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CONTENTS

VOLUME 11 ISSUE FOUR 2014

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andrew Vogel andrew@louisianafilmandvideo.com ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR W. H. Bourne ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katie Sauro contact@louisianafilmandvideo.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mia Allen, Hunter McGregor, Catie Ragusa, Jason Raymond, Haley Summers, Corey Vaughn SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins SALES Steve Joseph PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DESIGNERS Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells WEBMASTER Jon Hines

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OFFICE MANAGER Audra Higgins

(L-R) Michael Chiklis and Jim Caviezel portray De La Salle High School Spartan Coaches Terry Eidson and Bob Ladouceur in this inspirational film which is based on a true story.

xx

title goes here

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Letter From The Editor

73

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When The Game Stands Tall, A Touchdown In New Orleans

“The Fourth Circle” Showcases A Series Of August Performances

77

NOVAC’s “In The Loop” Series - A Sound Investment

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The Maze Runner Hits Theaters September 19 The Creative Bloc Collaborative Entity Launches in Baton Rouge

LOUISIANA INDUSTRY LISTS 46

Modeling & Talent Agencies

23

Product Placement And Branding

50

Animal Talent Services

27

New Orleans Film Society Announces 25th Annual NOFF

54

Casting Directors

29

BIC Media Solutions Joins The New Orleans Film Festival

35

The Benefits Of Fiscal Sponsorship

39

Actor Billy Slaughter: You Can Have Your King Cake & Eat It Too

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The Importance Of An Agent

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Talking Talent With MyCastingFile

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Lake Charles Film & Music Festival Coming Soon

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48 Hour Film Project Wraps Up With Awards

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High Flying With Camera Copters

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Aerial Cinematography Spotlight

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Spotlight On: Extreme Stunt and Driving Team

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19 Dylan O’Brien stars as Thomas in The Maze Runner.

ON THE COVER: When The Game Stands Tall shot primarily in New Orleans but used football fields throughout the city and outlying parishes.

DIGITAL EDITION AVAILABLE AT: WWW.LOUISIANAFILMANDVIDEO.COM 6

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INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn

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.

Printed in THE USA

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I

t’s always a tragedy to lose someone great, especially for those closest to him. But the death of such a man creates the need to tribute life, as we’ve seen with the great Robin Williams. His ideas and his legacy live on in so many who’ve felt personally touched by him. And he will not be soon forgotten.

For me, Robin’s life serves as a reminder to be playful, to make light of the things that don’t matter and often the things that do, and to be carried away with imagination whenever possible. He proves just how possible it is to approach life playfully while living powerfully.

There’s a great deal of business and politics in film that, although necessary, too often take us away from the art. And art, I think, is the reason most of us are involved. We want to take part in a creative process and not a political one.

ROBIN WILLIAMS (1951-2014) The 48 Hour Film Project: New Orleans has been a tremendous opportunity for our filmmaking community to drop everything and simply create. When the pressure is on, it’s amazing what people are able to accomplish in 48 hours. See a recap of the 2014 48 Hour Film Project on page 58.

In this issue you’ll also find a comprehensive list of local casting companies and talent agencies. You’ll learn the importance of both, and find out how MyCastingFile has revolutionized background casting in the South.

On October 11 at the Sheraton Hotel is the 6th annual Film Industry Expo, once again offering filmmakers and actors a career toolbox filled with practical strategies crafted and hand-delivered by some of the most experienced film folks in the business. Get the full list of workshops, panels and panelists on page 52.

So gather your tools, set your goals and conquer the industry. Just be sure to keep that “little spark of madness” in the process.

“YOU’RE ONLY GIVEN ONE LITTLE SPARK OF MADNESS. YOU MUSTN’T LOSE IT.”

–

All the best, Andrew Vogel, Executive Editor

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WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL, A TOUCHDOWN IN NEW ORLEANS STORY BY W. H. BOURNE PHOTOS BY TRACY BENNETT COURTESY OF SONY PICTURE STUDIOS ©2014 CTMG

M

ovies are always an excuse to get to know a new city if you’re shooting on location,” said Thomas Carter, director of When the Game Stands Tall (WtGST). The film which shot in New Orleans last year is releasing wide in theaters nationally on August 22, 2014.

“

Inspired by a true story, When (L-R) Director Thomas Carter discusses a scene the Game Stands Tall tells the with actor Michael remarkable journey of legendary Chiklis. football coach Bob Ladouceur (Coach Lad), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151 game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. When the streak is broken and tragedy strikes the team, Coach Ladouceur must teach his players and the entire town that it’s not about how you fall, but how you get back up.

Not to be confused with De La Salle High School in New Orleans, Ladouceur’s De La Salle is a team in Northern California. Once again, Louisiana transforms into another part of the country.

When the Game Stands Tall is an interesting genre mashup of a sports movie, coming-of-age story and a faith-based film. The ensemble piece showcases many young talented actors as well as veterans Jim Caviezel and Michael Chiklis.

“I didn’t set out to make a faith-based movie,” said Carter. “I know there are faith elements in the movie because we’re dealing with a Catholic high school. We’re also dealing with a guy who teaches religion, but it wasn’t the primary objective for me. In fact, I wanted to make sure that we weren’t leaning too heavily on the faith-based issue because while it’s important on one level to Bob and Terry and the school, it’s not what they lead with when they teach the kids. I think they talk about a lot of personal accountability and discipline and brotherhood and love and those things that are universal — like human values which speak to everyone. I’m not a religious person so it’s not something I personally wanted to do, but I wanted to honor the spirit of the school and certainly that aspect of the experience of playing on that team in a way that was honest and realistic.”

Carter was a big basketball fan but football was new for him as far as viewing it from a non-fan perspective.

“This was exciting for me in a whole ‘nother way,” said Carter. “I know the game but in a way a fan knows the game so this was a chance for me to get more intimate with the game of football. I had some ideas from watching it about how I’d want to shoot it, but that’s what was fun for me ... it was a fun way to get to know new things just like New Orleans. I had visited there before but had never stayed that long.

It was a great excuse to burrow into football with help from Coach Lad and Terry Edison, his assistant and head of his defensive squad. I got to spend time with the De La Salle team. I probably knew those guys for a year and a half before I made the movie. I went to practices. I was in the locker room with the team for meetings before championship games. I went to two state championship games before I started shooting. I just got a much more intimate knowledge of the game on field and in the coaches’ heads as well.”

While Carter did have some knowledge of football, actor Alexander Ludwig was completely unfamiliar with the sport.

“It was really comical because I’m from Vancouver, Canada, and it’s probably the one sport I haven’t played,” said Ludwig, “so I was like, ‘by the way guys, I don’t know how to play.’ I had to learn as quickly as possible. We all worked at this (training) place in New Orleans, the Duke Academy, for about a month before we started shooting. The most tedious thing was learning ninety-something (football) plays. Of course, now I’m a huge fan.”

“My lead actors were in many of the football sequences, but we definitely had real football players playing the bulk of the action,” explained Carter. “A lot of players were from Louisiana, but we did have to bring in football players from other parts of the country. There ISSUE FOUR 2014

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were a lot of talented people out on the field. I really wanted the football to feel more authentic than anything I’ve ever seen.

And I really wanted the Long Beach Poly/De La Salle game to be just a great football sequence.

I challenged myself to try and make it like an experience the audience had never had on film watching a football game so my Director of Photography, Michael Lohmann, and I storyboarded most of the games and all of the Long Beach Poly game. We just designed the shots for each play ... so that when I gave that book to my 2nd unit director, Allan Graf, he had something to go by. He did a great job; he had a lot of experience, but we wanted to do something different with this football. Then DP Michael Lohmann had this idea about using a motorcycle camera, this kind of electric motorcycle that

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Actor Alexander Ludwig gives an outstanding performance as De La Salle football player Chris Ryan.

we used to shoot a lot of the action and the movement of the football games as well. I wanted Allan to shoot up close and

personal. I just wanted to make it a very intimate experience for the audience where they felt like they were inside that game and

inside all the games in a way that they hadn’t been before.”

“We were so lucky,” said Ludwig. “De La Salle was so supportive of this movie. Bob Ladoucer, the real coach, and Terry Edison (his assistant coach) were on set as well as Bob’s son and Maurice Jones Drew, a fantastic player who went on to play in the NFL. So I did get to meet my fair share of De La Salle players, and they were all really excited for us to tell this story.”

“My most challenging moment was in editorial in trying to figure out what to include and not include, agreeing and disagreeing with the studio about things I wanted to do. I had a long movie, and we had to cut it down while trying to stay true to the storytelling and fit it into a certain prescribed time which was a difficult process. This was probably the longest first cut I’ve ever had,” said Carter.

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“It was close to four hours. I’ve never had a movie this long. I had a terrific editor, a guy by the name of Scott Richter. Being able to balance the story telling and being able to give enough space to develop the number of characters you want to focus on was the challenge so you could feel like you knew all of these people and have some sense of who they really were.”

“I saw the longer cut, but I’m really happy they tightened it up,” said Ludwig. “I don’t like movies that drag out, and this one certainly doesn’t. I really wanted the main message to get across which is the exceptional feat these coaches have done which is never losing sight of what they were there to do which was to shape these young men into great men who could be depended on. It’s pretty unbelievable throughout all that success that they never lost sight

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(L-R) The real De La Salle Coach Bob Ladouceur shares his experiences with actor Jim Caviezel who portrays him in When the Game Stands Tall.

of that.”

“I think my most exciting moment was when we had the first screening for a real live

audience, a recruited audience (research screening) — for people who had nothing to do with the film,” said Carter, “and

seeing the response they had to the film which was applauding and just being overwhelmed by certain scenes in the film and

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just having a great experience with the movie — how locked in they were to the football games, how involved they were with the characters, and how moved they were by the story. That was certainly exciting because you never know how a movie’s going to play for an audience so the first time I saw that, it was thrilling.”

“I’ve seen it twice, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out,” said Ludwig. “I think people are going to be able to see themselves in the characters and be really inspired and that’s all I can ask for.”

“I loved being able to have the experience of getting to know the city and the culture and the people,” said Carter.

“New Orleans is obviously one of the most extraordinary cities in the country. There’s nothing quite like it ... I really enjoyed being there.”

“I had just finished a film

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called Lone Survivor so I felt I was too big and just wanted to lose weight,” explained Ludwig.

“So everyone else was trying to bulk up, and I was just trying to lose it which is a lot harder.

I was so bad. The food (in New Orleans) was just too good to resist.”

Thomas Carter and Alexander Ludwig had praises for the cast, crew, city, state and each other.

“He had a really cool vision,” said Ludwig of Carter. “He’s really particular about what he wants, and I really respect that.

I love working with directors who know what they want because it makes it a lot easier of a shoot. It was a fabulous experience.”

“I just loved his talent and his enthusiasm,” said Carter about Ludwig. “He comes to work with such energy; he really was a pleasure. He wants to

try things again and again. He wants the director to be happy.

He was a great guy to direct. I’d work with him again any time.”

“It was like we got off the plane and became a team immediately,” said Ludwig of his fellow actors. “There were no egos … We’re still very, very close friends, and I’m so thankful for that.”

“Michael (Chiklis) was amazing. I’ve got the biggest man crush on him because he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, and one of the great talents,” continued Ludwig. “Jim (Caviezel) was unbelievable. I don’t think anyone could have played the role the way he did, and my respect goes out to them both because they took the liberty of acting as coaches both on and off the set. They really gathered the team. They were our captains, and they really helped steer the ship.”

“Creatively, I would have been happy to be in northern California shooting, but it was much better for us on the budget we had shooting down in New Orleans,” explained Carter.

“Listen, it’s all about the tax credits, and Louisiana is getting so much film down there that you have to be the film capital of the country right now ... A lot of people I know are coming down there right now. Quite honestly, that’s why we came down there. And I appreciate having the time to experience New Orleans on a personal level.”

“It was my first time working in New Orleans,” said Ludwig.

“I love the people and the energy there.”

“Say hello to everyone in New Orleans,” said Carter. “I had a really great time, and I just want to thank everyone who helped with the movie.” LFV

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THE MAZE RUNNER HITS THEATERS SEPTEMBER 19 PHOTOS BY BEN ROTHSTEIN PHOTOS COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX

B

ased on the hit young-adult sci-fi novel of the same name, 20th Century Fox’s The Maze

Runner is set to hit theaters on September 19. Filmed in and around Baton Rouge, the action-thriller began pre-production in March of 2013, started shooting on May 13, and wrapped July 30 of last year.

“We are very excited about the premiere of Maze Runner,” said Liza Kelso, executive director of the Baton Rouge Film Commission.

According to Kelso, the actual “maze scenes” were shot in Jackson, Louisiana, while the stage work was done in Baton Rouge.

“As far as local crew, I would estimate that about one-third of the entire production was made up of local Louisiana-based crewmembers,” she said.

Directed by first-time director Wes Ball

Wes Ball (right) directs Dylan 0’Brien on the set of The Maze Runner.

Dylan O’Brien stars as Thomas in The Maze Runner.

from a script by Noah Oppenheim, The Maze Runner stars Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Will Poulter. The film follows “Thomas” (O’Brien), who wakes up and finds himself trapped in a massive maze with a group of boys.

He has no memory of the outside world. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze, can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape.

Said Kelso, “The book, Maze Runner, is the first part of a series written by James Dashner and we are hoping to host any future productions for the second or third portion.” LFV ISSUE FOUR 2014

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THE CREATIVE BLOC COLLABORATIVE ENTITY LAUNCHES IN BATON ROUGE STORY BY HALEY SUMMERS

W

ith film production on the rise in Louisiana, it’s no surprise that Baton Rouge is soon to be home to another media-producing entity. The Creative Bloc, a by-product of Launch Media, is a collaborative workspace designed for creative professionals.

“We want to have a space where photographers, graphic designers, videographers, writers, producers and other professionals can come together during the creative process and bounce ideas off each other,” said John Jackson, president and executive producer of Launch Media. According to Jackson, there is industry demand for space where collaboration is the name of the game. “A lot of creative professionals are one-man bands or belong to small companies, so having a place where they can vet ideas and share resources will be Front of the Creative Bloc Building in Baton Rouge. beneficial for them.”

Jackson is no stranger to understanding what works. Launch Media’s Baton Rouge headquarters is currently located at Celtic Media Centre, the largest studio in Louisiana. Conversely, The Creative Bloc is geared towards smaller projects. In an industry that often caters to sizeable productions, there is a demand for small-production space.

“There are a lot of studios, like Celtic, that focus solely on large films,” said Jackson. “Creative Bloc is really more for small films and commercial television.

Office/tenant space.

The green room.

The production studio.

We’ll cater to people wanting to produce documentaries, indie films, television broadcasts, projects like that.” what it’s been doing for 10 years, just in a way that is a little different than what we’ve done before.”

The idea behind The Creative The space isn’t completely renovated; however, The Creative Bloc already has a few tenants. NOVAC, a Bloc was a long time in the media-arts non-profit based in New Orleans, saw the space as an opportunity to do programming, seminars, making. According to Jackson, workforce development, programming for high schools and workforce training.

Launch Media always planned Jackson expressed enthusiasm, saying, “We’re excited about our partnership with NOVAC and expandon expanding beyond Celtic. ing beyond just being a for-profit entity into also having a non-profit component. We hope to have a lot of “At the end of 2012, we were interns where we can recognize talent and cultivate it through NOVAC, and the other resources that Creative growing and we knew that we Bloc brings in.” needed a new space. We looked NOVAC is excited, as well. Darcy McKinnon, executive director, stated, “We’re thrilled to be moving into at the changes in the industry, Creative Bloc this fall. It is going to give us a flagship presence downtown, a partnership with other leading our own needs and the needs media organizations in the city, and access to the industry-leading resources in the facility. We’re excited to of other industry professionals host courses there and expand our offerings to the community with the support of the partners at Creative and found what we believe is Bloc.” the best answer for everyone,” Jackson is hopeful that this won’t be the last expansion that Launch Media experiences. “I believe this idea he explained. “Creative Bloc is has legs and I think there is potential for it to be replicated in other cities.” LFV ultimately a business park for creative professionals. It’s a space The Creative Bloc is located in downtown Baton Rouge. There is still some tenant availability and construction should be complete for Launch Media to keep doing by the end of September.

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PRODUCT PLACEMENT AND BRANDING This year, ISM Entertainment facilitated brand integration for Peugeot Automobiles and o.k.-Energy Drink on the Warner Bros. feature film Focus, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie, which filmed in New Orleans. The film is scheduled for release February 27, 2015.

MONEY, CLEARANCES, MARKETING AND PRODUCTION VALUE – A FANTASTIC NEW SERVICE IN LOUISIANA

P

roduct Placement and Branding is a bold, rapidly emerging area which all filmmakers, whether big or small, should be taking advantage of. It offers savvy filmmakers a myriad of benefits, including cash, free product, sponsorship opportunities, prints and advertising investment, and massive on screen production value. Now, for the first time, Product Placement and Branding is available in Louisiana to service both local brands wanting to get involved in the film and television industry, and global brands who want to be featured in Louisiana productions.

Product deals range from ‘in kind’ contributions—which can have immeasurable value, across all departments—through to paid placements, which can be very lucrative. In the recent film Breaking the Bank, produced by Jake Seal for Black Hangar Studios, ISM Entertainment provided a range of product placement deals—cars (Peugeot, Hyundai), champagne (Gosset), fine wine, laptops, tablets, phones, custom suits, watches, police vehicles and much more.

“Conservatively, I’d say that we saved about 3 percent of our budget,” said Seal. “Most importantly all these props, clothes, brands, vehicles, etc.—they were all pre-cleared, saving lots of time in legals and paperwork.”

These deals had both a dramatic effect on the production’s budget (costume, prop and art department budgets were easy to slash, without hurting the look of the film) and also a dramatic effect on the film’s ‘look’ and ‘feel.’

“Nothing says big budget like designer clothes, accessories and handmade suits for your lead actors,” said Seal. In fact, the word is that the

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suits were so good that all the stars kept them. Kelsey Grammer, famous for being sharp suited in Frasier and Boss, liked his so much that he wore it to The Expendables 3 premiere at Cannes. Meanwhile, John Michael Higgins flew straight from the Breaking the Bank set and took his all the way from London to Louisiana, where he was starring in Pitch Perfect 2 (shooting in Baton Rouge). The suits were handmade by esteemed London tailors Fine and Dandy.

ISM offers unique brand partnership opportunities through Plantation Village Studios (based in Jackson, Louisiana, just 15 minutes from Baton Rouge Airport) that are not available with major motion picture studios. ISM’s on-lot Branded Entertainment Group manages strategic partnerships at the studio, including Product Placement, Brand Integration and Cross Promotion.

“We’re now looking at packaging three new titles, which we are shooting at Plantation Village Studios,” said Seal. “Fear, a thriller; Pini, a comedy TV show; and Stole, a horror film.”

ISM, a full-service product placement and integrated branding agency founded in Los Angeles, also has offices in Louisiana and London.

Formed in 1995, ISM has garnered billions of views for a variety of brands including Dell Computer, Western Union, Samsung America, 24 Hour Fitness and Fox Racing, to name a few.

The Branded Entertainment service gives companies direct access to all productions without the red tape and restrictions, or hefty investments. Brand partner products are showcased and inventoried at the studio, allowing for swift product placement coordination.

“With a steady stream of film, television and web series productions filming in Louisiana and the surrounding areas, being able to service

productions searching for props, set dressing, wardrobe and technology support is a key strategy for us moving forward,” said Ian McQueen of ISM. Branded Entertainment and Product Placement is not unique to film.

ISM specializes in branded entertainment for a variety of Hollywood properties including movies, television shows, music videos and award shows. Past productions include: The Matrix, Family Ties, 24, Friends, X-Men, NCIS, Mission Impossible, Seinfeld, Spider-Man, Sex and the City, The Hangover and True Blood.

Music videos are increasingly being shot in Louisiana, where the tax credit is encouraging more and more short and long form production.

Music videos are now very ripe for product placement, with leading artists commanding large fees for featuring brands in their music videos.

Brands are really alive to this space, as they get almost instant feedback.

Music videos go viral very quickly, so it is easy to see the return on investment, the spike in sales and product interest, and of course—because YouTube has built-in metrics—anyone with a computer can look up and see how many people have watched a particular music video.

The big stars, like Jennifer Lopez, will expect to attract many millions of hits within the first week of a new music video being released.

The ISM team has had the pleasure of working with and representing some of the world’s biggest brands and companies, from Peugeot, Vizio, Dell, Western Union and Mitsubishi, to the World Music Awards, and from Sony Entertainment to MGM. Current projects include: Hangover 3 (feature film franchise), The Breaks (surfing drama), 8 (sci-fi series), Revenge (network drama), Robocop (MGM) and Homeland (Showtime). LFV

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NEW ORLEANS FILM SOCIETY ANNOUNCES 25TH ANNUAL NOFF

N

ew Orleans Film Society (NOFS) has announced the 25th Annual New Orleans Film Festival, taking place October 16-23 at venues across the city.

The festival will kick off Thursday, October 16, at the Civic Theatre with the U.S. premiere of Mike Binder’s New Orleans-shot Black and White. Closing the festival on Thursday, October 23, is the world premiere of The Big Beat, a documentary directed by Joe Lauro that profiles the early years of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew.

“Both opening and closing night selections have a special resonance for our city,” says Jolene Pinder, New Orleans Film Society executive director. “Black and White is a testament to the thriving film industry in Louisiana and the meaningful stories being filmed here, while The Big Beat honors the singular contributions New Orleans artists have made to our country’s musical history. We are honored to host such special homecoming screenings for both films.”

NOFS has also announced the festival’s Narrative and Documentary Competition feature film selections that will compete for a grand jury prize (listed below).

“It is a special privilege to live in New Orleans and be a part of its thriving film and entertainment industry,” says John Goodman, who was announced earlier this year as the Hollywood Liaison for the New Orleans Film Festival. “Over the past 25 years the New Orleans Film Festival has developed into a world-class event with original and innovative programming that has helped put New Orleans on the map. This year’s lineup is the most diverse and exciting program I’ve seen in years.”

Opening/Closing Night Films The Opening Night film, Black and White, stars Academy Award winners Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer. Black and White is the story of a widowed grandfather (Costner) who is left to raise his bi-racial granddaughter. When the little girl’s paternal grandmother (Spencer) seeks custody, a bitter legal battle ensues that forces the uneasy family members to have an honest conversation about life, death, anger, and America’s racial divide.

“New Orleans as well as the state of Louisiana has come to my rescue more than once as a filmmaker,” says Costner. “It was the difference between me making my movie and not. The group of filmmakers that exists here made it possible, and nothing feels better than bringing it back for them to see the vision that united us all in work.”

One of the film’s major stars, Anthony Mackie, is a New Orleans native; growing up, he attended New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts.

The film’s score is by renowned composer Terence Howard, who is also a New Orleans native.

Opening Night at the 2014 New Orleans Film Festival is sponsored by Second Line Stages and Windy Hill Pictures.

This year’s Closing Night film, The Big Beat, profiles the early years of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. The documentary from veteran documentary filmmaker Joe Lauro (Rejoice and Shout, Louis Prima: The Wildest, The Howling Wolf Story) follows their journey turning New

Black and White, NOFF’s opening night film.

Orleans Rhythm & Blues into Rock ‘N’ Roll and shows how their music contributed to racial integration.

“I see The Big Beat as not only the story of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, but a tale of New Orleans, the city where Dave and Fats have always lived and where their music was born,” says Joe Lauro.

“Having our film’s world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival is an honor; it somehow completes the circle.”

Narrative and Documentary Features in Competition The 2014 festival lineup was chosen from a total pool of more than 2,100 submissions, a record number for the festival and a 41-percent increase over the previous year.

“The films in this year’s lineup promise to make audiences see the world in new ways,” says Clint Bowie, New Orleans Film Society program director. “They draw attention to lives and communities not often seen on screen and explore form and technique in ways that allow new perspectives on life.”

NARRATIVE FILMS IN COMPETITION: Buttercup Bill (dir. Émilie Richard-Froozan & Rémy Bennett) Dig Two Graves (dir. Hunter Adams) Love Land (dir. Josh Tate) Manhattan Romance (dir. Tom O’Brien) Proud Citizen (dir. Thom Sutherland) Sabbatical (dir. Brandon Colvin) Sunbelt Express (dir. Evan Wolf Buxbaum) DOCUMENTARY FILMS IN COMPETITION: 61 Bullets (dir. David Modigliani) Big Moccasin (dir. Chelsea & Andrew Moynehan) Dwarves Kingdom (dir. Matthew Salton) Meet the Hitlers (dir. Matt Ogens) Of Kites and Borders (dir. Yolanda Pividal) When the Bell Rings (dir. Brad Bores) Where God Likes to Be (dir. Nicholas Hudak) For more information on these films (as well as those features screening out of competition, the short film lineup and the Louisiana showcase), visit www.neworleansfilmfestival.org.

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IVS Investment Banking partner John Zapalac tests the sound on set of A Gift Horse.

BIC MEDIA SOLUTIONS JOINS THE NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL STORY BY CATIE RAGUSA

S

ince completing its first feature-length film, A Gift Horse, BIC Media Solutions (BMS) is now in discussion with other media and film companies, including the New Orleans Film Society, the non-profit organization that puts on the New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) each year. The 25-yearold festival has twice been named in MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” bringing in 22,000 audience members, including over 300 filmmakers, to view over 200 films. This year, BMS has partnered with NOFF to co-publish the festival’s official program guide, and as a co-sponsor and media partner with NOFF, BMS is helping organize a discussion panel for business and industry professionals who have taken the leap into film production.

New Orleans Film Society’s Jolene Pinder (left) and BIC Alliance’s Earl Heard meet to discuss a partnership for the New Orleans Film Festival and begin to organize a “Business and Industry in the Movies” panel discussion.

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Digging further into the deep connection between energy and film, BMS has found that companies in the energy industry are now frequently producing and investing in informative films and documentaries like Haynesville: A Nation’s Hunt for

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(above from left) FBT Investments’ Leonard Alsfeld, Kean Miller LLP’s Meg Kaul, City of Peace Films’ Jordan and Hillary Marcellino and BIC Alliance’s Earl Heard gather to discuss opportunities in film and video after pre-screening The Identical in Harahan, Louisiana. (left) A Gift Horse lead actors Madeline Thelton (left) and acting veteran John Schneider rehearse their lines on set between scenes.

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BIC Alliance CEO Earl Heard (third from right) and IVS Investment Banking partner John Zapalac (right) view a special teaser screening of A Gift Horse at BIC Alliance’s Baton Rouge office.

an Energy Future, American Made Movie, and the Shell-funded energy web series the Rational Middle® Energy Series.

Over the past several months, BMS has been on a mission to produce movies of redeeming value and inspiration. Connecting with top professionals in both the film and energy industries, BMS can reach wellknown film producers, investors, directors and actors. LFV For more information on BIC Media Solutions’ media/film investments and partnerships, contact Earl Heard, or Catie Ragusa at 800-460-4242. To learn more about BIC Alliance, watch the company’s video at www.bicmagazine.com/bic-overview-video.

BIC Alliance CEO Earl Heard (left) and producer/actor Jake Seal discuss local and international film opportunities while touring Seal’s movie studio, Plantation Village Studios, in Jackson, Louisiana.

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THE BENEFITS OF FISCAL SPONSORSHIP STORY BY W. H. BOURNE ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF LION DANCE FILMS

“

M

aking a film can be a daunting task. One thing I learned is that filmmakers are artists, and to produce a movie, you need to be an entrepreneur,” said Carole Dean, author of The Art of Film Funding: Alternate Financing Concepts. “For most artists, that is more difficult than shooting footage, editing a film, or hiring crew.”

Airlifting Christmas trees into the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans.

“I met Carole after Hurricane Katrina,” said Louisiana filmmaker, Odin Lindblom. “I had a documentary feature on coastal erosion and the Christmas tree project that was narrated by John Goodman. We were waiting on one final animation clip when the storm hit. Katrina made my documentary dated overnight; yet, I felt an even stronger passion to tell that story.”

Lindblom has continued to

I pioneered the buying back of leftover film stock short ends and recans from major studio productions. Reselling this color negative at less than half the cost of new film gave independent filmmakers a chance to put their vision on the screen back when film was the only real image capture medium.”

“I could see that many creative, brilliant filmmakers with wonderful projects still needed help,” continued Dean. “Part of what opened my eyes was catching my father giving away film stock to a needy filmmaker. So, I started the Roy W. Dean Film Grants which were created in my father’s name.

For over 22 years, From the Heart Productions has overseen the Pelicans hiding behind an oil soaked boom during the BP oil spill near Grand Isle.

shoot on and off since the storm.

He attributes forward motion of the project, at times, to Dean.

“Before Kickstarter or Indiegogo, documentary film funding came primarily from grants and private funding. Most organizations wanted you to have a fiscal sponsor. Carole and her non-profit, From the Heart Pro-

ductions, offered this solution,” said Lindblom.

“By partnering with a 501(c) (3) non-profit like From the Heart Productions as your fiscal sponsor, funds donated to the project are tax deductible,” said Dean. “That encourages donors to give more money more often to a project. They also know

that you have been vetted by a certified non-profit and that you are not going to Paris for the weekend with their money.”

“From the Heart began as an extension of my business, Studio Film & Tape, and my love of working with filmmakers,” explained Dean. “Studio Film & Tape was created when

grant, and given away over $2 million in film services and goods donated by film industry companies and craftspeople.”

“Carole does a lot more than oversee From the Heart Productions,” said Lindblom. “She offers invaluable advice to filmmakers.

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screened before an audience at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles and receive feedback from a top trailer editor there.”

“Whether you apply for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant or become a fiscally sponsored project, From the Heart will work with you and support your project. I saw how difficult it was to raise funding for films during both my time as president of Studio Film & Tape and while running the Roy W. Dean Grant,” said Dean. “Grant applicants and fiscally sponsored projects get free consultations from me on film funding.”

“From the Heart was one of the first partners with Indiegogo,” continued Dean. “We’ve raised over $1 million to date. Films fiscally sponsored with From the Heart can work with us on Indiegogo’s crowdfunding platform, and there are no penalties for not reaching their goal. You can also work with us on our website. We give you a ‘DONATE’ button to put on your site that sends your donations to our non-profit bank account making every donation tax deductible.”

“We’ve also created educational videos and recordings on creating successful crowdfunding campaigns, articles on film financing and a growing library of podcasts on all aspects of filmmaking. My weekly show on The Art of Film Funding on blogtalkradio.com has interviews with experts on film funding, marketing, TOD, VOD, everything you need to know to make and distribute your film,” said Dean.

“Recently, we’ve asked donors to our Roy W. Dean Grant to help our fiscally sponsored films as well. Now films that are fiscally sponsored

by From the Heart receive discounts on film production services. They range from 10 percent off screenwriting classes to 20 percent off post production services. We are working to expand the list to provide as much help to our fiscally sponsored films as possible,” explained Dean.

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“The money is always challenging,” said Lindblom. “I’ve been shooting footage of the wetlands for the past 12 years. I have shots of Louisiana coastline that no longer exists. I have stories of Katrina survival that no one has heard. I have the continuing oil spill saga. All this footage takes up a lot of storage space and requires fast computers. With the 10 year anniversary of Katrina quickly approaching, I’ve been spending lots of time in the editing room working on this new computer equipment we were able to get donated through a program for non-profits. I can’t stress how much Carole and her program have continued to be invaluable resources for our team.”

“To apply for fiscal sponsorship with From the Heart, just go online to our website and follow the application instructions,” explained Dean. “We will review it and if your film is unique and/or makes a contribution to society, we will accept you. This means you get a letter of acceptance that you show to donors saying that a non-profit has reviewed your film and that they now support you and their donation is tax deductible. You also get a copy of the IRS non-profit form for donors to see.”

“Our job at From the Heart is to teach you how to make money and run your films like a business,” continued Dean. “I just want filmmakers to help channel their creative energy into raising money, making their film and creating a business around their film to support them while making another one.” LFV To learn more about Carole Dean, her book, her blog, the Roy W. Dean Grant or From the Heart go to www.fromtheheartproductions.com. If you want to learn more about Odin Lindblom’s wetlands project or make a donation go to www.RecycledChristmas.com.

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ACTOR BILLY SLAUGHTER: YOU CAN HAVE YOUR KING CAKE & EAT IT TOO

L

ocal actor Billy Slaughter was finally being allowed to play an authority figure.

Problem: He needed to shave his head first. As Slaughter recalls, “I shaved for Bayou Tales earlier in the year to play a soldier. And I changed one small thing… It’s funny how something as little as a haircut… could open up new roles for me. Every small decision you make can have a big effect.”

The term “big” is more applicable to Slaughter’s career than ever before. He has a major role in the new Max Steel franchise of films that debuts in January, playing a lead agent in a government outfit harnessing alien technology. When he sat down for an interview in August, Slaughter was appearing on screen in theaters in Get On Up and When the Game Stands Tall, while shooting a new crime drama called The Livingston Gardener, based on an actual serial killer.

Looking at his recent career developments, Slaugh- Billy Slaughter stars in a Robitussin commercial. ter observes, “It’s funny how niches work. When I in a busy week, so I got more started out the year, I was playing a variation of a tech character in involved in film,” he remembers. one big-scale sci-fi after another. I put that to rest and now it’s all these “New York was a great place for crime dramas. Right after Livingston Gardener, I’m doing a web series a lot of other young up-andcalled Arseno that’s also crime-based and strong in the interrogation coming film students.” format. It’s funny when you start to see the trends popping up.”

Slaughter returned to UNO The Louisiana native performed in high school plays before going and graduated in 2002 with a to college at the University of New Orleans (UNO). He spent his degree in drama and commusophomore year training in Britain working on Shakespeare. Later he nications. went to New York on an exchange program.

“I like acting and I like the “There were student film shorts where you could crank out three

variety of doing different mediums, but if I had to choose one, though, film always I guess spoke to me the most,” he says.

“It’s probably what I do the most of and enjoy doing the most of.”

So he was ready to go when his native land became a filmmaking hotspot. His first big break came not from being unique, but from looking enough like Dustin Hoffman to serve as a stand-in on Runaway Jury.

“That was the best possible educational experience,” says Slaughter. “He and I hit it off and when we wrapped, he invited me to L.A. to be his personal stand-in. I did that for a few years.”

His last work substituting for Hoffman came in Meet the Fockers, where he worked with Hoffman, Robert De Niro and Barbra Streisand.

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Slaughter appears in Beauty and the Briefcase.

Jay Roach, during casting for The Campaign. Slaughter describes the reunion: “Sure enough, I walk in the room for the audition, he lights up, ‘Billy, it’s so good to see you!’ And that yielded maybe my largest opportunity at the time, and now I booked a supporting role in the biggest comedy shooting at the time with the biggest studio.”

Of course, Slaughter has faced serious challenges. He had returned to New Orleans from Los Angeles to do his own project called Utility, when Hurricane Katrina destroyed not just the project, but Slaughter’s house in the Lakeview neighborhood. But Slaughter decided to remain in New Orleans. With the post-Katrina film industry blossoming, Slaughter found that “we were all able to get in on the ground floor as locals. We just had to decide where we were going to take things.”

According to Slaughter, although “the tradeoff for being a working actor in Louisiana used to be about quality versus quantity,” he does feel that more and more larger roles are coming to local actors. But he’s acted in a variety of roles in a variety of productions, and he likes the movement and energy.

“It gives you an amazing perspective to see how the industry operates on different levels,” he says. “In a month I can go from being number 1 on a call sheet to number 73. Each of those has its own value.”

Overall, Slaughter testifies to the renaissance of Louisiana filmmaking. “I thought it was impossible for anywhere other than Los Angeles to be the filmmaking capital, but we are sitting in the capital right now,” he says. “We are ‘Number 1’ in film.” Incoming productions set in Louisiana now regularly call Slaughter and other native actors to give a local feel to the movies. Local actors also get to go “toe-to-toe” with A-listers and Oscar winners, even if a film is being shot in Louisiana and set elsewhere.

Slaughter also likes the fact that his hometown is far more affordable than the former film capital.

“The numbers game is actually in your favor here,” he remarks. “If you book a national commercial in L.A., you can go out for a nice dinner and say, ‘Man, I am good for the next few months.’ But if you book a Slaughter in Cigarettes and Nylons.

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national commercial here, you’re set for a year just because of cost of living.”

Today, Billy Slaughter acts locally, but also travels to productions. He teaches at the John Robert Powers Acting School and does some private acting classes, too. Of his 10 years training other actors, Slaughter notes, “Teaching makes me a better actor every day and acting makes me a better teacher.”

Though he would not advise anyone to become an actor by profession, he’s not only having a successful career in acting, but a happy life in New Orleans.

“I have a big family here that’s been here for a long time. I have a family myself,” he says. “When you’re in L.A., it’s just about the business. In L.A., you live to work. Here in Louisiana, you work to live. If you’re in L.A., you don’t have that luxury of having too many other interests or hav-

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Slaughter in Columbiana.

Slaughter photographed on the red carpet.

ing a family or starting a family. It’s about survival. Here you can have a bit more balance in life.”

He stresses that actors must remain objective-oriented and keep in mind the difference between goals and dreams. Still, he sees a bright future for himself and the filmmaking industry here. And he’s certainly not planning on leaving his home ever.

“The footprint of the industry has never been wider,” says Slaughter. “It’s becoming more the norm. I can really go anywhere in the world. But if you can choose what your home base is, it’s hard to beat right here. You can have your king cake and eat it too.” LFV

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THE IMPORTANCE OF AN AGENT STORY BY MIA ALLEN

S

o, you’re an actor.

You’re a model. You’re hot, you’re sexy, you’re talented and you have something grand and original to bring to the world via Hollywood’s fabulous lights and cameras. Sound about right?

But how do you do it?! Where is your golden ticket? What are the coordinates to the great and powerful Oz? Well, I hate to break it to you, Mr. Chaplin; there is no one-way ticket to fame, fortune and imminent stardom. Even Hollywood’s “discovered” actors have some sneaky uncle that was grandfathered into the saturated, elite class of beautiful people. And even they deal with the industry’s seasick trends and desperate cries for validation.

However, if you do your research, you will learn that there are ways for you to boost your chances of being put face-to-face (or face-to-casting director’s face) with the clowns that are driving this trillion-dollar fancy wagon. The best advice I can give to any person who is attempting to do something original or extraordinary with their lives is to develop a team. It is imperative to surround yourself with people that believe in your cause and are willing to invest in the fruit that your little tree will hopefully shake off.

Start yourself off with a talent agency. Start with an established business whose primary function is to promote beautiful, talented people like you. A talent agent’s job is to build bridges between your desperation to be seen and the casting directors that will see you. Without an agent, being seen by a casting director for any (well paying) project is far more complicated, and fairly unlikely.

Here’s how it works: Production decides it’s going to be shooting the 10,000th Spider-Man movie in your city! They have

their name actors (usually cast out of New York or L.A.), but they do have all of these fabulous supporting roles that will be much cheaper to cast in, say, New Orleans. So production calls the casting directors that are located in New Orleans and informs them that they are looking for 10 extra-special actors to play Spider-Man’s little Spiderbabies. The casting director calls various talent agencies, passes off the ideal physical description of these Spiderbabies (you know, eight eyes/eight legs), and the talent agent calls you—their favorite little mutant actor. They tell you what production is looking for, give you your sides (lines) and tell you when to punctually arrive at the casting director’s office.

You do your thing, they love you, and you’re hired. Cha-ching!

So how do you find an agent? Google, networking parties and acting classes will give you a good idea of what’s out there, who is working, and who is happy. Get out and start talking to people. If possible, have another actor make an introduction for you. When you meet a talent agent, remember that you are bringing he/she on to be a part of your team. They are working for you, and they don’t get paid until you get paid. So trust me, they want you to be working.

Building a professional and sincere relationship with your agent is key. They don’t have to be your new “bestie,” but it is absolutely necessary that you know you are being taken care of and they know they are appreciated. Book a job? Send a “thank you” gift. It’s not a bribe, it’s common courtesy. The harder you work, the harder they work. Your job is not to configure a schedule, or handle contract negotiations. Your job is to show up on set, looking absolutely smashing, and act your way to the stars. Hire them and let them take care of the technicalities.

Agents are also usually very good for advice. Having someone to check in with while you’re dangling above a pool full of sharks can be really helpful, as you will undoubtedly go through seasons of disappointment and uncertainty. They will tell you when you need a new headshot, or give you a lead on a great new acting coach that can help you work out the kinks in your performance.

So go build your team, and believe in the success that will follow.

Filmmaking is a collaborative art, and the best way to find your bearings is to have a solid support system to carry you along the way. LFV

Carol Ann Scruggs Film & Television Actress New Orleans, LA Del Corral & Associates

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Acclaim Talent New Orleans, LA 504-330-8632 info@acclaimtalent.com www.acclaimtalent.com Actors Choice Talent Agency Denham Springs, LA 225-408-9857; fax 225-243-4725 actorschoicetalentagency@gmail.com www.actorschoicetalent.com The Atherton Group (TAG) Talent Agency Georgetown, TX 504-708-2700 office@tagtalent.com www.tagtalent.com Clear Talent Group South New Orleans, LA 504-834-8290 ctgsouth@cleartalentgroup.com www.cleartalentgroup.com Del Corral Talent Agency New Orleans, LA 504-324-3782; fax 504-324-3819 delcorralandassoc@msn.com www.delcorralmodel.com fameagency New Orleans, LA 800-458-9112 info@fameagency.com www.fameagency.com Fruition Talent & Media Inc./ Carol Bloodworth New Orleans, LA 504-316-1184 carolbworth@gmail.com www.fruitiontalent.com Hale Talent, LLC Metairie, LA 504-858-9038; fax 504-455-1014 haletalent@gmail.com www.haletalentagency.com Heyman Talent New Orleans, LA 504-754-6934 infoneworleans@heymantalent.com www.heymantalent.com Images Model & Talent Agency Lafayette, LA 337-406-2219 imagesmodeling@gmail.com Impact Modeling & Talent Agency New Orleans, LA 504-533-8759; fax 888-423-5970 impactmodelingagency@gmail.com/ becki.impact@gmail.com www.impactmta.com 46

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Kern Model, Talent and Entertainment Agency, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-581-4444/504-915-4166 info@paperdollpromotions.com www.paperdollpromotions.com Landrum Arts LA Talent Agency (LALA Talent) Shreveport & New Orleans, LA 318-742-6554 (LA), 323-208-3484 (CA), 214-233-1374 (TX)/ fax 866-757-8786 agent@landrumtalent.com www.landrumartsla.com Carl Mack Presents New Orleans, LA 504-949-4009; fax 504-949-4640 carl@carlmack.com www.carlmack.com Metro Models & Talent New Orleans, LA 504-324-1990 anthony@metromt.net www.metromt.net Moxie Agency New Orleans, LA & Dallas, TX 504-345-9591 sarah@moxie-agency.com www.moxie-agency.com NOMT Youth New Orleans, LA 917-494-7334 nomtyouth@gmail.com www.nomtyouth.net NOVA: The New Orleans Voice Agency New Orleans, LA 504-355-9673 stephen@neworleansvoiceagency.com www.neworleansvoiceagency.com Jessica Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Day Agency, LLC New Orleans, LA 512-905-2116 info@odayagency.com www.odayagency.com Open Range Management Baton Rouge, LA 225-216-2424; fax 952-216-2421 openrange@bellsouth.net www.openrangemanagement.com Paper Doll Promotions, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-581-4444/504-915-4166 info@paperdollpromotions.com www.paperdollpromotions.com Pastorini-Bosby Talent Agency, Inc. Houston, TX 713-266-2288; fax 713-266-3314 cindi@pbtalent.com www.pbtalent.com People Store New Orleans, LA & Atlanta, GA 504-324-2912; fax 504-324-1899 savannah@peoplestore.net/ talentinfo@peoplestore.net www.peoplestore.net 48

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Proclaim Talent Agency New Orleans, LA 504-849-9020 proclaimtalentagency@gmail.com www.proclaimtalent.com Sam Agency New Orleans, LA 504-427-3835; fax 504-282-2212 agencysam@usa.net Senrab Talent Agency Slidell, LA 504-259-1616 senrabproductions79@yahoo.com Stage 2000, Inc. Baton Rouge, LA 225-216-9195 ron@stage2000.net www.stage2000.net Storm Agency, LLC New Orleans, LA 504-613-7020; fax 504-264-7988 stormagency2@gmail.com www.stormagency.net Talent Connexion New Orleans, LA 504-756-5250; fax 504-324-0137 talentconnexion@gmail.com www.talentconnexionllc.com Trinity Talent Agency Louisiana trinitytalentagency@gmail.com www.trinitytalent.com Michael Turney Agency Shreveport, LA 318-221-2628; fax 318-425-8347 info@michaelturneyagency.com www.michaelturneyagency.com Victorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Model & Talent Management New Orleans, LA 504-305-5634 robyn@victorsinternational.com www.victorsinternational.com

Del Corral

Model & Talent Agency 1010 Common Street, Ste. 2550 New Orleans, LA 70112

delcorralmodel.com 504.324.3782

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LOUISIANA ANIMAL TALENT SERVICES COMPANY CITY, STATE PHONE EMAIL/WEBSITE SPECIALTIES

Amazing Animal Productions, Inc. Covington, LA 310-990-3538 animalactors@aol.com/www.amazinganimalproductions.com

With over 35 years experience in providing exotic and domestic animals for the motion picture and television industry. We specialize in script breakdowns, animal coordination and providing Hollywood’s top trainers and wranglers.

Steve Berens Acton, CA 661-268-1057 berensanimals@gmail.com/www.berensanimals.com

For over 35 years we have been providing trained animals for all kinds of productions in this country and all around the world. Aside from training, please take advantage of our experience in script breakdowns, budgeting, coordinating and doing stunts involving animals.

Bobbi Colorado & The Wild Bunch New Orleans, LA 512-589-4340 bobbicolorado@gmail.com/www.bobbicolorado.com

We deliver results not excuses. Over 40 years experience working with everything from squirrels to grizzly bears in film, television and print production. Our coordinators will break down the script, train the animals and help the director realize his/her vision. We can work anywhere in the world and have offices in Texas and Louisiana.

JCM’s Animal Talent Covington, LA 504-838-8605 jeanmanino@aol.com/www.jcmdogtraining.com

Providing professionally trained animals for the film industry. The dogs and other animals provided are versatile, reliable and trained above and beyond what is expected. JCM’s is dependable and has been in operation since 1979.

Southwest Horse Co. Bush, LA 985-886-2250 swhorse1@bellsouth.net/www.swhorseco.com

We can provide Cast Movie Horses, Non Descript Horses, Teams of Horses, Mules and all other types of livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.). We have access to wagons, buggies, carriages, stage coaches, as well as any other horse equipment.

Top Dog Talent Agency Covington, LA 318-550-6000; fax 310-388-0476 tvtopdogs@aol.com/www.topdoganimalagency.com

Top Dog Talent Agency is a prestigious animal casting agency and affection-based training facility of domestic and exotic animal actors. We have an extensive talent base of over 2,000 animal actors and models on call and ready to fill your film, television, special events and print production needs.

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TALKING TALENT WITH MYCASTINGFILE

M

ost people think that casting directors put big stars in the leads. They may think about the roles that made actors famous, or even an actor that was not right for a role. As any film producer knows, casting is a much more complex process, spanning from the movie stars we all love to principal day players and even background actors. In the local film market, productions quickly turn to casting companies who know the talent on hand and efficiently locate the right talent to fill all of those positions. More often than not, extras casting directors and the difficult process of casting extras literally take background to the overall filmmaking process.

MyCastingFile.com is there to give some extra help.

How do background casting companies find the talent? Robert Larriviere, co-owner of MyCastingFile.com, remembers that in the past, “you had pieces of paper with each individual’s information to which you stapled their picture. These files accumulated in binders... thousands and thousands of files.”

Casting director and MCF co-owner Liz Coulon recalls, “We used to spend hours searching for people to fill a specific scene. To fill one role we had to search through binders and call maybe fifty or so people to find ten who answer the phone, five who might be available and one who accepts the job... all (Clockwise from top left) The MyCastof this just to cast one spot. And ingFile homepage, we cast many, many spots each and an actors personal webpage, and a user every day.” profile.

Ryan Glorioso of Glorioso Casting and MCF co-owner remembers searching streets, bars and state fairs with his camera in hand, and taking photos of interesting people.

The systems created by the team at MyCastingFile have streamlined these old antiquated processes, bringing casting up to date.

Now, with MyCastingFile, people interested in being considered for background work can register online for free. Scores of people are registering at www.MyCastingFile.com every day from across the Southern region. The process encourages background talent to fill out an extremely detailed profile. The more information people provide, the more searchable they become and the more likely they are to be booked. Casting directors and casting assistants are able to search specific and detailed criteria, like freckles, dreadlocks, hair color and special skills. Are you a person who can juggle while hula hooping? Can you play a musical instrument or dance like no other? Or maybe you have real-life experience as a waiter or flair bartender. Casting will find you and cast you, just as long as you complete your profile.

An optional ‘Pro’ feature currently exists for $10 per year, which allows talent more photos, a video, e-mail notifications when a new job is posted and even a personal website. The system is so customizable that people can restrict what cities and states casting notifications come from, allowing them to gain access to jobs in their immediate area.

“In the past, (talent) had to wait for a phone call,” says Coulon. “Now, extras can be proactive and log in to see what roles different casting companies are posting and submit themselves for a job.”

Glorioso says that when the group first began creating a searchable database, they just wanted to clean up a messy, paper-oriented process. “We tried to think of a system that would be the most efficient solution to do our job. Over seven years of thinking about it, we finally decided to make it happen.”

Working with programmer Jimmy Gay, MyCastingFile.com grew, in Larriviere’s description, into “an opportunity to build a community.” With this system, extras could register in one place and casting directors could share this database of tens of thousands of talent. That pushed

the team to build an office management system that casting companies use to actually book people through the system.

“We wanted to create an effective way for casting companies and extras to communicate. All talent needs to do is sign up, personalize a profile and connect with casting companies by submitting for jobs,” says Coulon.

Since the service opened in January of 2012, 60,000 people have registered and created profiles. MyCastingFile.com is currently in the middle of a renovation, which will roll out soon with a totally different feel and better user experience. LFV To find out more about MyCastingFile, please visit www.mycastingfile.com.

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LOUISIANA CASTING DIRECTORS

Batherson Casting, LLC (Robin Batherson) New Orleans, LA 504-252-2649; fax 504-828-0883 info@bathersoncasting.com www.bathersoncasting.com BigBrowncastingENT Port Allen, LA 225-931-5386/225-335-2551 bigbrowncasting@yahoo.com www.officialmallygeezz1.jimdo.com Caballero Casting Baton Rouge & New Orleans, LA 225-610-1650 caballerocasting@gmail.com www.caballerocasting.com The Casting Office, Inc. Tracy Kilpatrick, CSA New Orleans, LA 504-812-5552 thecastingoffice@mac.com www.thecastingofficeinc.com Coulon Casting, Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-569-0683 liz@couloncasting.com/ extras@couloncasting.com www.couloncasting.com Double A Casting New Orleans, LA & Wilmington, NC 551-208-8296 (for production use only) doubleacasting@gmail.com/ allen.alexis@gmail.com www.doubleacasting.com Feldstein|Paris Casting Baton Rouge, LA 910-591-2278 tara@feldsteinpariscasting.com/ chase@feldsteinpariscasting.com www.feldsteinpariscasting.com Fincannon & Associates Metairie, LA 504-832-1222 www.ďŹ ncannoncasting.com Ryan Glorioso, CSA (Glorioso Casting) New Orleans, LA 504-265-1850; fax 888-584-8542 ryan@gloriosocasting.com www.ryanglorioso.com www.gloriosocasting.com Hollywood South Casting Lafayette, LA 504-905-2641; fax 337-572-8534 info@hollywoodsouthcasting.com www.hollywoodsouthcasting.com KJones&Co/KeShuna Jones-Lee Metairie/New Orleans, LA 985-992-0109 54

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Legacy Casting Shreveport, LA 318-734-1088; fax 877-402-4643 extras@legacycasting.com/ andrei@legacycasting.com www.legacycasting.com Anne Massey Casting New Orleans, LA 888-810-9060; fax 888-810-9060 raggedyanne@prodigy.net www.annemasseycasting.com Morgan Casting Inc. New Orleans, LA 504-206-8899 matthew@morgancasting.com www.morgancasting.com MyCastingFile Southeast Region 504-571-9698 info@mycastingfile.com www.mycastingfile.com

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LAKE CHARLES FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL COMING SOON

T

he third annual Lake Charles Film & Music Festival will take place October 10-12 in downtown Lake Charles with independent film screenings, seminars, workshops, and for the first time, live music.

“Last year’s festival was such a success, that we are expanding this year and adding a music festival component,” said Patrick Bennett, executive director of the Lake Charles Film & Music Festival.

Screenings will include feature film, documentary, short film, foreign film, home grown, student, music video and animation.

These films will compete to win a “Scallywag” award and cash prizes.

“Our Foreign Film entries this year already include films from countries such as the U.K., Germany, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Israel, India, France, Vietnam, Romania and other places around the globe, making us a true international film festival,” said Bennett.

In addition to films and live music, this year’s festival includes a celebrity guest appearance by actor, writer, producer, director and singer Wesley Eure. Eure starred in the TV series Land of the Lost and was on Days of Our Lives for nine years. He also appeared in the feature film C.H.O.M.P.S. with Valerie Bertinelli.

The film festival will include seminars and workshops on screenwriting, acting, filmmaking, stop-motion animation, making a TV series and much more.

One exciting seminar examines the history of film in Louisiana with Ed and Susan Poole of Hollywood on the Bayou. For over 35 years the Pooles have been involved with documenting, recording and preserving film accessories (i.e. press books, movie stills, movie posters, general press materials, etc.). Their path has evolved from being just collectors to retail and wholesale dealers and eventually to full-time researchers.

The seminar, held October 11, will include an exclusive sevenminute documentary on Vitascope Hall, which was the first movie theater in the U.S., making Louisiana the “birthplace of the movie theater!” The seminar will also include rare film trailers, posters, trivia, and some humorous stories about what went on during the production of some of these great Louisiana films.

New Orleans-based rockabilly band Gal Holiday & the Honkey Tonk Revue will begin the music side of the festival on Friday, October 10, for the Festival Kick-Off Party. Saturday, October 11, will consist of film screenings, seminars, workshops, awards ceremony and the wrap party with live music by Tempura Cool. Saturday’s music festival component will feature live indie music in multiple genres. On Sunday, October 12, there will be a movie character costume party with “Best of Fest” film screenings and live music. LFV

Attendees of the 2013 event.

Actor Jackson Bostwick, TV’s Shazam, signs autographs.

Actor Burton Gilliam, of Blazing Saddles, gives seminar.

Actor William Katt, of Greatest American Hero, gives remarks.

One of the event’s exciting seminars.

The Lake Charles Film Festival is produced by Louisiana Film & Video Art, Inc., a non-profit organization formed to bring quality independent film festivals, special film screenings, and educational filmmaking workshops to Lake Charles and showcase the artistic talents of Louisiana filmmakers around the world. Visit www.lakecharlesfilmfestival.com for more.

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48 HOUR FILM PROJECT STORY BY JASON RAYMOND

T

he 2014 New Orleans 48 Hour Film Project ended with its awards presentation ceremony on the second floor of The Little Gem Saloon. A packed crowd cheered for winners and nominees, who all created short films in a 48-hour period from July 18 to 20. Presenters included 48HFP New Orleans producer Bill Rainey, NOVAC executive director Darcy McKinnon, Film Industry Expo director Shanda Quintal, Shoot My Reel’s Vanessa Cloke, and myself.

New Orleans 48 Hour Film Project began on a tense Friday night at the Maison St. Charles Hotel Ballroom. Teams would create a movie script and then complete a film no shorter than four minutes, but no longer than seven. 48HFP producer Bill Rainey had warned teams, “Even if it’s seven minutes and one second, that would disqualify them.”

Many teams, like EFI—led by Lee Garcia, Ben Matheny, Will Addison and Ben Samuels—regularly enter the yearly competition.

In 2013, EFI garnered 11 nominations and 6 awards. EFI’s Matheny said that Friday night, “It’s a lot of fun. We do film for a living, but this gives us an opportunity to, kind of, treat it like a team-building exercise, a game, and it’s an awesome way to interact with the film community, as well.”

After all the films were submitted, they were screened July 24 through the 27 at the Solomon Victory Theater at the National World War II Museum in the Warehouse District. This led to the awards ceremony at the Little Gem. The big winner was Backyard Shed Films and their entry, RTTS. The writer of RTTS, Michael Dardant, advised film groups thinking of entering next year to “lay out your assets, so you know

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what you have available, and then spend your time cleaning up your script so that you simplify how you are going to shoot it because when you go for too much, it either overcomplicates the story line or makes it really hard on your editor.” Dardant believes the competing groups never do their best work in just 48 hours, but can learn who on the team works well together under pressure.

Rainey hopes to do a 48 Hour Horror Film Project sometime in October. Dates have yet to be announced. For more information, visit www.48hourfilm.com/en/ neworleans/ and see sidebar for a list of other winners. LFV Jason Raymond appears courtesy of NolaDefender.com, in which portions of this article were previously published.

WRAPS UP WITH AWARDS 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT NEW ORLEANS WINNERS Best Use of Dialogue -- How to Start a Business by Flittermouse Films Best Use of Prop -- The Legend of El Pogo Fuego by Cosmos Bang Bang Best Use of Character -- Girl in the Yellow Dress by Sausage Dog Productions Best Costumes -- Mr. Right Now by Sketchy Characters Best Choreography -- The Legend of El Pogo Fuego by Cosmos Bang Bang Best Musical Score -- Rain Check by Verite Veritas Best Special Effects -- 666teen and Pregnant by Some Pulp Productions Best Graphics -- Garage Bandwidth by EFI Best Sound Design-- RTTS by Backyard Shed Films Best Cinematography -- PaperďŹ nger by Indien Media Best Editing -- RTTS by Backyard Shed Films Best Writing -- RTTS by Backyard Shed Films Best Actor -- William McGovern, How to Start a Business by Flittermouse Films Best Actress -- Yvette Bourgeois, Girl in the Yellow Dress by Sausage Dog Productions Best Directing -- RTTS by Backyard Shed Films Honorable Mention -- Remember Me by Fractures Films What Can You Do in 48? -- Participated in Three 48 Films --Jamie Wallace and Kirk Stonicher

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS/RUNNERS UP Group A -- RTTS by Backyard Shed Films Group B -- 666teen and Pregnant by Some Pulp Productions Group C -- The Legend of El Pogo Fuego by Cosmos Bang Bang Group D -- I Love Art by Abby Normal New Amsterdam Winner -- Why We Drink by Abby Normal Runner Up Best Film -- Mr. Right Now by Sketchy Characters Best Film of 2014 -- RTTS by Backyard Shed Films

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HIGH FLYING WITH CAMERA COPTERS

STORY BY COREY VAUGHN

T

here are few people who have seen the state of modern aerial cinematography change as much as Paul Barth has. As an accredited camera pilot and helicopter owner, Barth has owned and operated his own helicopter shooting business for more than 30 years.

Since then, Camera Copters has spread nationally to places like Florida, Georgia and, notably, Louisiana. Camera Copters-La was established almost nine years ago, and the Louisiana branch has grown with the burgeoning film industry in the state.

Louisiana Film & Video: What was the reasoning of starting a Louisiana branch of Camera Copters?

Paul Barth: As soon as the tax incentives came into effect in Louisiana, I obviously knew, being in the business for over 30 years, that I had to open a local office. It was right after Hurricane Katrina and the infrastructure got back in the state. In the beginning, it was very positive and a lot of people were excited about being involved in the business here.

People I knew in L.A. and New York were opening offices here.

It’s gone crazy, and I’m very glad I did it when I did. There are people who have come and gone, but I work all over the country so I’m not as focused on it. I enjoy

the people and the locals.

LF&V: What’s typically the hardest part of aerial cinematography?

PB: You know what it is? It’s filling out all of the paperwork and preparing everything even before you go fly. This is where I have a rub with drones, because they try to go out and do the same work without any of the regulations that I have to go through. It’s not fair to other people who have to have insurance and FAA motion picture manuals. Every time I do a job, I have to write up a Plan of Activities and submit it to the FAA office with a copy of my waivers and submit it. I spend more time doing that than I actually fly the helicopters. Flying is the fun part.

LF&V: Have you made any adjustments to the changing market?

PB: My big claim to fame is the fact that I have the semi-tractor trailer. I realized that nobody wanted to pay for fare time any-

more. Instead of charging them for that, I have a flat fee, which is very reasonable, and costs a whole lot less. I don’t use it for base locations, but if we’re in the desert, production companies don’t have to pay to fly it in. I can just set up shop and go to work, which is really nice for the people paying for the film.

LF&V: What are some of the benefits for filmmakers when using a helicopter for aerial cinematography?

PB: The thing is that I’m involved with operating real helicopters with real people. That’s not to say that I’d be willing to embrace other stuff later, but right now there are some issues. There’s mostly an FAA issue, as well as insurance issues. There’s no regulation, no guidelines, or even approval from the FAA to operate these things. Right now,

it’s the Wild West out there for those guys.

I’m an old school guy. I learned to fly a long time ago and like to keep it as simple as possible. The old KISS acronym is still strong and true to this day: keep it simple stupid. In my business, technology is always growing, but there are things I don’t embrace because the more you have isn’t always better.

LF&V: So the technology isn’t there yet.

PB: Every technology has its own limitations and its own purposes. Some people think that drones, for instance, are going to completely replace the older stuff, which I think is a complete fantasy. Drones are great if you want a shot inside of a stadium, but there’s a lot of problems with the technology that need to be hashed out. LFV ISSUE FOUR 2014

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AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

SPOTLIGHT T

he Louisiana production industry continues to boom with film projects, ranging from Hollywood features to indie flicks. What do they all have in common? They’re all looking to add production value via aerial cinematography. Find out more from the aviation experts themselves:

Michael Koffy LAcoptercam, LLC www.LAcoptercam.com How did you end up in film and video production?

From a young age I was passionate about two things: creating home videos, and flying RC planes and helicopters. It wasn’t until my RC habit started getting more and more expensive about six or seven years ago that my wife told me I should figure out a way to write these toys off. That’s when I started strapping cameras on large-scale gas helicopters. Through much trial and error (and money) and with the modern technology of multi-rotors, LAcoptercam has grown to be a success.

Aviation seems to be a growing trend with productions. As an insider what kind of changes are you seeing?

More and more productions are realizing aerial cinema is possible within certain budgets through remote systems. A few years ago, a small independent film wouldn’t dream of adding the production value that aerials provide… however, these days they not only can have an unmanned aerial system, but the shots LAcoptercam can accomplish are images not possible with manned platforms.

What’s your favorite production story?

I think there are multiple, but I’m always happy when a producer brings us out to set for one specific shot for a half-day, and we end up spending a full day getting dozens of shots for them once they see what our platforms are capable of. It’s always rewarding to have clients get more than they expected.

What’s the best work you have done?

Most recently, I think our work on Nicholas Sparks’ new film The Best of Me stands out. We were able to track with an old ’68 Corvette for about five miles with a follow vehicle, making crosses under tree canopies, over bayous, and under bridges along the way.

The images are stunning and we have multiple shots in the film.

What production are you working on currently, or have you worked on recently?

Currently we are working on the Relativity film Loomis Fargo in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Talk about scenic!

We’ve been getting shots under trees following rivers that lead to massive 120-foot waterfalls. Even while standing on the dry banks, watching the monitors when we come to the drop off and look straight down while flying over the falls makes my stomach drop every time.

Paul Charbonnet Atmosphere Aerial www.atmosphereaerial.com How did you end up in film and video production?

My first gig was in St. Louis editing video and doing live production.

After moving back to Louisiana, I got involved in camera work doing handheld and jib for concerts. From there I started doing technical directing for big productions. Soon after, I started getting calls for film sets. On set I was doing DIT and crane operator. I love working the jib with its dynamic shots and angles, so it was not surprising when I started to do aerial video with UAVs. I view aerial video as the ultimate crane with no limitations, so I started AtmosphereAerial.com so I could get the shots that were previously impossible.

Drones seem to be a growing trend with productions. As an insider what kind of changes are you seeing?

The biggest change that I’m seeing is that the pro market is emerging and separating from the hobby market. Companies that once made big, heavy cameras and recorders are now seeing the need for smaller and lighter gear. I also see that more productions are liking the cost benefits and flexibility of hiring Atmosphere Aerial over other full-size aircraft companies. With a fraction of the cost with full capability, it’s a perfect solution for aerial video and photography.

What’s your favorite production story?

My favorite production story would have to be from a shoot we did for the Travel Channel. We were deep in the Louisiana bayou where we were getting footage of a big sinkhole that had formed and was endangering the surrounding town. The crew we worked with was out of Los Angeles and was great, but what really made this shoot memorable was the footage. We were getting never-before-seen views of the sinkhole and the damage that it was doing to the town and land. We were watching history unfold with our drones.

What production are you working on currently, or have you worked on recently?

An upcoming project we are very excited about is with performers from Cirque du Soleil in London. Their performances are absolutely incredible, and we want to bring a new perspective to their amazing talents. Most people view the show from ground level we want to show the performance through the eyes of the performers and from an angle that no one has seen.

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Can you tell us the latest on the legal side of things when it comes to drones?

This one is a can of worms. From what I’ve been hearing from my connection in the Louisiana government, there will be some form of regulation; what that looks like is anyone’s guess. What keeps Atmosphere Aerial resting easy is that we have FAA licensed pilots on our crew. This not only gives us the upper hand with government requirements, but also with operating our UAV themselves. While we are hoping that the government doesn’t interfere with this incredibly cost-effective service, we are always prepared with our FAA licenses and keeping our ear to the ground. With our experience, a budding new market, and the latest technology, we are confident that we can overcome any obstacles.

Jon Purvis Fly Cam www.nolaflycam.com How did you end up in film and video production?

As a hobby I fly remote controlled helicopters. We frequently carry GoPro cameras on our machines to capture a different perspective of our surroundings.

Through recent advances in technology, you can now carry much heavier cameras, like the RED EPIC and Phantom Miro, on a multicopter called a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), commonly referred

to as a drone. That ability combined with the amount of productions filming in Louisiana prompted me to move into film and video. Since there were none at the time, I felt I needed to start a Louisiana-based aerial cinematography business to provide this much needed service to local productions.

Aviation seems to be a growing trend with productions. As an insider what kind of changes are you seeing?

Recent advances in UAV technology have changed the aerial filming landscape forever. UAVs can travel previously unreachable camera paths and capture action scenes without technological boundaries. Productions are swarming to use UAVs to increase production value because the cost is approximately 1/20th the cost of a full-scale helicopter. I see increased use of these machines from the major studios on down. In fact, I recently filmed a scene for the 48 Hour Film Project!

What’s the best work you have done?

The Riverfront Marketing Group asked us to film the Dueling Barges Fireworks Show on the Mississippi River this past 4th of July. This was a challenge, as they wanted to see both firework barges going off at the same time. In addition, we only had a one-time 10-minute window to get the shot. Well, we got the shot and they loved it. It was neat to be able to deliver film shot from an angle they had never been capable of capturing before.

The “fireworks guys” even use this film now to coordinate fire

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times for training!

What production are you working on currently, or have you worked on recently?

We have recently discussed the possibility of carrying two RED EPIC cameras under a UAV. Disney wants to do a 3D aerial shoot. That footage should look unbelievable. That’s about all I can say on that.

Paul Barth Camera Copters www.cameracopters.com How did you end up in film and video production?

It evolved from my 30+ years and 15,000+ hour commercial helicopter flying career since the age of 18. Because of my extensive exposure and hands-on experience with helicopter aerial cameras, mounts and use, as well as being a SAG (Screen Actors Guild) pilot, I decided to “hone my skills” and specialize strictly in the film & video aerial production world about 20 years ago and have been doing it ever since as Camera Copters, Inc., Camera Copters-LA, LLC, and now Camera Copters-GA, LLC.

Aviation seems to be a growing trend with productions. As an insider what kind of changes are you seeing?

Yes, almost every film or TV show seems to have an aerial or some type of aviation component these days, which of course I’m thrilled about, that being my business with real “manned” helicopters and airplanes of course.

However, the latest changes or should I say “fad” in the biz is the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) or “drone” aerial camera platforms, which as most everyone knows has become the rage across America. A lot of the production people out there think this new drone technology is so cool that they just have to jump on the bandwagon or follow the techno fad and use these devices on their shows without really knowing much about the “real” capabilities, rules, regulations, limitations, liabilities, etc.

They just want to say that they have used one.

What’s your favorite production story?

Hard to say what my favorite production story is, having had such a variety of interesting experiences over the last 25+ years in the aerial film & production biz. One way I could answer this would be to say that every production I’ve worked on has elements of a favorite story, it’s hard to pick just one.

What’s the best work you have done?

Wow, the “best” work that I have done… Well, at the risk of sounding a little pompous, I think it’s all been good! LOL

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Indie Films

Television

Location Reels

Short Notice-OK!

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What production are you working on currently, or have you worked on recently?

Just finished working on the aerial sequences in Miami for the second installment of the feature film Ride Along 2, starring Ice Cube, and will be back to work on the third season of the hit FOX TV series entitled The Following with lead Kevin Bacon in September.

Cliff Fleming South Coast Helicopters www.southcoasthelicopters.com How did you end up in film and video production?

After leaving the United States Marine Corps as a pilot I continued my aviation career in Southern California. The company I worked for had a variety of helicopters that I was able to fly, including larger types. These were the days of Airwolf and Blue Thunder TV series and they always needed a big bad helicopter to shoot down. I was the guy, and from there I got better known and I hope to think a nice guy, which has led to a very successful film career.

Aviation seems to be a growing trend with productions. As an insider what kind of changes are you seeing?

The biggest change I have seen is the type of camera systems being used today. Five years ago it was almost all film cameras. Today it is

almost totally digital except for Imax filming.

What’s your favorite production story?

The end of last year after filming 22 Jump Street in NOLA we had the opportunity to take one of our helicopters to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to complete the filming. The journey through all the islands was an incredible trip, not to mention completing the film with a great crew and cast in San Juan.

What’s the best work you have done?

There are so many stories over the 30plus years I have worked in this business but one of my favorites is the Mel Gibson film We Were Soldiers. I was the aerial coordinator and primary pilot for the film. Working with this crew and cast over three months was one of the most enjoyable. Not often do pilots in this business go to work/filming every day to just fly. I also was asked to direct some of the aerial sequences, which led to me becoming a member of the DGA. What production are you working on currently, or have you worked on recently?

We just finished Terminator 5 in New Orleans, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Last week we filmed aerials for NCIS New Orleans. Next week I will be in NOLA filming Banshee and in November Geostorm. LFV

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John Ashker • I worked on my first picture in New Orleans in 1986.

• I moved to Los Angeles on the encouragement of the L.A. based stunt crew I worked for. I continued to work for them for several years until in 1989 they were asked to go to South Africa to do a six picture deal for then Cannon Films. I spent the next 6 years establishing myself amongst the best stunt men in the business.

• In 1996 I was called back to New Orleans to work on the USA series The Big Easy. In 1997 I was offered the Stunt Coordinator Position on that show. When the show wrapped at the end of that year I was offered the coordinator position on a picture called Fait A’ Compli. I moved to Los Angeles after that picture wrapped and continued to work.

• In 2006 I decided to move back to New Orleans to offer my talent and service to producers shooting locally. The local stunt talent has grown since those early days and nearly 100% of your action can be accomplished with the local stunt people to help maximize your tax rebate dollars. A very small percentage might need an outside hire from Los Angeles or New York.

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SPOTLIGHT ON: EXTREME STUNT AND DRIVING TEAM

E

xtreme Stunt and Driving Team, Inc. has been providing specialized production services on the East Coast for over 20 years. A few years ago, Extreme partnered up with Filmotechnic-Canada and Carpenter Camera Cars (Los Angeles) to add the Sci-Tech Academy Award-winning Russian Arm System to Extreme’s camera insert car fleet.

The Russian Arm is a gyro-stabilized mobile camera system that rides atop a Mercedes ML55 Chase Car and has become the standard for car commercials, chase scenes, and any other application where a dynamic and steady image is needed.

Along with its ever-expanding camera car fleet, Extreme also offers production services from stunt coordinators and performers to directors and directors of photography.

“We have to keep up with the ever-growing film and television

business in the Southeast. That is why we are proud to bring our unique production services here to Louisiana,” said Michael Jordan, director/DP, Extreme Stunt and Driving Team.

Jordan has been working as a director and DP on the television showForensic Files for over 10 years before he joined Extreme’s Russian Arm Team. He had teamed up with industry veteran Grady Allen Bishop, a stunt coordinator/performer and camera insert car driver, who has over 30 years’ experience behind the

wheel. Along with veteran flight head operator, Rick Cottrell, Extreme’s Russian Arm Team has over 70 years of experience in the film and video industry, and this shows in their work.

“The equipment speaks for itself,” said Jordan. “Our Russian Arm System is the most technically advanced gyro-stabilized mobile camera system. But it is our crew’s experience and talent that makes us unique.” LFV

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“THE FOURTH CIRCLE” SHOWCASES A SERIES OF AUGUST PERFORMANCES

Jennifer Lindsley painting during the live performance of The Fourth Circle.

PHOTOS BY BILLY LOUVIERE

A

ctor Dane Rhodes designed The Fourth Circle as a conduit for bringing a variety of art disciplines together to watch their creative processes play off of one another.

Harry Mayronne (piano), Dorian Rush (vocalist), Tara Brewer (dancer) and Anné Strackel (painter) present living art inspired by the film Fettuccine, starring Shanna Forrestall.

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After being exposed to a short art-house film as inspiration, a variety of different artists—typically a musician, dancer and visual artist—come together to create an original collaborative piece right in front of the audience’s eyes. It’s a unique “performance” based on process—not product.

The results have been six unique and organic performances of live art during the month of August that have ranged from humorous to powerful to poignant, with each performance providing an impactful experience the audience was grateful for.

Chris Marroy, one of the program’s organizers, speaks of the impact on the participating artists.

“All of the performers have really embraced the format of Dane Rhodes welcomes the audience to The Fourth Circle performance.

the evening—it’s essentially a jam session, and, I think, a liberating experience for them. It’s a chance to explore their art, take risks, and get inspired.”

On August 24, after the last performance of the month, all of the creations (video recordings, audio recordings and artwork from each performance) were raff led off with proceeds benefiting The Learning Services Center, a Traumatic Brain Injury assisted living program.

The performances were all held at the Midcity Theatre in New Orleans and produced by Dada Productions. LFV Harry Mayronne (piano), J Hamons (movement artist) and Jennifer Lindsley (painter) watching Petrushka and The Prostitute, starring local casting director Ryan Glorioso.

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For more information about upcoming shows at Midcity Theatre, log on to www.midcitytheatre.com.

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NOVAC’S “IN THE LOOP” SERIES – A SOUND INVESTMENT STORY AND PHOTOS BY HUNTER MCGREGOR

W

hile Louisiana has catapulted into the number one state for film, post-production still seems primarily to migrate back to

California. That’s one issue that the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC), Loop South and Jon Vogl of Apex Post Production are tackling in NOVAC’s “In the Loop” course series on movie sound production.

Focusing primarily on Automated Dialog Replacement (ADR) and Looping, the course was aimed at allowing local filmmakers to gain experience in post-production sound recording at a top-notch facility.

The first of the hands-on classes, “ADR Recording for Actors, Directors, Editors and Producers with Jon Vogl,” was held on July 12 at Apex Post Production, Vogl’s professional ADR recording and mixing facility at Second Line Stages. Using actual footage, participants learned termi-

Jon Vogl of Apex Post discusses the nuances of ADR.

nology, tricks and proper technique for recording ADR. Having the chance to record in the sound booth offered attendees an opportunity to gain real-world experience involving an often tricky and time-consuming skill. Imagine matching the intensity of a fight scene on screen while you remain perfectly still using only your voice, and not

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trating the commitment to growing post-production in Louisiana.

So what is looping? A guy walks into a bar—in this case, an actor—and he talks to another guy amidst a noisy restaurant. In reality, while the cameras roll, all those people in the background really didn’t speak at all.

That’s where looping comes in. In this example, a group of six to eight people could record some standard bar banter. And if they recorded five takes, you could produce the equivalent background noise made by a crowd of 30 to 40 people. Depending on volume, intensity and whether the topic of conversation was the stiffness of the drinks or the shifting value of the Euro, a loop group could emulate a raucous crowd or low mumbles of fine diners.

Even trickier, imagine you’re a merchant in 1750s Russia or turn-ofthe-century New York. What do you know about goat herders, cobblers EDH runs vocal exercises with Escalante Lundy, Shanna Forrestall and other or steam engines? And how are your accents? There is a great deal of participants. research that often accompanies looping, and if you can pick up accents quickly, you could stay really busy. That’s the hope as the having it look like old school Kung Fu movies.

Louisiana post-production scene grows.

ADR is no easy feat, but one that is a standard With the increase in productions filming in Louisiana, occurrence in the world of post sound. the desire for local post, which also is local tax credited The second and third classes in the NOVAC post—as in the whole reason why filming has exponensound series, “Intro to Loop Recording for Actors tially grown in the state—has become a rising need. And with Loop South” (July 26) and the two-day now that local post facilities like Apex have gained more “Loop Walla Intensive” workshop (August 9 & notoriety by working on TV shows like Nashville and 10), taught the basic techniques of recording Witches of East End, and films like Olympus Has Fallen background crowd noise through the more intriand recent Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave, the cate and subtle nuances of looping. Also held at production teams that often fly in to film but take their Apex Post, the courses were led by Loop South’s movies back to L.A. for post are finally starting to get Nicolas Lombardo, Yvonne Welch, and EDH with into the loop. And that makes for a sound investment for Vogl manning the controls. The intensive class Jon Vogl conducts a test session in the Louisiana film. LFV was sponsored by the City of New Orleans, illus- sound booth with Kristin Samuelson.

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