIFF’s Jency Griffin Hogan and Andrew Vogel.

Maria Browne of 444 Camera and one of their camera cars.

Attendees of LF&V’s after party at LIFF.

Actress Sharice A. Williams holds up a copy of LF&V at the LIFF after party.

One of Hollywood Rentals’ trucks loaded up with gear.

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SURPRISES AND HONESTY DURING PANELS AT THE LIFF MENTORSHIP PROGRAM STORY BY JASON RAYMOND

T

he mentorship program at the Louisiana International Film Festival (LIFF) stands out as a singular feature. Called “An Introduction to the World of Film & Digital Media: Developing and Presenting the Story with your Unique Voice,” program coordinator Shanna Forrestall (who’s also an actress/producer and LF&V’s Editor-at-Large) found a surprising range of people to come to Baton Rouge and talk to attendees interested in becoming active in the film industry.

In association with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, the agenda consisted of workshops, master classes and panels that went on all during LIFF. Scout Raskin came from Los Angeles to show a neverbefore-seen episode of her popular Comedy Central series Triptank, and took questions from the audience. The panel discussions proved especially popular with long Q&A sessions after each. Each panel had plenty of surprises.

For instance, you would expect a lecture from a highly regarded Hollywood director of photography to dwell on light, film and cameras. American Horror Story DP Michael Goi, ASC, ISC, gave plenty of those technical details. Goi showed the influence of Fritz Lang and F. W. Murnau in the style he’s developed for American Horror Story. Walking the audience Michael Goi through scenes from the show, he talked about manipulating the four qualities of light—angle, quality, color and intensity—with relatively simple light setups. He also suggested throwing out the first idea for a scene, as it’s usually the most conventional idea you have.

However, you wouldn’t expect Goi to stop his presentation and answer a phone call from his family. After the audience applauded for the children listening in Los Angeles, Goi explained that he has already spent over $25,000 in airfare flying back and forth to Los Angeles to see them. The transfer of major production to Hollywood South does have a human cost. Goi then told all the would-be movie industry personnel to prize their families, as the pressure of work in the industry can be intense.

Other surprises from the panels were more subtle. At the Women in Film and Television Louisiana panel, host Cindi Knapton, who was elected WIFT president in June, explained that the number of women directors has dropped in the last year. The panel of women discussed the reasons for this continuing problem, and how to solve it. They agreed that mentoring women entering the industry and sharing information are key components. Actor/casting director/producer Monica Cooper said, “You are only as good as the persons around you.”

Cinematographer Valentina Caniglia, AIC, wowed the crowd with her

story of being a female cinematographer traveling to Palestinian-controlled territory alone to shoot a narrative film. She had no crew and no support from her embassy. Caniglia noted that women make up only two percent of cinematographers working today. She talked about how she had to use 35mm motion picture cameras and lenses that were physically larger than she was. Her advice to women wanting to become cinematographers? “Have more confidence in yourself. You don’t have to be perfect, so just go for it.”

Caniglia and Seed&Spark CEO Emily Best also led a discussion about whether women support each other enough in the film industry.

Caniglia argued for a more conscious supportive effort. Best felt that the notion that women couldn’t work together was “a myth that is propagated to keep us down.” Read more about Best’s work on page 45. For writer/director/producer Scout Raskin, who started as a child actor and once had a job watching cartoons eight hours a day, the main obstacle for both men and women is their own surrendering. She urged the audience to never quit.

Documentary filmmaker Alex Wilson echoed this advice in a panel about what it Scout Raskin takes for film crews to succeed. Wilson spoke of the need for hard work and to always be on time. He pointed out that young people in the industry too frequently “throw their careers away from the booze, the lifestyle and the job. People work hard in this industry, and they party hard, but you have to do the work.”

On the same panel and discussing hard, physical work, celebrity trainer Aaron Williamson explained that he is known for his drastic transformations of actors so they can bodily fit into their roles. He once safely put 30 pounds onto actor Josh Brolin in 12 days, and then took it off in a mere 48 hours. Now that’s dedication and effort. Williamson, a former Marine with the amazing physique you’d expect from a highprofile trainer, uses a scientific-approved method and monitors the actors’ health through blood work. He works often with action movie stars, and there’s no room for error.

The LIFF program showed that physical transformations can be done in other ways, as well. Diana Branton of Composite FX (CFX) got young actors excited with models of their silicone masks. Several actors went up to try the masks out after a short, funny introductory video on CFX aired.

Branton answered many questions about CFX products, their materials, construction, durability, working in them for long hours, comfort, etc.

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example. Schneider received about $250,000 in credits, which he put into post-production costs. “In the end, you get about 26 percent back,” said Schneider. He insisted that he will remain a Louisiana resident, and proudly said he possesses a Louisiana driver’s license.

Direct talk about the movie industry kept going in the program’s final panel, also made up of filmmakers. Director Bernard Rose (The Devil’s Violinist) opined that theatrical distribution might vanish almost entirely within five years. If someone asked him about whether to make a film, he would advise against it because the economics are so bad, particularly for dramas such as his.

Composite FX (CFX) got young actors excited “Money is an excuse,” said Rose. with models of their silicone masks.

“When people talk about money, they really don’t want to make it.”

Director Tom De Cerchio talked something quite special. Writer/director/actor/studio owner John honestly about how he became “a pariah” after his directorial steering of Schneider entertained his panel with wit mixed with insight formed by Judd Apatow’s Celtic Pride bombed at the box office. He retreated into decades of experience. He shared funny exchanges with American the world of directing commercials Horror Story’s Michael Goi. Goi wondered if Schneider still keeps in after being “placed on movie death touch with his old Dukes of Hazzard co-star Tom Wolpat and named row.” However, he found the experithe films that inspired the hit series. Schneider answered yes, and ence educational, as he could hire talked about a passion project that began small and ended up with him the most experienced and revered having a car jump over a bridge. “I spent $500,000 on Collier & Co. cinematographers to come in for a day and shoot his commercials. So he turned commercial directing into a series of film school classes. He used that knowledge when directing his acclaimed short film The Unlicensed Therapist with Vincent D’Onofrio. As De Cerchio proclaimed to the approving crowd, “I’m back, baby!” LFV Bernard Rose

John Schneider in discussion with Michael Goi.

and I’d do it again tomorrow,” he said.

Schneider spoke with passion about films and making films in Louisiana. He’s adapted scripts to fit where he is now in Holden, Louisiana, and wants to build a relationship with the workforce here.

Schneider said, “My goal in Holden is to be that studio that when people do jump ship, there will be people still here.” Goi promised to be the first to leave if anything happens to the tax credit, or if another state offers a better deal. He opined that the tax credit alone is spurring Louisiana’s film production.

Schneider agreed that keeping the tax incentive remains vital. He talked about the tax credit in detail, using his new film Smothered as an 42 LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE

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At the end of the three-day event, all participants completing the 36-hour mentorship program were presented a Certificate of Completion and recognized at the closing ceremonies. There were 22 participants to make it to the completion of the program. Kudos to all those participants who are dedicated to learning more about their craft and will hopefully make a meaningful and unique contribution in the industry.

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LIFF PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT: EMILY BEST OF SEED&SPARK

Baton Rouge

STORY BY CAROL ANN SCRUGGS

“sparks,” which you can earn, trade and redeem to watch films through the on-site cinema.

So how does this work? Well, check out their website (www.seed andspark.com). The steps are laid out there, as well as links and downloads to assist you. It’s a onestop shop. They offer great submission guidelines to help keep you focused. They are looking for examples of truly independent filmmaking across all genres and budget levels. They don’t accept more projects than they think can successfully be funded. The guidelines are largely based on your project’s ability to foster a supportive and engaged audience.

So to all you would-be filmmakers, your excuse for getting started has just gone out the window! The independent film community is growing with quality films and without the major funding that Hollywood producers have. Take advantage of this great resource, Seed&Spark. Get your team together, and have your story told. LFV

n 2011, Emily Best produced the film project Like the Water with a remarkable group of women. The experiences and challenges of that project inspired her to make a contribution to the independent film community and form Seed&Spark. Last year she was named one of the 2013 Indiewire Influencers. Impressive yet plausible for this renaissance woman who had already produced theater, worked as a values strategy consultant for Best Partners, ran restaurants, studied jazz singing at the Taller de Musics, worked as a tour guide and cooked in Barcelona, and studied cultural anthropology and American studies at Haverford College.

I

Seed&Spark is a crowdfunding and streaming distribution site for independent film. It’s set up differently than other crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, where you simply try and raise a certain amount of money. Seed&Spark is set up much like a wedding registry. Seed&Spark lets you buy or loan actual items to a film.

Each project has a wish list of items they need for their project that you can select from or, if you prefer, you can donate cash, as well. For contributing through either method you will receive something called

For much more, check out www.seedandspark.com.

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BIG FILMS ON THE BIG MUDDY: SIZE AND SCOPE OF INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO IMPRESS STORY BY MEG KAUL ASSOCIATE, KEAN MILLER LLP

ummer in the “Hollywood South” is off to a fantastic start. With a momentous rise in film production in the State of Louisiana, this year is poised to be the biggest ever, with more than $1 billion in spending predicted well before the close of 2014. A big reason for this historic rise is thanks in part to the growing number of large-scale franchise films being shot in the Bayou State, particularly this summer.

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Jurassic World, the fourth part of the Jurassic Park series, as well as Terminator: Genesis, the fifth in that series, are both shooting in New Orleans this summer, and The Fantastic Four will be shot in Baton Rouge throughout the summer. It has been rumored that the follow-up sixth installment of Terminator will also be shot in the Crescent City this year, as well as the highly-anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

There may not be another state, aside from New York or California, that has had this volume of franchise films produced in the same state in the same year, much less the same season. Each with a budget of over $100 million, these films are backed by studios like Universal, 20th Century Fox and Paramount, who have placed a lot of capital, economic stimulus and confidence in Louisiana to make these tent-pole productions work. But with a crew base over 10 deep, a large offering of studio spaces and scenic backdrops, and a wide-ranging infrastructure of support, Louisiana stands ready to be a gracious and able host.

Franchise films aren’t the only productions making waves in Louisiana over the summer months. As soon as Get Hard (Warner Bros., $40M) wrapped, the sweltering Louisiana summer was already hosting other big-budget productions like Geostorm (Skydance/Warner Bros., $80M), Don’t Mess With Texas (MGM, $35M), Pitch Perfect 2 (Gold Circle Productions, $20M) and American Ultra (Likely Story, $25M), to name a few. Not to mention various television series like NCIS: New Orleans, American Horror Story: Freak Show, or Salem in Shreveport, which have found a home here.

It is rewarding to read that since the tax credit program’s inception in 2002, a study this year by FilmL.A., Inc. found that Louisiana has surpassed both California and New York as the “world’s production capital,” with 18 of the 108 studio motion pictures made last year being shot in Louisiana.

But these productions aren’t just coming here because Louisiana has the best tax incentive program in the country. They are also coming here because we have a well-developed infrastructure. Over 10 years of diligent work recruiting all facets of the industry have helped make

Louisiana a home away from home for the film industry. Numerous companies have relocated here, such as post-production company FotoKem; accounting and payroll companies like EASE Entertainment Services; bond companies such as Film Finances; and groups such as Quixote, who provide stage space and a variety of production services, which make this unique Louisiana industry operate and feel like California but without the presence of paparazzi or a traffic jam on the 405. In addition, local entrepreneurs have had the opportunity to create production support businesses in almost every possible sector of the industry, from catering services, to hair and makeup and talent representation, to larger companies like Hollywood Trucks and Silver Screen Supply.

Our tax incentives, coupled with the ease of lifestyle, world-renowned cuisine and the harmonious mix of union and right to work skilled labor, helps affirm to the global market that Louisiana is a terrific place to make a movie.

As more people flee Los Angeles and other locations for steady work in Louisiana, the crew base and skilled-labor infrastructure of Louisiana will only continue to develop. IATSE’s growth alone, over 900 percent since 2003, illustrates how large of an increase in support this state has had in a very short period of time. The New Orleans local chapter of IATSE, Local 478, for instance, is the richest local outside of New York or Los Angeles.

With so many productions in one state, at one time, we are fortunate to have such a robust infrastructure. And, with the boom of big budgets on the bayou this year, it is a great time to show the world just how supportive we can be. LFV This article is provided for general information only. The material contained in the article may not reflect the most current legal developments. Such material does not constitute legal advice, and no person should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information contained in this article without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice on that person’s particular circumstances.

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John Schneider Studios Offers A Convenient, Affordable Location & Facility Designed To Help You Get Your Film Done With As Little Moving As Possible

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LOCAL STARS SHINE AT PREMIERE OF JOHN SCHNEIDER’S SMOTHERED STORY BY JASON RAYMOND • PHOTOS BY BRANDON WILLIS

film that allowed me to sink my teeth into the role of ‘Trixie.’ She is a profound bundle of determination, frustration, femininity and humanity. Working with director John Schneider was a dream come true, as his generous sensibility to the story, the actors and the ‘magic’ that happens in The film was shot entirely in the moment while filming helped southern Louisiana, mostly at John to make the most of everyone’s Schneider Studios in Holden. performances.”

Schneider finds the location, the For actor Dane Rhodes, Smothstate tax credit program, and ered represents the latest example Louisiana’s local talent keys to of how the quality and variety of making a successful film. “I find it acting talent can surprise incomto be a visual paradise here,” he ing movie productions. Rhodes said during a panel discussion at wasn’t originally slated to be cast the Louisiana International Film as “Randy.” He remembers: Festival. “People here are incredi“I was asked by the casting bly talented and passionate.” director to travel to Baton Rouge Schneider’s stated goal—“to build for a table read. I arrived to find a a relationship with the workforce room full of local talented actors here”—can be seen in Smothered. (most of whom I knew), John The movie features lead performSchneider and his producers. The ances by Shanna Forrestall and read was fun and I got to play with Dane Rhodes, as well as supporting the humor in the script… and at performances from Wayne Pére and the end, I hugged those I knew, Ray Gaspard. Forrestall should be shook hands with those I didn’t, (l to r) Wayne Pére, Ritchie Montgomery, Shanna Forrestall, John Schneider, and familiar to readers as Louisiana Film Dane Rhodes. and told John that I was a fan of & Video’s current Editor-at-Large. his work. That was the end and I She also just served as the coordinator of the mentorship program at the drove home happy for the experience. Two days later, I get a call from the Louisiana International Film Festival. But the Gonzales native is better CD asking me to play one of the leads in the movie… a lead! This has known for her many movie roles. Thinking back on her leading role happened to me enough that I think it might be a trend. I know we here, Forrestall says: locals were just brought in for a reading, but John found what he needed “Sometimes the ‘powers that be’ conspire to put you in the right here and is now a local actor himself… that is a trend I can live with.” place at the right time so you don’t miss out on an opportunity. That’s Actor, director, and native of Houma, Wayne Pére made a lasting what happened with Smothered. I was thrilled to be cast in this fun impression last year in the locally-made King of Herrings, playing

irector and studio owner John Schneider premiered his feature film Smothered at an invitation-only event at the Canal Street Sheraton in New Orleans on May 16. Hundreds of people turned out for the event, including friends, local dignitaries, and many cast and crew. Among the cast who came were Gigi Bella Perkins, a Dachshund who played “Fritter,” and Easy Perkins, another Dachshund, who acted as Gigi’s stunt double.

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Ray Gaspard with wife and John Schneider.

Gigi Bella Perkins and Easy Perkins strike a pose.

Shanna Forrestall and producer Doug Blake.

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“Leon,” a character requiring mechanical-assistance to speak.

Pére enjoyed his time working on Smothered, reflecting: “Working with John was a treat! He created a very loose and creatively safe environment to work in, and he’s just a real joy to be around. After more than 25 years working in this business, I’m most grateful for the opportunity to cross paths with some wonderful people. John definitely falls into that category!”

Though actor Ray Gaspard says he “never thought of myself as a Brad Pitt,” he found that aspect of himself play a “gay zombie”: “Obviously my character did. Why else would he be dressed like Achilles from Troy? Of course, whomever that costume was originally built for must have been about 7 feet tall; at 5’10”, it created a challenge or two for yours truly. A walking dichotomy, looking like an executioner from the inquisition era and flamingly gay was quite the character study in duality. But a blast and a half to play! Smothered rocks!”

Schneider has emphasized the importance of local talent, and not just in front of the camera. While at the Louisiana International Film Festival, he pointed out that Baton Rouge’s Composite Effects, who supplied key aspects to the movie’s look, “is as good as anyone in L.A.” Local actors and other key entertainment talent are excited to see their talent and work ethic recognized. As Dane Rhodes puts it, “John Schneider is an example of how that benefits us greatly.

He came to Louisiana because of the tax incentives, like everyone else. He has invested in Louisiana long-term because of what he found when he got here… us.” LFV

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HOLBROOK MULTI MEDIA WRAPS SECOND UNIT PRODUCTION FOR A SORT OF HOMECOMING aving joined the production crew for the final stretch of filming, production company Holbrook Multi Media wrapped filming for the independent movie A Sort of Homecoming earlier this spring.

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Actor Laura Marano tries to keep warm in between takes for A Sort of Homecoming, which recently wrapped shooting in Lafayette.

The film stars Michelle Clunie (Make It or Break It), Laura Marano (Austin & Ally), Parker Mack (Divergent), Katherine McNamara (New Year’s Eve), and Kathleen Wilhoite (Crazy Kind of Love) and was produced by Believe Entertainment, a production company headed by Louisiana-native couple Marcus and Yvette Brown. The story follows Amy (Clunie) in “a coming-of-age drama set in the world of high school speech and debate.”

Bobby Holbrook, who was the film’s second unit cinematographer, said that calling cut on that final scene was “a bittersweet moment for everyone involved. That’s always the case when there is a great story to tell. It was a pleasure working with director Maria Burton.”

Production for the movie began in February and while a few scenes were shot in New Orleans, the majority were shot in Lafayette, making it the second Lafayette-based feature film completed by Holbrook Multi Media this year.

The film was written by Lynn Reed, who is also a Louisiana native. LFV

(PHOTO COURTESY OF BELIEVE ENTERTAINMENT)

For more information about Holbrook Multi Media, visit www.holbrookmultimedia.com.

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RENE BROUSSARD: I’LL BOOK YOUR FILM IF...

STORY BY JASON RAYMOND

to anything,” “ ’msaysopen Rene Broussard,

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owner of the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center in New Orleans.

Talking with him it becomes clear what Broussard really wants is interesting, original movies to show his audiences. As a filmmaker who lost hundreds of hours of documentary footage to Hurricane Katrina, Broussard also wants to give filmmakers the most latitude to create those types of movies. So he wasn’t a fan of putting forward hard and fast rules for filmmakers to follow. But here are five tips if you want your film to play at the Zeitgeist:

Rene Broussard

1. Your film makes an emotional connection with me.

“Sometimes a film can just sneak up on you and you just well up in tears... a film can have an impact on you in many ways. Sometimes a film can make you angry, and it’s important to be angry depending on what the issue is.”

2. You surprise me.

“Even if you know something is what you think is a tired formula or genre, occasionally a film can be really surprising.”

3. Your film isn’t about World War II, the Holocaust, or Katrina.

This is really a rule about relying on cliché treatments and subject matter rather than striking out on a new path. Want an example of why Broussard hates World War II movies? He went to see The Monuments Men because he had read a book about saving the art of Europe from the Nazis. He hated the movie that simply retread dozens and dozens made before it. “I am not interested in anything else related to World War II or the Holocaust. I’m so incredibly tired of it as a genre.” A renowned gay filmmaker, Broussard has trouble finding films to show at Zeitgeist for the same reasons. “I’m always looking for gay content, but the problem is finding anything good.” Quality matters...

4. You draw well in any festival or theater you get. ... as do butts in seats. Theater owners keep up a lively banter about whether the owners think the films are good, and how they are drawing in audiences. Often audience size gets mentioned in passing as owners exchange prints or discs. If your film fills up a theater during

screenings, word will spread through the network of owners, sparking interest. “I recommend things all the time,” says Broussard.

5. You have a good trailer. LFV

ABOUT THE ZEITGEIST Rene Broussard will tell you that his name is basically the Cajun version of “John Smith.” He can’t even claim to be the only Rene Broussard in New Orleans, but he’s the only one who owns a movie theater. Broussard has run the Zeitgeist since 1986 without paid staff or public funds. Broussard founded Zeitgeist when he was a BFA student in the Drama and Communications Department of the University of New Orleans. Since then, Zeitgeist has won the Mayor’s Arts Award by the Arts Council of New Orleans.

You may not realize it, but the area between Orthea Castle Haley Boulevard and St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans—where the Zeitgeist is located—is about to boom. Museums and a fancy grocery store will open in the near future. A nice Mexican restaurant and fancy coffee shops have already moved in. This includes the Church Alley Coffee Bar inside the Zeitgeist space. The theater itself boasts a large screen, new projector and comfortable array of seats, including a series of sofas at the front. Often you’ll see art exhibitions in a designated area on the left side. It reminds you of a chic gallery in Soho’s heyday.

So how does Broussard find movies to book? Every day, he looks at indiewire.com, coming attractions, and comingsoon.net. Occasionally he goes to filmfestivals.com. Once a week he reads the Village Voice continued on page 56

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film reviews. After that, Broussard surfs the websites owned by movie theaters: Roxy Cinema, Chicago’s Facets, the film forum in New York, Film at Lincoln Center, and Cornell cinema. Of course, he keeps a close eye on the festival circuit.

Filmmakers also approach Broussard directly and see if he’ll play their film. Broussard keeps an active correspondence with other independent theater owners, distributors and producers. He’s usually sending requests out for screeners or emails with URLs and passwords. Because of these active relationships, the Zeitgeist will play a movie before it can be seen in New York or Los Angeles.

Not even critics see as many movies as theater owners. Broussard sees so many films he can tell immediately which distributor would be interested in a film. One example he recalls is the 2011 Austrian film Michel about a pedophile who abducts a child and locks him in a basement without food or water. The pedophile is later killed in an accident, and the film then revolves around whether anyone will discover the child before he dies. Broussard saw it at the Toronto Film Festival and knew it would be a tough sell in the United States with perhaps only Strand Releasing willing to distribute it. Strand picked Michel up two days later, and it showed at Zeitgeist.

For Broussard, Michel had him on the edge of his seat. Even recalling the film, he rocked back and forth with the tension of what would happen to the abused young boy. That’s the type of film he wants to show, one that pulls its audience right in regardless of the plot.

Says Broussard, “A film can be something utterly repugnant and offensive and still make you really care and really grip you.”

For more information about the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, visit www.zeitgeistinc.net.

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JAZZ FEST LIVE FROM YOUR COUCH

Savannah Buffett watches her dad perform.

STORY BY W. H. BOURNE • PHOTOS COURTESY OF AXS TV

of New Orleans. Like the music it honors, Jazz Fest is free-form and full of surprises—you never know who is going to join the featured artists on stage for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Our round-theclock coverage ensures viewers can feel like they are actually in New Orleans experiencing the festival’s sights and sounds from the comforts of their couch.”

This year, the coverage kicked off each day with an exclusive half-hour pre-festival special, “Countdown to Jazz Fest.” Kristen Aldridge served as the host; Jimmy Buffett’s daughter, Savannah, served as co-host. They provided indepth artist interviews, information on the festival and highlights of the nightlife outside of the Fairgrounds.

Broadcasting Jazz Fest includes licensing and arrangements including work with AEG. In fact, AEG partners with AXS TV on many of their music programs.

“Each festival is a little different but AEG hires their guys to shoot the festival for the coverage that appears on the large screens by the stage at Jazz Fest, and AXS is taking their footage from that,” explained Haiman.

“We take the feed from the truck and build our show off of that. The main stage is shot in 4K by Red Epics. The 4K images are much better—even the down convert to 1080 is much better. Everything is

t’s been two years since AXS TV re-branded from Hdnet changing their focus to live television. Music became an integral component for the channel. The 2013 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was a major success for AXS TV, with over five million households tuning in to the broadcast. The network delivered over 30 hours of live Jazz Fest coverage, giving viewers the best seat in the house for the groundbreaking event. The 2014 festival continued in that tradition this year featuring live coverage from Thursday, May 1 through Sunday, May 4. This was an historic undertaking for both the network and the Festival as it was the first four-day live music broadcast in television history.

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“As the home for music festivals on TV, we are thrilled to be the official broadcaster of Jazz Fest for the second consecutive year. To be able to bring Jazz Fest’s unbelievable musical performances into the homes of our 42 million TV household audience is truly an honor and exceptional experience,” said Mark Cuban, AXS TV founder.

“Jazz Fest has become part of our tent pole programming,” said Evan Haiman, AXS TV’s vice president of music production and programming.

“We have a focus now on live entertainment that includes music as well as comedy,” said Cindy Ronzoni at AXS TV. “We’ve always had an interest in music, but now we are focusing on music festivals.”

“Jazz Fest is more than a festival; it’s a cultural celebration,” said Haiman.“We have carefully constructed content that reflects this, putting a focus not just on the music, but on the elements that are vital to the spirit 58 LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE

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ing of acts and elements, how many commercial breaks are coming up, and how many sponsors’ lower thirds need to get into the broadcasts. We do have a format that we go by, but it always changes as we go along...

And then there’s the unsung people who produce the show. They’re also monitoring the uplink satellite to make sure that nothing happens.”

Haiman describes an editor’s nightmare with extensive footage being shot and very short cutting turn arounds; this pre-recorded material is mixed into the live broadcast feed in between acts and other lulls in between performances.

“Not only are we shooting performances over two weekends and broadcasting, but we’re also doing features about different artists or about cultural aspects of Jazz Fest over the two weekends,” explained Haiman.

“We shoot over the first weekend and create pieces to include when we

Capturing Jazz Fest in 4K with Red Epics.

Arcade Fire performs at Jazz Fest.

going to Denver which is where we’re broadcasting from, and we have an excellent crew there with our master control. Sometimes we have audio levels that might be a little off, but we’re on headsets throughout the entire show so we can adjust accordingly based on feedback.”

“Almost all the production guys, all the camera guys are local people,” continued Haiman. “New Orleans has a large amount of production people, and there’s also a large amount of music going on so the quality of people is really good. It’s not like you’re going to a city that’s not music oriented. Especially with production managers and tech managers—they know the production area, they know how to get around; it only helps the production by having local people.”

“I think we’re so lucky to have Evan with his experience and his passion for music; it really comes across to the viewers. His whole team is like that,” added Ronzoni.

Haiman has extensive experience shooting live performances of both comedy and music. He has a core crew filling key positions that he does travel with who always work on his productions.

“We have the most incredible AD, Allyson Vecchione. She makes the calls. She works on all of our festivals. She’s the nucleus, the technical director. Every single element that has to go into the programming, she handles,” exclaimed Haiman. “She keeps track of everything: time shift-

The local flavor of Jazz Fest.

broadcast live over the second weekend, but we are also creating cultural pieces about Jazz Fest because it’s completely different than any other festival; there’s a unique identity to it. There’s the cultural part, there’s the musical part and obviously there’s the food part. It’s not just the content but it’s the feel of New Orleans… Obviously we’re going to show whoever’s playing that evening, but we’re also showing material from weekend one. For example, we went from Phish who played that night to Eric Clapton who played the weekend before, so that’s why we need a host to string it through as well. We want to get the biggest and best artists.”

“Last year was a mudfest, but we’ve never had a problem with our feed, knock wood. If we had a problem it would be about the satellite going up. We have an EBS system and it’s all digital. So things are coming into the truck, it’s being recorded into the EBS, and then we’re formatting it for the show. It’s all there; the only problem we could ever have is getting the show out through the satellite,” continued Haiman. “If there was lightning strikes it could potentially knock us offline, but we’ve never been there so far.”

“One of the things that’s so frustrating about Jazz Fest is that there are so many great acts playing at the same time… It’s one of the things we try to feature in our pre-show countdown is the greats acts in the tents because Jazz Fest is so much more than just the main stage,” said Haiman. “I also love the fact that Trombone Shorty is a cultural icon and that he headlines and closes the show Sunday night. The eclectic type of music and the way they book (Jazz Fest) is amazing. It’s at a racetrack, and it’s amazing how smooth their operations are and how experienced everyone is who works at the festival.”

“The state treated us really well as well as everyone over at the Fairgrounds,” added Ronzoni.

AXS TV plans to return to New Orleans in 2015 to continue their coverage.

“We love Jazz Fest,” proclaimed Haiman. LFV ISSUE THREE 2014

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SUMMER HEATS UP WITH NOVAC EVENTS OVAC (New Orleans Video Access Center) is the longest continuously running media-arts 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the Southeastern U.S. Their mission is to cultivate a sustainable film community in Louisiana through education, career development, community outreach, independent productions, and special events.

As we enter the full swing of summer, NOVAC has ramped up its schedule with several workshops, training programs, classes and other events throughout June and July.

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BATON ROUGE On June 14, the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge hosted “Production Budgeting Using Movie Magic Software,” a free workforce training class supported by a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Community Development. On June 28-29, NOVAC offered a similar free training in script supervision taught by Nancy Breaux, held at Celtic Studios/Launch Media. Also on June 28, NOVAC hosted a film industry social (pictured here) in partnership with Jameson Whisky, whose “First Shot” film competition is a NOVAC sponsor.

mentary production class, and on June 26, NOVAC offered another episode of its free screenwriting series at the New Orleans Public Libraries, this one being “Slice of Life: Understanding the Short.”

In July, NOVAC will host a series of lighting and post-production sound classes, including: In The Loop: ADR Recording w/ Apex Post July 12, 2014 Lighting 101 w/ DJ McConduit July 27, 2014 NEW ORLEANS In New Orleans, NOVAC held its monthly 3rd Thursday Filmmaker Meetup night on June 19. The meetup was held in partnership with Jameson and the 48 Hour Film Project, as the 48 Hour crew prepares for the July event. Then on June 21-22, award-winning documentary producer and director Angela Tucker taught a docu-

And of course, the July installment of 3rd Thursday, which will take place on July 17 at the Rusty Nail. LFV For more information about NOVAC and any upcoming events, visit www.novacvideo.org.

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2014 IFTA CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON DOLLARS AND SENSE STORY AND PHOTOS BY W. H. BOURNE

his year’s Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) Production Conference was held in Century City, California. Featuring some of the top CEO and producers in the indie industry such as Cassian Elwes, Nicolas Chartier, Kirk D’Amico and Avi Lerner, the conference was a four hour intensive on producing.

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Producer Mark Damon (Das Boot, Lone Survivor) painted a bleak picture, “Most films that mean something don’t recoup their costs. Most independent films release to two or three screens for contractual purposes

Nicolas Chartier

and then go straight to VOD... In the comic book era, we have to be brave and cut the talents costs to support the investors, so they can at least get their money back.”

Nicolas Chartier (The Hurt Locker, Dallas Buyers Club) concurred, “Dallas Buyers Club has a $5.5 million budget and investors still haven’t seen money.”

Chartier talked about how he got involved in Dallas Buyers Club. One of the financiers pulled right before the shoot. Matthew McConaughey had already lost a considerable amount of weight for the role, and doctors said it would not be safe for

Cassian Elwes

him to put it back on and then lose it again. The film couldn’t push back its shooting dates because McConaughey was already contracted with HBO to start shooting True Detective in January. Chartier, who had initially passed on the project, got a call right before principal photography from Cassian Elwes asking for a very big favor. Elwes had kickstarted Chartier’s career. Elwes told Chartier this was the only favor he would ever ask of him. Chartier felt he couldn’t say no and wired the money the day before the shoot.

“Where are you in the waterfall for getting your money back?” Chartier stressed this is the key question producers and investors should be asking.

“Most mistakes made are initially in the financing,” said Michael Ryan, partner at GFM Films.

Financing has become more complicated since the demise of DVD sales. Producer Kirk D’Amico (Van Wilder, Margin Call) painted a picture of film financing today: • 20-30% presales • 20-30% soft money such as tax incentives • 20-30% bank loans The remaining hole in budgets (10-40%) must now be filled with equity financing.

Kevin Goetz, CEO of Screen Engine LLC, has made a business of performing postmortems on studio and indie films that failed to perform.

“Every movie can make money if you know what you have,” explained Goetz, “but you need to know who is that audience. How large is that audience? The problem is people are not computing their movies correctly.”

Terry Press of CBS Films painted a different picture, “We have too many movies and not enough space. If you have no awareness of product, your film will not succeed. Fortunately, money can buy awareness.”

Goetz cautioned, “For wide release markets, your film must appeal to two adjacent quadrant audiences because that is the only way the marketing is cost effective.”

Press agreed, “Adjacent markets are very important… Additionally, the film must be big enough to warrant $13–17 million in marketing per quadrant for a 2,500 screen release… The people at Yahoo aren’t running a charity. The cost of taking over a page at Yahoo is more expensive than a TV commercial.”

The good news? The box office is up 22% compared to last year.

“I have never had a bank loan close before principal photography,” said Damon consolingly.

“Make movies and go with God,” suggested Goetz with pun intended as he also underscored the highly successful strategy of creating content for under-served audiences. LFV ISSUE THREE 2014

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FROM FRINGE TO BINGE: RE-IMAGINING AT THE NCTA CABLE SHOW numbers on VOD views. It’s interesting to see that this issue isn’t just something independent filmmakers are struggling with.

“I think we’re seeking more transparency through Rentrak of VOD,” said Tom Ziangas of AMC Networks. “I think we need to reconsider CPM for shows within 5 – 6 days of initial release. The audience watching on VOD are younger, smarter, and better educated.”

On the exhibit floor, Rentrak had a large presence. Execs at the Rentrak booth boasted the most accurate numbers on VOD with the ability to provide metrics within a week after a show’s airing. While Rentrak’s pricing has been aimed at cable channels, Rentrak says that they can customize a plan for producers of independent film. Accessibility would only be for metrics on your Pivot tries to attract new film, but in a marketplace where cablers at the 2014 NCTA show. most independent producers are dealing with aggregates and not getting VOD numbers until STORY BY W. H. BOURNE • PHOTOS BY WÉLAND BOURNE months later if at all, this service can be invaluable for auditing as he recent 2014 NCTA Cable Show in Los Angeles featured state of the industry well as marketing purposes. general sessions and informative panels from network executives and producOther areas of interest on the ers including one of the creators of Mad Men. Hot topics included binge viewexhibit floor included fledgling channels like Pivot, who were ing, cord cutting, mobile platforms, re-branding and VOD. trying to get added to cable companies’ lineups, to FYI, the reNetflix’s move into original programming definitely had cable executives branding of Bio. Re-brandings are not new. Last year, HDNET reon edge as they struggled to find a good solution to bring millennial cord branded to AXStv changing their dated unique offering (HD content) cutters back to cable services. They stated that this is especially true now to focus on live events such as concerts and MMA matches. that millennials are aging into With Netflix’s recent that important 18 – 59 demoannouncement of Chelsea graphic and now have the Handler’s show and promises financial means to afford cable to “revolutionize” and “reservices. Cablers were also imagine” the late night talk watching Netflix’s original show, Netflix continues to series and the binge viewing raise the bar and keep cablers phenomenon. While frusscrambling. While this year’s trated that Netflix won’t Cable Show was an interestrelease viewing numbers, ing glimpse of the state of the channel execs did talk about industry, it would have been the value in having previous nice if they would have seriseasons of their shows availously addressed issues of able on Netflix to boost ratings piracy and net neutrality. for their current seasons.

Regardless, cablers realize VOD transparency was they must respond to change another issue that plagued both in content and delivery cablers who were frustrated methods in order to reach Carol Hinnant explains Rentrak’s services. that they can’t get accurate new audiences. LFV

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VER CREATES CINEVERSE expertise within the CINEVERSE group can only serve to help producers and cinematographers tell their stories in exciting new ways,” states Vince Dundee.

“That’s what this is all about.”

“In the past most rental houses were able to use a templatized approach,” explains Tom Fletcher.

“Moving forward, that will no longer be the case. Each and every production is different. What truly distinguishes a rental partner is the ability to customize, design, build and deliver in real time to meet the artistic demands of the crew and production.”

“The creative and technical landscape of entertainment is dynamic, which makes the ability to adapt and integrate emerging technologies a key for production success,” says Vince Pace. “Technologies such as higher resolution capture and display, specialty lensing, LED lighting, stereoscopic and high frame rate acquisition require a cohesive workflow as they evolve into production tools. This takes a multitude of resources, technical disciplines, and most importantly, experienced and highly invested people. Our new entity, CINEVERSE, has those by the score—and we can’t wait to make an impact and see the captivating images our clients will create.” LFV

urther strengthening their strategic commitment to the film and television industry, VER has announced the addition of cutting-edge motion imaging and production tools innovator PACE to VER’s global platform. This move complements VER’s recent acquisition of Fletcher Camera & Lenses by integrating PACE’s ingenuity, Fletcher’s service and VER’s logistics, inventory and worldwide reach to create CINEVERSE, a unique and powerful full-service film and digital equipment rental partner.

F

With a highly regarded, worldwide reputation for innovation, PACE has closely supported a broad range of historic entertainment achievements, including three of the last five Oscars for Best Cinematography.

In addition to their widely known CAMERON|PACE Group 3D tool set, PACE also brings many of their exciting advancements to 2D production such as their SLATE2SCREEN™ methodology. The addition of the PACE team, led by Vince Pace, ASC, brings a unique combination of creative and technical expertise to the formation of CINEVERSE. CINEVERSE’s current offices in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami provide clients an unparalleled depth and breadth of inventory, a dedicated film rental house minded staff, and an unequaled technological innovation and production tools expertise to service the motion picture, commercial and television production industries, regardless of the scope of production.

“The synchronization of so much talent, technical tools and

Visit www.cineverse.net for more.

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

What We Have

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

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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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BIG EASY PROVIDES BIG INCENTIVES STORY BY COREY VAUGHN

he Michoud facility in New Orleans has a history of providing some of the most exciting work in Louisiana. Since 1961, it has been the site where NASA workers would assemble pieces that would eventually be launched into space. In recent years, the facility has once again become a creative hub, as well as a source for jobs, but this time the facility is launching film productions instead of spacecraft.

T

The poetic appeal of such a venue would be tempting for any filmmaker, but Big Easy Studios is far from having its head in the clouds. Founded by Herbert Gains, who has over 40 years of experience in the film industry, Big Easy Studios has become one of the most reliable and consistent production sites for big-budget film projects.

“I sat down with the people at NASA, and basically made a pitch on how we could co-exist,” said Gains, describing the inception of the studio. “I saw an opportunity, and having a deep affection for the area since Katrina, I thought there was not only an opportunity, but a chance for doing some good for an area I truly cared about.”

Gains first came to work in Louisiana while making 2005’s The Reaping in Baton Rouge. The timing was not optimal, since while filming the crew was greeted with the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. The storm had put making the film into jeopardy, but Gains remembers how locals urged the crew to continue filming.

“The response was not what we expected; everyone wanted us to stay,” said Gains. “What Louisiana needed the most at the time was jobs. We had our own internal meetings and felt that if this was going to help the situation, we would stay the course. I just felt connected; the whole thing really did something to me emotionally.”

Later on, Gains would remember Louisiana while filming Green Lantern. After the initial decision to film in Australia proved untenable, Gains proposed the idea of Louisiana as a destination for the film.

“There were many people who thought I was crazy for doing a film of that size in this market,” he said. “It’s the kind of movie that you would only do in three or four places in the world, and New Orleans wasn’t one of them. I really felt that the success of this production

would have a huge effect on the film industry.”

Gains had essentially seen the Louisiana film scene grow around him, but it wasn’t until filming GI Joe: Retaliation that the opportunity of securing a spacious and reliable facility came into fruition. Gains had previously scouted the Michoud facility while working on Green Lantern.

“I explained to the producers that I think New Orleans could work creatively for the movie, but we needed more space,” said Gains. “The only way I thought it could work was if we could work out an arrangement with NASA, because I knew at the time that the shuttle program was basically finished.”

After months of negotiating the finer details of the arrangement, the deal was struck and Big Easy had a place to call home. The deal resulted in a company that provides high quality production resources, a unique location, and an ethic that genuinely cares about bettering Louisiana through the expansion of the film industry.

The formula has obviously worked, with Big Easy’s clientele becoming the envy of production studios around the world. In the few years of its operations, Big Easy has produced a number of big-budget films, from Ender’s Game to the upcoming Jurassic World.

“We get inquiries almost every week; some are more serious than others,” said Gains. “As a supporter of the industry, I want to see as many movies get made here as possible. I think right now we are in a very good place, we have the right amount of work and the right amount of resources.” LFV For more information, visit www.bigeasystudiosneworleans.com.

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St. John Center Soundstage

The perfect location for

ANY production.

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Visit film-louisiana.com or give us a call at 866.204.7782 for more information to start your production rolling today!

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STAGE PROFILES 9th Ward Studios 504-342-4798 www.9thwardstudios.com 9th Ward Studios, located adjacent to the hip Bywater neighborhood, operates on the site of the “original” sound stage in New Orleans. Formerly Independent Studios, 9th Ward Studios took over the building in 2008 after it suffered major damage from Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the staff has been renovating and improving the studio space, including refacing the standing green screen, installing a new commercial heat and air conditioning unit, and a recent upgrade of the stage lighting. The studio has been a part of such notable films and televi-

(PHOTO BY SCOTT McKIBBEN)

sion shows as Red, Killing Me Softly, The Power of Few, From the Rough, The Lookalike, Get Hard, Mind Puppet, and Queen of Bounce, as well as numerous commercials and music videos. 9th Ward Studios also remains dedicated to helping independent and student film productions and has provided space for such award winning films and shorts as Flood Streets, Bicycle Season, Trust Bob, End of the Rainbow, and the Academy Award nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild, which utilized the green screen and studio space while filming their VFX sequences.

Big Easy Studios 504-254-2070 www.bigeasystudiosnola.com Offering over 250,000 sq. ft., including 8 stages, support space, offices and workshops, Big Easy Studios has everything you need for your next major studio or independent production. Big Easy Studios provides a full range of professional studio

services with complete security, plenty of power and unlimited parking to support your project. Located in New Orleans at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, Big Easy Studios has hosted productions such as GI Joe: Retaliation, Ender’s Game, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Terminator: Genesis, Jurassic World and Geostorm.

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STAGE St. John Center Sound Stage 985-359-0372 www.thestjohncenter.com Conveniently located in the middle of Southeast Louisiana, the St. John Center Sound Stage is only 30 minutes from both New Orleans and Baton Rouge and easily accessible from Interstate 10. The facility encompasses 42,000 sq. feet of space with 26,000 sq. feet of soundstage. Built to highest of industry standards, the St. John Center Sound Stage provides state of the art ventilation and sound proofing for your production. Other amenities include green room space, office space, wireless internet, and ample parking free of charge. Many nearby locations are available for settings such as historic plantation homes, swamps, bayous, old buildings, schools, churches, barns and rural towns. Chain hotels, large discount stores, and office supply stores are only minutes away from the St. John Center Sound Stage.

Credits: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 2 Guns, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Remember the Spartans, Memphis Beat, Mardi Gras.

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ALL

YOUR

WORLD IS

OUR

STAGE

FILM NEW ORLEANS

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Workshops

Stages

Bring your next production to Big Easy Studios in New Orleans.

We provide a complete range of Professional Studio Services.

Completely Secure, Plenty of Power, Unlimited Parking Louisiana has a proven tax incentive, a great crew base with plenty of resources to support your project. The private sector will make you feel welcome and your cast and crew will always have a place to go as this is a city that never sleeps.

OVER 250,000 SQ. FT. S TA G E S

S U P P O RT S PA C E

OFFICES AND WORKSHOPS

Call Us For All Your Production Needs • 504.254.2070 • www.bigeasystudiosnola.com

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STAGE Plantation Village Studios 225-658-8808 www.plantationvillagestudios.com Plantation Village Studios is a film and television facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; built on the site of an historic plantation village. Plantation Village is located just a 15 minute drive from Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, in East Feliciana parish - near Jackson and St. Francisville. The Felicianas are famous for Plantations and provide an extraordinary backdrop of creeks, sandy ‘beaches’, rivers, antebellum homes, spectacular wildlife and gorgeous green woodland. In addition to the custom-built, 35-foot-high, 10,000-square-foot soundstage, the facility also hosts office space, backlot, private airstrip, accommodations, bar and coffee shop.

Stage West 318-230-6035 Stage West boasts three stages within approximately 70,000 square feet of total building space.

In addition to the stages, Stage West has more than 17,000 sq. ft. of office space that can be leased. Additional features include 12 docks and separate entrances for each stage. In addition, Stage West has close proximity to Shreveport Regional Airport, Interstate 20, and the Downtown Airport. Easy access to everything, including Dallas, Texas, which is just 190 miles west.

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LOUISIANA

STAGES/SOUNDSTAGES COMPANY CITY, STATE PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

NUMBER OF STAGES/ SOUNDSTAGES

STAGE DIMENSIONS

DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY

AMENITIES

9th Ward Studios LLC New Orleans, LA 504-342-4798 jasonb@9thwardstudios.com www.9thwardstudios.com

1

74’ x 43’

3,200 sq. ft. soundstage facility with a standing 48’ long by 15’ high pre-lit green screen.

Green room, dressing rooms, 1600 amps of power, 1,000 sq. ft. of office space.

BM&P, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-834-8811 contact@berning.com www.berning.com

1

40’ x 30’

Perfect small insert stage for SPFX, green screen, interviews.

5HD Avid suites, complete green room, complete lighting, grip & camera packages. 5-ton grip/lighting truck.

Big Easy Studios New Orleans, LA 504-254-2070 cdantoni@bigeasystudiosnola.com www.bigeasystudiosnola.com

8

Stage 1: 26,285 sq ft, 39’ high. Stage 2: 18,154 sq ft, 39’ high. Stage 3: 18,154 sq ft, 39’ high. Stage 4: 18,154 sq ft, 39’ high. Stage 5: 15,471 sq ft, 50’ high.

Stage 6: 15,471 sq ft, 50’ high. Stage 7: 15,390 sq ft, 50’ high. Stage 8: 15,390 sq ft, 50’ high.

Offering over 250,000 sq. ft. of stages, support space, offices and workshops, Big Easy Studios has everything you need for your next major studio or independent production.

Big Easy Studios provides a full range of professional studio services with complete security, plenty of power and unlimited parking to support your project.

Celtic Studios Baton Rouge, LA 225-330-6000 info@celticmediacentre.com www.celticmediacentre.com

7

Stages 1 & 2 located in the O’Connor building at 1,100 sq. ft. and 6,500 sq ft.

Stages 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 located inside the main lot ranging from 22,270 sq. ft. to 30,800 sq. ft. 3 acres of back-lot space.

With nearly 150,000 square feet of design-built stage space and 90,000 square feet of gated office space, the Celtic Media Centre has the size and services to meet the demands of most any production.

Our 30-acre facility offers 7 stages, office space, production support services, post services, rentals and vendors including the country’s largest studio based grip & lighting supplier, MBS Equipment Co.

CRM Studios Louisiana Shreveport, LA 318-629-8620 greglawrence@crmstudios.tv www.crmstudios.tv

1

32’ x 29’ with 12’ ceiling height to the lighting grid.

Sound proof, 32’ x 29’ sound stage with green screen.

Pre-lit green infinity wall 32’ x 24’, Protools audio, Wisper Booth, ADR, Motion Capture. Cameras, floor lights, crew, DP, gaffer/grip also available.

Digital FX, Inc. Baton Rouge, LA 225-763-6010 info@digitalfx.tv www.digitalfx.tv

1

75’ x 50’ x 28’ ceiling height w/ 90’ hard cyc. Sound isolated and full light grid. State of the art, brand new, and full of creature comforts, our studio can accommodate any number of film and video shoots, still photography sessions and dedicated visual effects shots.

Largest visual effects studio in Gulf Coast. Emmy Award winning team, with best facility in region.

Editorial suites, VFX suites, amazing studio, make-up suites, green room, gym, kitchen.

Indie Stages Baton Rouge, LA 225-308-5963 info@indiestages.com www.indiestages.com

1

6,000 square feet

Conveniently located off of Interstate I-110 in Baton Rouge, Indie Stages offers move in ready, turnkey film and television production space.

The campus includes up to 15,000 square feet of production office space, up to 11,000 square feet mill and storage space, and over 300 parking spaces. Furniture, phone and internet service is installed and operating.

Launch Media/Creative Bloc Baton Rouge, LA 225-612-2112 eric@launchmedia.tv www.launchmedia.tv

1

Size: 2200 sq. ft. - 17’ ceiling height - 63ft. x 35ft. 10’ x 10’ loading door.

Amperage 400 (2 x 200 amp panels). 2 x 15 ton HVAC units.

Pre-lit 40’ fabric, lighting grid.

Easy access; near I-110 & BR Airport. Located in Downtown Baton Rouge.

Green room, makeup/changing area, kitchenette, outdoor/green space, temp production offices, voice over booth & control room, fiber Internet access.

Millennium Studios Shreveport, LA 318-841-3599 info@millenniumstudios.net www.millenniumstudios.net

2

Stage 1 is 15,000 sf and Stage 2 is 10,000 sf.

N/A

We have offices, wardrobe work room, construction mill, trailers, walkies, and much more.

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LOUISIANA

STAGES/SOUNDSTAGES COMPANY CITY, STATE PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

NUMBER OF STAGES/ SOUNDSTAGES

STAGE DIMENSIONS

DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY

AMENITIES

Nims Center Studios New Orleans, LA 504-430-8965 info@nimscenter.com www.nimscenter.com

4

Stage A: 178’ x 111’ 8” with a working height of 31’. Stage B: 178’ x 56’ with a working height of 26’. Stage C: Approx 7,000 with a working height of 23’. Stage D: 80’ x 125’ with a working height of 35’.

A modern 100,000 square foot, air conditioned production facility with thirty-five production offices, three stages, HD post-production suites, ADR suite, HD screening rooms, audio mix and finishing suite, film processing lab, production offices, hair and make up.

Offices & production support, security system, executive screening room, construction/mill space, backlot, post-production and editorial, ADR suite, 5.1 mixing suite/screening room, CG services.

Plantation Village Studios Jackson, LA 225-658-8808 info@plantationvillagestudios.com www.plantationvillagestudios.com

1

Custom built 35 foot high, 10,000 square foot soundstage.

Plantation Village Studios is a film and television facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; built on the site of an historic plantation village.

Soundstage, office space, backlot, private airstrip, accommodations, bar and coffee shop.

Quixote Studios LLC Saint Rose, LA 504-465-8321 nola@quixote.com www.quixote.com

3

Stage 1: 21,000 sq. ft. Stage 2: 9,000 sq ft. Stage 3: 6,000 sq ft.

Our New Orleans campus has on-site grip & lighting equipment and a fully operational expendables store.

Production offices, equipment rentals, Studio Store, and more.

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

3

Stage 1 - 18,000 sq. ft., 152’ x 122’, 44 ft to the grid, catwalk, NC25, power 6600amps/ 3 phase. Stage 2 - 12,300 sq. ft., 96’ x 129’, 25 ft to the grid, NC25, power 4800 amps/ 3 phase. Stage 3 7,400 sq. ft., 60’ x 124’, 25 ft to the grid, NC25, power 3600 amps/ 3 phase.

73,000 sq feet of production support space. Second Line Stages is a state of the art facility just 5 minutes from the French Quarter. It is the first LEED certified, independent green studio in the country.

48,000 sq. ft. of office productions space, digital screening room, Apex Post run sound room, MBS lighting, Iron Grip, costume facility, Hertz Heavy Equipment and car rental, IT support, Green Janitorial services, recycling, composting services.

St. John Center Sound Stage LaPlace, LA 985-359-0372 info@visitnopc.com www.thestjohncenter.com

2

42,000 square feet under one roof, with 26,000 square feet of soundstage. State of the art ventilation system for the ideal production environment.

Conveniently located in the middle of Southeast Louisiana: 30 minutes from New Orleans and 30 minutes from the state capital of Baton Rouge.

Nearby locations available for settings such as: City of New Orleans, historic plantation homes, swamps, marshes, bayous, old buildings, schools, churches, barns, and rural towns.

Catering, dressing and green room facilities. Ample parking for all vehicle types: passenger cars to tractor-trailers. Wireless internet throughout the facility.

Stage West Shreveport, LA 318-230-6035 mcguire22005@yahoo.com

3

6314 sq. ft. 16’6” clear height.

22,440 sq. ft. 20’6” clear height.

22,468 sq. ft. 16’6” clear height.

12 docks.

17,249 sq. ft. office facilities can be leased with stages. Separate entrances can be utilized with each stage. Total building square footage is approximately 70,000.

Close proximity to Shreveport Regional Airport; Interstate 20; and the Downtown Airport. Easy access to everything. 190 miles east of Dallas, Tx.

WYES-TV/YES Productions New Orleans, LA 504-616-3999 jim@yesproductions.com www.yesproductions.com

1

80’ x 50’ grid height 16’6”.

4,000 sq ft studio with full HD video capability. Three Ikegami EC 77 cameras, 1500 XD Cam record machines, Calrec audio console, Ross switcher, Chyron.

2 green rooms, prep kitchen, 13’6” studio door access, full service HD video production.

STAGE WEST 6901 W. 70th • Shreveport, LA Conveniently Located Next To I-20, Shreveport Regional Airport & Downtown Airport (Private Field)

• Production Office Space • Showroom/Warehouse Space • 3 Stages (46,676 sq. ft) For More Information Contact:

Harriett McGuire

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Climate Controlled & Refrigeration Containers Available Prop, Set & Household Storage Warehouse Storage Space Available LOUISIANA

Contact Us Today!

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Anderson

Rental & Scaffolding Services, LLC • MAINTENANCE • SET DESIGN • COMMERCIAL • TURN-AROUNDS Received The Associated Builders & Contractors &HUWLÀFDWH 2I &RPPHQGDWLRQ )RU 7KH 5 0 6 7LWDQLF

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LO U I S I A N A TA X C R E D I T Q U A L I F I E D YOUR ONE STOP FOR EVERYTHING AERIAL.

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with

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“Homefront,” “The Bag Man,” “Grudge Match,” “American Heist,” “Yellow Hankerchief,” “Texas Killing Fields,” “Motel,“ “The Loft,” “Jonah Hex,” “12 Rounds,”“Spiderman,“ “Superman,” "Pain & Gain,“ “Jack & Jill,” “Why Did I Get Married Too?,” “Get Smart,” “Burn Notice,” “Gumball 3000,” “Revolution,” “The Following,” “CSI: Miami/ NY/Las Vegas,” “Project Earth” (Discovery), “Top Gear,” “Detroit 1-8-7,” “The Amazing Race,” “Bullrun” (Spike TV), HBO, Fox, NatGeo, ABC, Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, Mercedes, Volvo, Lincoln/Mercury, Kawasaki & Many More...

Airplanes & Seaplanes Film, Video, & Print Photography Location Scouting & Pre-Production SAG/AFTRA Aerial Coordinators & Pilots FAA Motion Picture & TV Manual All Camera Mounts & Systems Available

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Our custom “BIG RIGS” deliver helicopter, camera systems, crew, even jet fuel anywhere in Louisiana and the USA! CALL FOR DETAILS!

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or visit us anytime online at

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AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY erial cinematography is a growing sector of the film production industry, especially in Hollywood South, where big-budget features and indie films alike continue to flock to take advantage of all that Louisiana has to offer. Looking for aerial cinematography for your next production? Look no further than these companies.

A

www.cameracopters.com

CREDITS: Homefront The Bag Man Grudge Match American Heist Yellow Handkerchief Texas Killing Fields Motel The Loft Jonah Hex 12 Rounds

www.helivision.com

CREDITS: Safe Haven Act of Valor The Hunger Games Killers

Cold Mountain Homeland Nashville Bayliner

Yamaha Wellcraft Boats

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AERIAL C

www.tmaviation.com

www.LAcoptercam.com CREDITS: CNN Lifetime Relativity Media The CW Travel Channel Interscope Records Tabasco BHP Biliton Oil Can-Am Feld Motorsports

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L CINEMATOGRAPHY www.schelicopters.com CREDITS: Terminator: Genesis Tomorrowland Jupiter Ascending American Ultra The Judge When the Game Stands Tall Cat Run 2 Long Day Journey 22 Jump Street Godzilla

www.maxairhelicopters.com

www.dronecowboy.photography

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LOUISIANA

AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY COMPANY CITY, STATE PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

TYPES OF AIRCRAFT/AERIAL EQUIPMENT

FILM/VIDEO SERVICES PROVIDED

Barnstorm Cinema New Orleans, LA 504-458-4665 barnstormcinema@gmail.com www.barnstormcinema.com

Robinson R22 (2 Passenger Helicopter) side mount. Robinson R44 (4 Passenger Helicopter) side mount. Robinson R66 (5 passenger Helicopter) side mount, and nose mount coming soon. Bell 206L-4 (7 Passenger Helicopter) side mount, belly mount, nose mount.

Whether we use one of our aircraft or we find you one from our extensive network of pilots, getting your camera off the ground is our mission.

BM&P Aerial New Orleans, LA 504-250-4727 tberning@berning.com www.berning.com

Bell 206, Bell 407, Robinson R-44, Drones.

Helicopters, airplanes, pilots, camera mounts, aerial DPs.

Blue Hawk Aviation New Orleans, LA 504-613-6630 www.bluehawkaviation.com

N/A

Blue Hawk Aviation is a Louisiana based company that provides commercial and military aviation technical advisory and logistics services for the television and film industry. Our services include: development, pre-production, production, and post production.

Camera Copters-LA, LLC Bossier City & New Orleans, LA 888-463-7953 (office) / 305-793-7033 (mobile) pbarth@bellsouth.net; info@cameracopters.com www.cameracopters.com

Single & Twin Engine Helicopters: AS355F, 1 TwinStar, AS350 Astar, MD500, BH206, Bell UH-1H (HUEY). Airplanes, seaplanes, war birds. Picture & camera platform aircraft. ALL camera systems and mounts including Cineflex (ALEXA or RED), Pictorvision (Eclipse), Spacecam, Gyron, GSS, FSI, Tyler and Imax. 53’ helicopter transporter/production trailer allows us to travel to any shooting location.

As a true in-state Louisiana LLC, and FAA approved motion picture operator, Camera Copters-LA offers a full range of aerial filming support and coordination services to the Louisiana production industry, from aircraft to aerial camera mounts and systems — even aircraft stunt equipment and rigging.

Fly Cam Metairie, LA 504-355-2020 info@nolaflycam.com www.nolaflycam.com

A custom built hexacopter with video transmit, GPS waypointing and separate controls for the camera operator. We can fly the Canon 5D, RED and more!

We provide creative decision makers with an opportunity for increased production value, tremendous creative control, and expanded narrative options through our low-altitude cinema-quality aerials.

Helivision, LLC Concord, NC 704-792-1807 buddy@helivision.com www.helivision.com

2 Bell Helicopters, 1 Cessna 206H all equipped with Cineflex V14 Camera Systems, 2 Sikorsky S300’s, HD Video Recorders, HD Microwave Downlinks for live video feeds.

Coast to coast repositioning of our helicopters, camera systems, mobile fuel and communications via custom haulers. In-house camera & recorders. Approved Motion Picture Manual.

LAcoptercam, LLC Metairie, LA 504-656-4649/818-398-6791 info@LAcoptercam.com www.LAcoptercam.com

Specializing in unmanned aerial cinematography. All aircraft are remote operated, with 3-axis stabilized gimbals, featuring live video feeds and a variety of camera options.

Providing low-altitude aerial cinema to the film/television/corporate/ commercial industries. LAcoptercam provides high production value, for low-cost with safe, quiet aircraft.

Max Air Helicopters

Helicopter Robinson R44 side mounted digital camera stabilizer as well as heavy lift UAVs with digital camera stabilizer. Cameras up to REDs.

Aerial and ground digital camera stabilizer platforms for helicopters, UAVs, vehicle mounts, handheld and executive helicopter transport charter.

Mosquito-Cam New Orleans, LA 504-301-8201 42@swamprocket.com www.swamprocket.com

We have a fleet of professionally customized equipment including the new DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ and a GoPro Hero 3 outfitted Air Dog.

The “Mosquito-Cam” is a proprietary system that can capture unparelleled aerial video and photos. It is the ideal solution for amazing aerial HD video and photography for: film industry, video production, concerts, festivals, special events and parades.

Panther Helicopters, Inc. Belle Chasse, LA 504-394-5803 flypanther@pantherhelicopters.com www.pantherhelicopters.com

N/A

Panther has extensive experience in aerial photography for news, entertainment, and documentary purposes. Panther can also install special camera mounts for video and film productions.

Sky Shots LLC Mandeville, LA 504-606-2442 skyshotsla@yahoo.com

DJI Phantom 2 Vision UAV.

Low altitude photos and video up to 400’ 14 megapixel photos and 1080/30 video.

South Coast Helicopters Louisiana, LLC New Orleans, LA 714-562-0882 info@schelicopters.com www.schelicopters.com

3 AS350B2 AStar Helicopters.

Film for feature and television.

Southern Helicopters, Inc. Sunshine, LA 225-642-0075 charliepapa@cox.net www.southernhelicopters.com

Bell 206B-3 JetRanger, Bell 206L-3 and 4 LongRangers and Eurocopter AS350 Astar. We also have support/fuel trucks and can operate offairport.

Aerial camera platform for stills, film and video. On camera picture aircraft. Very familiar with local area for scouting.

T&M Aviation, INC. Abbeville, LA 337-893-9074 tom.wolf@tmaviation.com www.tmaviation.com

2 — Bell 206L3 Longrangers 6 PAX. 2 — Bell 206B3 Jetrangers 4 PAX. 3 — Fuel trailers for remote locations.

T&M Aviation, Inc. can provide the aircraft as a platform for the film industry. We have a fabrication department that can help build different things for different missions. T&M is accustomed to working all over the U.S. and has many years of low level experience.

Lake Charles, LA 337-802-4209 events.maxairhelicopters@gmail.com www.maxairhelicopters.com www.dronecowboy.photography

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