Oz Magazine January/February 2015

january/february 2015

Recognizing Excellence The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Southeast is a professional organization comprised of professionals actively engaged in television–executives, producers, performers, announcers, newscasters, writers, craftspeople, cameramen and women, directors, artists, designers, photographers, editors, academics, entertainment attorneys and others. Our members work in broadcast stations, cable and satellite companies, independent television production, marketing, new media and performing arts and creative crafts.

The Academy provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and discussion of industry problems and concerns. It affords opportunities to meet colleagues both professionally and socially. It promotes professional development in the industry and the community.

Join Us! Services and Activities include: EMMY® Awards: Awarded for excellence and outstanding achievement in television–locally, nationally and internationally.

Education: the National Student Television Award of Excellence, presented by the Foundation of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Networking: Interact with colleagues in the full range of television disciplines at formal and informal gatherings.

Seminars: Informative seminars are presented on a wide spectrum of topics, including cutting-edge technologies. Events such as Student Mentor Connect offer an opportunity for professionals to pass along their knowledge to students and peers.

Gold & Silver Circle: Honors television pioneers whose careers have spanned a halfcentury or quarter of a century or more.

Cinema Club: Members have an opportunity to see feature films prior to their release.

Invitations to Events include Industry discussion, technical presentations, private screenings, and professional development workshops.

To become a member, please visit

southeastemmy.com

AJFF.org #FeastOnFilm

MAGAZINE

STAFF Publishers: Tia Powell (Group Publisher) Gary Powell

Project Manager: Latisha “Tish” Simmons

Editorial: Gary Powell

Sales: Monique McGlockton Kris Thimmesch Martha Ronske

Contributors: Andrew Duncan Christine Bunish Dana Ware Matthew Kilburn

CONTRIBUTORS ANDREW DUNCAN He is known in the motion picture industry as “Drewprops,” has been writing about the craft of filmmaking from the inside out since the mid-1990’s. His confusing and often embarrassing stories from behind the scenes provide a unique insight into the craft of filmmaking from the perspective of the shooting crew, artists, and designers who bring your favorite films to life on the big screen. (Behind the Camera with Drewprops, p.46 / www.drewprops.com) CHRISTINE BUNISH Christine Bunish has been a writer and editor covering the professional film, video, broadcast and advertising industries for more than 25 years. She was a writer at Broadcast Management/ Engineering and World Broadcast News and an editor at Millimeter before going freelance. ( Staying Ahead of the Dead, p.30 / The Right Side of the Popcorn, p.38 / cbunish@gmail.com)

DANA WARE Dana Ware is a senior at the University of Georgia and will be receiving a Bachelors degree in both Advertising and Communication Studies come May 2015. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in entertainment marketing.

Creative Director: Kelvin Lee

Production and Design: Debbie Hampe Kelsey Waugh Ted Fabella (Oz Logo Design)

DEBBIE HAMPE Debbie Hampe is an Atlanta-based graphic designer. She loves all things involving type and believes that sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution. Debbie graduated from Kennesaw State University in May 2014 with a BFA with a concentration in Graphic Design. ( Voices design / www.debhampe.com / hampe.deb@gmail.com)

Cover Design: Yohey Horishita

MATTHEW KILBURN -MK- is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, consultant and technical director who specializes in producing motion pictures, television and broad-spectrum digital media. ( Voices, p.29 / www.themklife.com)

www.ozmagazine.com www.facebook.com/ozpublishing www.twitter.com/ozpublishing (404) 633-1779 Oz Magazine is published bi-monthly by Oz Publishing, Inc. 2566 Shallowford Road Suite 104, #302 Atlanta, GA 30345 Copyright © 2015 Oz Publishing Incorporated, all rights reserved.

Reproductions in whole or in part without express written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. This magazine is printed on recyclable paper.

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YOHEY HORISHITA Yohey Horishita is a New York based freelance illustrator originally from Japan. Horishita’s works have appeared in prestigious US trade annuals as well as Japanese publications. ( Cover Artist / yoheyhorishita.com / yohey@yoheyhorishita.com)

CONTENTS 06 OZCETERA

48 OZ SCENE:

48 Walker Stalker Con

50 5th Annual Bronzelens Film Festival

29 VOICES: Monetary Musical Chairs 30 COVER: Staying Ahead of the Dead

51 Big Picture Conference

52 Peachtree Village International Film Festival

52 Urban Media Makers

38 FEATURE: The Right Side of the Popcorn

53 WIFTA 40th Anniversary Celebration

53 DesignSPARKS 2014 National Showcase & Networking Tour

54 DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS 44 HOW I GOT INTO THE BUSINESS 46 BEHIND THE CAMERA WITH DREWPROPS: So You Want to Work in the Movies?

55 AD INDEX 56 LET ME GIVE YOU MY CARD 58 AD AGENCY CAMPAIGNS

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Artist’s rendering of Atlanta Metro Studios.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON ATLANTA METRO STUDIOS

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tlanta Metro Studios is the brainchild of Ed Richardson and Brian Livesay, founders and Co-CEO’s of 404 Studio Partners, who together with their development partner Rooker, an Atlanta based full-service real estate development, design and construction firm, have begun the construction of one of the largest purpose-built studio facilities in Georgia. The first phase of the studio will have 244,000 square feet of purpose-built production space including: six sound stages, offices, mill space and exterior shooting spaces. There is an additional 200,000 square feet planned for phase two.

The studio’s location in Union City, just five minutes south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and in close proximity to downtown and midtown Atlanta, gives the film making community the benefit of being inside an existing, thriving, community. 404 Studio Partners is in active conversations with the largest film and television content creators in the industry and look forward to welcoming them to the new facility.

“Union City is a great home for Atlanta Metro Studios and for production in general,” said Livesay. “Production companies will find that they have a terrific home here with significant support services in very close proximity to the studio. On a bigger note, we feel the best thing we can do to continue growing the film industry in Georgia is to add high quality infrastructure. With the development of Atlanta Metro Studios, that is exactly what we are doing.”

THREE STONES IN THE CAN

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ndependent production company Grantfilms has completed its first feature length film Dekiru: The Three Stones, a sci-fi/fantasy adventure following a young man who embarks on a journey to find three magical stones in order to stop a great evil from conquering the planet. The story features superhuman powers, a giant monster, an airship, and a secret tomb that will be sure to spark the adventurer inside you.

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Dekiru: The Three Stones follows the character Ryan McFall, an orphan with no memory of his past who possesses superhuman abilities.

Inspired by old martial arts films such as Drunken Master and modern video games like Final Fantasy, the creator wanted to make a modern day martial art, fantasy adventure as tribute. Originally, the movie was titled Dekiru, but due to the length of the original story and budget limitations the complete tale

“We know first-hand what a powerful economic engine the film industry is in Georgia,” says Richardson. “We continuously sing the praises of Governor Deal, Lieutenant Governor Cagle and the members of the Georgia General Assembly for their leadership in the creation of and their continued support for the film production incentives in the state. The incentives continue to encourage investment, create jobs and drive more and larger productions to the great State of Georgia.”

was divided up into three parts. “The story was just too long to be told in one movie, so Dekiru: The Three Stones is only part one out of what will hopefully be a three-part saga”, explains director Fred Grant. The made-for-television movie will start making its way through the film festival circuits and pursuing distribution options.

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NINE LABS MERGES A

tlanta based digital experience strategy f irm Nine L abs has merged with Suckerpunch Studios and Mospired to expand their range of services. The three combined companies will operate under the name Nine Labs in their new offices in West Midtown, Atlanta. The company offers brand strategy, digital strategy, and user experience design services to small and medium businesses, with a focus on consumer brands and product companies.

“How consumers use the web has changed dramatically in recent years, and we’ve seen a major shift in what companies need to do to be effective. This merger equips us to satisfy those needs,” says J Cornelius Nine Labs’ president. “Our mission is to create delightful experiences for our clients and their customers by understanding their business, their audience, and connecting them in meaningful ways.”

“My greatest challenge the last few years has been balancing tremendous business growth with the need to deliver outstanding results consistently,” says Brad Weaver. “There has never been a better time to design and build solutions for our clients that will leave a lasting mark. What we build is not only functional and beautiful, it moves the needle for our clients.”

J Cornelius will continue to serve as president.

Previous to founding Nine Labs in 2012, he was VP of operations at CoffeeCup Software.

He has been the president of the Atlanta Web Design Group since 2008, and a mentor at Georgia Tech’s ATDC since 2011. Weaver will serve as director of design. Weaver founded Suckerpunch Studios in 2007, which focused

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on web, user experience, and user interface design for enterprise and SMB clients. Moses Ngone will serve as director of engineering.

Moses created Mospired in 2010, which provided web development and engineering services to small and medium businesses.

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BLUE MEDIA IN 3D

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lue Media Supply has launched a new website, 3DBlueMedia.com, populated with the best 3D printers and filament on the market today. Designed to help customers navigate the new era of 3D printing, the site not only displays products with their specifications, but also offers assistance with comparing and choosing the right printer to meet the customers’ needs. In addition, customers who already own 3D printing equipment can determine on which filament supply will work with their particular machines without the guesswork.

3D Printing has made major strides in recent years and is showing up in almost every industry and sector in the global economy.

Film and television, education, healthcare, architecture, and automotive are a few industries of the many to lead the way utilizing 3D printing in costume and set design, education curriculums, modeling, prototyping, and as parts for equipment. The website will be a primary source not only for equipment and filament supply, but also for knowledge and know-how related to the industry.

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OZCETERA The Encyclomedia crew at the CRK Gala (left to right: Kalie Graybill and A.C. Sean Peiffer, Will Evans and editor Tim Richardson, director Burt Holland and Emily Holland, producer Tiffany Farmer).

Lance Holland and Sean Peiffer shoot on the Soque River, a tributary of the Chattahoochee.

SHOOTIN’ THE ‘HOOCH!

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hattahoochee Riverkeeper celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades of protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River. And they’ve been busy.

In that time, CRK has removed over 800 tons of trash from the river and its tributaries, taken legal action to ensure that the laws that protect the drinking water supply are properly enforced, educated thousands of kids each year aboard their floating classroom, involved thousands of members of the community in monitoring and maintaining their water supply, and made a monumental difference in the health of the Chattahoochee River and the entire river basin.

In sponsoring Chattahoochee Riverkeeper this year, Encyclomedia, a local Atlanta production and post house, was tasked with showing the

audience at the annual Riverkeeper Gala how much CRK has accomplished in its 20 years in a quick, creative, and engaging video.

After filming throughout the summer to gather the pieces of the tale, Encyclomedia partnered with scriptwriter Beverly Poitier Henderson and filmmaker and longtime CRK activist Fran BurstTerranella to put together the 20 year story of the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Using the Sony F5 camera, Encyclomedia shot interviews with Ted Turner, Shirley Franklin, CRK’s founders, Laura and Rutherford Seydel, and many others.

The video premiered at the InterContinental Buckhead during the CRK Gala on a 10’ x 30’ screen staged by Magnum Companies. The large amount of screen real estate allowed

Encyclomedia senior editor Tim Richardson and motion graphic designer Matt Sigmon to utilize multiple images simultaneously, often a talking head along with beautiful footage of the Chattahoochee, or archival footage of the river and CRK programs throughout the years. Encyclomedia was honored to work with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and its amazing director and riverkeeper, Sally Bethea, who said, “We loved working with the talented and creative Encyclomedia team to tell our story about protecting and restoring the Chattahoochee River over two decades. Their high-quality video is an important tool to help us engage and inform people about the river – both its beauty and challenges.”

MAGICK LANTERN PROMOTES FERRELL

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roduction and post-production company, Magick Lantern Studios, promoted Lisa Ferrell to executive in charge of production/ executive producer. The announcement was made by Magick Lantern’s CEO, Chris Fogg.

“We are in the process of reinventing and reinforcing Magick Lantern’s brand and I believe that, with the ever-growing film and television production environment here in Atlanta, this is a great fit for Lisa’s abilities and the future of Magick Lantern,” said Fogg.

Ferrell has been with Magick Lantern since 2012 and has, in the past, worked with Crawford Media, The Weather Channel, SPIN Productions, and Giant Studios. She is actively involved with Georgia Production Partnership, Atlanta Ad Club, and Women in Film and Television Atlanta. In addition to post-production, she has experience with original content, including documentaries, original series, and movies. As executive in charge of production/executive producer, she will oversee all of Magick Lantern’s content, including original programming, series production, acquisitions, co-production financing, budgets, business affairs, and information management.

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Lisa Farrrell.

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SOUTHEAST FILM GROUP EXPANDS

Interior view of one of Southeast Film Group’s sound studios.

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outheast Film Group (SFG) is a partnership of managing partner, Eric Weiler, Bob Wilson, and Mitch Harbeson. The industry professionals have fostered a friendship and working relationship over the past 25 years while experiencing area booms in New Mexico, Florida, Utah, Louisiana, and Georgia.

Harbeson says “With the increasing need for speed to produce projects, the Lifetime Network utilized our production service company last year for the efficiency and speed that our company could give their project Unreal. In the first part of the year, they utilized our services for the feature film, Lila & Eve. The budget was so tight that the tax incentive was counted upon for post production”. “We used a unique business model to bring this project to completion in record time and were able to use those funds for post,” says Weiler.

SFG’s work on Sony’s highly reviewed TV series Powers has taken over their entire facility at 1902 Sullivan Road through Spring 2015.

The super hero’s series has a very unique set design that could only take place on a sound stage, while shooting an episode on location

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every few days. The SFG facility offers 125,000 square feet (divisible in five 25,000 square feet sections) with 29’ foot ceilings. In addition to the 20, 000 square feet of office space, there is 30,000 square feet of set dressing, 15,000 square feet of construction areas and five acres of fenced in parking. The facility is attached to a 4-star hotel and close to downtown and the airport.

SFG also has stages in Peachtree City (with the production center zone) where such shows as

Drop Dead Diva, Zombieland, and Duty were filmed over the past six years. The facility offers 3 10,000 square feet stages with 34’ foot ceilings, 18,000 square feet of offices and 18,000 square feet of storage areas for various departments divided into six different spaces.

It also comes with four acres of parking.

Southeast Film Group’s office is located at The Pinewood Production Center.

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BLOOMINGDALES OPENS STUDIO SERVICES D

ebuting in December, Bloomingdale’s Lenox Square now offers a Studio Services Department to serve as a vast resource for the film and television industries in the greater Atlanta area. Servicing costumers, stylists, and wardrobe consultants to the film industry, Bloomingdale’s Studio Services offers stylish solutions for their wardrobe and prop needs.

Studio Services experts are now available to work alongside professionals from the growing Georgia film industry, and always work within the stated budget and time-frame for the given production. “We are excited to bring Studio Services to Atlanta,” says Patricia Donohue, director of Studio Services. “This new location gives Bloomingdale’s the opportunity to service the needs of our Studio clients where they work coast to coast.”

“Our Lenox store is pleased to welcome members of the film industry for a turn-key experience of all Bloomingdale’s has to offer ,” said Tom Abrams, operating vice president and general manager of the Lenox Square store. “With new designers and European labels, the best in fashion trends, and exemplary service, we are happy to provide our city with this enhanced availability right here in our store.”

Along with the new Lenox Square location, Bloomingdale’s offers Studio Services on the West coast in its Beverly Center, Glendale, Santa Monica, and Sherman Oaks locations, as well as on the East coast in its 59th Street Flagship location in New York City. The newly-developed department will offer all of Bloomingdale’s Lenox Square assortments as well as special orders for items in other Bloomingdale’s locations.

Partial Credits:

The Walking Dead Seasons 1-5 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The Hunger Games: Mockingjay 1&2 Dumb and Dumber To Red Band Society Georgia Lottery

Identity Thief The Three Stooges Resurrection The Originals Insurgent Lawless

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WHAT’S UP FOR KEVIN TAYLOR

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tlanta-based What’s Up Interactive added Kevin Taylor as the firm’s executive vice president of creative.

Taylor joins the What’s Up team following a two-year stint as creative director for SAP America’s Mobile Innovation Center and over ten years as founder and creative director of The Malabar Front. In total he brings over 20 years of creative design, advertising, motion graphics, and brandbuilding experience to his new position.

Taylor’s hiring comes at a time of growth for the 25-year-old company as they move into 2015, with the recent addition of Mayo Clinic to the What’s Up client roster, the unveiling of their work for the Georgia Aquarium slated for January, and more staff additions expected over the next few months.

“It’s an exciting time at What’s Up,” says Taylor. “I’m really looking forward to building on the strong foundation that’s already here, and using what I’ve learned over the last twenty years to help us grow and continue to deliver the most innovative and creative work for our clients.”

Taylor will be responsible for driving the creative direction of the company, unifying strategy, interactive and video production, and overseeing all creative projects.

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4K FOR FORK U

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iscardi Creative Media (BCM) started 4k Production on Fork U and Ice Cream Nation. Award winning producer and director Walter Biscardi, Jr. helmed the first week of 4k (UHD) production for the new Contemporary Living Network (CLN). Shooting with a combination of the Panasonic Lumix GH4 and the Blackmagic Design 4k Production Camera, a total of seven episodes were shot across both series over four days.

“It was both fun and a challenge to turn around a week of shooting in 6 locations for 7 episodes of 2 completely different series plus our very first production in the 4k (UHD) format,” notes Biscardi. “All the research, planning and of course the many years of experience we have in broadcast and lifestyle production really paid off in a very smooth and fun production cycle.”

The BCM crew first traveled around North Georgia with Chef Keith Schroeder to source ingredients for Ice Cream Nation. The second day of production centered around the home kitchen where Schroeder prepared vanilla, pumpkin spice, honey and beer influenced ice creams.

Then the Fork U team rolled into Atlanta led by executive producer April Simpson of Producer

Girl Productions and featuring chef Simon Majumdar and doctor Terry Simpson. The production team really enjoyed working with Chef Majumdar who ended up preparing all the crew meals during the first day of production. “He was making these incredible steak and salmon dishes. We had a pretty small crew so when the episodes wrapped, it was ‘dig in everybody,’ and we did.

Boy did we ever!”

Plans are in the works for a studio kitchen. With the coming launch of Contemporary Living Network plans are being drawn up to build the space out into a working studio featuring a fully functional television kitchen. “Our space is big enough to hold Alton Brown’s Good Eats kitchen so I knew we had the space to create a fully functional kitchen with plenty of room for the cameras and lighting equipment,” notes Biscardi. Indeed the kitchen will feature a natural gas stove, working ovens, working plumbing and room for not only the video equipment, and even a small audience. “We figure with bar stools and high boy tables, we can probably invite 12 - 20 people to watch and even participate in the shows with the incredible lineup of chefs coming to CLN.” The

kitchen is being designed so the appearance can be easily altered for different shows and projects.

BCM has partnered with former CNN anchor, Daryn Kagan, to kick off a new CLN project.

BCM just completed principal photography on the first episode of Daryn Kagan’s book author interview project for the new Contemporary Living Network. For the Contemporary Living Network series, the idea was to get out of the studio and bring the authors to casual locations like bars, restaurants and coffee houses for a more relaxed chat. The first episode features author Kristin Harmel interviewed in Fontaine’s Oyster House in the Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta.

ATLANTA’S HORROR HOTEL

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ongrats to Debbie Hess, executive producer of award winning series Horror Hotel which films in Atlanta. Winner of four awards at the LA WEBFEST for Outstanding Series, Directing, Score and Sound Design, Horror Hotel is similar to The Twilight Zone with sci-fi/fantasy/mystery type tales. Nominated last year by the Georgia Entertainment Gala for Best Web Series/Short Films, Horror Hotel is a family run production with mom, dad and son at the helm.

Horror Hotel is distributed on Hulu, DirectTV, AT&T U-verse, xfinity, MSN videos and more fine platforms. This is huge for a web series, especially one that is Atlanta home grown.

Filming on the second season on their custom built set using all local actors and crew is taking place now.

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Horror Hotel series screenshots.

Horror Hotel series screenshots.

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SHAY BENTLEY-GRIFFIN HONORED

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he Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) honored Shay Bentley-Griffin at the 2014 Digital Media & Entertainment Industry Summit. Under the banner of The Chez Agency, Bentley-Griffin began as a talent agent, launching the careers of many recognized actors from the southeast onto national screens in soaps, television series, and feature films. She went on to become the region’s preeminent casting director, persistently encouraging producers to consider filming in the southeast region and to use regional talent for supporting roles.

In addition to Bentley-Griffin, the summit assembled leading Georgia experts in the top of their fields from film & broadcast, music, and digital media (gaming and interactive marketing). Participants included: Todd Harris - Video Games - Co-founder and COO, Hi-Rez Studios; Tammy Hurt - Music - Placement Music, Recording Academy, Georgia Music Partners; Steve Weizenecker - Legal - Barnes & Thornburg and Chair Entertainment & Sports State Bar of Georgia; Barton Bond - Education - Director

Digital Media Studios Clayton State University; Steve Woodward - Business - Edge Solutions; Suzan Satterfield - Film - Picture Window Productions; and Richard Warner - Moderator - What’s Up Interactive. Representatives from the various sectors discussed relevant topics and current industry trends, including the Georgia tax credit programs.

Shay Bentley-Griffin.

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MINDY BEE JOINS CINEVERSE

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INEVERSE is proud to announce the addition of Mindy Bee to the film and digital camera rental group. Bee’s unique, wellversed background will help CINEVERSE in its commitment to service the specialized needs of feature, commercial and television production crews. Bee will be the southeast client liaison, based at the CINEVERSE – Atlanta office, opening in early January 2015.

“We are excited to have Mindy Bee join our team,” states Wayne Miller, CINEVERSE’s vice president. “CINEVERSE couldn’t ask for a more dynamic and committed partner. Mindy never stops working for the client. Because of her first hand production crew experience, she’s passionate about the business and tireless in her commitment to DPs, AC’s and producers.”

As a current member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, IATSE – Local 600, Mindy Bee had a successful 15-year career working as a camera assistant on various motion pictures and network television shows. Bee remains a proud Local 600 member in good standing.

Throughout her career, Bee has been engaged in the production community as an active member of various organizations suc h a s the Georgia Produc tion Partnership (GPP), Film Florida and Women in Film. Staying true to her roots, Bee is a strong supporter of Local 600’s continuing educational programs.

Prior to CINEVERSE, Bee was the marketing executive at Panavision Atlanta having assisted in the opening of the Georgia office in 2011.

Previously she worked for Panavision Orlando and spent three years as an instructor at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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OZCETERA Beast Atlanta’s Eddie Kessler supports Bacon Love.

KESLER LOVES BACON E

ddie Kesler was tapped again by MMB in Boston to cut the sequel to the highlyrated Subway “Avocado Love” spot. For “Bacon Love” Kesler was teamed up again with director Jeff Low from Biscuit Filmworks. Kesler noted, “’Avocado Love’ was a such huge hit that the

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client continued to run it a second year. They came back to MMB wanting to push their bacon subs and wanted the same, over-thetop craziness that “Avocado Love” offered. I think we gave it to them. Even funnier than the original.”

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CAN I GET A WITNESS?

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itness & Company, a multi-cultural motion graphics, animation, and post production studio opened its doors this month on the Westside of Atlanta. Witness is founded by industry veteran Yesael Sumalve. Sumalve has worked in the Atlanta market for nearly a decade. He’s produced work for clients such as Ferrari, Discovery Channel, TNTLA, HGTV, AutoTrader, and Sports Illustrated.

“The key focus of Witness & Company is to provide the Atlanta and Southeastern agency, broadcast and corporate markets with highend animation, motion graphics and visual effects that can fit within today’s budgets. As the talent pool has increasingly fragmented into freelance artists, having a group of experienced professionals consistently working together as a team will result in better onscreen images with tight scheduling and financial controls.” says Sumalve.

Witness is also unique in its ability to work on integrated campaigns requiring multi-cultural fluency. With Sumalve and several members of the production team fluent in Spanish, Witness brings a higher level of creative and strategic understanding to any international project.

The executive producer is Brett Rakestraw.

Rakestraw has been in motion graphics and animation for 10 years first as an animator, then executive producer. He has worked with a number of top network brands including Disney Channel, ABC Family, and CNN. He brings a producer’s savvy along with a creative’s

understanding to his position.

“I have worked with Yesael in the past and look forward to building this company into a strong Atlanta creative brand.

It’s always easier when you know you have a great team.”

Senior animator Randall Champagne heads up the studio’s animation and visual effects team. Champagne has an in-depth knowledge of CGI and motion graphics, Witness & Company work space. working seamlessly between Cinema 4D and After Effects.

He has worked with most of the Turner Networks as well as Coca-Cola and Home Depot.

Thomas Mahan leads the audio division within the firm. Mahan started as a touring musician before turning to audio engineering as a career.

He has worked with such top-flight companies as The Scripps Networks, Discovery Networks and MSNBC. Rounding out the team at Witness, Dave Warner handles client engagement and account services. In the Atlanta market for nearly 30 years, Warner has owned his own studio, run a several Atlanta-based firms and was chief operating officer of Click3X.

EDGE UPGRADES MEDIA SOLUTIONS

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dge Solutions hired industry leader Stephen Woodward as the director of the company’s Media Solutions practice to provide best-in-class support for Edge Solutions’ media clients’ operations through design, implementation and management of storage, workflow, QC and deliver y solutions. Woodward brings extensive industry experience after spending 15 years at Turner Broadcasting System in multiple leadership positions, the last of which was as senior director of technology and business process, global network operations and technology.

His tenure at Turner was focused on increasing efficiencies for better performance through the use of technology. Woodward began his career as a software engineer and broadcast automation manager in England before relocating to the United States. Woodward is a graduate of University of Hertfordshire with degrees in electrical engineering and computing, and holds an MBA from Georgia State University.

“We look forward to offering our clients continued efficiency improvements through architectural design, consultancy engagements 20

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with smar t, selec tive par tnerships and implementation of best-in-class products,” says Woodward. “It is not enough to have a working facility – we must help build and support efficient and seamless processes to allow creative stories that drive engagement to flow.”

Edge Solutions rounds out the Media Solutions prac tice with experienced technology professionals that have unique industry knowledge to further accelerate the continued growth of the media and entertainment segment. “We are investing in targeted vertical markets to provide relevant industry expertise for those specific sets of customers,” said Julie Haley, CEO and co-founder of Edge Solutions. “The opportunity couldn’t be better at this time. For example, productions filmed in Georgia generated an estimated $3.1 billion in economic activity in 2013, a 29 percent increase from the year before. We want to take advantage of that kind of growth, and provide more resources to benefit our media and entertainment customers.”

Witness founder Yesael Sumalve.

WELCOME TO LABTOPIA L

ab 601 has added full concept to delivery producing services to their existing post production capabilities. They have been producing marketing videos and other commercial content for the last few years, but now they are making it official. The name of their new production company is Labtopia Farms LLC and it represents the symbiotic relationship the Lab has with clients to help cultivate and grow their business through engaging video content. Labtopia works directly with the various departments within corporate clients, as well as an external or white labeled resource for digital agencies.

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MOUNTAIN VIEW FREESTYLE

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housands of Coca-Cola Freestyle lovers were empowered to make and share their unique mixes by Mountain View Group’s (MVG) creative storytelling and compelling crossplatform content. To promote the new Coca-Cola Freestyle app, their core creative idea had to serve a few masters … but the primary goal was to drive app downloads and educate users as to where and how to use it.

MVG disguised an app demo as an entertaining, characterbased love story to amuse and inform a target audience of millennials. They supported this asset and the creative idea with content for a multi-pronged marketing approach that included mobile ad-buys, influencer outreach, digital billboards and social media.

The results were thousands of views and shares across social and mobile platforms and a highly successful app download rate. Even the strongest creative ideas require supporting assets and a multi-tiered approach to reach an audience and spur action. MVG helped Coca-Cola Freestyle deliver on their campaign goals by creating content for distribution across digital and traditional platforms … making them work hard for the brand and stretching their earned reach.

Coca-Cola Freestyle app.

TREW TO ATLANTA I

n response to Atlanta’s booming film industry, location sound dealer Trew Audio has opened a new location in Atlanta at 1706 DeFoor Place NW. The opening marks the company’s fifth location, with other branches located in the film hubs of Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver, and Nashville.

The store offers a stocked inventory of professional location sound equipment, a full-service rental department, and a large selection of communication solutions from Motorola.

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OZCETERA

Atlanta Film Studios.

VACATION AT SUNNY ATLANTA FILM STUDIOS A

brand new take on a classic took up residence at Atlanta Film Studios in Paulding County. The Warner’s Bros. reboot of the wildly successful Vacation series filmed through the end of November at the facility.

Ed Helms and Christina Applegate star in the new Vacation, and Chevy Chase and Beverly

D’Angelo also reprise their roles. Vacation is written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein. This production comes on the heels of the recently departed production, Fake Off, a brand new competition TV series slated to air this fall on TruTV.

BROING BROING P

ogo Pictures, director/DP, Steve Colby recently completed a seven day shoot for Norwegian Cruise Lines and their newest ship, Norwegian Getaway. He then headed to the west coast to shoot for Ovation Brands and Doner. Director Ryan Smith directed a series of Ford F-150 truck tailgating spots featuring SEC football coaches Mark Richt (University of Georgia) and Gus Malzhan (Auburn University).

Director Ben Callner directed a series of spots for the Georgia Aquarium, Sonic Automotive, and a Coke Zero spot featuring the hosts of ESPN’s GameDay. And, Pogo executive producer, Ruth Agee, was elected for another term as president of the AICP Southeast.

OZ MAGAZINE

STRONG FINISH FOR ATLANTA FILMS A

tlanta Films/Get-a-Grip Atlanta closed 2014 strong. Corporate work included the Lexus 2015 model presentation at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and putting together an interview shoot featuring 30 NASCAR drivers.

Music videos to close the year included Rae Sremmurd’s No Flex Zone and for another group, a music video called Wild Babes & Bikes.

Pogo Pictures’ Steve Colby.

22

IBA Executive Direc tor Blake Swaf ford commented, “Paulding County is thrilled to welcome Warner Bros. back to Atlanta Film Studios and our community with Vacation. AFS loves being a part of a new beginning for this iconic movie franchise.”

Limited Edition

Industry

119 7 3

The

202 1 0 3 1 3

40 years of Georgia Filmmaking & the people who made it happen History SIDEBAR, TOP:

Annette Stilwell, producer, Jayan

Films.

Bart Patton and

SIDEBAR, TOP: The early days:

SIDEBAR, BOTTOM: 2013.

ads featured Governor Carter sitting in a

watched the video and did change his mind.

Over the next few years, Wayne would return

efforts paid off. Movie producers began

to Georgia many times to scout locations for future films. Other film companies followed

was about. Once crews arrived, Spivia and

suit, and before long, the film office had so

his five-person staff would actually go out to

many prospects, it was hard to keep up. Some

help scout locations. Sometimes producers

producers and actors kept coming back. One

came to the state with the singular goal of

of them was Burt Reynolds.

In 1974, Reynolds, who had starred

film; other times, they were simply here on

in Deliverance just two years previously,

other business – in which case Spivia and his

returned to Georgia to film

team had to be a bit more creative in putting

The Longest Yard . The

Georgia on the producers’ minds.

movie was about a football

In 1975, The Lewis Family founded Lightnin’ Production Rentals, Inc., in Atlanta. The company began renting production trucks to the motion picture industry in 1979 – everything from star trailers and honey wagons to camera trucks.

Lightnin’s first feature film was 1980’s Little Darlings , starring Kristy McNichol and Tatum O’Neal.

Melva Akens 1990: Set Decorator 2013: Wardrobe Stylist & Buyer

LA Albarracin 1990: Hairstylist 2013: Hairstylist

Mark Apen 1987: Production Assistant 2013: Producer

Dwight Benjamin-Creel 1985: Special Effects Technician 2013: Property Master

Robert Bock 1989: Camera Tech - Atlanta film Equip. Rentals ( AFER) 2013: Camera Technician - PC&E

Kelsey Lane 2011: Actor 2013: Actor

Curtis Bryant 1985: Music Composer 2013: Music Composer

Linda Burns 1992: Production Assistant 2013: Production Manager

Paula Rose Castronova 1991: Wardrobe Stylist & Buyer 2013: Wardrobe Stylist & Buyer

Pat Cooksey 1985: Camera Operator 2013: Director of Photography

Stephen Crocker 1992: Production Assistant 2013: 1 st Assistant Camera

Sara Bess Norton 2011: Actor 2013: Actor

Brennen Dicker 1986: Production Assistant 2013: Director of Sales for Creative Services - Crawford

Andrew Duncan 1991: Prop Assistant 2013: Graphic Designer

Dawn Dye 1990: Receptionist - Post Prod.

(VTA) 2013: Receptionist - PC&E

Mike Pniewski 1983: Actor 2013: Actor

Mercedes Sanders 2006: Actor 2013: Actor

Shay Latte 2000: Actor 2013: Actor

Charles Orr 2011: Actor 2013: Actor

Randi Layne 1983: Actor 2013: Actor

Geoff McKnight 1987: Actor 2013: Actor

Debra Nelson 1981: Actor 2013: Actor

John Osgood 1988: Production Assistant 2013: On Air Talent

Brenda Pauley 1993: Talent Agent 2013: Talent Agent

Ric Reitz 1977: Actor 2013: Actor

Robert Robinson 2011: Music Composer 2013: Actor

Linda Rutledge 1987: Talent Agent 2013: Talent Agent

Heather Smith 2004: Actor 2013: Actor

Pamela Smith 1993: Actor 2013: Actor

Tihirah Taliaferro 2011: Actor 2013: Actor

Patricia Taylor 2006: Actor 2013: Actor

Jay Pearson 1990: Stunt Performer 2013: Actor

player–turned–convict who organizes a team of

Cattleman’s Association meeting. When

inmates to play against

Spivia found out about it, he arranged a

a team of prison guards.

meeting to convince Wayne to make a movie

It was scheduled to film

in the state. Spivia says, “An aide came

at a prison in McAllister,

in with a bottle of bourbon and poured a

Oklahoma, but three days

glass. John Wayne drank it down and said,

before the shoot, prisoners

location. Spivia recalls,

had previously filmed a movie in the state

“He said, ‘Can you get us

– The Green Berets in 1968 – he didn’t

a prison that looks like

seem convinced that the varied topography

this, real quick? If you can,

showcased on the TV screen was, in fact, in

you’ve got the film.’”

the state of Georgia.

The film commissioner came through and

banging his hand on the table,” Spivia says.

arranged for production

“He said, ‘You can’t tell me this is Georgia.

to begin at the Georgia

Georgia is just hot and flat and dry.’”

State Prison in Reidsville shortly after. The Longest

a few minutes to finish my presentation, I

Yard would go on to net more than $43

do believe I’ll change your mind.’” Wayne

million in domestic gross sales.

5

It would

11

Recess

Jack English 1983: Production Assistant 2013: Producer

Brenda Findley 1989: Set Dresser 2013: Art Department Coordinator

John Findley III 1991: Production Assistant 2013: Location Manager

Jeff Fisher 1992: Production Assistant 2013: Director

Terry Fitzpatrick 1985: Mixer/Location Sound 2013: Mixer/Location Sound

Carrie Gibbs 1989: Assistant Location Manager 2013: Location Scout

Thom Gonyeau 1986: Production Manager 2013: Principal/ Executive Producer - Mountain View Group, LTD

Chris Hamilton 1991: Stills Photographer 2013: Stills Photographer

Fred Houghton 1983: Warehouse/Generator Operator - PSA 2013: Shop Maintenance & Repair - PC&E

45

Rebecca Shrager 1983: Talent Agent 2013: Talent Agent

Chuck Shropshire 2010: Actor 2013: Actor

92

David Spencer 1992: Set and Sign Painting 2013: Actor

Donna Summers 1978: Talent Agent 2013: Talent Agent

Laura Steele 1998: Actor 2013: Actor

Production & Support Companies

111

162

Companies

Year Started

Founder/CEO/Officers

Companies

Year Started

Founder/CEO/Officers

Electric Transfer Inc.

1987-2010

Joseph Donini, founder

Sirius Images Corporation

1990-2001

Marshall Peterson, founder

The Computer Studio

1988

Anita M. Critz

Imagic

1990-2005

Joe Huggins, founder

APC Studios

1988-2006

Salvatore Nappo, founder

Comotion Films

1991

Sheryl Myers, founder

Creative Edge

1988-2007

Beth Goodwin, founder

Comprehensive Technical Group, Inc.

1991

Baird Camera Cars, Inc.

1989

Greg Baird, founder; Wilma Jean Baird, CEO

Rob Rainey Video, Inc.

1991

Rob Rainey, founder

Jo-Thor’s Dog Academy

1989

Joan Lask, founder

Telltale Films, Inc.

1991

Tom Luse, CEO

Peachtree Prompters

1989

Lauri Plesco, founder

Feature Systems South Inc. (Atlanta)

1991-2008

Bob Bailin

Riverwood Studios (DBA Raleigh Studios)

1989

Paul Lombardi, founder; president

SaltRun Productions

1989

Allen Facemire, CFO; Susan Satterfield, CEO

Staging Directions

1989

Nick D’Allen, president

The Propper Source

1989-2006

Hilary Henkin, owner

Scott Tigchelaar,

Savannah Production Group Inc.

1989-2010

Mickey Youmans, Tim Rhoad, Maria Rhoad

Southern Animal Talent Agency

1989-2012

Senia Phillips, founder

Atlanta Films, Inc. (Get-A-Grip Atlanta)

1990

Mark Henderson, founder/president

1990

Bob Shelley, founder

Bob Shelley Special Effects International Inc. Houghton Talent, Inc.

1990

Gail Houghton, founder

Magick Lantern Studios

1990

Bill VanDerKloot, founder

Neverland Film Services

1990

Tim McCabe, founder

Payroll South (Crew)

1990

Annette Stilwell, founder

Peachtree Post

1990-2002

Jeff Blauvelt, owner

Phelanx, Inc.

1990

Mark Phelan, founder

Powell Group, Inc., The

1990-2004

Tia Powell, founder

ShowPay

1990

Annette Stilwell, founder

Spotchex (union)

1990

Annette Stilwell, founder

Xchex (nonunion)

1990

Annette Stilwell, founder

Effigy Film and Video

1990-1993

Toni Colley Lee and

Dick Cross Special Effects

1990-1999

Richard (Dick) Cross and Gayle Cross, founders

William Hudson

Steve McCormick, Jim Wile, co-owners

Atlanta Rigging Systems, LLC

1992

Rick Rushing, president; Dave Gittens, VP/GM

Casting Connection, Inc.

1992

John Culbreth, founder

Crossover Entertainment Group, Inc.

1992

Luther Randall III, GM;

Encyclomedia

1992

Billy Johnson, COO

Lance Holland, founder

Gypsy Grips Georgia

1992

Danny “DJ” Haizlip, Chunky Huse, co-founders

Triple Horse Entertainment

1992

Karl and Amy Horstman, founders

Artisan Pictureworks

1992-1999

Joe Gora, founder

Barbizon Atlanta

1993

Damian Vaudo, branch manager

Broadcast Equipment Rental Company (BERC)

1993

Tony Foresta, GM

ImageMaster Productions, Inc.

1993

Dan Johnson, founder

Inertia Films, Inc.

1993

A. Troy Thomas, founder

Synergy Films

1993

George Watkins and Lyn Toll, founders

Whoa! Films, Inc.

1993

Bill Orisich, founder

Brick House Editorial

1993-1997

Cindy Garguilo, Kevin Garguilo, co-founders

First Light Entertainment, Inc.

1993-2002

Video Progressions, Inc.

1993-2012

Atlanta Dogworks

1994

Greg Tresan CEO; Carol Tresan, CFO

Blue Moon Productions, Ltd.

1994

Susan Kanellos, CEO

Bootleg Island Entertainment

1994

Mike Coolik, founder

Carlisle Production Services

1994

Danny Boy Services, LLC

1994

Vivian Jones, CEO/producer Adair Simon, founder

John Carlisle, founder Dan Philipp, founder

Eagles Cry Productions, LLP

1994

J. Robert Russell, CEO; Karen Russell CFO

Entertainment Design Group, Inc. (EDG)

1994

Steven L. Guy, CEO

Georgia Industry Yearbook

110

Georgia Industry Yearbook

Georgia Industry Yearbook

(g) 2nd Unit from The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). (h) Allen Facemire catching a high-speed drive-by with his camera on top of a pair of good old-fashioned ‘sticks’. (i) Gordon Siefferman, camera assistant on Moonrunners (1975). (j) Don Shisler and Doug Smith taking care of Boss Hogg’s infamous white Cadillac for The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). (k) Director Steve Rash and his camera crew in a bucket lift for The Buddy Holly Story (1978). (l) Gy Waldron, producer of The Dukes of Hazzard and Six Pack , taking a look at the framing for a shot, in the days before directors had the convenience of video monitors.

Georgia Industry Yearbook

(a) Operator Allen Facemire on the set of Moonrunners (1975). (b) The Duke boys encountering the Sheriff on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). (c) Script supervisor Charlene Webb on the set of The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). (d) A young Paul Varrieur (on right) was a member of the camera department on the pilot Six Pack (1983), which was based on a film by the same name. (e) Allen Facemire rigging a camera for a stunt se quence on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). (f) Paul Varrieur, Allen Facemire, and Billy Sherrill on the set of a commercial in the mid-1980s.

Ellis Edwards 1985: Stunt Driver 2013: Stunt Coordinator

Georgia Industry Yearbook

Reynolds called Spivia for help finding an alternate

mountains, and forests. Even though Wayne

“And I said, ‘If you’ll give me just

Sarah Reagin 2011: Stunt Performer 2013: Stunt Performer

burned it to the ground.

tape in the VCR.” The video showcased the diversity of the Georgia landscape – coastline,

“About thirty seconds in, he started

Jody Danneman 1989: Camera Operator - Video 2013: Producer

Georgia Industry Yearbook

‘Let’s get down to business.’ So, I played a

Guy D’Alema 1989: Stills Photographer 2013: Stills Photographer

Georgia Industry Yearbook

Georgia Industry Yearbook

Lightnin’ Production Rentals in

heading to Georgia to see what all the talk

Case in point: John Wayne. In 1973,

10

Tatum O’Neal on

Rentals’ truck (1980).

Unshackled (2000).

the veteran actor came to Georgia for a

Bart

Crew & Talent

director of photography Paul Varrieur on the set of

finding the perfect location for their next

.

40 Yea & th e P e rs of Georgia F op le W h 40 Yea o a d e ilmmaking it & th e P e rs of GeoM pen o p l e W h rgia FilmHap o M a d e making it H a p p e n

the set of Little Darlings with a Lightnin’ Production

SIDEBAR, BOTTOM, L-R: Director

director’s chair. Before long, the group’s

Harold Morris, an inmate at Reidsville Prison, also worked as an extra in The Longest Yard Originally sentenced to two life terms, Morris was later pardoned.

When he was released, he wrote a screenplay about his life. Filmed as Unshackled , it was directed by Patton and released in 2000.

In uusstr Ind d Y toyoykk Yeeaarb rboor

Th Thee

Yearbook

In 1974, North Carolina native Annette Stillwell moved to Atlanta and, one year later, founded what would become a very successful cast and crew payroll company.

By 1980, Stilwell would become an Emmy award-winning producer and one of the premier casting directors in the Southeast.

OZCETERA

163

Get your copy of the limited edition ($60 plus tax): Call OZ:

404.633.1779

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Real. Good. Food.

Full service catering for your next event.

www.solcatering.net 404.805.6589 • 404.853.3239 24

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ARRI ATLANTA OPENS

MOBILE FOR VETERANS T

A

RRI announced that vice president Ed Stamm will oversee the new ARRI Rental of fice in Atlanta, which has opened. Besides promoting the ALEXA 65 system exclusively available at ARRI Rental, Stamm will ensure that the company’s extensive inventory of digital, film, anamorphic and spherical camera equipment is available to this vibrant production community. Craig Chartier will fill Stamm’s previous position, taking over ARRI Rental Miami as general manager. Chartier will focus on strengthening ARRI Rental’s strategy and operations, as well as growing the business in Florida and the South American market.

Ed Stamm.

he North Creative editors worked in association with Defense Mobile, a company created and run by veterans to provide wireless services for veterans and those currently serving in the US Military. These services include mobile phone plans, rewards through debit banking, free email accounts, and an educational app to aid veterans in finding their benefits. North Creative saw these projects through from start to finish, from creative conception and production to directing and editing.

Rifleman The

Georgia's Premier Firearms Movie Rental Facility

We offer:

Antique, foreign, domestic and exotic weapons Military vehicles Ammunition (blanks, tracer, etc.)

Ranges Destructive devices Silencers Training Consulting for film industry Video-game production

Contact:

7209 Hawkinsville Road Macon, GA 31216

Store: 478-784-2767 Cell: 478-957-2767 Credits available upon request www.facebook.com/theriflemanonline

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

25

OZCETERA

QUITE STYLISH P

eople Magazine chose former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter for its 40th Anniversary, doubleissue center-fold article. For the photo shoot, the Carters looked to Rhonda Barrymore of Help Me Rhonda, Inc. for their styling. The article, titled “A Love Story,” also announced the celebration of Mr. Carter’s 90th birthday.

This was not Barrymore’s first styling gig for the Carters. She has been their stylist for over 15 years, working on projects such as the Today show originating from Mr. Carter’s boyhood home; the Georgia Public Broadcasting original series, Georgia Greats; the re-opening ceremonies for The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum; as well as numerous other productions, appearances and photo shoots.

Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter and President Jimmy Carter, photographed on the occasion of Jimmy Carter’s 90th birthday.

Photo Credit: Martin Schoeller for People Magazine.

Demand More Equipment, Expendables, Systems, and Rigging for Entertainment and Architectural Lighting Since 1947

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Film and Video Supply For all your expendable needs

Lee Rosco Setwear

Reyes Shurtape Matthews

American Arri Lighting Mole Richardson

www.filmvideosupply.com 404-609-9001

26

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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OZCETERA

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OZ MAGAZINE

VOICES

Monetary Musical Chairs

by Matthew Kilburn

T

he music begins and the players march while a chair slides away. The music stops and each player scrambles for a safe landing spot they can call their own. Classic musical chairs. Today in the entertainment industry, as the music plays, virtually all of the chairs are being removed. So, where will you land?

Business is at its core a cycle of manufacturing, sales and consumption. The entertainment industry similarly is a cycle of content production, distribution and exhibition, public or private, but the industry is experiencing a paradigm shift. The financial models for television, movies and advertising are being rewritten on almost a weekly basis.

Ever since Dorothy muttered,

”Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” (The Wizard of Oz. MGM, 1939) there have been waves of unsettling redesign. The revenue pipelines from the consumer in exchange for entertainment have been torn up. Auntie Em, “it’s a twister!”

So, what does this mean to the content creators? With such easy access to quality filming equipment, computer-based NLEs and powerful software, former methods of production seem a nostalgic memory. And with the internet-based distribution pipeline at our finger tips, also gone are many of the constraints that have isolated the production industry from a hopefully-paying audience. Anyone who keeps up with modern filmmaking knows that the day of directto-the-consumer distribution has arrived. It looks like it just got off a 14-hour red-eye, but it has already sent shockwaves through out the establishment.

“The Internet gutted the music industry. Print journalism has been forced to innovate or die–or, sometimes, both simultaneously–in response to the Web.” (Derek Thompson. The End of TV and the Death of the Cable Bundle. The Atlantic - Online. July 12, 2012) Anyone who has spent any time in filmmaker forums or Kickstarter won’t be able to miss the primary reoccurring topic: production moola. Once in a while you will see a posting asking about getting funding for a film from a foreign distributor. When you do, it’s obvious they have been reading from some how-to book from decades past.

Working to compensate for the rapid shifts and increase profitability, the studios have substantially narrowed their production focus, make only a few films each year and focus on proven commodities and blockbusters. This has been instrumental in the

growth in content produced independently from the big indie players like the studio indie labels, online streaming giants (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and a host of others), right down to films shot on smart phones.

With all of this indie content springing up, what’s to be done with it? Online aggregators like Netflix are not the easiest nuts to crack without connections. Most will reach out to one or more of the many other video-on-demand pipelines where movies and series can be monetized: iTunes, YouTube (pay channels or ads), Amazon, etc.

Niche genres like Christian films have experienced varying degrees of success in alternate-venue group screenings in places like churches, denominational conferences and even privately owned theater chains. The Passion of the Christ swung this door open, and a growing number are attempting to ride the wave. ”Viacom yanked its 19 channels–including Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central–from DirecTV after the two companies failed to agree on subscriber fees. Second a federal judge cleared the way for Aereo, an exciting new startup that could bring local TV (NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS) to any device you wish, from a smart phone to an actual TV”, Derek also noted.

Unclench. There’s hope. There are some shining stars returning to the landscape: Branded Entertainment, VOD, deep product integration and more. Branded Entertainment has its roots in the early days of broadcast television. There weren’t any pre-produced commercials during The Ed Sullivan Show. Shows were “Brought to you by,” or “Sponsored by.” So, in a world where viewer’s willingness to watch commercial advertising in free fall, the revenue model will have to change.

The truth is, the chairs have already been pulled out, and you may not have noticed.

Though we may be in the midst of the storm now, in the near future we will see a new normal established, with lots of new chairs sliding into the game. That which will determine whether you snag one or not, will be your willingness to embrace the change and a dogged determination to learn.

Live Free Film Hard!

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

29

MICHAEL

RILEY

Location Manager for The Walking Dead

30

OZ MAGAZINE

Photos courtesy of Michael Riley.

STAYING AHEAD

DEAD OF THE

The Art and Science of Finding the Perfect Spot By: Christine Bunish

OCTOBER JANUARY/ /NOVEMBER FEBRUARY 2015 2014

31

When the real zombie apocalypse comes to Atlanta you’ll want to be standing next to Michael Riley.

The location manager for AMC’s hit series, The Walking Dead, Riley has serious survival skills. He can negotiate highways strewn with abandoned vehicles, find sanctuary in an idyllic farm, avoid open fields where zombie hordes congregate and discover a charming town almost untouched by the chaos. Oh, yeah, there was that whole cannibalism thing in an old locomotive repair factory…but one slip in five seasons is not a bad average when the world around you is falling to pieces.

An Atlanta native, Riley has lived in the metro area most of his life so he knows the turf. He pursued a career as a photojournalist before signing on as a photographer for the Georgia Department of Industry & Trade. He transferred to the Georgia Film Office in 1982 and served as project manager there for the next eight years.

“The ‘80s was a good growth period for the state,” he recalls. “The Film Office was very small, just Norm Bielowicz the director, Lynn Foster the coordinator and me.

But we were quite busy with films like Driving Miss Daisy and Glory. Those high-profile projects attracted the attention of more producers and studios who took a look at Georgia for their productions.”

As the Film Office’s project manager Riley found he was doing some of the tasks of a location manager. “People would send us scripts, and in those days we’d put together photo packages for them. I’d help scouts and location managers when they came in and laid the groundwork that allowed them to start their projects,” he explains. “I learned a lot by watching location managers. I didn’t have much experience in the mechanics of filming, but I picked it up quickly.”

Riley saw a need for Atlanta-based location managers as production traffic built in the state. “There were not a lot of location managers working locally,” he notes. “They were coming in from other markets. So I saw a niche to fill and decided to leave the Film Office in 1990 and freelance.”

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OZ MAGAZINE

OFF TO A STRONG START

His first big location management job was a still photo shoot, and his first TV job was the NBC movie-of-the-week (MOW), In the Line of Duty: Street Wars. His client roster soon picked up steam, and he posted a good debut year. “At that time the mainstay for the Georgia market was six or eight MOWs a year then three or four features that were gravy,” he says. “They were good times but no comparison to the enormous volume of work here now. I felt I made the right decision to freelance.”

That feeling ebbed somewhat the following year when there were labor issues and Canada launched an aggressive program of production incentives. Riley stayed busy with still shoots and commercials until TV and film work picked up again. And pick up it did. Riley has location managed more than 40 features and MOWs, episodic series, independent films and documentaries. His credits include, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Sweet Home Alabama, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and The People vs. Leo Frank.

One of his favorite TV projects is HBO’s 2005 original feature, Warm Springs, with Kenneth Branagh starring as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who found relief from his polio in the thermal waters of the Georgia resort. FDR bought the resort in 1927 and turned it into a world-renowned rehabilitation center for polio patients.

“When I was approached by HBO to do it, I didn’t even think about saying no,” Riley recalls. “My great-grandfather was an engineer on the railroad system and one of those who transported FDR back and forth from Washington, D.C. to Warm Springs. So I felt I was destined to do it, and it was a great experience. The show won an Emmy for outstanding art direction” and a host of additional awards.

Since Warm Springs is a historic site, he had to obtain permission to film in the pools where FDR took his therapy and in one of the cottages on the grounds. A big house in Madison, Georgia, which was undergoing restoration, was converted into the Warm Springs Inn for the duration of production.

HBO’s multi-Emmy winning Miss Evers’ Boys (1997) is another TV project close to his heart.

The telefilm explored the

infamous secret Tuskegee experiment funded by the federal government. “It had historical significance and a great cast,” says Riley. “We shot in Atlanta, where the state capitol doubled for the U.S. Capitol, in Covington and in Decatur, where The Trackside Tavern acted as a honkeytonk.”

His favorite feature is the Depression Era tale, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which gave him a chance to see the Coen brothers directing duo in action. Riley was working on a Hallmark job he when got a call from the Coens’ production manager who said they were considering scouting Georgia – was he available? A follow up call said the brothers were headed for Mississippi instead. Did Riley know anything about that state?

“I only knew it was west of here,” he laughs. That proved to be enough. He flew to Jackson, Mississippi and soon found himself attached to a film that became jokingly known to the crew as O Brother, Where Aren’t We? “We shot in Yazoo City, Vicksburg, Edwards, near Jackson, Indianola, Natchez,” he says. “The Coen brothers were very meticulous and prepared, and everything ran like clockwork every day. They even scouted on their own. Sunday morning they’d have breakfast and then take a ride. Monday they’d tell me what they found and say, ‘How about checking out…’ Sometimes a location they found looked great but was logistically challenging, but we made it work.”

It’s Riley’s job to “find the bones” of a suitable location, to discover “what works structurally and visually for everybody then let production design and the art department flesh it out.” For a period piece like O Brother, Where Art Thou? it meant those departments moved telephone poles, pulled air conditioners out of people’s windows during a Mississippi summer, removed parking meters from the streets and changed signage.

As location manager he’s also responsible for the “nuts and bolts” of securing locations: the contracts, permits, negotiations, logistics. “I’m the first person hired and the last laid off,” he says. “I’m there ‘til they wrap, and it’s all cleaned up.”

“I’m the first person hired and the last laid off,” he says.

“I’m there ‘til they wrap, and it’s all cleaned up.”

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

33

SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Riley has been location manager for The Walking Dead since the pilot in 2010; season five just wrapped and episodes are currently airing. He was introduced to the show by a fellow Atlantan, executive producer Tom Luse.

“I’ve known Tom a long time; he was a location manager when I was at the Film Office,” says Riley. “We worked on Glory together, then his career took him to different parts of the country, then he was back here for the feature The Joneses and the Fox series Past Life. He called me to say he had a zombie project, a pilot and five episodes, was I interested? I hadn’t heard about The Walking Dead comics but I said sure, I’d do it. So Tom and I started scouting and in the meantime I saw the books, which we used as template for matching locations in Atlanta.”

The pilot turned out to be “a huge project; it was massive – a small feature really. It was very ambitious.”

Viewers were introduced to Sheriff Rick Grimes, who, after being injured on the job, wakes up in a deserted hospital to the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. His town is in ruins; abandoned shells of military vehicles litter the hospital parking lot. His family is missing. Rick heads for Atlanta riding a horse down the highway, the charred city skyline in the distance in what is perhaps the most iconic image from the books – and the series.

Riley found a decommissioned hospital in Atlanta, which is now used for counseling and therapy sessions, to serve as Rick’s introduction to the nightmare scenario.

Portions of Freedom Parkway leading into Atlanta were composited with footage of the skyline and shots of Rick on his horse at some old Norfolk Southern Railroad property to create the memorable scene of the lone sheriff at the start of his journey.

Riley says that shooting in downtown Atlanta wasn’t

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really difficult, but it required a lot of cooperation and paperwork from layers of government bureaucracy. “We needed to lock down and clear streets and commandeer buildings. My key assistant, Seth Zimmerman, and I easily spent three weeks talking to people in town,” he reports.

“You can’t film in the Federal Courthouse, so I thought they’d say no to the idea of a 60-ton tank in front of the building, but they thought it was cool.”

The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre doubled as the Centers for Disease Control in the last episode of season one. Its exterior was used for a dramatic pyrotechnic scene and sequences were shot in its lobby. The lab scenes were lensed on a set in the Atlanta Civic Center.

Riley and his team coordinated with Georgia State University, which had a big event scheduled at the Rialto Theater when The Walking Dead was slated to shoot in the neighborhood. The solution? “We had to hide the theater marquee with a big military vehicle,” guaranteeing access and privacy for both the show and the school’s red carpet event.

The pilot’s second big location was a rock quarry that Riley had known from childhood. It’s the spot where, unbeknownst to Rick, his wife and son, his deputy and a few other survivors have set up camp.

“My father owned a business that I worked for in the summer that did business with the quarry,” Riley says. “I had used the quarry briefly on the Past Life series. Now, The Walking Dead needed a location on the edge of town where you could see the city in the background. The production designer thought it was great – you could see the skyline: It didn’t have to be digitally enhanced. And it was only 15 minutes away from the production offices in Atlanta.”

“There were a lot of different story lines and lots of locations.

There was no santuary; everyone was looking for the next safe zone.”

FINDING SANTUARY

Riley was tasked with finding a haven for Rick and the survivors for the show’s second season. He was told about a farmhouse in the middle of 500 acres that sounded like a possibility for Hershel Green’s farm, and once he saw it he knew he had to use it.

“You couldn’t have asked for a better place,” he says.

“And it was close to Raleigh Studios in Senoia, where we would be based, so we didn’t have to travel far.” There was one potential hitch, though. “The owners were empty nesters, and they didn’t want to move out. So they lived upstairs in the house while we filmed there. It was a little weird in the beginning until we got into the routine of it and adjusted to each other. But it worked out fine.” Sets representing the upstairs bedrooms were built on the stage at Raleigh.

After zombies ultimately overran the farmhouse a different kind of sanctuary was required for season three.

“I scouted for a prison, but it had to be close to where we

were,” Riley says. “I found some empty ones that looked more like college campuses than prisons. There was nothing in Georgia like the iconic image of a prison from the comic. I did find a killer place, but it was in Tennessee.”

Tom Luse decided to share a “crazy idea” with Riley and took him out to the lower part of the Raleigh Studios property. “What if we skinned it, put up guard towers and wire?” Luse asked. He pitched the idea, which met with a lukewarm reaction at first, while Riley continued to scout.

Convinced that there was nothing nearby that would work better, Luse brought the producers around to the notion of converting Raleigh into the prison.

“So we facaded the sides and the back of the soundstages, put up guard towers and fences and let the grass grow,” Riley says. “They built the cell blocks on stage. It was a very efficient way to work since we spent a lot of time at that location.”

In contrast with the prison was the almost idyllic town

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of Woodbury, where The Governor held sway. The small town of Senoia, about ten minutes from the studio, was another “crazy idea” suggested by Luse.

“Their main street is about two city blocks long with 30-40 shops facing the street. At the end of season two we met with the merchants and city council members and told them we were thinking of using Senoia as Woodbury,” says Riley. “That required controlling the streets, dressing them, making them look post-apocalyptic. We were going to have to commandeer the town. But we had a plan to make it work.”

Almost all of the businesses on the main street had back doors. So the production designer, Grace Walker, proposed dressing the facades and blanking out the windows so people couldn’t see in or out. But directional signage would steer customers to auxiliary parking facilities and back entrances. “That kept the shops open, and we compensated them for the inconvenience,” Riley explains. “It worked out great for everybody.” In fact, Senoia saw traffic into town increase. “Fans kept showing up trying to sneak a peek. But the shop owners were good about managing them.”

After a dramatic end to season three at the prison, season four of The Walking Dead saw the survivors split into small bands and scattered to different locations.

“There were a lot of different story lines and lots of locations. There was no sanctuary; everyone was looking for the next safe zone,” Riley says.

Keeping Raleigh Studios at the epicenter, Riley was charged with finding locations that fit the trials and tribulations of each band while remaining in a 30-mile radius of the stages. The tale of Rick and his son Carl played out in residential streets in Senoia. When the script called for a pecan grove and farmhouse for Carol, Tyrese and the girls Riley found one in the town of Milner.

ALL ROADS LEADS TO TERMINUS

The individual bands of survivors wind up following signs along the railroad tracks that say a place called Terminus offers a sanctuary for all who arrive there. Riley had just the location in mind: the Collier Metals plant near Atlanta Stadium. Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks actually led up to the property, some not in service, some still active.

“I had scouted it several years ago for the Cartoon Network’s Ben 10: Alien Swarm, which wanted an industrial location,” he recalls. “I came across this metals company that occupied part of the site of an old locomotive repair yard. The show didn’t want to use it but I thought it might come in handy one day.”

The Walking Dead location needed railroad tracks as a means of getting boxcars into Terminus. And it needed “some interesting architecture” that the old plant provided.

“Collier Metals only uses about half the property, which is owned by Norfolk Southern,” Riley notes. “So we used the

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There’sa lot available in Georgia.

“It’s a very diverse state geographically.”

“Locations, locations, locations.”

back half, which was perfect for what we wanted. It was kind of eerie when I found out that one of my great-uncles had worked at that facility.”

With its exterior yards and vast interior spaces the Collier Metals plant served up a memorable Terminus.

Besides, “the building had the right number of old windows so we could spell out Terminus in big letters in each window,” Riley says. “When I saw that, I knew it was meant to be!”

While Riley can’t divulge much about the show’s new season, he says it’s been the hardest for him and his department since the start of the series. “Our people are splintered again; they’re out and moving still looking for sanctuary. So it’s been a really big location season, and we’re all dragging at this point in production.”

He emphasizes that he couldn’t do his job without his 10-person department, which includes key assistants Seth Zimmerman and Dan Green, “who do most of the heavy lifting,” plus a production coordinator and production assistants. “It’s a beefy department, but it has to be when you’re shooting an episode every eight days on a Mondayto-Friday schedule. A lot of physical work is involved in getting the company where it needs to be so it can work as efficiently as possible.”

The series shoots from May to just before Thanksgiving, so everyone gets to experience “a nice spring, a sultry summer, then we turn on the heaters,” Riley says. “We shoot 16 episodes; that’s over 180 days of filming, which is a marathon. It’s the equivalent of two features back to back. At the mid-season mark in August we get to break for a week.”

The Walking Dead has already been renewed for a sixth season although Riley hasn’t been told much about it yet. An important difference in the show from its early

days is that the writers now come to Atlanta where they get a real feel for the locations they incorporate into scripts.

“They fly out for the episode they write and stay until it wraps,” Riley explains. “Once they’ve been here a few times they have a sense of what’s available here and what’s not.”

And as he can attest there’s a lot available in Georgia.

“It’s a very diverse state geographically. There’s every type of environment except desert – and at certain times of the summer you think you’re in one anyway. We have the ocean, mountains, metro areas, rural areas.”

Riley enjoys the “great collaborative effort” that goes into making The Walking Dead the hit it is. The most fun part of the job? “Seeing the finished product and finding that location that you know works for the show,” he declares. “We get to see the season premiere ahead of time.

We’re still slogging away at our jobs, but when you see that first new episode you realize why you do it, how it’s all worth it.”

“Zombies may be the backdrop for the show but it’s all about survival: what happens when you wake up in the morning and everything you had is gone. The writing and the characters are what draw people to this show. That’s why it’s breaking viewer records every season: 17.3 million viewers tuned in for the season five premiere, which broke the previous record. Sure, there’s a core of zombie fans, fans of the books. But people all over the world are really invested in this show. When we were shooting at Terminus we saw a family holding a sign that said, ‘We came from Finland.’ And Senoia’s bed-and-breakfast is full every week.”

Guess that old adage about what spells success could be retooled to, “Locations, locations, locations.”

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The Right Side of the Popcorn From the legendary Dukes of Hazzard to learning from Tyler Perry, John Schneider pursues his filmmaking ambition.

By Christine Bunish

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John Schneider on the set of Smothered Photo credit, Talon Tarter

John Schneider directing on the set of Smothered Photo Credit: Talon Tarter

A

s a popular actor playing charming good ol’ boys, iconic dads and villains you love to hate, John Schneider has been telling stories his entire life.

Now, as a writer and director heading up John Schneider’s Fairlight Films, he’s telling stories of his own – from behind the camera. No longer “the cog in someone else’s wheel,” he says he’s “telling stories out of my soul and enjoying that a lot more. I feel finally, after all these years, I’m back on track.”

The latest independent feature from John Schneider’s Fairlight Films, Smothered, premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival in October. Destined to be a horror fans favorite, the movie’s plot features a roster of cult horror stars who are reluctantly persuaded to haunt a trailer park.

They think they’re in for some easy money until the tables are turned, and they discover that their lives are at risk.

The film brings together real horror legends Kane Hodder (Jason in Friday the 13th), R.A. Mihailoff (Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Don Shanks (Michael Myers in Halloween 5), Bill Moseley (Choptop in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) and many others. “I was surprised nobody tried to do it before,” Schneider muses.

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John Schneider with his Dukes of Hazzard castmates.

Getting on the Right Side of the Popcorn

Born and raised in Mt. Kisco, New York, Schneider has early memories of attending Saturday double features in town. From about the age of eight – “my first seven years were wasted,” he quips – he watched movies and felt he was “on the wrong side of the popcorn: I needed to be up there, on the screen. I never knew that was hard, and I was probably unlikely to achieve that. There was strength in my ignorance.”

He started performing in local theater and school productions a few years later and began making and editing Super8mm movies at home. He acted in summer camp in New Hampshire. “Once focused, I was like a dog on point: It was hard to get me off point,” he says. “My passion has always been filmmaking and storytelling, and acting was a means to that end.”

Schneider moved to Georgia with his mother when he was 14. All those stories about growing up on a farm and attending the Georgia School of High Performance so he could race cars are “a total fabrication” designed to give the young actor down-home cred – and expertise behind the wheel of The General Lee – for his breakthrough TV role as Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, which debuted in 1979.

“I’m surprised that stuff is still out there,” he says, about the Internet perpetuating the myth 35 years later.

The first five episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard were shot in Covington, Conyers and Atlanta, Georgia. The show was initially planned as a nine-episode mid-season filler, but when Warner Bros saw the potential to develop it as a full series, they decided to move to the Warner Bros’ lot in Burbank. The Dukes of Hazzard was consistently top-rated and served as a solid lead into Dallas, during its six-year run.

Schneider went on to a successful career as a country singer recording ten albums for the CBS and MCA labels. He

“

appeared in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; Nip/Tuck; The Secret Life of the American Teenager; 90210; Desperate Housewives and Hot in Cleveland. He played Jonathan Kent, the adoptive father of Clark Kent/Superman, in the long-running Smallville.

Last year he returned to Georgia to play James “Jim” Cryer, the patriarch of the Cryer family and a Savannah criminal courts judge with political ambitions, in Tyler Perry’s The Have and the Have Nots. The one-hour drama is the first scripted TV series for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network; it enjoyed high ratings for its first two seasons, and production recently wrapped on season three, which will air in 2015.

Tyler Perry is a force of nature is something Schneider can attest to. “We shot 25 episodes in three sets of two weeks,” he says. “With Dukes, Dr. Quinn and Smallville that took ten months. You usually shoot eight pages a day on a regular show, but with Tyler you shoot eight pages before the coffee is ready.”

Perry’s productions move fast because “he shoots multicamera all the time,” Schneider explains. “That means there’s not nearly as much repetition: You get a lot of coverage at the same time as the master.”

Perry also doesn’t worry about actors overlapping dialogue, especially in scenes featuring arguments. “When you’re arguing with someone you don’t stop and wait for the next person to speak – that’s not organic,” Schneider points out. “We really argue, and it comes off like capturing life. We often do one take and move on, too. So, we’re a lot more like reality TV than the reality TV shows.”

Another key to Perry’s “efficiency” is keeping all the production and postproduction under his own roof. “We even do all the outdoor locations at his studio,” Schneider notes.

He admits, as a filmmaker, he’s more “old school” than Perry, preferring to shoot single camera “unless we’re doing an argument, then I’d cross-shoot like Tyler.” But he has “learned a lot” watching Perry at the helm and has adopted Perry’s under-one-roof model for the new Louisiana-based John Schneider Studios. (Schneider also learned about name branding from Perry and Oprah.)

My passion has always been filmmaking and storytelling, and acting was a means to that end.

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Studio Complex Takes Root

Schneider bought the 58-acre former Camp Singing Waters property in Holden, which is well on its way to being a full-service studio complex.

“The owners had been trying to sell the property for a while,” he recalls. “I was contacted several times about buying the house – they never told me it had been a camp. They thought I’d buy it and tear down the house and build a bigger one.

But I’m not a Hollywood person; I’m a Westchester County [New York] person. After getting four or five calls, I was scouting locations for Smothered and found what I thought would be perfect, but I said I’d look at the house on my way to the airport.”

When he arrived, he saw the 1910 former McCarroll home, “a neat old house with a lot of junk on the porch.

It looked like Agnes’s house in Smothered, which I hadn’t found yet,” he says. “Then I saw a lake with two white herons.

And a swamp with cypress trees. And around a curvy road I saw the most attractive thing you can find in Louisiana: a hill. The more I saw the more I realized [the property] was exactly Smothered – the whole thing.” So Schneider shot the entire horror film there. “I saw how easy it was and started thinking toward the end that I really needed to buy this place,” he says. Two movies and four commercials later, he now finds himself a studio owner.

The spread also includes a big pool, a branch of the Tickfaw River, a five-acre stand of bamboo and open fields.

“You can put a generator and a catering truck in the middle and get 40 locations without leaving the property,” he boasts.

His first soundstage is a 5,000 square-foot metal building with 20-foot ceilings that the former owners had the foresight to soundproof. “I’m not sure why they built it, but it’s great,” Schneider says. “There are two really monstrous air conditioners in it. All I had to do was clean it out.” The stage’s situation on the property “begs several more to go around it,” and he plans to add at least one additional soundstage in 2015.

An editing facility supports Avid, Apple Final Cut Pro and, Adobe Premiere platforms on Mac and PC so “editors can just bring their hard drives and set up,” he says. In these days of digital dailies viewed on laptops and handheld devices, Schneider has opted for a real screening room outfitted with bench seats obtained from a casino. “A big screen drops out of the ceiling, there’s a digital projector and surround sound,” he says. “This may be indie filmmaking, but it’s not a small business. It’s a magic business.”

Next to come will be audio post, possibly via a Burbankbased sound veteran who’s looking to make a lifestyle move.

“We have plenty of room for sound facilities,” he says.

There’s a 1940’s-era house at the front of the property were some of Smothered was shot, and Schneider has taken over the 1910 homestead, which has been painted in three different styles so it can accommodate a variety of exterior shoots. “You can point the camera and essentially shoot three different houses from different angles,” he explains. “I learned that from Smallville. Because of the way I started with the Dukes, shooting at all practical Georgia locations, I’d still rather shoot in a real house. It feels better for the actors. You’re not fabricating reality on the set.”

Accommodations can be found on the property for a visiting director, executive producer or cinematographer, but he doesn’t plan to offer lodgings for everyone. “There

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are thousands of hotel rooms 15 minutes away,” he reports.

Likewise, “there’s plenty of rental equipment available in the area.” The local talent pool of technicians and actors “is fantastic,” he says. “Films have been around here long enough that there are a lot of really talented people who have learned the business very well.”

Cast of Smothered.

Photo By: Talon Tarter

John Schneider on tractor.

Photo By: Ron Hale

John Schneider directing on the set of Smothered.

Photo By: Talon Tarter

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

It’s Schneider’s hope that Smothered will do well enough at the box office that it will get him out of the eternal fundraising part of the business for a while.

“I’ve seen it done with Tyler.

His machine makes the money that makes the machine run. They say there’s no such thing as perpetual motion, but anybody who’s seen Tyler would beg to differ.”Perry’s hit Madea franchise helped fund the TV series and features he’s done since, Schneider observes. “You make a film or a series of films and it funds the rest. I have a prequel and a sequel to Smothered in my laptop. I’ve seen the model, and I’m not shy to say I’m copying it.”

Schneider actually has more than Smothered in his laptop. “I’m working on 15 scripts,” he says. “I’d like to do two a year for the foreseeable future.”

Next up will be the features Useful People and Anderson Bench, which Schneider has written and is developing. Useful People is about a group of terminally ill, elderly poker players who set out to administer justice to those who have badly wronged them. “They have a legitimate reason to want to take these people out,” he explains. He knows the subject matter is risky given the constant hype about the everyounger demographic.

Anderson Bench also takes up a challenging theme.

“How often have you heard people say, ‘If X happens, I’ll die a happy man’? So, in Anderson Bench, if you find yourself living the best day you will ever have, how will you end it?” he muses.

Schneider is still in demand as an actor, too. Runaway Hearts, an indie film about two kids on the run and two adults who can’t escape their past, was shot in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and is now in post. 10,000 Days, a sci-fi feature, opened in November. A Gift Horse, Adrenaline and Candles are set for 2015 releases. Schneider is also slated to star in Heartland, a drama about two families whose lives intersect when their sons become killer and victim.

With a low technological barrier to entry and a plethora of online outlet it has become easy for just about anyone to call himself a filmmaker today. “Because it’s so possible to make a movie now, a lot of people are making them who shouldn’t,” Schneider says. “Real filmmakers are competing against so-and-so who made a movie on his flip-phone and got two million YouTube hits. It can be difficult for people to recognize a skillfully made piece of art that is marketable, rather than something that was luckily thrown together.”

Schneider is dedicated to producing great stories for the big screen, not increasingly smaller screens. “If a screenplay is 98 pages long, you need to be eating popcorn when you watch it,” he explains. Indeed, “your first job as a filmmaker is to help the audience get over the fact that they paid $15 for 75 cents worth of popcorn and soft drinks. Plus they have to wade through commercials and previews in the theater.”

Schneider the filmmaker is, after all, just closing the loop begun with a young boy making S8mm films in Mt. Kisco. “Success is when preparation meets opportunity – with a certain amount of BS added in,” he laughs.

Crew of Smothered.

Photo By: Talon Tarter

Premiere of Smothered with actress/producer Shanna Forrestall and John Schneider.

Photo by: Brian D. Perkinsz

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HOW I GOT INTO THE BUSINESS

GREG TRESAN

How did you get into the business?

I’ve always been interested in animals, but I usually attribute my success in the film world to my dog. In the late 1980’s, I had one of the best Frisbee dogs in the world and I was performing at major sporting events like the NFL playoffs, the US Pro Ski Tour, and World Cup soccer games. We performed live in front of millions of people. The exposure was phenomenal and my dog was a natural for TV. I was approached by a production company to be in a Little Debbie Snack Cakes ad. That was our first commercial film work. They liked us and hired us for a Toys”R”Us commercial and then the video release of Home Alone. With more good work and lots of luck, my

wife, Carol, and I have grown our business into a full service provider of animals for the film industry. Carol likes to say that we handle “ferrets to parrots!”

Our credits include 5 seasons of The Walking Dead, Zombieland, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Dumb and Dumber To, Prisoners, and commercials for Delta, DirecTV and the Georgia Lottery.

Best advice to young people in your profession?

Follow your passion and train your animal in some discipline that you both can enjoy. If you’re good at what you do and your animal looks good on camera, we’ll come find you!

TRAINER/ANIMAL COORDINATOR Animal Casting - Atlanta Dogworks@aol.com www.atlantadogworks.com

HEATHER HYLTON BIVENS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR/OWNER Hylton Casting www.HyltonCasting.com

JOSE ALEJANDRO ACOSTA DIRECTOR

DoubleRaven www.DoubleRaven.com

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How did you get into the business?

A spontaneous phone call to MTV led to an invitation to travel to New York City, for a formal interview, which resulted in a summer internship with VH1. As a thirdyear communications major, attending Clark Atlanta University, I was thrilled at being assigned to work in the development division at VH1. This was at a time when the network was in the throes of rebranding and expanding their content, while moving their focus from ‘pop-up’ music videos to reality programming. I received an invaluable education as to what is required to take a creative idea or project from inception to final production. It was there, too, that I discovered my interest and passion for casting, one of the key aspects of development.

My first paid position with UPN as a casting assistant working on a reality series, The Player, involved talent recruitment, preparing open calls and all other facets of casting. My work on that production was the gateway to other casting positions with VH1, CBS, MTV, and Tyler Perry Studios, where I had the privilege

How did you get into the business?

I saw Star Wars in 1977 and like so many others of my generation, got hooked on movies and special effects. Without industry connections, or a close mentor, it was difficult to break into the camera department and become a director of photography (DP). So, I focused on emerging technology like digital 3D animation and compositing. Early breaks included stints as an animator at Creative Video and Weatherford Television. Eventually, I founded my own production company, DoubleRaven, and began shooting agency commercials. Fast forward to today, I’m “living the dream” as a DP and director of commercials, TV, and films.

Best advice to young people in your profession?

Be p re pare d to wor k . T he ad ver tising and entertainment businesses only seem glamorous. Learn to enjoy working hard, and working smart – that’s how you’ll succeed. Learn from your mistakes. Make friends on every job.

and honor to work with renowned casting director, Reuben Cannon.

Best advice to young people in your profession?

I would recommend and encourage young people just starting out to consider applying for internship opportunities. They should gain first-hand experience and become more cognizant of their career choices in an ever-evolving industry and discover how it aligns with their interests. Good communication, organizational and research skills are needed in this fast-paced, creative working environment.

What do you love about your work?

As the creative director and owner of Hylton Casting, working with different producers and directors, gives us versatility in the variety of projects we manage and increases the outreach of talent we work with. Each project comes with a host of new and exciting challenges and forces us to think out of the box and make innovative decisions on the spot.

Do you like how the business has changed?

I love the fact that digital technology has made cinema quality production available to more people, for reasonable budgets. The age of Google also makes research much faster, easier, and available to everyone.

How did you end up as a Director?

When I was ready, I hired myself as a director. Others told me I was a producer, a cameraman, a motion graphics artist; whatever they wanted me to be. Then I realized it’s important to define yourself, as long as you deliver on what you promise.

What have you worked on recently?

I recently wrote and directed Edgar Allan Poe’s Mystery Theatre, a 1-hour historical drama that premiered this past Halloween on GPB.

JOHN HOUNSELL

How did you get into the business?

I went to a public meeting to find out about being a vendor, at a local live event. After the meeting I had changed my mind and decided I want to be apart of creating the event. I got a contract to custom fabricate the sets and structures they needed. Since then I have been building sets for film, television and live events.

I love creating and coordinating anything I can get my hands. I soon realized you have to take time to find work, but if you have patience and willing to work with people you don’t know whenever and wherever they want, you’ll soon be on your way. Advertising in the SourceBook is also a must.

Best advice to young people in your profession?

Be open to doing something new, working hard and long days. Talk to everyone you meet and hire an accountant. They make things a lot easier. Whatever you do, don’t give up! And of course make sure you enjoy what you do. That’s the most important element by far! If you’re having a good time, you don’t even know you’re working.

How did you get into the business?

In 2011 after spending a lifetime in the hospitality business, specializing in sales, marketing and conference services, I made the decision to venture out on my own. Living in Georgia, what could possibly offer more opportunity than the film and entertainment industry? So, I put all my skills together and now I can provide comprehensive logistical support, providing air travel, ground transportation, accommodations, account maintenance and more.

for six months as an office production coordinator. I have worked on numerous independent film projects as a travel coordinator, director of housing, location PA, set PA, caterer and craft services. I have also acted as a filmmaker liaison, arranging air travel, hotel negotiations and ground transportation for several film festivals across the state of Georgia.

If you had to do it all over again...

I’m still doing...its not over yet!!!

CUSTOM SET FABRICATOR/ LOCATION COORDINATOR, PICTURE CAR COCOORDINATOR. Hollo Productions john@holloproductions.com holloproductions.com

REBECCA BAKER

PRODUCTION LOGISTICS & SUPPORT SPECIALIST

I am a licensed travel agent and have also studied with a member of the DGA to gain an in depth understanding of the industry. I studied with a member of the DGA & DCA becoming a certified production assistant (PA). I also interned on an independent production

Best advice to young people in your profession?

Set etiquette is “key” to be successful in the film industry, be a sponge, surround yourself with success.

What have you worked on recently?

Caterer/craf t ser vices: Collider, Paul Jenkins; Director of Housing: 2014 Macon Film Festival; Travel Coordinator: 2014 Atlanta Film Festival.

On Time Travel Resources, LLC. productionlogistics andsupport.com

How did you get into the business?

I’d already been working in graphic design and print management for a decade before I began editing video in 1996 for an independent post firm in Atlanta.

I delivered broadcast quality video and worldwide location editing services for our Fortune 100 business clients. My first solo assignment was to create two large-screen projections for a gala sponsor’s event during the 1996 Olympics – within 48 hours! Needless to say, that screening went off without a hitch.

TIM ODONNELL

EDITOR, POST PRODUCTION COORDINATOR, CREATIVE CONSULTANT

Best advice to young people in your profession?

Start small, dream big. Be a do-er. You’re only as good as your last idea, so don’t indulge setbacks, but do run your life accordingly. Keep moving forward conceptually and artistically. Keep the inevitable

“chaos” (the “sausage making”) away from your clients and audience, to the best of your ability, and train your team to do so as well. Surround yourself with a great and positive team. Become a master communicator: Explain the universe so that a child can understand.

Make yourself invaluable to your clients and employers.

Volunteer in your community. Smile often, and give others a reason to do so as well! Learn these things, and you can thrive where others might wither.

What have you worked on recently?

I segment produced repor tage for One Day In Atlanta 2014 (part of the larger, ongoing One Day On Earth project) featuring Atlanta’s original bicycle co-operative, SOPO.

TTIFV, Inc. taketwofilmandvideo @gmail.com www.vimeo.com/user1924941

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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BEHIND THE CAMERA WITH DREWPROPS

SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN THE MOVIES? In case you haven’t heard, Georgia has become the 21st Century Hollywood (or, if you’re willing to shrug off ugly looks, “Y’allywood”). I mean, everybody is saying it, from the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to all the local market television stations, the state film office to the local union representatives, everyone (including Governor Nathan Deal) is saying that this new film town is sorely in need of people to fill positions on our local film crews.

L

et’s make no bones about it – this is the opportunity of a lifetime and since I know you don’t want to blow it, please allow me to help you understand what it’s going to take for you to get involved in Georgia’s film industry.

For starters, I’m going to go ahead and ask all of you who are planning to be actors to gather your things and find the nearest exit, because, as Reese Witherspoon said to me on the set of “Sweet Home Alabama” together, “If you want to be an actor you have to move to Los Angeles, and you have to start by the time you’re 17 or 18.”

I realize that it’s a lot of fun to be an extra on the set of shows like “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Hunger Games,” but those activities won’t give you the exposure you seek if you truly aspire to become a film actor. Instead, go make short films with your friends. Volunteer to work with the Atlanta Film Festival and make friends in the local indie scene. Do improv, do stage work, and know the difference in acting styles. Some day the necessity of moving to Los Angeles may go away, but for most who do get real work it’s the only legitimate route.

Aspiring writers and directors and cinematographers: either go to film school or start writing and shooting their own stuff now and never stop. People who want to make movies will make movies; it’s that simple. The advantage of film school is that you might make lifelong friendships with

people who may tend to work at a much higher level in the industry, but buying into that network is going to cost you (or more likely your poor parents) a boatload of money – and it won’t assure you of ever being hired to write or direct a film, a commercial or even a YouTube cat video. A film school degree, without the desire to make films, is no better than a taxi driver with a doctorate in Medieval French Table Manners. In order to succeed in the film business, you must be driven.

If you decide to be self-taught then don’t be a moron and try to reinvent the wheel – there are endless educational resources out there these days. Read as much as you can about the people who have had success in the business and learn what they did.

The old school advice will always hold true, while some of the newest advice may help you navigate current and emerging trends.

If you can, go to film festivals. Hang out after screenings and participate in the Q&A sessions with the filmmakers. Ask questions, follow them to the bar and ask more questions.

Don’t be a pest. In Atlanta you can join the Atlanta Film Festival as a member or as a volunteer, but as a volunteer you’re more likely to bond with people who might lead you to opportunities to work on locally produced independent projects.

Here are my tips for those looking to break in as crew:

“If you want to be an actor you have to move to Los Angeles, and you have to start by the time you’re 17 or 18.”

LEARN WHAT THE BUSINESS IS REALLY LIKE

If you’re committed to making this your life’s work I would recommend that you sign up for Linda Burns’ PA Boot Camp, sponsored by the Georgia Production Partnership.

This 2-day course will provide a broad general exposure to the realities of the motion picture business and often features industry professionals as guest speakers. On the social side I’d encourage you to look up Charles Judson’s “Film Bar Mondays” group on Facebook and go out to meet some of the enthusiasts who participate in this recurring meet-up. Don’t go there to get hired, go there to meet people and begin to understand the local community of people who are interested in penetrating Georgia’s motion picture job market.

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GET ACCUSTOMED TO BEING UNEMPLOYED It is imperative that you understand that this type of work is temporary and that you will always be working yourself out of a job. Making a movie is like building a house – when your role in the construction has been completed you’ll receive a final paycheck, a slap on the back and directions to the nearest unemployment office. I am not kidding. You will need to become familiar with the routine of finishing a project on a Saturday and driving to the unemployment office the next Monday to get signed up to collect your unemployment paycheck for as long as those funds will hold out or until you get hired again. The duration of your unemployment will depend on your experience level, your area of specialization, the volume of work available and may

often last for periods measured in months, so you’d best have a great nest egg or a spouse/partner with a great job. Those months of unemployment can be nerve wracking if you’ve only ever held a regular world job.

Reese Witherspoon was right: the movie business is a game for the young when you’re starting out. If you have a mortgage, kids, car notes or any of life’s other unexpected financial entanglements it is very likely that you will go bankrupt waiting to “make it big” in the movies.

WILL I GET WORK IF I JOIN A UNION

An old friend recently asked me “If I joined your union what do I do to get hired? Do I find one of those yellow signs pointing to the trucks and go there and show them my union card and tell them what I’m good at doing?”

After I stopped laughing I explained that (with the exception of the Teamsters) people in the business are hired based on their resume and the recommendations of their colleagues and previous employers.

Like a 16 year old looking for a summer job, if you don’t have any experience then you need to acquire some. In the film business that’s often done by working cheaply or more often for free on smaller projects being produced by people who often work on larger projects as crewmembers.

Remember: we all started out somewhere, so be prepared to hustle and demonstrate your commitment to making it as a member of the professional film community.

Without practical experience of any sort you’re pretty much worthless to a department head, and despite all their oaths of fealty to the brotherhood and sisterhood of their respective unions, more than a few department heads have assured me that they would prefer to hire an eager, hardworking, semi-experienced newbie than a person whose only demonstrable skill is the ability to pay $800 for a union card and wait to get hired.

Since it’s generally unlikely that as a newbie you’ll get in front of a person who might be able to hire you onto a big project, consider instead seeking out the smaller projects in town, which to you will seem to be big projects. I would encourage you to get involved in the Atlanta Film Festival and the local indie film scene and work relentlessly and with good spirit. You’ll meet people along the way and you’ll make connections that may pay off down the line, not unlike the people who have gone to film school to be filmmakers. The people who just “get it” will almost always go on to working on bigger projects.

The sad fact is that a lot of people just don’t “get it”.

They talk too much and don’t listen enough, they don’t pay attention, they’re lazy, they’re physically out of shape, they’re socially inept, they don’t take orders well, and they don’t anticipate consequences and make changes before things go awry. In one of life’s cruel twists, some of these inept idiots still make it into the business (via connections and obligations), forcing the groovy cool people who do “get it” to work around the ineptitude in order to accomplish good works.

SO I’M SAYING THAT YOU SHOULDN’T JOIN A UNION?

Georgia is a right to work state and as such your membership in a union is by no means a legal requirement. Consider though that the industry began in the state of California, a union-friendly state, and as such the business is filled from top to bottom with unions; everybody from the actors to the producers are represented. The most prominent unions include the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Producers Guild of America (PGA), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters), and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) – the majority of the below-the-line crewmembers belong to those last two.

My short answer to the question is “YES” you should join the union, but conditionally: join at the right time. What does that mean? It’s important to know when it’s the right time for you to join the union, because “right away” can often be the wrong answer. Imagine the dilemma of having a card but no means of being hired at a union rate because you don’t have enough experience. Don’t get ahead of the process if you don’t have a means to advance already in place. If you can survive as a PA for a few years you’ll have a chance to get to know a lot of people before committing to a department. In my case I had been working around the business for at least 4 years before I joined the IATSE and by the time I did decide to commit, I had developed working relationships with a lot of the established locals who saw my decision to join as a demonstration that I was committing to the industry as a professional.

The people who just “get it” will almost always go on to working on bigger projects.

YOU WILL ALWAYS FACE STIFF COMPETITION

As a newbie, you are the least prepared person pursuing a job. But you need to know that Georgians who have been working in the business for more than 30 years have recently been finding it difficult to get hired into the same key positions that they easily landed just five years ago. Much of this is due to competition from crews who have moved here from Los Angeles, boasting sexier resumes and tighter connections to the people who do the hiring. Understandably, this has fueled frustration among the local crew base, which is often directed at the inexperienced people who have recently flooded the union, moving its ranks from around 250 ten years ago to more than 3,000 today. Believe me: not all of those people are working and many of them will never obtain professional film work. This competition flows downhill, and even the PAs have formed little cliques and use their connections to their advantage.

If you’re committed you won’t let any of these scary things stop you, but it’s important to be aware of just a few of the challenges you’ll be facing as an outsider… because you will remain an outsider until you’re finally perceived as an insider, and that may very well take years. Just be sure to have FUN along the way!!

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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OZ SCENE: WALKER STALKER CON ATLANTA

Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, & Greg Nicotero answer fan questions during the “Bromance” panel at Walker Stalker Con.

Walker Stalker Con

October 17th -19th

W

alker Stalker Con, a zombie, horror, a n d s c i -f i t h e m e d f a n - ce nt r ic convention, was held at the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart on October 17-19, 2014. On November 1-3, 2013, Walker Stalker Con made its debut

in Atlanta where it assembled 17 main cast members from The Walking Dead, including Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, more than any other convention, along with 35 other actors from zombie and horror films.

RJ Haddy, former contestant from SyFy’s FaceOff, applies special effects makeup to a fan.

Steven Yeun answers fan questions during his panel at Walker Stalker Con.

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Paul Wesley & Ian Somerhalder answer fan questions during The Vampire Diaries panel at Walker Stalker Con.

Laurie Holden

Jason Momoa.

Chandler Riggs.

Emily Kinney.

A fan cosplays as Juliet Starling from the video game “Lolipop Chainsaw.”

Brighton Sharbino, Melissa McBride, & Chad Coleman Talk about The Walking Dead episode “The Grove.”

ZOMBIE COSPLAYERS

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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OZ SCENE: 5TH ANNUAL BRONZELENS FILM FESTIVAL Photo Credit: Paul Biagui

Kathleen Bertrand, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Logan Browning, Muta’Ali, Janet Wally, Leigh Davis Turner, Essence Atkins, & Deidre McDonald center stage at the BronzeLens Women Superstars Awards Luncheon.

5th Annual BronzeLens Film Festival O

ctober

5

th Annual BronzeLens Film Festival (BLFF) proved to be one the most comprehensive f ilm fes tivals on the nation. BLFF producers delivered a five day interactive experience October 22-26, 2014 designed to empower, entertain and educate audiences from various film industry disciplines, students and the general public. Festival attendees engaged in a world class array of expert panels, workshops, domestic, international

22nd -26th

Photo Credit: Daniel G. Morris

f ilm screenings, signature event s that substantiated Atlanta’s unique position as the Film Capital of the South.

Selected juried films included the work of filmmakers representing the United States, Africa, the Caribbean and South America.

More than 40 films were screened including a collection of shorts, features, webisodes and documentaries.

Actress Lisa Arrindell Anderson, BronzeLens executive producer Kathleen Bertrand & Actress Jasmine Burke at BronzeLens Opening Night feature Drumline: A New Beat.

Photo Credit: Paul Biagui

TALD Talkback followed Emory University professor Pellom McDaniel, film director Thomas Allen Harris & photographer Sheila Pee Bright.

Photo Credit: Daniel G. Morris

Photo Credit: Daniel G. Morris

Photo Credit: Daniel G. Morris

Writer, director Mike Ray & producer Maria Howell were awarded BronzeLens Best Documentary Short for their film The Helen Lindsey Story.

Photo Credit: Paul Biagui

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Actress Jasmine Burke (center) with the daughters of James Brown, Deanna Brown (left) & Dr. Yamma Noyola Brown (right).

The ‘Best of Festival’ filmmakers in their perspective categories were honored. Writer & Director Alton Glass took home honors for Best Feature, Best Overall & the Audience Feature Award for his film CRU.

Photo Credit: Paul Biagui Director Muta’Ali and producer N.J. Frank won Best Documentary Award for Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee.

Photo Credit: Daniel G. Morris

BronzeLens Awards Show master of ceremonies, actor, singer, all around entertainer Palmer Williams, Jr. was in rare form and opened the show with a hilarious original video is pictured with Kathleen Bertrand.

Bille Woodruff, director BronzeLens Opening Night feature Drumline: A New Beat.

OZ SCENE: BIGPICTURECON

Keynote Speaker Michael Donaldson, Numa Perrier, BPC Program Coordinator Melissa Randle, BigPictureCon Founder Nancy Howard, & Dennis Dortch.

Photo Credit: Chuck Brown

BigPictureCon T

he 2014 Georgia BigPictureCon took place October 5-6 at the Clayton State University Conference Center and continued previous conference traditions of bringing Atlanta filmmakers together for education and networking.

BigPictureCon founder and producer Nancy Howard said the primary goal for the 2014 conference was to increase attendance and awareness of the event, which began in

October 5th -6th

2005 and repeated in 2007, 2009 and 2013.

“We lost a bit of momentum doing the conference sporadically like we had to in the past,” Howard shared. But the work she and the other conference organizers did to get into an annual routine certainly succeeded, increasing attendance by 19 percent over the last conference to well over 200 participants.

“This year’s conference was outstanding,” she said. “We had fantastic speakers.”

Photo Credit: Chuck Brown

Joe Howell & Jonathan Harris Grant Wainscott.

Photo Credit: Chuck Brown

Photo Credit: Melissa Randle

Attorney David Mayer, BigPictureCon Founder Nancy Howard, & Keisha Perry.

Photo Credit: Chuck Brown

Big Picture Foundation Board members and BigPictureCon speakers Amani Channel & Joe Howell.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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OZ SCENE: PVIFF / UMFF

Peachtree Village International Film Festival September 26th -28th

P

VIFF 2014 was a huge success. The event took place on September 26-28th in Midtown Atlanta at the 444 Theatre and other surrounding venues. Filmmakers from as far as Australia and Nigeria came to Atlanta to be a part of one of Atlanta’s premiere events.

“We are excited to have been in Atlanta for 9 years strong. We’ve seen the landscape of film and television production change over the years in this city and its’ been for the better. I’m happy that we’re a part of this change and I hope that we can continue to be for 20+ more years,” said Len Gibson, PVIFF CEO/Founder. PVIFF was sponsored in part

by Luxury Hair Direct, Skimpy Mixers, Modus, Voscato and more.

PVIFF 2015 is scheduled to take place for an entire week in Atlanta celebrating their 10th anniversary. For details and updates about PVIFF 2015 visit: www.pviff.com.

Obie Bermudez, Latin Grammy Award Winning Pop Artist/PVIFF 2014 Latin Ambassador.

Len Gibson, Mary “Honey Bee” Morrison, Dr. Jacqueline Walters, Kiki Haynes, Torrei Hart, Akema Day, Sharon Dwyer, Tracy Tooks, Dominique Nicole, & James “JB” Brown.

James “JB” Brown, Rob Underhill, Nez Erok, Domingo Guyton, & Len Gibson.

Ellis Hall, R&B Soul Artist receives the Music Vanguard Award.

Brad James & Kiki Haynes.

Torrei Hart, Reindrop Lopes, & guest.

Urban Media Makers October 12th -18th

T

he Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (UMFF) is an international film festival in metro-Atlanta that focus on projects featured and/or produced by individuals of African, Latino and Asian descent. The 13th edition of UMFF was presented October 12-18, 2014 in Norcross, Georgia (Gwinnett County), opening with the film, Christmas Wedding Baby, starring Lisa Arrindell Anderson, Maria Howell and Kimberley Drummond. UMFF also showcased animations, shorts, features, documentaries, web/TV series, youth films and writers, creatives from the USA, Nigeria, Spain, Singapore, France, Germany, China, Australia, Norway, England, Canada, Italy, India, South Korea, Trinidad and Russia.

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Kelvin Nelson, Kimberley Drummond, Frances Turner, & Marvin Lowe.

Marie Howell & Mike Ray, director of UMFF 2014 best short documentary The Helen Lindsey Story.

Kim Doose, Best Feature Film Script for Little Kingdom.

Supporters of the independent filmmaking movement, Sadiq Thornhill & guest.

Deon Hayman, Cheryle Reynolds, & guest.

OZ SCENE: WIFTA 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION / DESIGNSPARKS NATIONAL SHOWCASE Old friendships are rekindled as WIFTA Board of Directors members from the 1990s gather for lighthearted group picture during WIFTA’s 40th anniversary celebration.

Casting director Lisa Mae Fincannon, WIFTA President Cheryl Jenkins, & Georgia Public Broadcasting CEO Teya Ryan.

WIFTA 40th Anniversary Celebration November 8th

W

IFTA past presidents and Board of Directors members, celebrities and TV / film industry notables, all dressed to impress, came out to the Wimbish House in Atlanta to help Women In Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA) to celebrate its anniversary.

WIFTA, the second oldest Women In Film chapter in the world, has been an integral part of Georgia’s television and film industry for for the last 40 years.

Special guest speaker Teya Ryan, CEO / President of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) spoke about the importance of women

staying strong in the industry, no matter what challenges present themselves. Meanwhile, Ryan’s co-guest speaker Lisa Mae Fincannon of Fincannon & Associates, shared her take on being a woman working in television and film; she also took a moment to thank her parents for all they’ve done to support her.

In addition to Ryan and Fincannon, current WIFTA president Cheryl Jenkins, as well as former WIFTA presidents Deidre McDonald (Bronze Lens Film Festival Founding Artistic Director) and Fran Burst Teranella (awardwinning filmmaker) also gave remarks.

Guests await the start of the formal program portion of WIFTA’s 40th anniversary celebration.

DesignSPARKS 2014 National Showcase & Networker Tour November 6th

T

he Atlanta AFR team welcomed over 30 0 guests to the Fox Theatre on November 6th for the DesignSPARKS 2014 National Showcase & Networker Tour. The event showcased quality furnishings and accessories to its attendees.

The event was held in the Egyptian Ballroom at the theatre, guests stepped back in the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs. With its lavish décor, sweeping columns and ornamentation, the venue was perfect for an evening of inspiring design and networking.

The next networker event will be showcased in Los Angeles and New York.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

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DOWNTOWN

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ASSOCIATION PARTNERS American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Southeast (NATAS) Atlanta Ad Club Atlanta Press Club (APC) Atlanta Macintosh Users Group Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) American Marketing Association-Atlanta 54

OZ MAGAZINE

The Freelance Forum Media Communications Association International (MCAI) Women In Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA) American Federation of Television and Radio Arts (AFTRA) Cable & Telecommunications Association (CTAM) Business Marketing Association-Atlanta (BMA-Atlanta) American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)

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11 Georgia Productions Partnership (GPP) 57 Georgia Stage, LLC. 57 Get-A-Grip Atlanta

12 Global Lighting and Production, Inc. 56 Help Me Rhonda

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AD AGENCY CAMPAIGN

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Southern Company Tailfin Seconds ON Greg Abel, Owner & Director of Client Services Lola Carlisle, Owner & Executive Creative Director Beth Gustafson, Account Director Ashley McAlpin, Senior Art Director

Georgia-Pacific TG Madison Unclean World Mike Betts, Writer John Gregory, Art Director Jim Spruell, Creative Director Jason Maris, Photographer Jennifer Weil, Print Production Larry Odom, Studio Artist

Southern Company was looking to engage and inform business leaders and policy makers on key energy policy issues with a series of short videos. Their solution?

Sam, Southern Company’s Chief Answer Guy who takes on complex topics in a fun, informative and slightly irreverent way in their Seconds ON series.

View the series at tailfin.com

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