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ISSUE FOUR LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE 1

LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR2


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CONTENTS

LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR 20134

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Andrew [email protected]

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Shanna Forrestall

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katie [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

W. H. Bourne, Lolita Burrell, Ejay Colvin, Annie Gaia, Dawn Landrum, Abigail Levner

SALES MANAGER

Katie Higgins

SALES

Eric Iles

PRODUCTION MANAGER

John Rusnak

DESIGNERS

Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison,

Christina Poisal

WEBMASTER

Eric Pederson

OFFICE MANAGER

Audra Higgins

INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Lois Sanborn

Louisiana Film & Video PublicationsA DIVISION OF

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP

P.O. Box 50036

New Orleans, LA 70150

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written permission of the publisher.

PRINTED IN THE USA

ISSUE FOURVOLUME NINE

6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

8 JOHN SCHNEIDER’S SMOTHERED FILMS INBATON ROUGE AREA

10 HIGHLIGHTING BATON ROUGE: AN INTERVIEW WITH LIZA KELSO AND CHRIS STELLY

12 LSU OFFERS SUPERMIKE-II TO VISUALEFFECTS COMPANIES

14 THE FILM INDUSTRY EXPO: A SNEAK PEEKAT THE FIFTH ANNUAL EVENT

18 LIFF ANNOUNCES 2014 FESTIVAL DATES,MAY 8-11

20 FACES OF CREATIVE INFUSION: HOWLOUISIANA’S HOT FILM CLIMATE GOTTHESE PROFESSIONALS TO RELOCATE

24 WHY SOUTHERN FRIED HOMICIDE IS SERVING UP SOMETHING SPECIAL

28 LOUISIANA FILMS SHINE AT LOS ANGELESFILM FESTIVAL

TALENT SPOTLIGHT32 DEAR AGENT36 OPEN RANGE MANAGEMENT38 TALENT AGENCY OPENS NEW ORLEANS

OFFICE39 TALENT PROFILES42 LOUISIANA’S GOT TALENT43 TALENT AGENCIES LIST45 CASTING DIRECTORS/AGENCIES LIST

46 STAR POWER48 WEBSTER PARISH HAS IT ALL

50 THE “EASE” OF LOUISIANA AT LOCATIONSEXPO

52 BUSINESS PROFILES

54 PRODUCERS GUILD PROMOTES MEMBERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP

ON THE COVER: Setting up an underwater stunt on the setof Smothered. Pictured at left (standing ondeck) are writer/director John Schneiderand cinematographer Tom Callaway.Stunt coordinator Jeff Galpin is in thewater with one of the stunt doubles andone of the film's lead actors, horror iconDon Shanks. PHOTO CREDIT: TALONTARTAR

Key hair and makeup artist RobertBroussard preps Shanna Forrestall for a

Southern Fried Homicide shoot.

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56 SCREENWRITING COURSES COMING TO NOVAC

58 ABIS PRODUCTIONS TOPRODUCE PAPA GROWSFUNK DOCUMENTARY

60 NOVAC ATTACKS!

62 LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO’SHOTEL DIRECTORY


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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Despite the draining force of Louisiana summer heat, thingsseem to be ticking along better than ever.

This issue highlights the Baton Rouge area, which has beenparticularly busy with what Liza Kelso, director of the Baton

Rouge Film Commission, has aptly named the “summer of the indies.” I was fortunate to spend some time on the set of Smothered in

Livingston, Louisiana, getting to know director John Schneider andspeaking with many of the stars,including locals Shanna Forrestalland Dane Rhodes. They were aclose-knit group with fascinatingstories to tell that wouldn’t havehad the same effect without somewell-practiced humor.

NOVAC has had an extremelybusy summer with back-to-backworkshops, and they haveembraced the heat with ‘ThirdThursday’ pool parties and mixers.I find myself mentioning NOVACmore and more these days as theycontinue to rapidly grow and

expand their outreach. My personal highlight of the last couple months was the 48 Hour

Film Festival in New Orleans. This was my second year participatingand my first year forming a team. Our team was primarily made up ofactors, so, needless to say, it was a learning experience for us on mostbehind-the-camera aspects of the production. But what was soamazing to me was the amount of focus and creative energy our teamcollectively poured into a small project in such a short amount of time.That was a reward in itself. The fact that we actually have somethingto show for it that we can be proud of, thankfully, makes it all the moreworthwhile.

After seeing so many great films at the premiere, and some not sogreat, and hearing the stories of the filmmakers, it was apparent justhow much blood, sweat and tears went into this project as a whole. Tome, there aren’t many things more inspiring than people dedicating theirheart and soul to a project that they aren’t getting paid for. Being a partof it was a great reminder that I’m in the right industry. Stay tuned forpictures and awards from the event in our next issue.

All the best,Andrew VogelExecutive Editor

ISSUE FOUR 2013 LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE 7


JOHN SCHNEIDER’S SMOTHEREDFILMS IN BATON ROUGE AREA

STORY BY ANDREW VOGEL

“Smothered is a reverse of the classic horror model,” says the iconicactor/writer/director John Schneider. “It’s not a bunch of beau-tiful college students who go out and get killed by the mean man

in the mask. It’s a bunch of mean men in masks, and a girl, who go outand systematically get slaughtered by the beautiful college co-ed. It’s theclassic slasher model on its back. There’s a lot of humor in that; weirdhumor. Stuff you don’t want to laugh at.”

Written and directed by Schneider (“BoDuke” on The Dukes of Hazzard, “JonathanKent” on Smallville) and produced by DougBlake (The Sessions), Smothered takes a uniquespin on horror films by having severallegendary horror characters simply play them-selves.

“These are the real guys. These are theactors playing themselves, for the most part,and that’s an element no one has explored

tion. Kane Hodder (Jason X, Hatchet) leads agroup of convention friends into an ominousand isolated RV park where they are hired tohaunt the place.

Other members of the cast include R.A.Mihailoff (Leatherface: Texas ChainsawMassacre 3), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects,The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Don Shanks(Halloween 5, Ride with the Devil), MalcolmDanare (Christine, Godzilla), local actressShanna Forrestall (Olympus Has Fallen, TheLast Exorcism) as “Trixie,” and local actorDane Rhodes as “Randy Pepper.”

Schneider explains his inspiration for such

before,” says Schneider. He continues, “It’s as obvious as the Frisbee

or the sticky note. But it’s completely new andunique at the same time. People who havebeen in the horror business for 40 years aresaying ‘Wow, why hasn’t anyone done thisbefore?’”

Smothered follows a group of horror iconswho want nothing more than to escape themonotony at a Baton Rouge horror conven-

R.A. Mihailoff and Kane Hodder prepare for a scene on location at the 13th Gate in Baton Rouge.


a unique idea. “I do trade shows because of Dukes [of

Hazzard] and Smallville. I wind up in carshows and horror and pop culture shows,” hesays. “I had a notion one night. What if abunch of serial killers went camping and gotkilled by the big-chested blonde? Then Iasked: But why in the world would a bunch ofserial killers go camping together? Well, I dida horror and pop culture show in Germany atthe end of March. It was the first time I haddone the show. I killed the show becauseSmallville and Dukes were huge in Germany.So I had a great show, but all my friends hada terrible show, like ‘Jason’ and ‘Freddy’ andall these guys. And as I was sitting at the bar,I thought, ‘This is why all these guys would gettogether and go camping. Because I bet if Ioffered them a thousand dollars to blow offthis convention and go haunt an RV park, theywould do it.’ And Smothered was born.”

Although better known for his acting,Schneider is no stranger to writing and direct-ing.

“I wrote and directed the last episode ofDukes,” says Schneider, “which was my firstjump into film directing. Directing has seemedlike the natural progression for me. I startedin theater, where I would sometimes act,direct or write. But directing is a wonderfulway to express yourself. Everything from whatpicture should be on the wall to what shouldpeople wear. Being a part of a story [as anactor] is great, but this is better because, look,I came in with a 6, and everyone here madeit a 15. And I get the credit for it.”

Humanity in death is a common element inthe film, but one that is often overlooked inmost horror films. The audience’s ability torelate to it stems from the real feelings of realpeople.

“Horror fans are more sophisticated thanpeople give them credit for,” explains actorKane Hodder, who has played “JasonVoorhees” in several of the Friday the 13thfilms. “They appreciate those touchingmoments between characters, and I thinkbetween John and all of us we have includedthose elements, which makes it much moreenjoyable.”

Co-star Malcolm Danare adds, “There’s ahumanity to all the death scenes in this movie.Normally you really want the villain to die, butright before any of the deaths in this movie, youfind yourself asking ‘why did they have to die?’even though you understand the reason.There’s a humanity to each death, which isbeautiful. And that’s one of the things I’ve beenincredibly impressed with in John’s directing.”

Schneider and many of the actors alsounderstand the catch-22 of being rememberedas an icon while also wanting to be remem-bered as more. As an example, Schneiderspeaks about the dilemma of “Randy Pepper”(played by Dane Rhodes), who everyone

thought was Rowdy Roddy Piper. “This is a guy who everybody thinks is

Rowdy Roddy Piper, who is actually a Shake-spearean actor, who did one slasher movie, andnow that’s all anyone wants to talk about,” saysSchneider. “So it’s very true to life.”

Describing his personal relationship to thestory, Schneider continues, “It’s like me withDukes. I love Dukes, but man, it was such a longtime ago, and I’ve been involved in so manyprojects since. So I know the double-edgedsword of being famous for one thing. And that’swhat all of these guys are going through. Ithink when these actors read the script, theywere really able to relate to it.”

Because of the nature of the actors’ rela-tionships to each other, the film cuts to the coreof real issues.

Says Schneider, “In real life, Kane wasburned a long time ago very badly. The badgirl in this, the beautiful blonde, at one pointsays to him, ‘You’re not going to shoot me.You’re covered in gasoline. If you pull that trig-ger, you’re going to burn up… again. Won’tthat be fun, Kane?’ So it’s very personal andvery serious. Kane’s fan base will know exactlywhat she is referring to and will hate her forit.”

Lead actor Hodder talks about the chemistryon set, saying, “We all have chemistry that isbuilt in. We didn’t have to develop it becausewe all knew each other. That’s why I helpedcast this thing. We all work well together andweren’t insecure about taking or giving adviceto one another. On most sets you wouldn’t giveanother actor advice, but we’ve known eachother for so long that we can do that, and itreally brings the scenes to another level.”

Not without some unfortunate irony, Hodderand co-star Bill Moseley describe the loss of afriend who helped develop the idea for Smoth-ered, Richard Brooker, an English stuntmanbest known for his role as “Jason” in Friday the

13th Part III.“Richard helped bang out the idea with

John at a conference back in March. He diedon April 8, which happens to be John’s birth-day and my birthday. Very ironic,” saysHodder.

“His birthday present was this idea that heand John banged around together,” follows upa solemn Moseley.

From the idea phase to the final day on set,Smothered set new bars in the film industry.

“A lot of times in Hollywood it takes yearsto develop a script and it can be very hard toget a movie made,” says Moseley. “But this wasbased on an event in March. After one conver-sation with Richard Brooker, John banged outthe script. And here we are at the beginningof July, and we are almost done shooting.”

Hodder adds, “From start to finish, theprocess never happens that quick.”

Due to the amount of heart and soul putinto the film, Schneider, as well as the cast andcrew, are very optimistic about the final prod-uct.

When asked his hopes for the future ofSmothered, Schneider replied, “My hope forthis film is that it makes Saw wonder whathappened.” LFV

Stay up to date with Smothered at

www.facebook.com/smotheredthemovie.

Kane Hodder, Malcolm Danare,Gigi Perkins (dog), Shanna Forre-stall, Don Shanks, Dane Rhodesand Bill Moseley in Smothered.

John R Schneider, director,and David Dwiggins, 1st AD.


HIGHLIGHTING BATON ROUGE

What productions have recently comethrough Baton Rouge?

“We started off the year with Sony Enter-tainment’s Bonnie and Clyde mini-series, whichfilmed in Baton Rouge and several parishesaround,” says Liza Kelso, recently appointedby Mayor Holden as director of the BatonRouge Film Commission. “We had MazeRunner in March, a $30-million-plus feature.Gold Circle in combination with UniversalPictures stayed with us a second time for SearchParty after their stay in 2011 for Pitch Perfect.And often the summers are slow, but this hasbeen the summer of the indies. We are film-ing two small films: Student Bodies and alsoFacebook Detectives, with Active Entertain-ment. And principal photography for LeftBehind, starring Nicolas Cage, began onAugust 8.”

As for the rest of the state?“My office represents the entire state,” says

Stelly, “so we’ve had quite a few productionsthroughout the state that have recentlywrapped and/or are currently in production:Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (New Orleans);True Detectives (New Orleans); American Heist(New Orleans); American Horror Story – season3 (New Orleans); The Occult (New Orleans);Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (New Orleans); TheTown that Dreaded Sundown (Shreveport).Stay tuned. We have several big projects on thehorizon. For example, the next Pirates of theCaribbean will be filming in New Orleans inearly 2014.”

What sets Baton Rouge apart from thecompetition?Service-Oriented

“Baton Rouge is fortunate right nowbecause we are in a position at the filmcommission to be very service-oriented,” saysKelso. “We still scout out locations for direc-tors and producers. We still break down scriptsfor them. We are lucky to be at that point inour market because we still can. Accommo-

AN INTERVIEW WITH LIZA KELSO AND CHRIS STELLY

dation and service is one of the things MayorHolden is very big on. That’s one of the majorreasons filmmakers and production companiescome back time and time again. It’s difficultfor bigger markets to provide that servicebecause they have too many productionsgoing on, and although that is a nice problemto have, it’s a joy to be able to service theseproductions to the point that they become apart of the Baton Rouge family.

“Mayor Holden started the film commissionin 2005 (became official in 2007) and hasalways been a big believer in making theseproductions a part of the Baton Rouge family.Because of this philosophy, we continue to seeretention with production giants like Univer-sal Pictures and Fox.”

Location“We’re not put in a corner when it comes

to locations. We have so many different looks,”says Kelso. “The Exxon plant came in the1960s and ‘70s and created a middle classexplosion. We get tons of calls for middle class

America ‘70s architecture, and Baton Rougecan nail it because of the architecture that wascreated as a result of that Exxon plant. Andwe still have the old Acadiana look, the plan-tations, and the moss over the swamps. So weare very versatile when it comes to locations.”

Adds Stelly, “Louisiana, in general, hasbecome one of the most dependable andsought-after locations in the motion pictureproduction industry. Our commitment to

excellence, as well as a stable tax creditprogram, diverse locations, deep and skilledworkforce, unlimited infrastructure and aunique joie de vivre, have all played a vital roleto our success. A success that continues togrow each year.”

TechnologyThe Baton Rouge Film Commission works

very hard to connect vendors to productions.They have created a free app called ByBaton Rouge to assist films in every aspectof production. Says Kelso, “Productionscan download this app and look at all thevendors who are interested in doing businesswith the productions and can even getdiscounts from select vendors. That’s huge.They can also find crew and locations allfrom their phone.”

In addition to the new app, the Commis-sion has worked diligently to create a user-friendly Web site.

Kelso continues, “The Film Baton RougeWeb site has become a true tool for thecommunity. You can go there to see how toget into casting, how to pitch your script,how to get your house listed as a location. Weare trying to get everyone involved in the filmindustry so everyone has a piece of owner-ship on it.”

Want to know more?Visit www.filmbatonrouge.com for updates

on the Baton Rouge film industry. ContactLiza Kelso and the Baton Rouge Film

Commission via e-mail [email protected] or by phone at225-382-3563.

Visit www.louisianaentertainment.gov forinformation on all programs including Digi-tal Media, Live Performance (productionand infrastructure) and Sound Recording.Chris Stelly can be reached via e-mail [email protected] or by phone at 225-342-5403. LFV

“While we have a thriving motionpicture industry, Louisiana isalso at the epicenter of growth

for all things entertainment and digitalmedia. We are the only state that has acomprehensive suite of incentives specifi-

cally targeting the technology and entertainment areas.” – ChrisStelly, Executive Director, Louisiana Enter tainment

“It’s a joy to be able to service theseproductions to the point that theybecome a part of the Baton Rougefamily.” - Liza Kelso

ISSUE THREE LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE 11


LSU OFFERS SUPERMIKE-II TOVISUAL EFFECTS COMPANIES L

ouisiana State University nowoffers a render farm capabil-ity to visual effects companies

using LSU’s SuperMike-II highperformance computing system.

Operational since February 2013, Super-Mike-II represents the third generation ofsupercomputers deployed at LSU. Built by Dell,Inc., the $2.6-million system features a total of440 compute nodes (servers), each of which has2 Intel Sandy Bridge 8-core processors runningat 2.6GHz. Its theoretical peak performancecapability is 212 TeraFlops, or 212 thousand-billion floating point operations per second.

Until recently, SuperMike-II has been mainlyused to enable a broad range of research atLSU, from the development of computationalframeworks and advanced computationalexecution models, to computational modelingin coastal studies, fluid dynamics, biology,

chemistry, oceanography, astrophysics, materi-als, and petroleum engineering. SuperMike-IIhas brought two novel capabilities to LSU’sresearchers: graphical processing unit (GPU)accelerators and large-memory symmetricmultiprocessing.

“LSU is committed to using our supercom-puting capabilities and technologies not only forcutting-edge research and education, but alsoto foster economic development inLouisiana,” said Joel Tohline, director ofLSU Center for Computation & Technology.

“This is why we invite visual effects compa-nies to use SuperMike-II’s render farm capa-bilities.” LFV

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THE FILM INDUSTRY EXPO A SNEAK PEEK AT THE FIFTH ANNUAL EVENT

STORY BY LOLITA BURRELL COO, THE FILM INDUSTRY EXPO

As New Orleans continues its reign in the top 10 places to be amoviemaker, it also maintains its status as home base for the largestand longest running film industry conference in the Gulf South,

the Film Industry Expo (The Expo). Now going into its milestone fifthyear, The Expo will be held on September 7 in the 10,000-square-footconference center at the Sheraton, across from the French Quarter.

“The Expo offers real opportunities for realtalent who are serious about moving forwardin their careers. It’s grown exponentially andorganically each year to meet the marketdemand and film industry shift from beingconcentrated in Los Angeles and New York toa growing regional presence,” said founderand CEO Shanda Quintal.

Premiering this year is an expanded, freeand open-to-the-public trade show featuringtechnology and services that independentfilmmakers and actors need to advance theircareers. Attendees can register to attend panels

and presentations offered in three tracks:Aspiring Actor and Child Actor, Actor TrackTwo (intermediate to advanced actors), andFilmmaker.

The Expo’s momentum and reputationcontinues to attract the attention of filmindustry leaders. This year, The Expowelcomes Sharon Bialy, casting directorfor top-rated shows Breaking Bad and TheWalking Dead; Pam Dixon, past president ofthe Casting Society of America and castingdirector for the blockbusters Green Lanternand The Mask of Zorro; Laray Mayfield, cast-

Melissa Wiseman, manager of Entertainment Part-ners and EP Financial Solutions.

Lolita Burrell, COO, Film Industry Expo and ShandaQuintal, CEO & founder, Film Industry Expo.


ing director for Academy Award-winningfilms The Curious Case of Benjamin Button andThe Social Network; and Rhavynn Drummer,casting director for For Better or Worse andother acclaimed Tyler Perry Studio produc-tions, who will be holding auditions at theevent. Beth Sepko, casting director for FridayNight Lights and the new Dallas, who madeher Expo premiere last year, returns as apanelist and will hold auditions, as well.Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd, casting director forSparkle and Fruitvale Station, is holding ageneral audition as well as casting for the roleof Gymnastics Olympian, Gabby Douglas.Also new to The Expo, Fern Orenstein,CBS VP, Casting, and Tiffany SmithAnoa’i,CBS VP, Diversity and Communications,present The Actor’s Workshop, an intensiveexperience designed to help actors land roles.And Diego Martinez, president of NuImage/Millennium, joins the Film FinanceForum.

The event features film executives and cast-ing directors who are invested in the regionalfilm community and return each year toshare their knowledge and support. TheExpo welcomes back Michael Arata,producer, Odd Thomas, The Courier; LizCoulon, casting director, The Iceman, 21Jump Street; Lisa Marie Dupree, castingdirector, Blood Out, Break Out Kings; StevenEsteb, WGA screenwriter and teacher,Favorite Son, Dirty Politics; Ryan Glorioso,casting director, Now You See Me, Straight A’s;Henry Griffin, WGA screenwriter, director,and University of New Orleans professor;Jason Hewitt, producer and CEO, Films InMotion; Anne Massey, casting director, FinalWitness, True Blood; and Eric Thompson,Esq., whose clients include New RegencyProductions, Fox Searchlight Productions,Lionsgate Films, et. al., Three Stooges, TheInternship, Water for Elephants.

“Agents 101: Headshot and ResumeReview” and “Casting Critiques” form staple

programming for beginning actors, and areslated again for this year’s Expo. “Castingfrom A-Z” delves into Extra work, use ofMyCastingFile.com, and what actors need toknow to transition from background to speak-ing roles. Talent agents on the panel “Brand-ing Yourself ” discuss how to distinguishyourself as an actor. “Casting a Wide Net”explores how regional casting is leveling theplaying field for actors. Expo sponsor Break-down Services will demonstrate how begin-ning and advanced actors can use ActorsAccess and EcoCast to best position them-selves for virtual auditioning by top castingdirectors and talent agents. The ActingStudio presents four coaches using uniquetechniques to teach acting and characterdevelopment: Laura Cayouette, author of theacclaimed book Know Small Parts; JerryKatz, teacher of the renowned Chubbucktechnique; Lance Nichols, coach and actorfor Emmy-nominated Treme and The CuriousCase of Benjamin Button; and Dr. TinaThomas, a TED Talk speaker, back by popu-lar demand to present “Applying the Scienceof Personality to Improve Your Art.”

Independent filmmakers will learn strategiesfor creating an online buzz for their projectsfrom social media strategist and Idea VillageEntrepreneur Week 2013 presenter MeganHargroder. Melissa Wiseman, manager ofEntertainment Partners and EP FinancialSolutions, presents “Budgeting for Your Proj-ect,” including an introduction to thecompany’s premier software, Movie MagicBudgeting. “Film Finance Forum” and“Making the Pitch” are back by populardemand to address the filmmaker’s primary

concerns: how to attract investors and financea project. Getting a project distributed is alsoanother challenge for many filmmakers.Online as well as traditional distributiontactics will be covered in “Securing Distribu-tion.” And Breakdown Services’ CEO andfounder Gary Marsh presents “Casting YourScript,” about streamlining the auditionprocess using the film industry’s premieronline casting portal, Actors Access andEcoCast, the virtual audition system.

Whether engaged in a workshop or audi-tion, captivated by a star-studded panel discus-sion, or enjoying a demonstration of thelatest equipment and career-enhancing tools,participants will gain valuable insight andnetworking opportunities that are the hallmarkof The Expo. Actors and independent film-makers seeking the resources, informationand opportunities that their California andNew York counterparts have can find it at theFilm Industry Expo. LFV

Lolita Burrell, Chief Operating Officer, joined forces with

Shanda Quintal in the expansion and production of the

2012 and 2013 Expos and oversees business development.

In recent years, she was honored as a “Woman of the

Year” by New Orleans CityBusiness magazine for spear-

heading the “New Orleans Does Business Right! Corpo-

rate Governance and Ethics Conference.” Lolita is also an

artist and was named one of “New Orleans Jazz Divas”

by Offbeat magazine in 1999. She graduated from Tulane

University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, and is a

licensed CPA with 15+ years of internal auditing experi-

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LIFF ANNOUNCES 2014 FESTIVALDATES, MAY 8-11

The exciting launch of the Louisiana International Film Festival(LIFF) brought cumulative crowds of over 4,000 film enthusiastsscreening over 60 films from around the world with live perform-

ances by Merry Clayton, Jon Batiste & Stay Human Band and HenryGray along with an industry expo, workshops and filmmaker forums inBaton Rouge, Louisiana, this past April 18-21, 2013.

The 2014 festival is set to offer anotherpromising lineup of never-before-screenedfilms by local, national and internationalfilmmakers, as well as engage the public ina variety of workshops and panel discus-sions.

LIFF Executive Director, Chesley Heyms-field, is encouraged by the incredible supportthe new film festival has received and plans to

“Starting a cultural institution is an enormous undertak-ing. You made an auspicious beginning. We were pleas-

antly surprised that there was such a booming filmindustry there, a good base for your festival.”

– Bob Adelman, Photographer & Author

continue the momentum in 2014. “We founded the Louisiana International

Film Festival & Mentorship Program to act asa conduit for our state’s ample and untappedcreativity. LIFF is more than a film festival; itis a bridge between the local people whodream of becoming filmmakers and thoseveteran artists who know that mentorship canhelp to promote social change through directaccess to opportunity. LIFF exists to promote

Louisiana’s budding film industry withmentorship and education, while at the sametime nurturing the state’s international repu-tation as a place of—and showcase for—artis-tic creativity.”

For more information about 2014 membership packages,

sponsorship opportunities and upcoming events for LIFF, visit

www.lifilmfest.org.


FACES OF CREATIVE INFUSIONHOW LOUISIANA’S HOT FILM CLIMATE GOT THESE PROFESSIONALS TO RELOCATE

While the amazing growthof the indigenous enter-tainment community and

the professional training of localresidents should be justly cele-brated, it’s the influx of trans-plants that determines whetherLouisiana shall succeed in fulfillingits promise as “Hollywood South.”In the last few years, many peoplein the movie industry have beentraveling to Louisiana. However,the long-term prospect ofLouisiana becoming an entertain-ment capital remains uncertain.Other places have realized thefiscal value of becoming “the nextHollywood,” including Atlanta,Toronto, and even a formidablelate-comer: Los Angeles.

In this race for limited resources, individualmen and women making Louisiana theirhome, as well as their office, carries signifi-cance. That phenomenon of individual careerchoices happens every day and out of purview,but they add up over time. Meet some of thepeople in entertainment who have chosen tomove to (as well as work in) Louisiana:

LILY FILSONLily Filson moved to New Orleans full-time

just last summer on the heels of a film careerin Italy and New York. The daughter ofAmerican parents who met in Fellini’s Romein the late ‘60s, she passed much of her life inEurope: Venice, then Paris, later Florence.New Orleans, however, was always her family’sAmerican home. She sums up her professionaland personal relationship to the city thusly: “Igrew up convinced that any real opportunitylay on the outside, but the biggest revelationand transformation in recent years has beenthat the best creative resources and milieu tobe in for film were right here.”

The proof is in the results. In her first yearof living in New Orleans full-time, Filsonwrote, directed and produced her first short,Audubon Dark, which is included this summerin the New Orleans Contemporary Arts

Center’s exhibition “A Woman’s Work,” put onby the Louisiana chapter of Women in Filmand Television. The short is a tribute to theaesthetic beauty of Uptown, as well as a darktwist on the “Beverly Hills” of HollywoodSouth’s social geography.

A testament to the passion of the localcreative community, Filson shot the entireshort in one day on a zero-dollar budget.

“New Orleans is really wonderfully,creatively reciprocal,” she says. “WithAudubon Dark, I made a deal that I would dothe modeling work for a music video withoutpay if the videographer would shoot and editthis short script I had written. The people Icast in the roles were mostly actors I had metfrom working on-set of several HollywoodSouth productions. I knew Kristal Shannon,who did the makeup and special effects for theshort, from modeling at shows like Alegria!Fashion Week New Orleans, and a series ofRAW Artists showcases that featured herwork. Jason Matherne handled the sound (andthe very real gun) because he had cast me inhis independent horror feature the summerbefore. Seeing what a small group of talentedDIY filmmakers could accomplish was aninspiring eye-opener about this city’s potentialfor me.”

Until August 2012, Filson lived between

New Orleans, Italy and New York and builther resume with modeling and acting work inall three markets. She had a role in theGiovanni Veronesi movie Un Giorno di Più,which she followed with on- and off-cameraPR work for the Style Star Lounge at theVenice Film Festival. In her spare time, shetook her first steps in artistic direction at thehelm of photo shoots for her jewelry line, LVFDesign, which was shown on the runway of

Lily Filson

Annie Gaia Photo Credit: Jason Raymond


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the inaugural New Orleans Fashion Week.After Hurricane Isaac, Filson thought to stayin New Orleans full-time as her creative direc-tion evolved from photo shoots to short films.

“I think Italy and New York were amazingplaces not just to work, but to keep your eyesopen and learn. However, New Orleans hasbeen where I’ve been able to successfully stagemy own work, something that usually is theresult of a long career in the bigger markets,”she says. “I’m incredibly grateful to this uniquetime and place.”

Filson is currently developing an animatedshort inspired by Louisiana’s wildlife andcultural heritage, entitled Why the AlligatorsLaugh, with the fiscal sponsorship of the NewOrleans Video Access Center (NOVAC).

Lily Filson can be contacted through heragent, Angela Ware with Heyman Talent.Follow her on Twitter @LVF_Films.

JASON RAYMONDPrior to coming to Louisiana, newcomer

Jason Raymond had considered moving toAtlanta or North Carolina. He credits oneentity for making New Orleans his home.

“Basically it was NOVAC, particularly atwo-day class on using Final Cut Pro 7 taughtby Christopher Brown,” he recalls. “My momhad been planning on retiring here, and shewanted me to move down, too. I wasn’t realexcited about it. After seeing how dedicatedNOVAC was to helping the film community,

Jason Raymond

I thought, ‘Okay, these people are exactly whoI was looking for.’”

Raymond’s family has lived in New Orleansfor 200 years, and he lived there briefly in the1980s. However, the vibrancy of the NewOrleans film scene surprised him.

“I just didn’t realize how much work wasgoing on here,” he says. “Suddenly there areall these people working on movies or Webseries. Through NOVAC you meet dedicatedpros who have moved the heavens to get filmsmade and marketed.”

Years of working as an information profes-sional for New York law firms and the Stateof Wyoming showed him that the worlds oftext and visual arts were rapidly merging. Hestarted working on Web sites in 2008, thenbegan seriously studying photography whileliving in St. Paul, Minnesota. The lure ofmaking movies for the Internet drew him tothe Peck School of Arts at the University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee in 2012.

Though he’s only been here a few months,Raymond is already picking up differenttypes of work in small projects, including twodays as a production assistant with The X-Factor. Right now his big project is apodcast drama, Merely Famous, about ayoung singer fresh out of rehab. He alsospends time on his blog, “Raymond on Film& Photography.”

In his opinion, the writer, the filmmaker,the computer programmer, the Webdesigner, and the artist are all dissolving intoa Web-based expression-dominated profes-sion. To assist that revolution, Raymond hasdeveloped different Web pages under theumbrella of Raymond Creativity. Back in2011, he created “Feathered Game,” a Website on bird hunting. He also has a neo-gothicWeb site, “Ghost Stories 2 Ghastly 2 Read,”with a second one, “Nosferat Americana,”coming out in a few months. Raymond feelsthat we are just beginning to learn how toincorporate video into the digital landscape.

In addition to his own work, Raymondassists other filmmakers with research, build-ing Web sites, and other production assis-tance. Holding a Master’s degree, hisresearch skills came from his time as alibrarian, mainly for high-profile lawyers.Years of problem-solving for governmentsand law firms have given him a varied back-ground and years of experience workingunder pressure, which translates readily intofilmmaking.

“I’ve always liked helping people achievetheir goals,” he observes, “and to be able tohelp fellow artists is really meaningful.”

To find out more about the servicesoffered by Jason Raymond, visit RaymondCreativity at www.raymondcreativity.com.“Raymond on Film & Photography” can beaccessed directly at raymondon-film.wordpress.com.

ANNIE GAIAAnnie Gaia got her start in her hometown

of Memphis, where she wrote, produced andacted in several award-winning shorts. Herfilm Spirit Guide won the “Live! FromMemphis” Jury award and was featured inthe Indie Memphis Film Festival. Gaia alsohad roles in Woke Up Ugly and EAT, whichboth won acclamation on the film festivalcircuit.

A shift in the universe led her to Los Ange-les. Instead of flying back home after vaca-tion, she extended her visit for four years.

“It was my all-time dream to work inHollywood,” says Gaia. “Once I understoodthe competition in Los Angeles, I realized Iwas going to have to make choices in mycareer path. Writing is my passion and Ifound I was other people’s characters insteadof creating my own. New Orleans is veryclose to the guiding light that I carried inMemphis.”

Gaia has found that the existing commu-nity here in “Hollywood South” has playeda major role in her transition from L.A. Afterrepeated visits to an actress friend livingUptown, it was last Thanksgiving that shestayed. Within a month, Gaia found anagent and landed a featured part in Fox’sDevil’s Due. Devil’s Due even flew her outfirst-class to Dominican Republic to shoot herscenes.

“I kept thinking, ‘How am I so lucky?’, butin all honesty, I’ve been training my whole lifefor opportunities like these, and New Orleansis sprinkled with them,” she says.

In order to advance her work as a film-maker, Gaia regularly attends classes andevents at NOVAC. She plans to use aNOVAC grant writing course to make adocumentary about a non-profit arts center’safter-school enrichment program that bene-fits inner city students. She’s also takingimprov classes at The New MovementTheatre, as well as teaching private vocal andchildren’s workshops. When not working,she’s an activist for Hope Stone New Orleans.

Gaia’s feature The Jitter Box, a film noirtaking place in her neighbor’s 19th centuryhome, will start filming in August with Direc-tor Samantha Smith. Along with her writingpartner, Milena Martinovik, the two arecreating a series based on art and love in theBig Easy. It hasn’t taken Gaia long to find herplace in the New Orleans entertainmentscene.

“Instead of ‘Big Fish/Small Pond’ inMemphis vs. L.A.’s ‘Small Fish/Huge Pond,’I am now ‘The Right-Sized Fish in theRight-Sized Pond’ in NOLA,” she says. “Myhappiness has excelled. My career, in turn,has excelled, too.”

Find out more about this young artist atwww.anniegaia.com. She is represented byHeyman Talent. LFV


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WHY SOUTHERN FRIEDHOMICIDE IS SERVING UPSOMETHING SPECIAL

These days there is a slew of crime-related shows on any given night,on a variety of networks around the world, but Investigation Discov-ery’s Southern Fried Homicide stands out among the rest.

On the night of June 5, 2013, the show’s premiere helped to post thenetwork’s largest viewing audience numbers ever in the history of the popu-lar network. And Southern Fried Homicide continues to boast a weekly audi-ence of 750,000 to 1 million viewers.

Investigation Discovery (ID), part of Discov-ery Communications, is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television and isoften described as America’s favorite “guiltypleasure.” From harrowing crimes and sala-cious scandals to the in-depth investigations

and heart-breaking mysteries that result, IDlooks to challenge their audience’s everydayunderstanding of culture, society and thehuman condition, and delivers high qualityprogramming to 83.5 million U.S. households.

Southern Fried Homicide puts a unique

twist on the classic crime mystery by focusingsolely on murders committed in the South,and takes viewers on a roundabout, butalways interesting, path to solving them.Season one included three separate casesbased in the state of Louisiana.

The show host, Louisiana native and NewOrleans-based actress Shanna Forrestall,provides the setup, commentary and wrap-up with a strong and sassy personality,providing an engaging respite to the show’soften dark content.

“We were looking for an authentic South-ern narrator and location. Shanna was astandout, and her home state of Louisianaoffered the perfect setting, so rich in charac-

On location with SouthernFried Homicide at Made-

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ter,” said Chris Nusbaum,executive producer for SirensMedia. “It has been such apleasure to work with her.”

The show is produced bySirens Media with ValerieHaselton as executiveproducer and Diana Sper-razza as executive producerwith Investigation Discovery.

Local New Orleans-basedproducer Tania Castellanoshelped the director ChipNusbaum choose the lovelyMadewood Plantation inNapoleonville, Louisiana, asthe show’s primary location.Castellanos also helpedsecure a local crew, whichincluded several members ofWomen in Film Louisiana(Liz Dunnebacke, associateproducer, and HelenKrieger, key PA).

New episodes of SouthernFried Homicide air everyWednesday night at 9pmCentral on InvestigationDiscovery, with repeats ofprevious episodes airingthroughout the week. LFV

Against a backdrop of Southern hospitality, etiquette,and traditional values, evil creeps in like vines on a time-honored plantation. Southern Fried Homicide revealsthat ugliness lurks behind Southern beauty whencracks in moral society give way to cold-blooded murder.To find out more, including episode schedules, visit theshow’s official site at investigation.discovery.com/tv-shows/southern-fried-homicide. Follow Shanna Forre-stall at @shannafromla or on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/shannafromlouisiana.

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LOUISIANA FILMS SHINE ATLOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

STORY BY W. H. BOURNEFESTIVAL PHOTO BY ODIN LINDBLOMPRODUCTION PHOTOS COURTESY OF IFC FILMS

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, starring Casey Affleck and RooneyMara, made its California premiere at the Los AngelesFilm Festival recently. Shot in northern Louisiana as well

as parts of Texas, the film has been touring the festival circuit.Members of the cast and crew were on hand at the festival forthe film’s screening. Writer/director David Lowery took centerstage, fielding most of the questions about the project.

“I didn’t write the script with anyone inmind,” said Lowery, “which is both a good andbad thing. When we had the opportunity tostart casting, I was especially excited aboutfolks who I felt could disappear into thetexture of the film, who wouldn’t feel toomodern. Rooney, Ben (Foster) and Casey wereall my first choices, simple as that.”

When asked about signing onto the project,Affleck said, “They told me Rooney hadsigned on, so I decided to do it.”

Mara jumped in, “Well, that’s weird becausethey told me you had signed onto the project,so that’s why I decided to do it.”

Rooney Mara and Casey Affleckspeak about shooting in Louisiana

at the Los Angeles Film Festival

Rooney Mara does agreat Southern accentin Ain’t Them BodiesSaints.

Rooney Mara and Casey Affleckin trouble with the law in Ain’t

Them Bodies Saints.


The story line of Ain’t Them Bodies Saintsrevolves around an impassioned young outlawcouple on an extended crime spree who arefinally apprehended by lawmen after ashootout in the Texas hills. Although Ruth(played by Mara) wounds a local officer, Bob(played by Affleck) takes the blame. But fouryears later, Bob escapes from prison and setsout to find Ruth and their daughter, bornduring his incarceration. Ben Foster plays thelocal Sheriff, Patrick Wheeler, who falls forRuth.

“My favorite scene in the film is when BenFoster’s character steps inside and spills his gutsto Rooney Mara,” said Lowery. “It’s a verypersonal moment, and the performances andmusic and lighting just all come together justso. I could watch that scene all day. As for myfavorite scene to shoot—that’s a tough call. It’shard not to say the very last one we shot, whichwas a shot of Ben walking through a door, justbecause it was the last one and there was sucha sense of ebullient accomplishment to it. Butevery scene had its own trials and tribulations,as well as moments of pure joy. Action sceneswere fun in a very mechanical way—I’ve nevermade a clock, but I’d liken it to that. Every-thing has to be precise and perfect, and eachshot needs to build off the one that camebefore it and lead into whatever comes next.It was a lot of fun. On the other hand, thedialogue scenes (some of which were very

long) were thrilling because, once we had thecameras ready to roll, we got to sit back andwatch actors do their thing. Whenever thecamera and the actors and the words theywere saying all fell into perfect formation, Iwas as happy as a director could be.”

“It was a great atmosphere,” said Affleck.“Everyone felt like they were free to try some-thing new, even if it wasn’t scripted or they justthought of it or even if it might be a mistake,and were able to do so knowing that theywouldn’t be judged. But the need almostnever arose because the script was so good that

when a scene arose, what was in the script justfelt like the natural thing to do. David wasreally great in that he let us bring what wewanted to the performances, while still keep-ing it all in context with his vision of the film.”

Frances Bodomo’s Boneshaker also playedat Los Angeles Film Festival. Shot inLouisiana, the short film stars AcademyAward nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis(Beasts of the Southern Wild). While neitherBodomo nor Wallis were able to attend thefestival, the film was well received by audi-ences. LFV

Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck show off theirdramatic chops in Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.


COMPILED BY DAWN LANDRUM LANDRUM ARTS LA

DEAR AGENTI auditioned for a lead role in a movie and

when my agent called me to book me, theproduction offered me a day player role andthere are only four lines. I am trying topattern my career for bigger roles. Should Iturn this down?

~LEADING LADY

DEAR LEADING LADYIf you are unsure whether you brought a

good enough performance, it’s a good idea totalk to your agent and ask them if the lesserrole is a result of your performance.

Not booking a specific role often means thelarger role ended up going to a “name” actoror movie star. Sometimes it’s a politicalreason. In those cases, the role you wantedis no longer available.

In my opinion you should never turndown a good role if you are not gettingmultiple offers for several projects at oncethat warrant your making a choice. It’simportant to keep positive momentumgoing. CDs and productions like it when youare constantly working.

If the casting director and productionliked you so much that they wanted to fityou in another role, you should take that asa compliment and accept the role with grat-itude. Trust me, they know your talent andability.

It’s often worth taking that lesser role toshow them you are a team player. TheyWILL remember you for future projects.

Always assess this decision with your agenton a case by case basis. There is no “one”good answer here. It all depends on the sizeof the project, the role, the casting director,the production, and type of project.

~AGENT

DEAR AGENTMy best friend and roommate ALWAYS

gets auditions and callbacks and I hardly evereven get a pre-read audition. We have differ-ent agents. Do you think this is my fault orshould I get a new agent?

~ACTOR NEEDS ANSWER

DEAR ACTOR NEEDS ANSWERIt’s not good to compare your career to

your friend’s career. You have your own

A FORUM WHERE ANYONE CAN ASK QUESTIONSFROM TOP AGENTS AND GET RESPONSES WHILEREMAINING COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS.

look, your own style, your own ability, andYOU chose your agent. It’s your job tomake sure that you and your agent are incommunication; that he/she has all of thetools necessary in which to properly promoteand pitch you; that you have a great reputa-tion in the acting community as being some-one casting directors want to call in; that youare dependable; that you are professionallyconsistent; that you not only are a good actorbut are also great at auditions; and that allof your career planets are in alignment. Takecontrol of your own career and stop lookingat everyone else’s.

~AGENT

DEAR AGENTI was dating a fellow actor and we broke

up. Now I hear that he is dating a castingdirector’s assistant. Ever since we broke up Irarely get called in to audition by that cast-ing director. Do you think I should say some-thing to that casting director? I feel that myex and his new girl may be sabotaging mycareer.

~ NERVOUS NELLY

DEAR NERVOUS NELLYIt’s difficult when love and professions

collide. However, in my experience, if you area strong enough actor, no gossip is going tostop a CD from calling you in. Stay cool andbe someone who is good and strong andconfident enough that no one will sway onthe side of rumor.

~AGENT

DEAR AGENTI was on the set of a very popular show and

was injured. I didn’t tell anyone because I wasafraid to make waves and I don’t want themto hesitate to book me again. Now I’m start-ing to have problems physically. What shouldI do?

~IN PAIN AND PARANOID

DEAR IN PAIN AND PARANOIDI’m so sorry to hear you were injured. Honestly, you should have informed the

proper authorities on set immediately andfilled out an accident report. The properactions to take really depend upon thecircumstances and the extent of the injury.You should have contacted your agent toinform him/her of what happened.

It’s not “making waves” in following proce-

dure and protocol. It’s being professional. Accidents happen. How you handle the

situation determines how professional youappear.

I also own a production company and Iwould much rather know immediately ifsomeone is injured on my set rather thanhear about it later.

Waiting till later to report an injury couldcause production to be suspicious and it’smuch harder for them to validate the authen-ticity.

Wishing you well!~AGENT

DEAR AGENTMy daughter is a great little actress and I’m

doing my best to be a good mom “manager.”How can I get an agent? When is it time?

~MOMAGER

DEAR MOMAGERIt’s best to pursue an agent after your child

is fully trained and ready for auditions. Thereare some “starter agencies” who help developnew actors, whereas others only take highlyexperienced actors.

My advice is to do your homework. Findout which agents develop child actors. Checkout their reputation, resume, how longthey’ve been in business, their talent rosterand what bookings they are getting for childactors. Request interviews… don’t just ask theagents to represent your child. Have aninterview and take your child. Find outwhich one has the best fit with you and yourchild. Trust your child’s instincts, as they areoften true. Your child and you should be verycomfortable with the agent. You and youragent will have to be in communication aLOT. So make sure you select one you willbe happy with.

Don’t simultaneously submit to multipleagents. Find your top three choices and setup meetings. After the meetings, then makeyour decision based on all of the above.

Good luck!~AGENT

DEAR AGENTI have an agent whom I really like and she

has helped to develop me and now I’m areally good actor.

She gets me auditions every week andbecause the agency reps me coast to coast,I’m auditioning a lot! I’ve been wanting to

TALENT SPOTLIGHT

DEAR AGENT


branch out into other stronger markets likeAtlanta, for example, because my friendsjust moved there. My agent is fine with megetting an Atlanta agent but I’m not sure Iwant to juggle several agents. After all,she’s been getting me Atlanta auditions justfine.

Well, an Atlanta agent just told me theywant me to sign with them and my friendsjust signed with them. But they will make meleave all of my other agents if I do. Myfriends are really pressuring me to follow intheir footsteps.

I love my current agent but I have to thinkof my career first.

What do I do?~TORN

DEAR TORNI think you know the right thing to do here. Your current agent sounds lovely! You

obviously have a great relationship with herso why would you risk starting over with anew agent whom you have only just met?

If she’s getting you auditions in Atlanta,then it makes no real sense to get an Atlantaagent.

Relationships and reputation is very impor-tant in this business.

Any agent who would take you after learn-ing you dropped a wonderful agent due topeer pressure would not be an agent I’dadvise you to be with.

No one likes a “user” and no agent is inthis to be a stepping stone.

~AGENT

DEAR AGENTI moved to NOLA from California and got

a local agent. They are great and one of thetop agents in the state. However, I have aquote that I always got in California and thisLouisiana agent doesn’t seem to honor thatquote. Advice?

~CALIFORNIANNOYED

DEAR CALIFORNIANNOYEDLike I advise a zillion times, this is a

conversation you should be having with youragent.

In being an agent and also having severalCalifornia actors, it’s best that the agent makethe CD aware at each submission when theactor only books over scale.

I had a similar experience with an actorrecently. He moved to Louisiana andexpected to instantly make his quote witheach booking. I was honest and up front thatgetting a quote in the Southeast is not ascommon as it is in California.

CDs here are very clear on which roles willbe “offer only,” above scale, and which are

scale only. All of the roles he wanted to audi-tion for were scale only. He got perturbedwhen he’d book and they only offered scalewhen he KNEW when he auditioned whatthe offer was.

Productions come to Louisiana to savemoney. Most have their stars attached beforethey even post the regional breakdown.

Talk to your agent and ask him to let theCDs know of your quote BEFORE youaudition. But be ready… it’s going to limithow often you get called in if you won’twork for scale. It’s presumptuous to expectyour agent or the CD or production to alterrates to fit you.

Don’t come to Louisiana and expect it tobe California. If you are in the Southeast,darling, you should expect to eat Louisianagumbo!

~AGENT

DEAR AGENTI just moved to town and got a bunch of

head shots and resumes together and spentthree days trying to deliver them to castingdirectors so I could personally meet everyone.My manager told me to take them in personas opposed to mailing them so the CD couldsee me in person.

A couple of the CDs seemed miffed whenI showed up. I’m now worried that I shouldnot have just stopped by. What do you think?

~CD CURIOSITY

DEAR CD CURIOSITYI know all of the CDs in Louisiana pretty

well. They are all very kind and very profes-sional but they lead very busy, productivedays. Anything that takes them away fromtheir already busy schedule is unwelcome.These pros work very hard and see hundredsand hundreds of actors a week. For an actorto just leisurely stop in and to expect an audi-ence with the CD is not professional. Yourmanager should have contacted the CD inadvance to get you a time and date to stopin. If you did not need a meeting with theCD, you should have mailed the head shotand resume. Most don’t mind your droppingthe head shot and resume in their outsidedrop box or leaving with the receptionist. Butagain, you have a manager and that managershould have informed you so you were notput in an uncomfortable position.

~AGENT

DEAR AGENTThere is a top Louisiana agent I have been

trying to get to sign me for years. (wink wink)The agency has very strict procedures for

submission and I have followed them severaltimes. Why am I never getting anywhere?

~HARRIED AND HOPELESS

DEAR HARRIED AND HOPELESSSpeaking for myself and our agency, I will

give it to you straight. Our agency isboutique, meaning we choose to representa very specific number of actors and do notplan to increase that number. The only waysomeone gets in is when a spot opens up.When a spot opens up, we go to our wait-ing list to find an actor who fits the descrip-tion and ability of the talent we need toreplace. If you don’t fit a need and you arespinning your wheels with that agent, I’dadvise you to move on to your secondchoice.

Most agents really appreciate professionalpersistence. However, we cannot possiblytake everyone. There are thousands andthousands of actors wanting great repre-sentation. The best agents are hardest to getinto.

Every week we have a maxed out NewTalent Division e-mail count of 500+ actorstrying to get in. As impressive as that is tobe so wanted, we know that most will bedisappointed because we are not going totake them.

To increase your chances at being THEactor they cannot refuse, make sure yourability is amazing, natural, and real. Makesure you have solid references and referralsand a very impressive performance reel tosend them.

If they are an agency that only takesestablished actors and you are still develop-ing, DO NOT approach them until you areestablished.

Never EXPECT an agent to take you.They do not owe you anything so pleasedon’t act like they do. Don’t get angrywhen you are not accepted; instead be moredetermined to make yourself greater sothey won’t ever want to turn you down. Berespectful and professional and you willfind an agent who is a good fit.

~AGENT

If you would like to ask a question, e-mail

[email protected] (LALATalent.com stands for

LA=Louisiana to LA=Los Angeles). If you are an agent who

would like to be on our panel to respond to the questions

we receive, please also e-mail and put AGENT in the subject

line. This is a volunteer effort and no compensation is

received for questions or replies. We reserve the right to

pick and choose which questions and responses are

posted. Opinions and responses are agent professional

opinion-based, are not necessarily the opinion of this publi-

cation, and are intended to be used for entertainment

purposes only.

TALENT SPOTLIGHT


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If you ask Brenda Netzberger, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whatthe primary focus of the agency is, she will always answer the same: “Rela-tionships.” And she’s spent years investing into them.

“To me, the most important focus of the agency and what makes us andkeeps us successful is relationships… with the talent and with the clients,”she says.

Netzberger, who’s been actively involved inthe industry for over 25 years, was the direc-tor/agent of Dolly Dean Network/Modeland Talent Management in Baton Rouge for12 years before taking over the company, relo-cating and changing the name in January2000. She is now the sole owner and agent ofOpen Range Management.

In her many years in the industry, her corebelief has always remained the same: “I amnothing without my talent.” That definingphrase weaves itself through the goals andstrategies of Open Range Management. Theagency represents actors, stunt performers andmodels that are committed to being the best.

“I love being a talent agent, the challenge

of finding just the right actor for the right role,and the reward of seeing my talent work,” saysNetzberger. “I have many success storiesthroughout my career. I enjoy developingand launching local people.”

Netzberger also believes in setting andkeeping high standards. Choosing the besttalent, developing relationships with them, andassisting with their personal and career devel-

“I’ve lived and worked in L.A. fornearly 25 years and I have gonethrough my share of agents andmanagers, but none of them can holda candle to Brenda. She’s extremelycommitted and passionate about herwork and she takes a personal inter-est in her talent. Not only is shecompletely in my corner as far as ‘thebusiness’ is concerned, but I alsoconsider her a dear friend who isalways there for me.” – Wayne Pere

A few of Open Range Management’s successstories: actors Wayne Pere and Shanna Forrestall.

L&R SECURITY SERVICES, INC.3930 OLD GENTILLY ROAD NEW ORLEANS, LA 70126

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opment as they grow, are all part of her focus on reaching the goal.Her commitment to her talent wins them over, but her integrity andprofessionalism keeps them long-term.

“I believe in getting to know my talent personally, and I love repre-senting talent that are as dedicated and as passionate as I am aboutthe industry,” she says. “I have definitely found that in the ones Irepresent. I am proud to know that they trust me, and are loyal tome, so that we can work together as a team to accomplish our mutualgoals.”

To make the business work, she also concentrates on satisfying theneeds of the client. Agencies only make money when the talentworks, so the agency always strives to offer the client strong optionsto meet their specific needs.

“Being a talent agent is part of who I am. It never is boring, everyday is a challenge and I love to be challenged,” says Netzberger. “Iam so happy to be working in an industry that brings new thingsmy way every day. To love what you do is the ultimate way to liveyour life… and I am lucky to have found my niche!” LFV

For more information, contact Brenda Netzberger at 225-216-2424 or open-

[email protected].

“When I first began acting professionally in 2004, Isigned with Open Range Management and I’ve been apart of the team ever since. Brenda’s commitment tohelping her talent develop and find work has helped meto become what I am today—a professional actress work-ing FULL TIME in film and television. I am extremelygrateful for an agent who continually invests into me andmy career!” – Shanna Forrestall


People Store andHot Shot Kids houseseight agents includingRebecca Shrager,owner, Brenda Pauley,head of the Film andTV department inAtlanta, along withVictoria Temple andMichael Lynch. Savannah Strachan is the NewOrleans agent. Rick Estimond is the company’scommercial and industrial agent; Karen Donahuehandles voice over and print; and Lavon Laceycovers live events and more recently reality tele-vision and the theatrical department. They aresupported by Jessy Alfonso as office manager andLesley Galaida and Beth Tebbe in the account-ing department.

In May of 2012, People Store expanded thecompany’s reach and opportunities for clients byopening a New Orleans branch run by SavannahStrachan, a native New Orleanian. Strachanpursued a degree in fine arts but never let film gettoo far out of her scope. Working as a PA in NewYork City during and after college, she gainedinsight into the inner workings of the business.

In September of 1983, Rebecca Shrageropened the doors of People Store inAtlanta, Georgia. She recognized her

uncanny ability to match the right face to theright project while working as a stylist andproduction coordinator in the late 1970s andearly 1980s. Realizing the need in the Atlantamarket for a more diverse range of talent, Shragerutilized her background from the Atlanta Collegeof Art, and went out into the community to photo-graph interesting faces. She then contacted localtheater companies, and discovered an untappedsource of talent not yet integrated into the worldof film and advertising.

Over the past 30 years, People Store hasgrown into one of the most successful and well-respected agencies in the country. In 2002, TheTalent Group and Hot Shot Kids, co-owned byfilm and TV agent Brenda Pauley, joined forceswith People Store, creating a multi-million-dollaragency representing the most talented andseasoned adult and child actors and actresses inthe region. Today, People Store remains at theforefront of the industry, opening the boundariesbetween the Southeast, Los Angeles and NewYork.

After living abroad for a year, she returned to NewOrleans in 2009 and fell in with the world of cast-ing. She cut her teeth on shows like Treme andMemphis Beat, and films such as Parker, Colom-biana and The Host with RPM Casting, LLC. Shehas now flipped the coin and left the castingdepartment to join the People Store representingactors to the casting directors she previouslyassisted.

Some of People Store’s recent success storiesinclude bookings in The Hunger Games: CatchingFire, Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave, TheWeinstein Company’s Random, Tom Hanks’Parkland, and Iron Man 3, to name a few in film.Hit TV shows Nashville, Revolution, Teen Wolf,The Walking Dead, and new show Under the Domealso showcase People Store talent weekly.

People Store is the first company in the South-east to open a physical branch outside of its homemarket. This forward thinking and commitmentto innovation and relationship-building is whatmakes the company the institution that it is. Thecompany is thrilled to be celebrating its 30thanniversary this year and looks forward to futuresuccesses and growth of the company, as well asthe film industry in the region. LFV

TALENT AGENCY OPENS NEW ORLEANS OFFICE

Savannah Strachan

TALENT SPOTLIGHT

TALENT SPOTLIGHT


Terry McNeal, Del Corral & Associates504-324-3782

www.delcorralmodel.comDel Corral & Associates offers a wide variety of services for those

who are actively involved in the entertainment world. As one of theoldest agencies in the state, it was created during the birth of the enter-tainment boom in Louisiana and since then has continued to flourish.We represent a wide variety of talent who have many areas of expert-ise. Del Corral also has several types of workshops throughout the yearto help all actors, from the experienced actor to the new beginner.These include acting, voiceover and even “stuntman.” Our 2,500-sq-ft facility located at 4400 S. Carrolton Ave includes a conference room,large rehearsal space, kitchen, and a green screen room. It is an ideallocation for casting and the green screen room has been used for severalproductions. Call us today for your entertainment needs!

Jean Manino, JCM’s Animal Talent504-838-8605

www.jcmdogtraining.com

After high school, I enrolled in the University of New Orleans andmajored in Drama/Communications. It was there that I was intro-duced to theater and television production. After finishing school Ibecame involved with dogs and dog training. With the assistance ofa brilliant obedience instructor, I realized early on that this was goingto be a lifelong passion. I started training dogs and competing inobedience trials in 1979. Naturally gifted, I had an unspokencommunication with my canine counterparts. I was fascinated by theway dogs learned and were able to understand what was being askedof them.

I got my start in the entertainment industry when an ad appearedin the local newspaper seeking a dog to play the role of Sandy in thelive stage production of Annie. Despite the many dozens who audi-tioned, we were chosen. This opportunity opened the door to manyyears of stage, screen, and television. Thirty-plus years later, I stilllove what I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

TALENT AGENCY PROFILES

LF&VM HIGHLIGHTS A SELECTION OF LOUISIANA TALENTAGENCIES MAKING THEIR MARK IN THE BAYOU STATE.


TALENT SPOTLIGHT

Rebecca Hale, Hale Talent, LLC504-858-9038

www.haletalentagency.com

Hale Talent, LLC books actors/actresses/musicians of all ages,both union and non-union, for commercials, films, television, videos,voice-overs, print work, and conventions. A new division of HaleTalent, LLC is Hale Music Talent, which financed the new jazz CDThe Very Thought of You by singer Nancy Fisher(www.nancyfishermusic.com). Actors from Hale Talent, LLC havebooked roles in Treme, Black and White, American Horror Story,Bonnie and Clyde, Pitch Perfect, and Jiffy Lube (print), among others.

Dr. Rebecca Hale (owner/agent) has a Ph.D. in EducationalTheatre from New York University and has owned her agency for19 years.

Liz Atherton, The Atherton Group(TAG) Talent Agency

504-708-2700 • www.tagtalent.comThe Atherton Group (TAG) Talent Agency represents profes-

sional, award-winning actors and voiceover artists, as well as the mostimpressive rising stars in the business. Founded in 1992, The Ather-ton Group has enjoyed a standing on IMDB as one of the topboutique agencies in the nation – a reputation that TAG works hardto earn and keep.

The Atherton Group opened operations in New Orleans in thesummer of 2009. Since then, TAG actors have enjoyed working allover the state, including recent principal and leading roles in Olym-pus Has Fallen, Treme, The Loft, Redneck Gators, American HorrorStory and White Rabbit. Agent Jorge Elizondo, who heads up theLouisiana division for TAG, is proud to be part of the ever-grow-ing Southern film industry and looks forward to more and more workfor actors and crew, alike!

It is the belief at The Atherton Group that with success comesresponsibility, and that giving back is not only a civic duty, but a priv-ilege. Inasmuch, TAG regularly makes contributions in time andresources to charities that support humans, animal welfare, andcommunity.

ANIMAL TALENT


Dawn Landrum, Landrum Arts LA Talent Agency

318-742-6554 • www.landrumarts.comLandrum Arts LA Talent Agency is a full-service agency that takes pride in provid-

ing actors to fill lead and strong supporting roles in feature films and television.Landrum chose to base their home-office directly in the center of the United States,

so they can successfully represent talent from coast to coast. Home base is located inShreveport, Louisiana, with satellite offices around the country.

“We made our home office in a northern location so when hurricanes hit the south-ern region our agency stays up and running,” says Dawn Landrum. “We never have

LALA

TALENT SPOTLIGHT

to evacuate or lose business and are always open to assist productions and cast-ing directors 24/7.”

Landrum prefers to operate as a boutique agency, keeping their clientelenumbers to a minimum. “It’s important that we agents know everything aboutthe talent we represent. So we keep our roster large enough to stay competitive,but small enough to personally know each actor, their stats, abilities and wherethey are at all times.”

To inquire about Landrum talent for your production contact Dawn or GeorgeLandrum at 323-208-3484 (CA), 214-233-1373 (TX), or 318-742-6554 (LA).Or e-mail [email protected]. Actors wishing to apply for represen-tation please do NOT phone, instead please e-mail [email protected] and include head shot, body shot (clothed), resume, reel,references. Please put the name of who referred you in the subject line.


ESCALANTE LUNDYEscalante Lundy was born and raised in New Orleans. In 2005 he was introduced to theater and film producing because of projectmanagement experience while working for the California Department of Transportation in Sacramento. Because of a no-show of anotheractor, Escalante was thrust into the performance world.

While in collaboration with Falkon Kwest Productions, he was involved in several stage productions in Los Angeles and Las Vegasbefore moving back to New Orleans after Katrina to assist family. He decided to stay awhile and try the local acting scene. In 2007Escalante began studying at the Anthony Bean Community Theater and made his New Orleans stage acting debut as the “PapayaMan”. After several other theater productions, the film world was next. He was signed by Brenda Netzberger of Open Range Manage-ment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He began studying with Valeka Grey, Lance Nichols and others before becoming a fixture at JerryKatz Acting Joint. Over the past 6 years Escalante has been involved in over 20 film/theatre projects, most notably the HBO televisionshow Treme, national commercial for Pampers with Drew Brees, the lead in feature film The Sickle, and one of his most recent book-ings as “Big Fred” in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Escalante is currently slated for a couple of upcoming film projects: hewill play “Hubbard” in Burn and a jazz musician in the remake of classic Body Heat. He will also play “Lenny Lyle” in Mouthpiece, abiographical film that documents the seedy underworld of prostitution in 1970s Atlanta’s dangerous sub-culture. He has currentlybooked a role in the Nicolas Cage movie Left Behind, directed by Vic Armstrong. Escalante feels that acting has not only been excit-ing as a profession, but has been key to human emotional development. He looks forward to continue working making acting a fulltime career.

SEAN P. BRAUD Sean Paul Braud (BRO) was born into a family of mainly non-athletic people who were more than mildly confused with the perpetualball of motion in their midst. He excelled at every sport he attempted but it was diving that combined his kinesthetic awareness withhis need to jump off of high surfaces. He was a high school state champion and heavily recruited before he was chosen by the Univer-sity of Pittsburgh where he was a 4 time All Big East Accolade recipient and a 3 time Big East Team Champion. In ‘01 he decided thathigh diving was not challenging enough and took 12th place in the Red Bull Cliff Diving Championships in Athens, Greece. This earnedhim a world ranking of 16th. In ’08, he placed 4th in the world, competing off the famous cliffs of Acapulco. Lest it be thought he wasonly a mindless jock, in ‘03 he graduated Cum Laude with a MA in Public Relations. Sean is currently living his childhood dream ofbeing a professional stuntman and has been quoted as saying that every day on set as a stuntman is living in a dream that has cometrue. In his free time he studies Krav Maga which allows him to enjoy his second love, martial arts.

[email protected]

CAROL ANN SCRUGGSCarol Ann was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, with most of her years spent in the Jackson, Mississippi, area. After raising a family shemade the decision to pursue her acting aspirations. She commuted to New Orleans for over 2 years and re-located to New Orleans inOctober 2012 to focus on her acting career. Her background includes being a Registered Nurse with a Master’s degree in HealthcareAdministration.

Carol Ann is a serious trained film and television actress who has ongoing studies with an Ivana Chubbuck certified instructor atJerry Katz Acting Joint in New Orleans. Additionally she has studied with Lance Nichols, Jim Gleason, Paul Webber, Tom Todoroff andmany others.

She has worked on many feature films, shorts and commercials. These include Moon Pie, Lavanda, Net Effect, Can’t Let Go, BlueCross and many more.

Del Corral & Associates504-324-3782 / [email protected]

Open Range Management-Louisiana2910 Fairway DrBaton Rouge, LA 70809225-216-2424

Atlanta Model and Talent-Georgia3098 Piedmont Rd. #102Atlanta, GA 30305404-261-9627

TALENT SPOTLIGHT


Louisiana TALENT AGENCIES

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TYPES OF TALENT/SERVICES PROVIDED

Acclaim TalentNew Orleans, LA504-330-8632www.acclaimtalent.comActors Choice Talent AgencyDenham Springs, LA225-408-9857www.actorschoicetalent.com

Bobbi Colorado & The Wild BunchSlidell, LA 228-324-3774

Clear Talent Group SouthNew Orleans, LA 504-834-8290www.cleartalentgroup.com

Carl Mack PresentsNew Orleans, LA504-949-4009www.carlmack.com

Del Corral & Associates Model & Talent AgencyNew Orleans, LA504-324-3782• www.delcorralmodel.com

MODELS

Amazing Animal Productions, Inc.Covington, LA310-990-3538www.amazinganimalproductions.comThe Atherton Group (TAG) Talent AgencyGeorgetown, TX504-708-2700www.tagtalent.com

fameagencyNew Orleans, LA800-458-9112www.fameagency.comFruition Talent & Media Inc.New Orleans, LA504-316-1184

Images Model & Talent AgencyLafayette, LA337-406-2219

J Pervis Talent AgencyBaton Rouge, LA & Atlanta, GA 225-329-7775www.jpervistalent.com

Impact MTANew Orleans, LA504-533-8759 www.impactmta.com

JCM’s Animal TalentCovington, LA504-838-8605www.jcmdogtraining.com

Hale TalentMetairie, LA504-858-9038www.haletalentagency.comHeyman TalentNew Orleans, LA504-264-2840www.heymantalent.com

Keiani Model ManagementNew Orleans, LA504-784-0897www.keimanagement.com

Jessica O’Day Agency, LLCNew Orleans, LA512-905-2116www.odayagency.com

Landrum Arts LA Talent AgencyShreveport, LA318-742-6554www.landrumarts.comLouisiana Talent AgencyNew Orleans, LA504-324-4288www.louisianatalentagency.com

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Moxie Agency, LLCNew Orleans, LA504-345-9591www.moxie-agency.com

New Orleans Model & TalentNew Orleans, LA504-525-0100

Metro Models and TalentNew Orleans, LA504-324-1990www.metromt.netMichael Turney AgencyShreveport, LA318-221-2628www.michaelturneyagency.com

MotherShip EntertainmentNew Orleans, LA 504-488-3865www.mothershipentertainment.com


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Paper Doll Promotions, Inc.New Orleans, LA 504-581-4444www.paperdollpromotions.com

People StoreNew Orleans, LA & Atlanta, GA504-324-2812www.peoplestore.net

Pastorini-Bosby Talent Agency, Inc.Houston, TX713-266-4488www.pbtalent.com

MODELS

NOVA: The New Orleans Voice Agency New Orleans, LA504-355-9673www.neworleansvoiceagency.com

Open Range Management, Inc.Baton Rouge, LA 225-216-2424www.openrangemanagement.com

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Proclaim Talent AgencyNew Orleans, LA504-849-9020www.proclaimtalent.com

Stage 2000, Inc.Baton Rouge, LA225-216-9195www.stage2000.net

Talent Connexion, LLCNew Orleans, LA504-296-3705talentconnexion.wix.com/talentconnexion

Top Dog Talent AgencyCovington, LA318-550-6000www.topdogtalentagency.com

Louisiana TALENT AGENCIESTYPES OF TALENT/SERVICES PROVIDED


Louisiana CASTING DIRECTORS/AGENCIES

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Anne Massey CastingMetairie, LA888-810-9060www.annemasseycasting.com

Batherson CastingNew Orleans, LA504-782-8483www.bathersoncasting.com

Double A CastingNew Orleans, LA & Wilmington, NC551-208-9915www.doubleacasting.com

Glorioso Casting, LLCNew Orleans, LA504-410-7097www.gloriosocasting.com

Fincannon & AssociatesMetairie, LA504-832-1222www.fincannoncasting.com

James Bearb CastingNew Orleans, LA504-905-2641www.jamesbearbcasting.com

Hollywood South Casting Database, LLCNew Orleans, LA504-252-0570 www.hollywoodsouthcasting.com

Legacy CastingShreveport, LA & Dallas, TX318-734-1088www.legacycasting.com

LaTanya Potts Casting/EntertainmentShreveport, LA & Los Angeles, CA318-550-3976www.latanyapottscasting.com

The Casting Office, Inc. Jefferson, LA504-812-5552

RPM Casting, LLCNew Orleans, LA 504-224-2278www.rpmcasting.com

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Caballero CastingBaton Rouge & New Orleans, LA225-610-1650www.caballerocasting.com

Coulon Casting, Inc.New Orleans, LA504-569-0683www.couloncasting.com

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Visit us online atwww.louisianafilmandvideo.com


STAR POWER TALKING FITNESS AND FILM WITHCELEBRITY TRAINER AARONWILLIAMSON

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Josh Brolin, Jamie Foxx and ZacEfron are just a handful of the A-list actors who have had theirbodies and minds transformed by celebrity trainer Aaron

Williamson. Williamson was born on August 9, 1979 and raised in Daytona Beach,

Florida. After graduating from high school, he joined the Marine Corps,which is when his life drastically changed. Out of high school he trav-eled the world as a Marine Corps infantryman, participating in severallarge-scale training evolutions.

In 2000, Williamson was screened and selected for the Marine CorpsWorld Famous Body Bearers, where he spent nearly four years conduct-ing funerals out of Arlington National Cemetery, and again, he trav-eled the world assisting in joint service events. In 2003, Williamson wasscreened and selected to become personal security for the Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), General Peter Pace. Here he spent theremainder of his Marine Corps career before he ended his active serv-ice in 2005.

“There have been times in my life where fitness has been the onlything I’ve had to turn to; it’s literally been the only thing to keep mesane,” says Williamson. “When I was in Baghdad, Iraq, I’ll never forgetthe relentless rocket attacks we endured every day. As crazy as it mayseem, I’d wake up at 3am, eat my quick meal, throw my body armoron and literally run to the gym, occasionally jumping in a bunker alongthe way just to get my training in. Yeah, I’m sure people will say I’mnuts, but getting in there was my outlet. I’d go crazy without it.”

As Williamson was departing from the Marine Corps, he was offeredcontract work in Iraq assisting in the biometric operations mission; hestayed in Iraq contributing to the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)for four years. In 2009, Williamson took a leap of faith and made thedecision to return to the United States to New Orleans. Throughouthis Marine Corps and contract career, his passion has been bodybuilding,health and fitness. No matter what job Williamson held or where he wasin the world, everyone knew him for this passion.

Now that Williamson is back in the United States, he is pursuing hispassion in health and fitness in hopes of making a difference in otherpeople’s lives and to show some amazing physiques on the big screen!

Williamson came to New Orleans from Iraq in the summer of 2009for a Marine Corps contract position that just didn’t work out asexpected. After some trials and tribulations, Williamson was able to moveinto fitness full-time.

“I linked up with Zac Efron, who was filming The Lucky One, and

became one of the technical advisors for that film,” says Williamson.“After The Lucky One, I was contacted by Treme director/producerAnthony Hemingway, who wanted to get back into the gym and gethis nutrition program back on point. We worked for the whole seasonand then things started picking up for me that summer when I trainedthe cast for GI Joe: Retaliation.”

Williamson now owns and operates Aaron Williamson Fitness,where he trains local film industry personnel and other clients wholive in Louisiana, and provides online training and nutrition programs.

Throughout the film industry, he is becoming known for trans-forming physiques for characters in record-breaking times—sometransformations never before done in film history.

“There are a lot of unique challenges in my profession,” saysWilliamson. “The hours change quickly and often. I’ve been in thegym training clients at 2am before, so in this business you have to beready to work at any hour. Another challenge is motivating an actorwho has been on set all day filming; the chance of them wanting totrain is usually pretty slim. Occasionally, I’ll take the gym to the actor,too, meaning if they’re out in the middle of nowhere filming, I packmy truck with what I need, meet them on set and get to work. A goodfitness pro can change on a dime and adjust without thinking twiceabout it.”

Williamson leaves us with these words of wisdom. “For anyone outthere who is on the fence right now pondering the thought of takingon the fitness challenge, I recommend you do it. I understand there’sa ton of controversial info circulating that makes people overwhelmedwhen trying to figure out where to start, but that’s where people likeme can come into play. As with most everything in life, if you reallywant something, then you’ll make the time to go after it.” LFV

For more information on Aaron Williamson, check out www.aaronwilliamson.net.

CELEBRITY CLIENTSAaron Williamson has trained many actors throughout his career.Here are quotes from a few of them, as recalled by Williamson:• “Knows his s*** and a solid cat. Hit him up when you’re ready torumble. He’d love to help transform you.” – Dwayne Johnson• “I can’t tell you how much this time and experience training withyou has meant to me. We did it!” – Josh Brolin• “That was some of the hardest training I’ve ever done. You’ve gota gift for working your magic in the gym. I’m gonna pass out now!”– Jamie Foxx

Aaron Williamsonwith Dwayne “The

Rock” Johnson.

Actor Josh Brolin andAaron Williamson.


Louisiana motion picture tax incentives aren’t news. They’re a success story. IATSE Local 478 now has 1,100 members and we’re still growing. These dedicated men and women work in various crafts in the art department, construc-tion, crafts services, electric, first aid, greens, grip, locations, paint, props, set dressing, sound, special effects, video assist and wardrobe.

We have one of the strongest and longest lasting incentives systems around which means these professionals have worked on hundreds of movies over more than ten years. They bring experience to your production. They raise the bar and lower your bottom line. If you’re looking for your next crew, look no more.

I.A.T.S.E. LOCAL 478Motion Picture Studio Mechanics ofLouisiana & Southern Mississippi

432 N. ANTHONY STREET SUITE 305 • NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119OFFICE (504) 486-2192 • FAX (504) 483-9961 • iatse478.org


WEBSTER PARISH HAS IT ALLSTORY BY EJAY COLVIN GUEST COLUMNIST

Hooray for Hollywood—and Hollywood South!Hello, my name is Ejay Colvin and I live in the wonderful city of

Minden, the parish of Webster, here in Northwest Louisiana. We are24 miles straight east of Shreveport/Bossier on Interstate 20. Yeah, we arein the zone!

I’m an occasional location scout, workingfor fun and my community, more than formoney. It all began with a hurricane calledKatrina and The Guardian being forced northto film. I was hooked, and this very day as I’mtelling you about my lovely city, a productioncompany is filming part of their story here inmy town. Comedy Central called me a RuralSpecialist, perhaps because they needed me to

find 200 chickens for their project, and I did.Allow me to elaborate on why you should

consider exploring our diverse area for yourproduction. Whether large or small, a studioor independent, you can definitely stretch yourbudget here.

Our heritage is Caddoan Indian, Germanand Scots/Irish. If you need an Indian village,a 200-year-old colony or Highland cattle, a

scary, dilapidated house deep in the woods, ahaunted, turn-of-the-century old mansion, ora desert with a standing city of Sodom orGomorrah, you can find it here. And ofcourse we have lakes, streams, bayous andswamps. How about a military facility, acompletely refurbished old-time movie theaterin perfect operating condition, the largestopen-air arena and amphitheater in the state?We also have at least seven summer encamp-ments and cabins. Add to that housing, motels,restaurants, two production office locationsand church groups that movie cater.

With the support of our Lieutenant Gover-nor Jay Dardenne, our State Senator RobertAdley, Arlena Acree of the Shreveport FilmOffice, and those great Louisiana film credits,how can you lose?

Real success is grabbing every opportunity.Come stay, play and make your movie magichappen here in Minden and the surroundingarea of Webster Parish. Discover ourLagniappe (A Little Something Extra)! LFV

For more information, call Ejay Colvin at 318-518-4176.

Come stay, play and make your moviemagic happen here in Minden and thesurrounding area of Webster Parish.

www.adamsandreese.com

800.725.1990 | 504.581.3234 | 225.336.5200

OUTINFRONT

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The Adams and Reese Entertainment and New Media team covers the legal arena within the entertainment, film, music, and book industries including intellectual property, technology, and newmedia. From concept to completion, we are advocates for our clients in contract preparation and negotiations as well as in purchasing, selling, licensing, protecting, and enforcing intellectual properties.

From concept to completion...

Meg Alsfeld Kaul New [email protected]

Tom ClarkBaton [email protected]

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Attorney Advertising. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than

the quality of the legal services performed by other lawyers. Advertisement contains stock photography.

Contacts: Charles P. Adams, Jr. and Ralph H. Wall, 504.581.3234


THE “EASE” OF LOUISIANA ATLOCATIONS EXPO

STORY BY W. H. BOURNEPHOTOS BY ODIN LINDBLOM

The Incentives Office at Ease hosted itsannual tax incentives seminar recently.Clint Mock, Louisiana CPA, and Chris

Stelly, executive entertainment director of theLouisiana Department of Economic Devel-opment, were on hand to explain the programchanges after the recent fiscal session.

“Louisiana’s program is exactly the sameand hasn’t changed, but there have been a fewtweaks to the program. The main thing thatcame out of the session was the 60 dayprocessing time on the initial cert side and 120days on the final cert side. You can definitelyplan your film and your budget around thoseprocessing time frames. While we’ve beenrunning well beneath those processing times,now it’s codified so producers and investorshave a firm time frame. The bill also createsa tax credit registry within the (Louisiana)Department of Revenue. So immediately, asof July 1, we no longer have to accept any

notices of transfer at our office, so the processnow is a lot smoother. They’ve narrowed downthe time frame to transfer the tax credit to 10days to create transparency. The goal was toeliminate any opportunity for an unscrupulousproducer to double sell the tax credits... (Thebill) created a central database so a taxpayeror end user can go to the (Louisiana) Depart-ment of Revenue’s Web site and say, ‘Are thereany tax credits left for this project? Have theybeen issued? Have any been transferred?’ It’smore of a protective measure for the end userof the tax credits and that’s a good thing.”

Ease was also doing demos of their softwareat the conference, including their popularbudgeting software that lets producerscompare incentives from various states andcountries. The software lets you tag portionsof the budget to give an in-depth comparison.At first glance, many incentive programs seemsimilar but most are not as generous asLouisiana’s when it comes to covering abovethe line in-state spend. After personally test-ing the software myself, I can easily say it’s an

invaluable tool for producers.After the Ease Conference, Stelly traveled

across town for the opening of AFCI’s annualLocations Expo, where he was joined byothers from Louisiana to promote HollywoodSouth. Film commissioners from Shreveport-Bossier, Lafayette, New Orleans and BatonRouge joined representatives from around theworld as they advertised their locations and taxincentives to prospective producers and loca-tion scouts. LFV

Bossier City Film Liaison Pam Glorioso helps aprospective client at Locations Expo.

Chris Stelly, executive director of LouisianaEconomic Development, speaks at the Ease taxincentive seminar.


In Summer 2012, Aquatic Specialties, Inc. leased a 150-gallonaquarium to be used on set in the Spike Lee movie Oldboy,filming in New Orleans. The set was a prominent restaurant.

The aquarium was set up to allow filming through it, in thecenter of the room. The T5 lamps used to illuminate the fishwere color-matched for filming purposes and the life-supportsystem was both hidden as well as muffled for noise-free oper-ation. Stocked with larger, freshwater tropical fish, it wasmaintained for several days before filming began. Our fish-

wrangler was on hand during filming to provide support to thefilm crew. This installation was upstairs and it took severalpeople to heave it up a narrow stairway. Other movies in whichwe have set up aquariums include: Failure to Launch, The Skele-ton Key, The Butler, Green Lantern and Black and White.

www.aquaticspecialties.com

AQUATIC SPECIALTIES, INC.

A 150-gallon aquarium onthe set of Oldboy, courtesyof Aquatic Specialties.

Established in 1997, American Luxury Limou-sines has a combined staff experience of100+ years of excellence in ground trans-

portation. Customer service has always been andcontinues to be our first priority. Our chauffeursattend an intense training class consisting of approx-imately 20 hours instructed by our General Manager.In addition, they complete a driving course in thevehicles, under the tutelage of our senior chauffeurs. Our chauffeurs arethe hardest working local drivers and several are licensed by the city ofNew Orleans as Tour Guides.

We offer a large variety of vehicles, ranging from Sedans to 28-passen-ger minibuses and everything in between. All vehicles are owned byAmerican Luxury and housed in our Mid City location. We have ourown Certified Master Mechanic on staff and all vehicles are maintainedto the highest standards.

We are very aware of the importance of being prompt, whether catch-ing a flight at Louis Armstrong International Airport or arriving at yourdestination. Our policy is to show up early, not “on time”, so you areable to depart at the scheduled time. We are staffed at the office 24/7/365for our customer’s convenience and peace of mind. We have the capa-bility to track commercial flights, so you do not have to be concernedabout transportation if your plane is delayed.

We enjoy working with all our clientele. From corporate to weddingsor film industry to medical, our current passenger is always the mostimportant one. With continued hope in the recovery and re-growth ofNew Orleans, we are committed to servicing our great city.

www.americanluxury.com

AMERICAN LUXURY LIMOUSINES


PRODUCERS GUILD PROMOTESMEMBERSHIP AND MENTORSHIPSTORY BY W. H. BOURNEPHOTOS BY ODIN LINDBLOM

J. J. Abrams, Jerry Bruckheimer, MarkBurnett, Roland Emmerich, Jon Favreau—the guest speakers at this year’s Produced By

Conference were some of the biggest namesin the business. The event was sponsored bythe Producers Guild of America (PGA) andwas held on Fox’s studio lot in Los Angeles.The conference focuses on mentorship, withestablished producers sharing advice fromthe trenches. Excerpts from this year’s confer-ence will be posted soon to the PGA’s YouTubechannel at www.youtube.com/producersguild.

This year, the PGA was also focusing onmembership, and for the first time, held itsannual membership meeting open to thepublic at the Produced By Conference. Thebig topic of discussion at the meeting was thepush for ratification of the “p.g.a.” mark by themajor studios. The purpose of the mark is toindicate which producers did the majority of

the work on a feature film. At press time, Para-mount, Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Foxand Sony had all agreed to adopt the markand the certification process for its use.

Vance Van Petten, national executive direc-tor of the PGA, explained, “The federallyregistered ‘p.g.a.’ mark is based on the indus-try-standard Producers Code of Credits, usedfrequently by studios and filmmakers, whichguides the Guild’s awards process in vetting afilm’s producers. It’s the ideal tool to ensurethat producers receive onscreen verification oftheir work.”

The membership meeting was interesting,as the various location chapters of the PGAgave their annual reports. After the meeting,I asked Van Petten why there isn’t a PGAchapter in Louisiana, particularly since we’rethe third largest hub of production in the U.S.

“If guild members want to gather and meetdown in Louisiana, we’ll certainly create achapter,” said Van Petten. “They just need tocontact us and let us know. In general, we

encourage anyone who meets our qualifica-tions to join the Producers Guild, and wewould love to have more producers fromLouisiana.” LFV

For more information on membership in the Producers Guild

of America, go to www.producersguild.org.

Clockwise from top: (l to r) Producers Mark Gordon,Jon Favreau, and Roland Emmerich; Jerry Bruck-heimer; J.J. Abrams.


SCREENWRITING COURSES COMING TO NOVACSTORY BY ANNIE GAIA GUEST COLUMNIST

As a screenwriter, I’m always looking forcourses on how to sharpen my writingtool. Luckily, NOVAC is guiding us

writers to learn and communicate our visionsinto successful productions or to sell it to thebigwigs in screenwriting.

As a teaser for their upcoming screenwritingcourse, the fourth and final installment ofNOVAC’s free (yes, free!) screenwriting series, incollaboration with New Orleans Public Library,invited writers and actors alike to “listen to howthe pros did it.” I missed the first three install-ments, but don’t worry, NOVAC made the finalone easy to receive some notes.

During the table read, NOVAC director ofprograms Ashley Charbonnet and fellow actors,such as the marvelous Michael Martin, sat downand read three different successful screenplays.The actors played various roles in scenes fromCasablanca, The Princess Bride, and MidnightCowboy. You could hear the difference in toneof each of the three pieces, as Charbonnet readthe stage’s most important part—stage direc-tions. I could visually see the scene with thewords being read at the table and decide whichstyle worked for me, a whole “aha, that’s how

that scene was written—what a subtle way ofmaking a flashback work so well.” Readinghistorical scripts at home is educational, buthaving it read aloud at the table was even better.

“I hope it garnered an interest in the commu-nity, in that NOVAC teaching more screenwrit-ing classes (offers) an opportunity to do a freescreening in conjunction with the libraries indifferent parts of the city, so we are excited aboutthat partnership,” Charbonnet explained. “Wereally want to take it to the next level, more work-shopping scripts that our filmmakers are bring-ing to the table, both features and shorts. Thetable read went really well; it seemed a lot ofpeople enjoyed it, so we’ll probably do that again.It’s possible that we will be doing more teaserclasses at NOVAC, as well.”

Yes! More workshops for the writing artist, justwhat I could use in this city.

Abigail Levner, membership and developmentcoordinator for NOVAC, attended the recentworkshop.

“We would love to do more. There is an abun-dance of writing talent in New Orleans; I thinkthese skills are essential to work in film,” she said.“Sigourney Hoffman is a great screenwriter; hewrote Love Lies. He’s going to be at NOVAC

soon for the BlueCat Screenplay Competition.We are hoping people will come to that. We areworking to develop a more formal screenwritingseries at NOVAC, such as Web Weekend, amicro-conference in partnership with the filmfestival. We are bringing in some really coolpeople and we are really excited about that.”

I’m stoked, too. I can’t wait for the BlueCatScreenplay Competition and to watch the film-making community grow. If you, too, are look-ing for more information, check out NOVAC’sWeb site (www.novacvideo.org) to find out moreabout how you can be involved in bettering yourskills. LFV

A teaser screenwriting class at NOVAC featured atable read of famous scripts.


ABIS PRODUCTIONS TO PRODUCEPAPA GROWS FUNK DOCUMENTARY

STORY BY ABIGAIL LEVNER GUEST COLUMNIST

Every filmmaker has a story to tell, but not always the funding or support toget that story told. When Papa Grows Funk, a New Orleans music staple forover 13 years, announced their hiatus from performing, Josh Freund and Sam

Radutzky decided to take action by telling the story of the “greatest music sceneon earth through the lens of one of its greatest bands,” according to Radutzky. Butthey needed $25,000 and the band’s consent to tell that story properly.

Freund and Radutzky, who create musicvideos for clients like Flow Tribe and Jon Clearyas ABIS Productions, conceived the idea for aPapa Grows Funk documentary soon after theband announced their hiatus in January.

“We are huge fans and felt it would be greatto do a 15- to 20-minute video about them,”said Freund. “We originally conceived theproject as something very small.”

That month, they pitched the idea to PapaGrows Funk frontman John “Papa” Gros at animpromptu business meeting in the Maple LeafBar bathroom (it was the only quiet place in thevenue). Gros and the band were immediatelyon board, connecting Freund and Radutzky topress at WWOZ and interviews with high-profile figures like musicians Allen Toussaintand George Porter, Jr., music journalist JohnSwenson, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festi-val producer Quint Davis, and Howling Wolfowner Howie Kaplan, among others. Whatstarted as a short video quickly grew into a full-

length Papa Grows Funkumentary.“The fact that the band backed the project

from day one gave us incredible access to allthese figures that we wouldn’t have been ableto talk to otherwise,” said Freund.

Radutzky noted, “You’ll learn about everymember, get inside their head, see how they tick.”

With the band’s support secured, ABISturned their attention to funding.

“We want to do this right,” said Freund. “It’sa great story, a local story, but it relates tomusic fans all over the world. And weabsolutely need funding for that.”

This June, ABIS launched a $25,000fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo, theonline crowdsourcing platform popular withindependent filmmakers needing access tomass online audiences and funding for proj-ects that otherwise might never reach comple-tion. In 2012, Angry Video Game Nerd: TheMovie raised $325,327 of its $75,000 fundrais-ing goal, becoming one of the most success-

ful indie films in IndieGoGo history. While avariety of fundraising platforms exist—Kick-starter being a major competitor—ABIS choseIndieGoGo specifically for its donor rewardssystem, which incentivizes potential donorswith redeemable prizes.

For a month, ABIS collected reward packagesfrom local businesses, music venues and bandmembers eager to support a Papa Grows Funku-mentary. The result was an enticing prize inven-tory consisting of guitarist June Yamagishi’swah-wah pedal, Marc Pero’s bass, a saxophoneclass with Jason Mingledorff, cooking lessons withJohn Gros, gift certificates to local businesses, andtickets to music venues across the country.

In July, the film surpassed its fundraisinggoal by over $3,000. The budget will largelysupport professional post-production work,including animated sequences of local artistFrenchy’s “live action” concert paintings.

Gesturing to independent music docsSearching for Sugarman and Twenty Feet fromStardom, which landed distribution deals aftergoing the festival circuit, Freund noted, “Idon’t know what’s going to happen yet, butwe’re going to make something very captivat-ing. And we have the network to get it in frontof someone who’s going to want to, and beable to, take it to the next level.”

Now in the editing stages, ABIS expects torelease the film in January 2014, in time forthe New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. LFV

Papa Grows Funk’s final concert at the Maple Leaf. “If Isee someone [at a PGF concert] standing still I want tolight their hair on fire,” said Quint Davis. SAM RADUTZKY


NOVAC ATTACKS!STORY BY ANNIE GAIA GUEST COLUMNIST

How are you gonna meet theright people in the industry?Well, a great way to start is

to get your foot out your door andget your feet wet in the scene.Literally, that’s what went down atthe most recent Get Wet Thursday,hosted by NOVAC.

Anybody and everybody could come andnetwork by the pool at the famous CountryClub in the Marigny. There were nakedpeople, which isn’t what we were all used tocompared to Get Wet Thursday hosted atIndulge last month. But hey, it’s New Orleans.In Star Wars attire for free entry to non-members, or in the clothing-optional CountryClub attire, all had a blast poolside.

“We got members, non-members, newmembers talking about projects, people wholike movies, people who are just here anywaysfor fun; it’s fantastic and a lot of mixing andmingling going on,” Ashley Charbonnet,NOVAC director of programs, explained oversangrias. Her favoriteStar Wars character isYoda, “because he knows what he’s talkingabout.”

I’m pretty sure everyone will be talkingabout the new connections they’ve made fromthis networking event. First-time NOVACattendee and actress Monique Pyle fromBrooklyn has been in the Hollywood Southscene for a year now.

“Down here, right now, there’s a really goodvibe going on and a lot of creative minds andpeople doing new projects. I think NOVACbringing those people together just reallyhelps to open those doors to people,” she said.Pyle’s favorite Star Wars character is Han Solo,“because he was the first crush I ever had.”(Sigh… Good choice.)

Why would you choose to attend a NOVACparty like this? Personally, I’ve found a direc-tor for my feature script, and I’ve borrowedgear to produce my own work.

Trying to meet other NOVAC members canbe difficult without attending these events. Ifyou’re two months new to New Orleans, likedirector Samantha Smith, it’s a good call to geton board new projects. She’s found three toput on her resume during the splashing event.

“I’ve gone from knowing zero filmmakers to

passing out 50 business cards,” said Smith.When asked about her favorite Star Wars char-acter, she honestly told me she’s never seen anyof the movies. (Sound cue, “The ImperialMarch.”)

“How in the world do I get in? How do Imeet the local peeps like you, Annie?”

Duh, become a member and use the Force!This was the final Get Wet pool party of thesummer. I know, I bummed, too. But trust me,there will be more chances to explore the beau-tiful filmmaking community through NOVAC’smembership. Along with video equipmentrental, they also offer seminars for grant writ-ing, cinematography courses, and will hostmore out-of-this-world meet and greets.

“I know some networking events have nega-

tive connotations to them—people who aren’tactually interested in making films but inter-ested in becoming famous. These people arereally interested in the community, in theindustry, in New Orleans, and come to thesethings continuously,” Abigail Levner, NOVACmembership and development coordinator,said to me.

“And who’s your favorite Star Wars charac-ter?” I asked this lovely host. “Can it just be thewhole band from the Cantina?” she responded.“They look so awfully fake playing in the back!”Awesome choice.

Thank you, Abigail, Ashley, and NOVACexecutive director Darcy McKinnon for atotally fun networking event. It was a “lightsaber.” LFV

All photos taken from last month’s Get Wet event at Indulge. Clockwise from top left: Jordan Koppens (musicpromoter) & guest, Jordan Joseph (dj/producer) & Alex Gluston (doc filmmaker), Vanessa Pranee Mansey(actress).


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