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LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE SIX2

ISSUE SIX LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE 3

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CONTENTS


EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Andrew [email protected]

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Shanna Forrestall

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

W.H. Bourne

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katie [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

David Heuring, Odin Lindblom, Samantha Smith, Jason Raymond, Carol Ann Scruggs

SALES MANAGER

Katie Higgins

SALES

Eric Iles

PRODUCTION MANAGER

John Rusnak

DESIGNERS

Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison,

Christina Poisal

WEBMASTER

Jon Hines

OFFICE MANAGER

Audra Higgins

INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Lois Sanborn

Louisiana Film & Video PublicationsA DIVISION OF

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP

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PRINTED IN THE USA

ISSUE SIXVOLUME NINE

6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

8 SELFLESS PRODUCER OFFERS CAUTIONARY INSIGHT FOR THELOUISIANA FILM INDUSTRY

12 OLDBOY FILMMAKERS PRAISE NOLAPRODUCTION COMMUNITY

16 OSCAR BUZZ AND VOODOO LOVE:SUNDANCE 2014

18 BRISK BUYING AT AFM BRINGS HOPE FORINDIE SELLERS

NOFF IN REVIEW24 12 YEARS A SLAVE

RED CARPET PREMIERE SCREENING

26 NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL: A PLACEFOR YOUNG FILMMAKERS TO NETWORK

28 ABOARD THE CAROUSEL MAKES ITSWORLD PREMIERE

32 WIFT-LOUISIANA PRESENTS “GENDERLENS” PANEL

34 NOLA NATIVE RETURNS TO SCREEN ATFESTIVAL

36 FACES OF CREATIVE INFUSION (PART II)HOW LOUISIANA’ S HOT FILM CLIMATE GOTTHESE PROFESSIONALS TO RELOCATE

40 NEW REDCINE-X PRO RELEASE MAKESSHOOTING ON RED MORE AFFORDABLE

42 SPOTLIGHT ON LOUISIANA PRODUCTION:A LOOK AT SOME OF THE PEOPLE ANDCOMPANIES THAT KEEP THE LA PRODUCTIONINDUSTRY BOOMING

44 VER + FLETCHER: A POWERFUL SYNERGYFOR MODERN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION

46 INOVO STUDIO OFFERS AIRLINER MOCK-UP FOR PRODUCTIONS

48 AMAZING ANIMALS IN HOLLYWOODSOUTH

52 FUNDDAT: NEW ORLEANS’ ANSWER TOKICKSTARTER

54 NOVAC’S FIRST WEB WEEKEND

ON THE COVER: Stunt coordinator Steve Ritzi checks in with Pod Carstunt driver Wally Crowder, while the crew prepares ascene for Tarsem Singh's Selfless in Marrero. Photo byHilary Bronwyn Gayle. © Shedding Productions LLC.

First assistant director Nick Mastandrea (R) and the crew prepare toshoot a scene of Tarsem Singh's Selfless on the levee in Algiers. Photo by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle. © Shedding Productions LLC.

8

DIGITAL EDITION AVAILABLE AT: WWW.LOUISIANAFILMANDVIDEO.COM

12


LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Happy New Year! The holidays are behind us, but hope-fully the holiday spirit hasn’t died off completely. Bynow, many of your New Year’s resolutions are well

underway. And for some, that may mean the resolve to beginyour resolution after the “holiday hangover” wears off, when-ever that may be.

Although 2013 had some minor bumps in the road, it wasanother successful year for Louisiana film, and we are certainlycarrying that success into 2014 with big-budgets and home-grown independents alike gearing up to begin production.

This issue we hear from producer Ram Bergman on his latestLouisiana endeavor, Selfless, starring Ryan Reynolds. Bergmanhas become accustomed to taking advantage of our Louisianacrew and talent base, and the tax incentives, as well, of course.(See page 8.) We’ve also been gifted with an inside look fromveteran DP Sean Bobbitt and director Spike Lee on the shoot-ing style of Oldboy. (See page 12.)

A special thank you to the New Orleans Film Society, whoorchestrated another great success with the 24th annual NewOrleans Film Festival. And to NOVAC for introducing Web Week-end to the film community, which offered some much needed

guidance to those pursuingWeb-based projects.

I’m lucky enough to startmy new year with a journey tothe Sundance Film Festivalas a representative of LF&VM.In partnering with theLouisiana International FilmFestival (LIFF) and theirefforts at Sundance, I lookforward to helping repeat lastyear’s success, which, if youhadn’t heard, involved a full-fledged, Louisiana-made Mardi Gras parade down Main Streetin Park City. This year, the same team brings Park Cityanother New Year highlight with Voodoo Love at Club Epic.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

All the best,Andrew Vogel, Executive Editor


STORY BY W. H. BOURNEPHOTOS BY HILARY BRONWYN GAYLE PHOTOS © SHEDDING PRODUCTIONS LLC

S elfless just recently wrappedshooting in the New Orleansarea giving residents the

opportunity for the latest celebritysightings of Ryan Reynolds, BenKingsley and Matthew Goode inthe Crescent City. Producer RamBergman is responsible for puttingtogether the project, which is hisfourth film utilizing Louisiana loca-tions.

“I’ve shot many movies here before with thelast one being Looper,” says Bergman. “Myexperiences have always been great here. A lot

SELFLESS PRODUCER OFFERS CAUTIONARYINSIGHT FOR THE LOUISIANA FILM INDUSTRY

of the crew I use is from here, including myline producer, David Pomier. I trust him morethan anyone.”

Selfless is directed by Tarsem Singh, who isnoted for his distinctive visual flair, includingelaborate costumes and locations. Singh’sworks have included The Cell, The Fall, Immor-tals, and most recently, Mirror Mirror. Inter-estingly, Singh directed the second unit inIndia for The Curious Case of BenjaminButton.

“I presented New Orleans to Tarsem andhe loved it,” explains Bergman. “He totallycould see the movie here, and financially, fromall the places in the country, it’s the place thatmakes the most sense in terms of the rebatesand everything. I’ve made many movies here,so I have the crew that I like and the city I like.It has a cool look. Originally, the movie waswritten for New York, but I thought it was waytoo expensive to shoot there, but it could makesense and I could see it in New Orleans. We’re

still going to shoot in New York for two days,but New Orleans and outside of New Orleanswe’ll shoot for the other places.”

Of course, as simple as Bergman makes itsound, he had to originally sell Singh on usingLouisiana locations.

“Tarsem is a very visual filmmaker,” saysBergman. “The first thing he was trying toimagine is where the film takes place. In thebeginning, he was kind of skeptical about NewOrleans, but when he came here with thescout, he literally fell in love with the city andthe looks and what he might be able to do withthe film here. He became very excited, and I’msure he’ll probably want to make his nextmovie here.”

Continues Bergman, “Tarsem’s very partic-ular about his locations, but he found placesthat he really loved. This is a more groundedfilm as compared to his previous movies, butit is still very visual. It did require more hourswith the location scouts to find the places that

First Assistant Director Nick Mastandrea (R) and the crew prepare to shoot a scene of Tarsem Singh's Selfless.


he really liked because he wasn’t going to settlefor anything else. We had a really wonderfullocations manager, Stephen LeBlanc, whowas great.”

As much as Bergman loves New Orleans, heis quite clear about the importance of theLouisiana tax credits and the way it impactshis decisions on where to bring films.

“The rebates are crucial. If there were norebates, I would not come here,” saysBergman. “People like New Orleans and theylike to spend time here, but once the rebatesgo down, people will not be coming here.”

He adds, “Since there’s a lot of filming, I’venoticed that, over the years, things are becom-

ing much more expensive. It’s really startingwith location fees. A film comes in with a$100-million budget and offers a location a$50,000 fee, but then when a small filmcomes in and that location wants another$50,000 fee, he’s not going to get it. Thingsbecome more and more expensive. I’ve seenit happen in other states and cities where theyjust priced themselves out of the market. Iknow I saw this happen in Europe and Israel.”

Bergman claims that more than 95 percent,maybe as much as 98 percent, of his crew arelocal, with more than 50 percent of the keycrew positions on Selfless being the samelocals who worked on one of his two earlier

films that shot here, Looper and The HungryRabbit Jumps (which released as SeekingJustice).

“I like the people. It’s a great town andgreat crew,” says Bergman. “Of course,depending on what time of year you’reshooting in, it can be slightly hot. And as coldas it gets here, it’s never as cold as it is on theEast Coast. Generally, I like the weather here,but when we first started shooting, it wasreally hot with a lot of humidity and cock-roaches. I came here with my wife and twokids and on the first few nights when (mywife) saw the giant cockroaches, she was nottoo happy. Once the weather cooled down,the cockroaches went away and all wasgood!”

While some films have had problems find-ing crew in New Orleans during busy shoot-ing periods, Bergman claims he had noproblems crewing up for Selfless.

“It truly is an advantage to have a lineproducer who is always based here, who liveshere and works here—who doesn’t live inL.A. We’ve made two or three moviestogether, so I just call Dave (Pomier) four orfive months in advance and tell him to startsecuring crew,” explains Bergman. “Becausehe knows who I like, and I know who he likes,he books (the crew) months in advance. Wenever have a problem finding crew, althoughI suppose some people just wait too late to tryand secure them.”

In addition to securing great crew,Bergman was also responsible for helpinglocate a great cast. He claims it was no differ-ent than any production.

“We knew what we were basically lookingfor,” says Bergman, “and we just got thescript out there to those people. Since themovie was already financed and had distri-bution, we wanted to get the right key name(but had no restrictions). Once we got Ryan(Reynolds), the other actors just fell intoplace. You always want to start with someonewho is good and right for the movie. If on topof that they are marketable and recogniza-ble, then it’s a bonus. But this movie has aconcept that is easy to market and makes itless dependent on who’s in the movie.”

Selfless does have a fascinating premise. Itis a science fiction thriller about an extremelywealthy man played by Ben Kingsley. In thefilm, he undergoes a radical medical proce-dure that transfers his consciousness to thebody of a healthy young man played by RyanReynolds. When Reynolds’ character starts touncover the mystery of the body’s origin, healso finds the secret organization that will killto protect it.

Selfless will head off to post after it shootsbriefly in Florida and New York. It is sched-uled to hit movie theaters in late fall of 2014.Be sure to look for it then. LFV

Producer Ram Bergman (r) and Cameron Jewell (l) from Endgame Entertainment on the set of Tarsem Singh'sSelfless.

"A" camera operator & Steadicam, Jody Miller (center), "A" camera 2nd AC, Kirk Bloom (left), and "A" dollygrip William Daimant (right).


STORY BY DAVID HEURINGPHOTOS BY HILARY BRONWYN GAYLEOB PRODUCTIONS, INC. © 2012

The Old Point Bar in AlgiersPoint is often called “themost filmed bar in the

South,” and in the fall of 2012 itwas living up to its name yet again.A film crew led by Spike Lee wasset up inside the gritty, atmos-pheric interior, shooting a quiet,intense scene with Josh Brolin. Leeis of course known for his passion-ate dedication to New Orleans,manifested most clearly in Whenthe Levees Broke: A Requiem in FourActs, his heartfelt and indignant2006 documentary about Katrinaand the government’s response.

At the camera was Sean Bobbitt, BSC, aveteran director of photography who is arising star in the cinematography world.Bobbitt’s background includes a decademaking documentaries in conflict zones, expe-rience that serves him well in creating believ-ability in narrative films. His recent creditsinclude Byzantium, Shame, The Place Beyondthe Pines and Hunger.

Bobbitt spent most of 2012 training hiscameras on the Crescent City and its envi-rons. Prior to Oldboy, he photographed 12Years a Slave for director Steve McQueenin the area. 12 Years a Slave is generatingtremendous Oscar buzz at the moment, andin November the film played in competitionat the Camerimage International Film Festi-val of the Art of Cinematography in Poland,where Bobbitt, a proud native of Texas whohas based his career in the UK, was on handto discuss his work on the project.

The original Oldboy movie, based on aJapanese graphic novel, won the Grand Prixat the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and earneda passionate fan base. Lee completely recon-figured the story for Western audiences, cast-ing Brolin as Joe Doucett, a man who isreleased after 15 years of solitary confine-ment with no explanation. Doucett discoversthat he has only five days to seek revenge.The cast also includes Elizabeth Olsen,Sharlto Copley and Samuel L. Jackson.

OLDBOY FILMMAKERS PRAISENOLA PRODUCTION COMMUNITY

Lee and Bobbitt envisioned the story witha number of different textures and time peri-ods, and chose to visually delineate the vari-ous threads of the story by shooting in arange of formats. The majority of the filmwas shot using the thrifty 2-perf 35mmformat. The 2-perf format creates awidescreen image area on the film negativethat is two perforations high, rather than thenormal three or four. Compared to tradi-tional 4-perf, the result is a 50-percent savingsin raw stock and processing costs. Two-perfalso makes for longer takes between maga-zine changes, improving efficiency and savingadditional time and money.

Bobbitt says that Lee wanted to shoot film,and the 2-perf format was a way to do thatwithin the budget.

“I’m old school,” says Lee. “I love film. Forcertain stories, film is absolutely the rightchoice. I was unaware of the 2-perf 35mmformat until Sean hipped me to it. It wasperfect for this production, because it meantwe could shoot film and get that analog feel.”

The movie begins in 1983, and movesforward to present time, in which the char-acter is released. Rather than creating thedifferent looks completely using computertechniques, Bobbitt wanted to use photo-graphic techniques.

“We shot Super 16 and graded it to looklike reversal film,” he says. “We found that wecould get a very good match for the reversallook using DI techniques, and it seemed like

an interesting way to start the film. We alsoshot some Super 8 material for flashbacks.For that, we used Spike’s own modifiedCanon Super 8 camera.”

Bobbitt worked with virtually the identicalcamera crew he used on 12 Years a Slave,made up almost entirely of NOLA locals.Because the 2-perf format results in extramagnification, the crew must be especiallyfastidious with the camera—dirt and hair isliterally a bigger problem. He praises theirprofessionalism.

“This is day 30, and touch wood, we’ve nothad a single hair in the gate,” says Bobbitt.“For two cameras, and the amount of footagewe’ve been shooting, that is truly phenome-nal. The quality of the crews here is great.”

Bobbitt is similarly enthusiastic about thesupport he has received from the local NewOrleans production community. He says thepresence of Fletcher Camera & Lenses hasbeen essential to the success of the Oldboyshoot. In July 2012, Chicago-based Fletcheropened a 6,000-square-foot facility in theElmwood/Jefferson Parish area of NewOrleans, and just recently, Fletcher joinedforces with Video Equipment Rentals toprovide even more services to the region. Seemore on this partnership on page 44.

Fletcher provided the Oldboy shoot withARRICAM ST and LT and Arri 416cameras, Cooke S5/I and S4/I prime lenses,and Arri/Fujinon Alura zoom lenses. Theyhave also provided equipment and services to

Elizabeth Olsen in Oldboy.


a long list of NOLA productions, includingHomefront and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,a technically complex native 3D production.

“Fletcher has been absolutely fantastic,”says Bobbitt. “Their team here has workedvery, very hard to ensure that we have every-thing we need. Shooting two cameras, day inand day out, on the sort of schedule we have,is very tough on equipment. No matter whattime of day or night, they’re out to fix, main-tain, repair or replace. I’m very grateful tothem.”

In one instance, a screw had worked looseon the viewfinder system on one of theproduction’s ARRICAMs, causing somenoise issues on the set.

“Tim Caldwell from Fletcher was here at8pm, took the camera away, worked on itthrough the night, and had it assembled, backon the set and ready to go before our 7amcall,” says Bobbitt. “That is exceptional serv-ice, something you truly appreciate as acameraman working on a tight schedule.With another rental company, we mighthave had to ship it out, or just tried to livewith the problem. But those little annoyances,by day 35, add up. If you’re going to shoota film in 35 days, then you’ve got to keepshooting. I’m very happy to be working withFletcher.”

Caldwell, Fletcher’s technical operationsmanager, says, “I learned long ago the impor-tance to our clients and crews of what I call‘extreme service.’ Production is hard work,and it’s important that our service techs putin the same effort as the camera crews.”

Bobbitt also has praise for Chap-man/Leonard Crane and Cineworks DigitalStudios New Orleans, the full-service post-production facility and motion picture labfounded by 30-year industry veteran VinnyHogan. Cinematographers, especially thoseshooting film, depend on a quality lab tosafeguard their precious images and tounderstand their intentions. Like Fletcher,Cineworks has made a bricks-and-mortar,boots-on-the-ground investment into thelocal production community. Recent produc-tions handled at Cineworks include LeeDaniels’ The Paperboy, shot by RobertoSchaefer, ASC, AIC, and Ariel Vroman’sThe Iceman, shot by Bobby Bukowski, as wellas 12 Years a Slave, Bullet to the Head, GIJoe: Retaliation, Looper, and The Butler.

“Cineworks here in New Orleans hasbeen fantastic,” says Bobbitt. “They haddone 2-perf before, so they were set up forit. The colorist here, Bradley Greer, isastounding, sort of a hidden gem sitting inNew Orleans. They have done such a greatjob for us. I think this is the future—smallboutique laboratories giving you a veryspecific specialized service. I’ve done twofilms with them and they’re as good as anyother that I’ve worked with. I’ve been very

pleased.”Bobbitt says he loves shooting in New

Orleans, and looks forward to his return. “With the amount of money that the tax

incentive brings in, and the level of employ-ment it supplies, they’d be foolhardy toundo it,” he says. “I have many friends in LosAngeles who are thinking of leaving becauseof the lack of work there. I’ve had quite ayear, working with Neil Jordan, SteveMcQueen and Spike Lee. I’d be happy tocome back to New Orleans to shootanytime.” LFV

Spike Lee (director) and Sean Bobbitt (cinematographer) block the shot in Chinatown; Josh Brolin (JoeDoucett) also pictured.

Josh Brolin in Oldboy.

Sean Bobbitt (cinematographer) at the viewfinder.


1 2 Years a Slave or DallasBuyers Club? Two powerfuldramatic films out of

Louisiana seem to be in the race forBest Picture at the 2014 Oscars.But the competition is stiff this yearwith heavyweight contenders likethe visual masterpiece Gravity, thestar-studded crime-drama Ameri-can Hustle, and The Wolf of WallStreet, which has been hailed bysome critics as Martin Scorsese’sbest work.

A growing trend of Oscar-worthy projectsis emerging from Hollywood South.Louisiana-made The Fantastic Flying Books ofMr. Morris Lessmore won the 2012 Oscar forBest Animated Short. Last year, the pride ofLouisiana independent film, Beasts of theSouthern Wild, received four Academy Awardnominations, including Best Picture, BestDirector, Best Adapted Screenplay and,adorably so, Best Actress for Louisiana nativeQuvenzhane Wallis, who was just six years oldwhen the film was shot. And as icing on thecake, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained,partly shot in Louisiana, received five Oscarnods in 2013.

Although 12 Years a Slave is no homegrownLouisiana indie film, it does have strongLouisiana roots. The film is the authentic,horrifyingly vivid, and powerfully movingstory of Solomon Northup, who spent nearly12 years as a slave among Louisiana’s BayouBoeuf. Based on the book-length memoirs,also called 12 Years a Slave, by the realSolomon Northup, the film is not only,arguably, the most realistic depiction of Amer-ican slavery ever put on film, but it’s also awakeup call for Louisiana to confront itsbleak history that has been masked by theenchanting remodeled plantations that oncehoused slaves.

The New Orleans-shot Dallas Buyers Clubfollows the free-wheeling life of Texas cowboyRon Woodroof, another real-life hero of sortsbrought to the big screen. Played by MatthewMcConaughey, Woodroof, a raging homo-phobe and drug abuser, faces the test of a life-time when he is diagnosed with AIDS andgiven 30 days to live. Not finding effectiveAIDS treatments available in the states,Woodroof side-steps FDA restrictions and

OSCAR BUZZ AND VOODOOLOVE: SUNDANCE 2014

takes matters into his own hands, searching foralternative treatments all around the world,and perhaps discovering his soul along the way.Louisiana native Jared Leto plays a cross-dress-ing gay man named Rayon who becomesWoodroof ’s unlikely business partner in hisendeavor to establish a “buyers club.”

VooDoo Love at Sundance 2014Louisiana is making a splash at this year’s

Sundance Film Festival with the anticipatedVooDoo Love, a one-time experience cele-brating Louisiana’s film industry with culturalfood, drinks, music and fun. The event ispresented by the Louisiana International FilmFestival & Mentorship Program (LIFF), thesame team that brought Park City one of themost talked-about events of last year, theLouisiana Mardi Gras at Sundance.

VooDoo Love kicks off at 5pm on Monday,January 20, at EPIC Nightclub, a newly reno-

vated premier dancenightclub on historicMain Street in ParkCity. The clubfeatures over 6,000square feet on onelevel with VIP bottleservice unmatched inhistoric Old Town.National musicartists make EPICtheir must-playvenue when on tourfor the intimate occupancy and their incredi-ble JBL VerTec Sound System. EPIC is alsoknown as the EPIC Social Lounge, hostingexclusive private events and specialty giftingevents during the Sundance Film Festival.

For more information about the event, contact LIFF at

[email protected] or 225-413-2405.

Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club.

A scene from 12 Years A Slave.

STORY BY W. H. BOURNEPHOTOS BY ODIN LINDBLOM

This year, the American FilmMarket (AFM) in SantaMonica opened with over

8,000 participants, a six-year high.Participants included more than100 new buying companies and arecord number of companies frommainland China. Additionally,there were two companies amongthe 357 exhibitors representingLouisiana.

As usual, Bill Hess with the Alexandria FilmCommission was exhibiting with CentralLouisiana in Film to attract directors andproducers to the Bayou State. Of course, thetax credits help. Hess and his team foundthemselves swamped after sessions at the FilmFinance Conference touted Louisiana as oneof “the most stable” and “the most popular”of the U.S. incentive programs, which topproducers, film financiers, and studio execsinsisted must be a part of your film financepackage.

EASE Entertainment Services was alsoexhibiting at AFM this year, touting their serv-ices, including budget and accounting soft-ware, payroll services, and incentivesassistance. Garrett Hauenstein was on hand tomarket EASE’s services.

“AFM was great for us again this year,” saidHauenstein. “We had an opportunity to talkwith producers from all over the world.Louisiana continues to be one of the most

asked about states, both because of the greatincentive and the deep crew base. We’ve gota fantastic staff in our New Orleans office, andwe can play a big role in helping productionsget off the ground in the state.”

The first few days of market saw brisk busi-ness, as most of the exhibit offices were filledwith buyers. Many of the larger companiesclosed up shop this year as early as Mondaymorning when all their territories were sold.In the past, this spelled doom for indie film-makers, who walked the empty hallways at thelater part of market, but the hallways werequite busy during that period this year. Typi-cally, the last half of market has been reservedfor independent filmmakers trying to peddletheir films to companies, sales reps or agents.In the past few years, there’s been little inter-est in product by indie filmmakers, but thisyear there was a marked change with compa-nies looking at teasers, scripts, pitches, andfinished films.

Just over 400 films screened this year, includ-ing 321 market premieres and 75 worldpremieres from 51 countries. Films premier-ing showcased the works of Helena BonhamCarter, Daniel Radcliffe, Gerard Depardieu,James Caan, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain,James Franco, Richard Dreyfuss, CoryMonteith, Stanley Tucci, Ben Kingsley, ViolaDavis, Bill Hader, Emma Roberts, Val Kilmer,Judi Dench, Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thomp-son, Zach Braff, Jay Z, Kanye West, DakotaFanning, Peter Sarsgaard, Nicolas Cage, HaleyJoel Osment, Josh Hartnett, Jenna Fischer,Abigail Breslin, Thandie Newton, Amy Smart,Jesse Eisenberg and many more.

Quite a few of the films for sale had lensedin Louisiana, with the highest profiled being

12 Years a Slave. Even though the film had alimited opening in the U.S. on October 18,many foreign territory rights were still avail-able for purchase at AFM this year. The film’saward season buzz had to be helpful in gener-ating sales. Companies like Lionsgate andMillenium/Nu Image were busy with pre-sales, using foreign territory dollars to helpfinance their upcoming films.

Of course, it’s AFM’s conference series thathas helped increase attendance of producers,directors and even writers at the market. Thepopular five-day series showcased sessions onfinancing, production, marketing, distributionand pitching. They featured global industryleaders, including Adam Carolla, RyanKavanaugh, Mark Burnett, Nicolas Gonda,Tobin Armbrust, Paul Bales, Eric Brenner,Mark Canton, Cassian Elwes, and manyothers. This year, AFM also ran an exclusiveProducer’s Conference, open to the first 350attendees who had produced at least onemovie. Designed to be more of a mentoringprogram, veteran producers met with selectattendees over several days of the market.

The pitching conference and producer’sforum provided great information and inspi-ration for independent filmmakers looking tofind everything from pre-sales to distribution.

“Don’t presume you know where Holly-wood is trending,” said Tobin Armbrust, pres-ident of worldwide production andacquisitions at Exclusive Media Group. “Thepassion is what comes through when you’repitching. Most of the time pitches don’t sell.If you’re a writer, always write. You shouldnever be discouraged if you can’t sell some-thing as a pitch.”

“Lead with genre,” said Stephanie Palmer,


BRISK BUYING AT AFM BRINGSHOPE FOR INDIE SELLERS

AFM attendees chat with panelists after a conference session.


author of Good in a Room. “In a verbal pitch,genre gives context to the listener. Focus on asfew main characters as possible, and identifypatterns of feedback.”

Famed producer and former agent CassianElwes shared an anecdotal tale about LauraZiskin trying to make The Butler, which alsofilmed in Louisiana.

“(Ziskin) had been trying to make the movieand studios were passing on it,” said Elwes.“Since she was a studio filmmaker, she didn’tknow how to raise money. She was dying fromcancer and her last thoughts, her last breaths,were spent on how to make this movie. That’sthe level of passion we’re looking for.”

“It’s tough,” said independent film consult-ant Stacey Parks. “When pitching, you have tolead with (the project’s) value.”

Parks went on to discuss important distri-

bution issues: “The U.S. is the biggest VODmarket. You want to go through aggregators,not sales agents. They (aggregators) takecommission; they don’t charge fees. KinoNation just launched in beta—you don’t evenhave to talk to anyone, you just upload yourfilm and they have direct access to iTunes. Ifyou can, retain your U.S. Rights. You need asales agent for foreign and you can’t just e-mailthem. It’s best to hold off on your foreignrelease until you secure your domestic deal soyou can leverage it.”

Adrian Ward, SVP of entertainment indus-tries division at Pacific Mercantile, said, “Theforeign sales agent is the heart of the matter.There are so many of them around. Bediscerning. You want people who are activelyengaged and who can talk you through whothe top 10 buyers are in territories and havespent a lot of time building those relation-ships.”

Many of the sessions were focused onproducing independent film and includedadvice from financing to marketing and distri-bution.

“The business hasn’t gotten bad, the busi-ness has gotten selective,” said Clay Epstein,SVP of sales and acquisitions at ArclightFilms. “The independent world is all about riskmanagement—reducing the risk at all costs.The film must be execution dependent. Pres-entation is key; it must contain stars, directors,

writers, etc., with built-in value.” Added Aaron Ryder, president of produc-

tion at FilmNation, “There are four parts ofbeing a producer, in my opinion: the first isfinding and developing the material, thesecond is the packaging, meaning the direc-tors, the actors… The third is financing andthe fourth is overseeing these three things untilthe release of the movie.”

“The marketplace is going to dictate whereyour movie is going to end up,” emphasizedEpstein. “Listening to the market is veryimportant. It requires true research develop-ment.”

“Television has saved the industry. It bringsa different speed, a different stamina…,” saidRyder. “The quality of TV shows will makeus better filmmakers. Cable television takesmore risk, more emphasis on writing… it haspushed the bar higher and has become soincredibly popular.”

“The cost of getting the titles out there issignificantly less and less,” said Susan Jackson,co-founder and co-president of FreestyleReleasing. “We’ve come up with cost-effectiveways to reach the audience.”

“People may say ‘my film’s for everyone,everyone will like it,’ but it’s not,” said MattBrodie, head of U.S. distributions and acqui-sitions for Exclusive Media. “Be realistic inwhat audience you’re going for.”

“Cast always helps across the board,” said

Non-stop working at AFM.


Tristen Tuckfield, VP of acquisitions at Mille-nium Entertainment. “We’re very cast-drivenand cast-focused and on the genres that arelower-risk genres, like thrillers or actions orcomedies. I think dramas are becomingincreasingly more difficult to sell. For a dramato really work in the marketplace, you need tohave the box office behind it.”

Besides drama being a hard sell, documen-taries seem to also have a difficult time. This year,AFM devoted a session completely to the real-ity format.

“Documentaries are different than storynarratives. They are like college papers: you startwith a hypothesis and don’t really know whereit’s going to go. We look at documentaries atevery stage,” said Michael Werner, chairman ofFortissimo Films. “However, the one thing wedon’t do, we do not invest in documentaries byfirst-time filmmakers.”

“The pitch needs to hook us in a few minutes,”said Daniel Bauer, co-founder, producer of busi-ness and legal affairs at K5 Media GroupGmbH. “If you cannot find the hook that makesit exciting in a few sentences, then we won’t beable to make it exciting later on. I find crowd-funding interesting because if you can’t find away of putting a film online to raise money, it’sgoing to be difficult to find an audience for yourfilm later on if you can’t explain it to people fromthe beginning.”

“For us it’s about emotion,” continues Bauer.

“If something comes in and punches us in thegut, we want to get involved. You have to give as*** about the film because it’s really difficult tomake a documentary. If you ask me what aproducer is, I’d tell you we take a director’s dreamand make it his nightmare.”

Regardless of whether you’re making a narra-tive or a documentary film, the process is stillchallenging for the independent filmmaker. Hereare some final thoughts from the wealth of infor-mation from this year’s AFM conference series.

“You need a very firm marketing plan andrelease plan, just like a studio would have witha feature film,” said Lisa Romanoff, managingdirector and CEO of worldwide distribution at

Vision Films.“Grassroots support is critical for unbranded

films,” added David Bixler, SVP of acquisitionsand production at MGM Worldwide Distribu-tion for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

“Twitter is huge, having some kind ofmarketable element,” said Tuckfield. “No matterhow loud you are, you still need a marketableelement to really get behind you and your film.Sometimes it’s someone with a huge followingwho can reach out to a fan base.”

But Aaron Ryder summed up this year’s AFMbest: “Out of change comes chaos, out of chaoscomes opportunity, and out of opportunitycomes luck.” LFV

Garrett Hauenstein (l) of EASE Entertainment Services was promoting EASE’s services at AFM.


STORY BY CAROL ANN SCRUGGS

The 24th New Orleans FilmFestival opened with thepremiere red carpet screen-

ing of 12 Years a Slave at the newlyrenovated Civic Center. The filmtells the true story of SolomonNorthup’s one-man fight for free-dom. It’s a pre-Civil War, 1840sstory of a free black man fromupstate New York kidnapped andsold into slavery in New Orleans.

This well attended screening was in “Holly-wood” style, featuring a red carpet lined withpress and a large presence of the film’s star-studded cast. Among the attendees wereSteve McQueen (director), Chiwetel Ejiofor(Solomon Northup), Lupita Nyong’o (Patsy),Rob Steinburg (Parker), Alfre Woodard(Mistress Shaw), Dwight Henry (UncleAbram), Bryan Batt (Judge Turner),Cameron Zeigler (Alonzo Northup), JayHuguley (sheriff), Tony Bentley (Mr. Moon),Kelsey Scott (Anne Northup), Sarah Paulson(Mistress Epps), and Sean Bobbitt (directorof photography). New Orleans locals—including Mayor Mitch Landrieu, his wife,and Katie Williams, director of the NewOrleans Film Commission—also hit the redcarpet in style.

All were gracious to share their time andexperiences while making the film. WhenChiwetel Ejiofor was asked about his expe-rience filming in the city of New Orleans, hereplied, “It was in the summer so it washotter, but it was an extraordinary place toshoot, and shooting all over gives you a realsense of place and experiences. It’s such aunique story, and it’s taken directly from thebook. It’s so rare to have a story that’s sodeep inside the experience. We were able touncover so much that we didn’t know aboutat that time. It’s something that has beenmissing in cinema, something like this storyof Solomon that gives us a unique perspec-tive inside the experience. I think that it’ssomething that should spark conversationand something that’s required reading so thatby the time you’re 15 you should know thestory.”

12 YEARS A SLAVE RED CARPETPREMIERE SCREENING

Lupita Nyong’o said she only had sixweeks from the time she got the role until thetime she had to be on set. When asked if ittook some time to wind down after shootingsuch intense scenes, she said, “Most defi-nitely. Every day after I treated myself tomassages and meditation.” When asked,“Did you do any New Orleans type ofthings while you were here?”, she responded,“Well, I ate fried mussels, which I’ve neverdone, and went go-karting for the first time.I have many fond memories for sure.”

When director Steve McQueen was askedhow it feels to bring the film back to NewOrleans, where it was shot, he said, “I’mhappy to be back. The cast is a marvelouscommunity and we all worked as a familyand supported each other.”

The screening was preceded by a liveperformance from OperaCreole, a NewOrleans group with musical work bycomposers of color and songs by 19thcentury free Creoles. Afterward, the cast andcrew had a second line band escort downPoydras Street to the after party at GallierHall.

It was there that I had a conversation with

Dwight Henry (Uncle Abram). Both Henryand Quvenzhane Wallis (Margaret Northup)were not only in 12 Years a Slave, but theydid their first film together in Beasts of theSouthern Wild. Beasts was nominated forfour Oscars—Best Picture, Best Director,Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress.Henry is well known locally for his bakery,the Buttermilk Drop Bakery and Café. Hespoke of his struggles when he was firsttrying to start a bakery and was unable to geta loan. That didn’t stop Henry. He boughtone piece of equipment at a time, and inthree years he was set. When Beasts cameknocking, he told them he couldn’t becausehe had to run his bakery. Director BenhZeitlin and his crew persisted and agreed towork around his bakery schedule to film.Henry has appeared in other films since thenand now feels very blessed to be a part of 12Years a Slave.

Coincidentally or not, there’s been a lot ofOscar buzz going on from the Telluride andToronto Film Festivals for 12 Years a Slave.An Oscar or more would be very welldeserved for a film and cast of this caliber.My fingers are definitely crossed! LFV

Chiwetel Ejiofor pictured at thescreening of 12 Years A Slave.Photo by Craig Mulcahy.

Director Steve McQueen answers questions after thefilm’s screening.

Lupita Nyong’o pictured at the screening of 12 YearsA Slave during the 2013 New Orleans Film Festival,held on Thursday, October 10, 2013. Photo by Craig Mulc-ahy.

Steve McQueen pictured at thescreening of 12 Years A Slave.Photo by Craig Mulcahy.

Dwight Henry and guest picturedat the screening of 12 Years ASlave. Photo by Craig Mulcahy.

NOFF IN REVIEW


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Jack Seidman, Jessica Pignataro, Suzanne Doran,Zach Wechter, and Joe Carnegie.


Maja Holzinger and Walter Vera.

STORY BY JASON RAYMOND

Director Kevin McMullinnoticed it during his sold-out screening of Aboard the

Carousel when he looked aroundthe room. “I realized we had allthese young filmmakers in audi-ence,” he said. Given the growingreputation of the New OrleansFilm Festival, McMullin isn’tsurprised more young filmmakersare coming, explaining, “It’s outthat New Orleans is receptive tolow-budget filmmaking andaccepts a range of films.”

Pennsylvania filmmakers Jessica Pignataroand Suzanne Doran of Tinker Films echoMcMullin’s observation. “This festival seemedto be a nice mixture of all aspects of the indus-try,” said Pignataro. “And that’s what we werelooking for. And that’s what we got. Not tomention the interesting films slated to screen.”Doran points out a fact underlying why somany filmmakers are drawn to New Orleans.“It’s supposed to be one of the best film festi-vals,” she said. “It’s on, like, every list, and wewere definitely hoping to meet people wecould work with.”

Along with the quality of the films, film-makers also talked about the social eventsorganized by the New Orleans Film Society.Parties and events during the film festivalhelped facilitate connections. As Los Angeles-based filmmaker Zach Wechter said, “The firstnight of NOFF, we met several filmmakerswith shorts in the festival and ended up hang-ing out at screenings and parties togetherthroughout the week.”

One such party was the “FilmmakerWelcome Party,” held on the second night ofthe festival for the more than 200 filmmakersattending. The party was held at the historic1859 mansion on Esplanade Avenue on theedge of the French Quarter. Owned bySixteen19 - Esplanade Studios, the large plushrooms and intimate gardens created a perfectambiance for meeting and networking. In themain rooms, large tables offered an array offood, while chefs offered traditional areacuisine and waitstaff carrying finger foodsmingled with guests.

NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL: A PLACEFOR YOUNG FILMMAKERS TO NETWORK

Aboard the Carousel star Arielle Haderfound directors looking to cast her in their nextproject. “I met Suzanne and Jess of TinkerFilms and we really hit it off,” she said.“When they started talking to me about themovie they had in post-production, which isabout a girl who is dealing with her momhaving dementia, I was really impressed thatthey were tackling that sort of unique andgritty subject matter. That’s the stuff I gravi-tate toward. They asked for my reel and havecast me as one of the leads in their next movie,which is so exciting.”

Added Tinker’s Doran, “I saw her and Iimmediately pictured her as a character in thescript we’re working on.”

Hader reported that other directors whosaw her strong performance in Aboard theCarousel have approached her about futureprojects.

Polish-born, New Orleans-based filmmakerMaja Holzinger also found an actor to cast.“During the festival I met the actor RitchieMontgomery,” she recalled. “It resulted in mecasting Ritchie, who has recently been inDjango Unchained and American Horror Story,as a lead character in my short film Call MeCappy that I’m shooting this December.”

But Holzinger says that it’s possible to meetfilmmakers in venues other than late nightparties. “One of the most wonderful thingsthat happened this festival was an opportunityto meet Godfrey Reggio after his discussionpanel at the Contemporary Arts Center. I’vebeen a great fan of his work, and I neverthought I’d be able to talk to him in person. I

found him to be a very friendly man with lotsof deeply interesting things to say to me.”

Writer/director Jack Seidman believes thiswarmth isn’t accidental. “The festival organ-izers have such a respect for the filmmakersand the work, and such a love for the city,which is contagious,” he said. “It’s clear whyso many industry professionals come down tobe a part of it.” Seidman thought he wouldmeet other young professionals getting theircareers underway, but also found establishedfilmmakers he knew from his work at theSundance Film Festival, so it was a chance torenew friendships.

Seidman’s frequent writing partner, ZachWechter, related a story showing the generalair of camaraderie that filmmakers can expectif they attend the New Orleans Film Festival.

“The first night of NOFF, Jack and I wereplanning to stay at an old friend’s house a greatdistance outside of the city,” said Wechter.“We ended up staying out way too late butwere saved by Nathan Punwar and KathleenKyllo, who we had met that night. They hadan extra bed in their hotel room. We finallysaw their movie the last day of the fest, and itwas incredible.” LFV

NOFF IN REVIEW



Not only did Aboard theCarousel make its worldpremiere at the New

Orleans Film Festival, it also hadsold-out showings. Cast and crewoffer their thoughts on what it’s liketo debut in Hollywood South, theimportance of the New OrleansFilm Festival, and seeing a three-year project become a hit withaudiences:

Director Kevin McMullin remembers a

ABOARD THE CAROUSEL MAKESITS WORLD PREMIERE

buzz about the New Orleans Film Festivalwhen he was studying directing at Colum-bia University’s graduate film program.

“Everyone has a short list of festivals theywant to be a part of,” he says. “AndrewHauser had a short film here; I got goodfeedback from him. I consider this a strongfestival with a diverse selection of films.”

Producer Christina Papi recalls “seeing inindustry magazines New Orleans alwaysbeing ranked as one of the top 20 or 50festivals every year.”

Such positive impressions made submit-ting their film to the New Orleans FilmFestival quite easy. The reception given byfilm festival crowds pleased everyoneinvolved in the production.

Cinematographer Sean Emer and director Kevin McMullin shooting a hot air balloon scene.

Actor Benjy Brookeas “Alex”

Actor Vince Mazzeo as“Vin”

Writer, director and producer Kevin McMullin duringpre-production.

Actress Arielle Hader as “Daphne”

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mouth building since their successful NewOrleans debut, their feeling is that Aboardthe Carousel will have an even warmerreception when the film screens in NewJersey.

McMullin feels such momentum willreally help when he decides how Aboard theCarousel can best reach audiences. Withonline distribution such a necessity today, hebelieves successful appearances at film festi-vals like New Orleans can translate intoaccess through companies like IndieFlix,Hulu, and Netflix. Exit 117 appeared onIndieFlix after being shown at over a dozenfilm festivals and winning the 2009 FleschScreenwriting Award and a 2009 DrexelNew Fund Grant.

After their successful screenings, everyoneinvolved in Aboard the Carousel sees NewOrleans as a wonderful spot to set their nextmovie in. Walking around the city betweenscreenings, producers Christina Papi andChris Bacarella became taken with thedistinctive architecture and European flavorof the city.

As McMullin puts it, “The economy ismoving, and there’s a flavor of new here. Iwould love to shoot my next movie in NewOrleans.” LFV

For more information about Aboard the Carousel, including

upcoming showings, see www.boyandstar.com.

Papi loves that “a lot of older people inthe audience laughed the hardest.” Aslaughter erupted from the crowd, McMullinremembers thinking, “You get differentresponses from different audiences. Here theaudience got it. Sitting with them, youcould tell just how much they enjoyed it.”

Producer Chris Bacarella hadn’t seen acut of the movie in a while. He says, “Someparts are just sweet and funny. It’s a creditto Kevin that he got such good perform-ances.”

Actress Arielle Hader, who plays Daphne,who gives “intimacy lessons” in the movie,attended a screening “as a pure spectator. It

was humbling to see it as a whole (and) real-ize I was a part of it.”

McMullin’s regular writing partner andExit 117 actor John Blakeslee believes suchsuccess comes down to an effort to entertainpeople. “Rather than make a statement,which we tend to keep in the background,we work for a magical connection thatmakes audiences smile.”

McMullin reports that with the strongaudience response, he’s already beencontacted by the program directors at otherfestivals. “Having the movie do well in NewOrleans is helpful. There seems to be anetwork of program directors, so the wordspreads.” Papi believes that “premieringyour film somewhere else, like New Orleans,really helps with the build-up. You getmomentum coming out of showings like wehad here.” Cast and crew have also metmany other filmmakers during their stay andenjoy the feeling of common support.

The creative team behind Aboard theCarousel has deep New Jersey roots. Whilethe movie does mention New Jersey, the filmdoesn’t seem regional, with a visual style andrural background offering wide appeal.That doesn’t mean the folks back homearen’t eager to see it. Cast and crew remem-ber the large turnout that their first film,Exit 117, got at the Garden State Film Festi-val. With future screenings and word-of-

Director Kevin McMullin, cinematographer SeanEmer and producer Chris Bacarella prepping for ahot air balloon scene.

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NOFF IN REVIEW


WIFT-LOUISIANA PRESENTS“GENDER LENS” PANEL

Closing night film Bayou Maharajah, directed byWIFT member Lily Keber.

Lily Keber speaksat the WIFT panel.

STORY BY CAROL ANN SCRUGGS

The 24th annual NewOrleans Film Festival, spon-sored by the New Orleans

Film Society, opened Thursday,October 10, with a red carpetscreening of director SteveMcQueen’s 12 Years a Slave andclosed on Thursday, October 17,with Bayou Maharajah: The TragicGenius of James Booker, directed byLily Keber. Not only were there ahost of film screenings to attend andparties and receptions to enjoy, butalso informative panels on a varietyof subjects.

One of the panels was presented by theLouisiana chapter of Women in Film and Tele-vision (WIFT). This 501(c)(3) nonprofit, formedin 2011, is dedicated to the advancement ofwomen’s careers in all areas of film, video andnew media. There is a global network of Womenin Film and Television, with over 40 WIFT chap-ters worldwide and 10,000 members working inall aspects of the film industry.

The panel they presented was called “GenderLens: Taking Charge of the Camera,” held at theContemporary Arts Center. Both men andwomen attended this popular panel in a stand-ing-room-only space. Panelists included moder-ator Debra Zimmerman (New York-based),executive director of Women Make Movies;Carol Bidault de I’Isle (Los Angeles), an award-winning producer; Charlotte Cook (Canada),director of programming at Hot Docs; JudithHelfand (New York), founder of Chicken andEgg Pictures; Lily Keber, a New Orleans-basedfilmmaker who directed Bayou Maharajah; andShannon Plumb (New York), director ofTowheads.

Zimmerman opened by saying that the term“gender” denotes both men and women, and thefocus of the panel would be on women and theimpact of women in the film industry. Shepointed out several important statistics concern-ing women in the film industry from a study doneby the Women’s Media Center (WMC).

“According to WMC, there has been a tremen-dous change in the inequity of women in film,”said Zimmerman. “Between 1930 and 1960,

there were only 2 women filmmakers and nowin 2013, 12 percent of films in the USA weredirected by Caucasian women and 2 percent byminority women. In 2012, 18 percent of womenworked as producers, directors and editors on thetop 250 grossing films, with an increase of 2percent since 2010, but an increase of only 1percent since 1998. That’s pretty gruesome, butthe good news is that in documentaries over thelast 11 years at the Sundance Film Festival,women directors have been over 34 percent ofdocumentaries. So there is a real difference infiction and the documentaries, with respect towomen filmmakers. We’ve certainly come a longway, but things haven’t come as far as we’d like.Fortunately, women support women. Filmsdirected by women feature more women in allroles. One of the best strategies used by womenis teamwork, with producers and directors work-ing together.”

As we work our way down the panelists, CarolBidault said, “Our number one goal is not tokeep men out of WIFT, but to celebrate womenand their achievements.” She also said theyprovide valuable resources, which includes a lotof education and networking opportunities toestablish the connections needed. Bidault addedthat the WIFT-Louisiana stats are worse than theWIFT-Los Angeles chapter for women in film-making. She re-emphasized that through WIFT,women support women and have an opportunityto share their experience. Bidault’s role in the film-making process is financing. She said the major-ity of her clients are men, and they have noproblem stepping up to the plate.

The next panelist, Lily Keber, said, “When Iwas asked what my challenges were as a direc-tor, I said there were many challenges as a direc-tor, but I’m not sure how many were because Iwas a woman. There are a lot of us out there now,but it’s up to us to step up to the plate. I feelwomen are very collaborative and this is one ofour greatest strengths. We’re used to jugglingeverything as mothers. We’re also more open toothers’ perspectives.”

Charlotte Cook puts together North America’slargest film festival for documentaries. She said,“A lot of female directors make films about men,but we need to make more films about women.More women are in documentaries because itcosts a lot less money, and you don’t need a wholeteam of people.”

Shannon Plumb added a bit of humor withher comments. “I wanted to tell you… When Istarted out, I wasn’t going to be a director. I stud-ied acting for four years and got in the real world

and realized I wasn’t going to be an actor. I knewI was going to be in movies, I just didn’t knowhow. I got a camera, took shots of myself andmade shorts for 12 years. I now have over 200Super 8s! At one point I realized I was bigger thanthe story I was in and wanted to tell the story ofbeing a mom, so I started writing a script.”

Judith Helfand was very compelling in herjourney. Out of her bad luck with having cancerand being uncured by cancer drugs, she sued thedrug company. She used these funds to jumpstarther career and they would act “kinda like a trustfund to help make films,” she said.

“We are all producers and directors in our ownway. What we wanted to do was to set up a fundto support women called ‘I Believe in You.’ Wewere founded in 2005 and the grant created achick list,” explained Helfand. Chicken and EggPictures is a fund that provides financing, produc-ing and creative development, completion andlaunch of women filmmakers’ non-fiction andfiction films.

“We have about 30 grants a year for about $10to $15,000 and try to support the film through-out its life cycle,” said Helfand. “It’s a safe placeto say ‘I don’t know.’ We fund it because you havea unique voice and vision and not because youknow everything.”

All of this great expertise and support in oneroom was very empowering as a woman. Toknow that such great resources are now availableto those with a vision and willingness to step upto the plate is very encouraging. I could feel thewheels turning in the room. I’m sure that manymore women from Louisiana will be joining theranks of directors, producers and filmmakers inthe near future. LFV


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OF LOUISIANA

A R T I S T S



Lila French grew up inMetairie, leaving to study atM.I.T. and later pursue

acting in Los Angeles. Shepremiered her first directorialeffort, Birdbath, at the LaemmleTheater in Los Angeles this pastJuly. Based on the classic LeonardMelfi play, Birdbath hadn’t beenfilmed since 1971. While screeningBirdbath at the New Orleans FilmFestival, French sat down withLF&VM for a Q&A:

LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE:An article about you in the Huffington Postsaid that you only decided to direct becauseyou realized you had a clear vision of themovie. Can you tell us more about what ledyou to direct Birdbath?Lila French: I had acted in the play. When Ihad the idea to make a film, I originallythought I’d find someone else to direct sinceI’d never directed a film before (only scenes inacting class). However, while adapting thescript, I’d talk to people about it, and they’dsay things, and I would feel very strongly“that’s not how it goes,” and I quickly realizedI had a clear vision for the story, and I wantedto bring it to life. When I asked friends if theyhad any advice, they suggested that, since I’dbe acting and directing, I find a great DP, andI found the best in Roger Chingirian.

LFVM: When is the film set and did you findit difficult to create that proper atmosphere?LF: The play opened in 1965 and was set in“present time.” While there aren’t too manyindications of any particular time period in thescript, and the story is universal, there was anartistic movement in New York going on atthat time that’s relevant to Frankie’s charac-ter, and the relationships discussed seem tohave the sensibility more of that time thannow, so we kept it in that time period. We hada typewriter, furniture, props and costumesfrom the time period.

LFVM: Were you concerned about adaptingthe play into a film?LF: The run time of the play is about 1 hour

NOLA NATIVE RETURNS TO SCREEN AT FESTIVAL

15 minutes, but the way the story goes, itseemed like it would lend itself more to a shortfilm than a feature. I also wouldn’t feelcomfortable adding to it to make a feature. SoI went through and made a series of small cutsand was able to cut quite a bit of dialoguewithout cutting any major plot elements. Inthe play, Velma verbalizes her anxiety, howeveron film, that can be shown visually. Close-upscan communicate volumes. The film ended upat 47 minutes, and I have a shorter cut, whichis 38 minutes.

LFVM: What made you decide to begin thefilm with a 90-second montage?LF: One of my favorite movies is TheConstant Gardener and my favorite shot is thispanning shot of birds flying over LakeTurkana. It’s a nice break in the film and itfeels almost indulgent, but it’s so beautiful andestablishes the tone of the film and the loca-tion perfectly. Being able to use visuals thatgive the viewer an emotional sense is what Ilove about film. There aren’t those opportu-nities on stage.

So when adapting the script, I had this ideato shoot bird footage going from morning tonight, like a silent observer’s view of life inNew York, but with birds. Melfi’s brother likedthat part of the adaptation. I liked the idea ofshooting it voyeuristically, like an amateurphotographer who loves birds filming withoutintrusion, and I like the messy, new-wave style.So I wandered around New York for a fewdays with our main camera, a Nikon DSLR,and my iPhone and shot whatever I saw. Imostly stayed outside of St. Mark’s Church,

where there are a lot of birds, and where theplay opened in 1965.

Once I got back to Los Angeles, I startedcutting it together and using the shots I likedthe best. While cutting, a story arc with littlesubplots started to emerge: birds waking up,going to work, one that was out too late.Maybe no one will notice the details, but Iknow they’re there. When the main DP(Roger, who didn’t shoot in New York) saw thefirst cut of the film, he described the montageas “honest,” which is what I wanted it to be.

LFVM: How important is it to have your filmhere at the New Orleans Film Festival?LF: I was so excited to bring the film to theNew Orleans Film Festival! When I found outBirdbath was going to play here, I sent out anexcited e-mail to my mailing list, and postedon Twitter and Facebook. I also sent an Eviteto my friends and family here, and my momprinted out a flyer and brought it to the neigh-bors.

I’ve made so many friends here at the festi-val. It was worth coming for that alone. Butalso I love watching movies and am genuinelyexcited to talk to other filmmakers about theirprocess and see where they are coming from,so it was great to be a part of that.

LFVM: Since you grew up in Metairie, do youplan to return home and shoot a movie?LF: There’s a feature I’ve been thinking aboutfor a few years now, and I think I want to shootit in New Orleans, because I know this citybetter than any other—what kinds of jobspeople have, how people talk, how people are.I love movies like Sling Blade, where the film-maker really knows the people and the area.It makes every detail real. It would also begreat to shoot in New Orleans, since there’ssuch a great film community here. LFV

NOFF IN REVIEW

Lila French

A scene from Birdbath.


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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.

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STORY BY JASON RAYMOND AND SAMANTHA SMITH

While the amazing growthof the indigenous enter-tainment community

and the professional training oflocal residents 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. In part two of our“Faces of Creative Infusion” series, meetsome of the people in entertainment who havechosen to move to (as well as work in)Louisiana:

Jimmy SalseritoNot every on-screen

performer coming to theLouisiana film communityis an actor. Jimmy Salser-ito has worked the inter-national salsa circuit forover 10 years after exten-sive training in ballroom,Latin and swing dance.

He also works as a choreographer. Workingfrom Augusta, Georgia, to Los Angeles, Salser-ito landed in New Orleans by chance.

“An actor friend of mine, Armando Leduc,invited me to come and explore what I coulddo in film and in the arts scene,” recalls Salser-ito. “I had never been to New Orleans and did

FACES OF CREATIVE INFUSION (PART II)HOW LOUISIANA’S HOT FILM CLIMATE GOT THESE PROFESSIONALS TO RELOCATE

not know what to expect. After agrueling nine-hour drive in themiddle of the night, I made my wayto New Orleans to find myself on twofilm sets within five minutes of arrival.I thought to myself, ‘This has got tobe a good sign.’”

Salserito appeared doing a dancesequence in the feature Latin Dreams.The other project was a short calledLaundry Day. After those projects, hedecided against making the nine-hour return trip.

After settling in, Salserito soughtout the local Latin dancing commu-nity. The charismatic group ofseasoned dancers he found surprisedhim. They wanted desperately togrow and expand their scene, butneeded someone to unify the sceneand lead the community to newheights.

“The salsa community welcomedmy style and expertise with enthusi-astic arms, and I saw an opportunity to servethe dreams of these wonderful people beforefulfilling my own,” says Salserito. “Thus Istarted my own dance company, BigEasySalsa, and opened up Summer Salsa Mondayclasses at the New Orleans Healing Centerwith The Movement Room.”

Salserito intends to continue helping culti-vate a strong and healthy Latin dance scene.In between his film work, he offers a varietyof dance classes. While he continues to appearin film as a dancer, he also works as a leadchoreographer.

“I found myself taking a stop here in NewOrleans and not only finding wonderfulopportunity, but also a new home,” he says.“I’ve never made such a radical decision in mylife and won.”

Jimmy Salserito can be reached through hisFacebook page (www.facebook.com/superiorsalsa) and is currently developing hiswebsite (www.jimmysalserito.com).

William RamseyWilliam Ramsey is a New Orleans produc-

tion attorney serving the burgeoning local filmcommunity, though he practices in all areas ofentertainment law. He has been growing hispractice since moving back to New Orleansfrom New York in 2012.

Like other professionals in the film industry,Ramsey sees the role that local governmentplays as crucial to Louisiana’s continuing

success as a film hub. Says Ramsey, “Why do films shoot in

Louisiana? There is no question that our taxcredit incentives are a driving force behind theindustry. However, tax credits are only onepiece of the cost benefit analysis. Producersalso have to take into consideration the avail-ability of qualified crew, equipment, housing,ease of obtaining permits, and a host of otherexpenses that add to the bottom line. Fortu-nately, our lawmakers see the big picture andunderstand that longevity is the key to film taxcredit incentives. Because of the continued taxcredit incentives, Louisiana has been able todevelop an indigenous film and televisionindustry, thereby driving down ancillary coststo production companies and improving thelocal economy.”

Always passionate about the arts, Ramseyoriginally studied film and broadcast at theTisch School of Arts and the University ofCincinnati College Conservatory of Music.He made many student films and drew inspi-ration from independent filmmakers. Follow-ing his undergraduate studies, Ramsey headedto Los Angeles hoping to break into the filmindustry.

His first break was working in post-produc-tion at Paramount Studios. He went on towork at a talent agency, and eventually workedin development for a film productioncompany, where he was fortunate enough towork with a founder of Initial Entertainment


and the head of global finance and distribu-tion for William Morris Endeavor.

Not only did these experiences provideRamsey with rich learning opportunities about“the business,” the experiences also providedprime opportunities for introspection abouthow he could best contribute to the industryand facilitate independent filmmaking.

This introspection led Ramsey to attendTulane Law School, where he graduated witha J.D., and went on to receive an L.L.M. in taxlaw from the University of Washington.Ramsey then went on to work in New York,where he circled back into film by helping toput together a hedge fund around film taxcredit incentives.

Although the fund did not get off theground, the experience led Ramsey back to hisinspiration, and he realized his experience andeducational background could be a useful assetto the New Orleans film community.

“You need a surprising amount of assistanceand resources in order to bring a film projectfrom development through delivery,” saysRamsey. “In the rush to get to production, newproducers can overlook critical steps. Legal canbe costly, but laying the proper groundwork iscritical and becomes exponentially morecrucial if a film finds distribution.”

Ramsey now represents local New Orleansfilm producers and production companies,where he draws on his experiences andcontacts from Los Angeles to provide legalrepresentation and assist in developing filmprojects.

While established firms in Los Angeles andNew York have traditionally dominated themarket, Ramsey bolsters his production legalexpertise with experience in filmmaking, taxcredit eligibility, and on-the-ground guidancefor the inevitable emergencies every producerfaces.

Looking back at his journey to New Orleansand entertainment law, Ramsey observes,“Sometimes a meandering path leads peopleto where they are supposed to be, and a back-ground rich with experience can add depth tonew career paths. Both Louisiana and I are ina good spot right now, but tax credits are onlyone piece of the filmmaking puzzle. Goodpeople at hand fill it in so much more.”

Louisiana has a long history of incredibleartistic and creative roots, and Ramsey feelsfortunate to be a part of showcasing thathistory on the big screen.

William Ramsey can be reached at: RamseyLaw Firm, 504-521-7962, [email protected].

Samantha SmithSamantha Smith is a writer/director and a

new face to New Orleans. She has lived inChicago for the past several years whileobtaining her B.A. in film at ColumbiaCollege Chicago, but she is originally from

South Mississippi.While in Chicago, Smith worked closely

with Input/Output Productions, a filmproduction company that produces every-thing from films to commercials to musicvideos.

Together, the team recently collaboratedon Smith’s latest film, an experimentalnarrative short, Con Vex. The film iscurrently being completed and will besubmitted to film festivals this upcomingseason.

“When deciding where to go, I consideredthe ever-popular L.A. and New York, butafter feeling like Chicago was too big for me,I couldn’t imagine trying to distinguishmyself as a director in those places,” saysSmith. “Then I thought of New Orleans,and after that, I couldn’t shake whatever wastugging my boot strings southward.”

She continues, “The tax incentives hereare obviously an appealing detail to anyoneinterested in making films. However, thelower cost of filmmaking was only a smallportion of what drew me in. It’s this place,it’s this city, and the people here. A storytellercould live here forever and still not haveenough time to tell it all.”

As she’s settled into New Orleans, Smithhas discovered a collection of organizationsdevoted to building and maintaining thefilm industry here, one being the NewOrleans Video Access Center (NOVAC).

“I’ve been finding that the people here aresupportive and friendly to a new face,” saysSmith. “NOVAC has created a supportsystem for filmmakers and is very welcomingto newcomers like myself. It has been awonderful experience getting to know the

people involved and participating in theirevents.

“The genuineness and humility I havefound in this city is a rare trait in this indus-try, and that alone is enough to keep me herefor a while.”

Smith’s goal in coming to New Orleans isto establish herself as a director and meet andwork with filmmakers local to Louisiana.Since living here, she has begun writing herfirst feature-length screenplay, a dark fairytaleset in 1810 New Orleans. She hopes tobegin preparing the film for productionwithin the next two years.

In addition to filmmaking, Smith has aninterest in arts education and children’s liter-ature. With experience in visual art andpaper/bookmaking, she intends to volunteerat public schools as a teaching artist.

Smith recently signed on to illustrate a newbook of poetry for children’s poetEmmanuelle Troy. She’s also completing herown children’s book, 9 Smarts, a picture bookbased on Howard Gardner’s philosophy ofthe nine different types of intelligences andlearning styles.

Smith has also begun a photo series featur-ing portraits of New Orleans dwellers afterbeing inspired by the unique collection ofcharacters that fill this city. She calls the series“The People In This Place.”

“I find it vital to be surrounded by acreative atmosphere that challenges me,”says Smith. “Between the beauty of this cityand the characters here, I couldn’t ask formore inspiration.”

If you’d like to contact Smith or see herbody of work, visit her website atwww.xsamanthasmith.com. LFV


STORY BY ODIN LINDBLOM

When you look at renting a camerafor a shoot, you’re usually not justrenting the camera body; you’re

renting lenses, accessories and camera support.While the cost difference between rentingsomething like a Blackmagic Cinema Cameraand a Red Scarlet is not that great, postproduction costs for Red have been muchhigher, hindering Red workflow for many film-makers.

To get the most out of Red’s cameras, youneed to shoot in Redcode Raw. Up untilrecently, the only way to transcode that RedRaw footage into an easily editable format waswith Redcine-X software and a Red Rocket orRed Rocket-X hardware accelerator card.With the Beta release of Redcine-X Pro 21.3,you can now transcode Red Raw footage inreal time using the GPU rendering of aNvidia graphics card. This is great news forbudget-conscious filmmakers who want toshoot on Red.

NEW REDCINE-X PRO RELEASE MAKESSHOOTING ON RED MORE AFFORDABLE

Priced at $4,750, Red Rocket cards are anexpensive addition to an editing system. Withthe new Redcine-X software release, you cannow transcode Redcode Raw footage with thesame Nvidia graphics card used to outputvideo to your computer monitor. Some usershave posted on the Reduser forum that theyare even seeing real time transcodes from 4KRedcode to ProRes HD at 24fps using theGPU rendering with video cards that costaround $1,000. This may eventually lead tothe ability to transcode Redcode with a laptopwithout the need for costly additional hard-ware.

It’s important to note that not only can yousave money by not having to buy a Red Rocketcard, but you can also save money on yourediting computer. An editing system with aRed Rocket card must be custom-built or atleast custom-configured. Most of these systemssell for well over $12,000. Now that all youneed is a high-end Nvidia video card totranscode Red Raw for editing, you can buya manufactured computer that meets the

specs of your editing software, add some stor-age and be ready to edit for about half theprice.

Redcine-X Pro 21.3 is still in beta release.Many issues, such as better support for GPUrendering with AMD video cards and supportfor multiple GPUs, have yet to be worked out;however, the new release does make shootingon Red a lot more affordable. LFV

The beta of Redcine-X Pro 21.3 is a free download available

at www.red.com/downloads.


TOM D.MAY -President / Head of Sales [email protected]

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Megan Few grew up in rural Montgomery, Texas. During her high school career and early into her college career, Megan was actively involved in the theater

acting classes with Elesee Lester and Mari Ferguson. Megan also frequently traveled to Los Angeles to study under acting coach Cliff Osmond. Cliff Os-

conversation with Osmond, Megan decided it was time to move on to bigger waters. After two years in the Texas industry, Megan made the transition to

Alternates, Rejects and the recently premiered Home, written and directed by Lula Fotis. Megan currently is training under Jerry Katz and Lance Nichols.

Del Corral & Associates / 504-324-3782/ [email protected]

N ot only does HollywoodSouth boast state-of-the-art infrastructure, diverse

filming locations, and a wide-ranging pool of acting talent, butwe are also home to an ever-growing number of crewmem-bers and production-relatedcompanies. Here is a look at justa few of them, and be sure tocheck out www.louisianaproductionindex.com for acomplete guide to Louisianaproduction resources.

VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANIESConstruct Films/Brian Richardwww.constructfilms.com

Construct Films is a production companybased in the heart and soul of NewOrleans. We have a burning passion fortelling stories through beautifully cine-matic images and believe that every proj-ect should evoke emotion. We createcommercials, narrative films and docu-mentaries distinguished by striking visualsand a unique perspective.

MUSIC LIBRARIES/SOUNDEFFECTSBasin Street Records/Mark Samuelswww.basinstreetrecords.com

Award-winning New Orleans record labelof Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, JasonMarsalis, Theresa Andersson, Davell Craw-

SPOTLIGHT ON LOUISIANAPRODUCTION

ford, Dr. Michael White, Irvin Mayfield,Jeremy Davenport, Los Hombres Calientes,Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, and The Head-hunters. Extensive catalog of easily-licensed,one-stop music as well as covers.

SOUND MIXERSRed Clay Productions, Inc.www.redclayfilms.com

Creative professional for any productionscenario! Location sound mixer and videog-rapher with great gear (Sound Devices664/CL6 12 input 16 ISO records. PanasonicHVX200 P2 HD camera and support). Smartand dependable service. Proven experience inreality, corporate, and sports television. Thepeople you want on your production team.Please call to discuss your next project.

COLORISTS/COLOR CORRECTIONSpectrum Postwww.spectrumpost.com

Spectrum Post is New Orleans’ boutiquefull-service post production facility offeringworld-class color grading on the industrystandard platforms of DaVinci Resolve,Apple Color and Assimilate SCRATCH.On-set DIT services including dailies organ-ization, audio syncing, and preliminary colorgrading.

MAKEUP ARTISTSEvie [email protected]

Evie Alishia was born to two loving, entre-preneurial parents from Alexandria,Louisiana. Known for her dedication tobeauty, her passion derived as a teenager by

doing hair and makeup for family and friends.Evie’s further experience and expertise notonly came from her natural talent, but alsodeveloped from Eccentric Elegance Salon(Dallas, TX). Evie is also licensed in Louisianaand New York state. Goal: To become a hairand makeup artist in the film industry.

Christine Fitzpatrickwww.christinefitzpatrick.com

Professional hair and makeup artist whois a driven, hard working team player. Avail-able for film, television, commercial, print,etc. Received certificate in Beauty Artistryat MUD in Burbank, CA. Past clientsinclude Spike TV, TLC, HBO, ABC, OprahMagazine, etc. Specializing in HD andairbrush.

Claire [email protected]

Professionally trained makeup artist withskills in beauty, high fashion, male corrective,tattoo cover-up, bridal, air brush (beauty/FX),injuries, old age, hair work, bald cap, and pros-thetic conceptualization, fabrication, andapplication. I am a dedicated, punctual, prob-lem solver and will perform professionally inall work environments.

TNB Makeup Artistry/Tiffany Brownwww.tiffanynicolebrown.com

Professional makeup artist with 6+ yearsspecializing in beauty, bridal, editorial/printand certified in airbrush makeup. Haveworked with Amelie G magazine, Scenemagazine and many other publications. Alsohave minimal FX experience.

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE PEOPLE AND COMPANIES THATKEEP THE LA PRODUCTION INDUSTRY BOOMING


Video Equipment Rentals (VER) andFletcher Chicago, Inc. have reached anagreement to bring Fletcher’s 16mm,

35mm and digital camera rental division intoVER’s cinema division, forming a new entity. Thiscollaboration combines the strengths of VER’sextensive inventory, comprehensive engineeringand international reach, along with Fletcher’sfilm experience, knowledgeable staff and theirrespect for the craft of cinematography.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have Fletcher Camera advanceVER’s Cinema Division’s commitment to service the cinematogra-pher,” states VER’s Vince Dundee. “This now adds VER’s broadlyexperienced staff, vast inventory and worldwide logistics withFletcher Camera’s passion and commitment to cinematography andstellar reputation for client service; we’re creating a synergy that willprovide unmatched technical capabilities, cutting-edge equipment,and outstanding customer service to the television, feature film andcommercial production markets.”

“The nature of modern motion picture production requires an

VER + FLETCHER: A POWERFUL SYNERGYFOR MODERN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION

ever-changing variety of equipment and the ability to scale up tomeet the needs of an often complicated and demanding produc-tion environment,” states Tom Fletcher. “VER’s extensive inven-tory, engineering prowess and presence in every incentive-drivenproduction center means that we can now more fully serve theDP’s and AC’s artistic and technical needs alongside the financialand business needs of producers.”

Fletcher continues, “My entire staff is excited to be joiningforces with VER to bring our thoughtful customer service andextensive film and digital experience to a much wider range ofproductions.”

This new division will have a separate identity from the rentalcompany VER with a different local phone number, website, tradi-tional film prep floor space and dedicated staff. It will useFletcher’s existing Chicago and New Orleans locations.

Fletcher Chicago’s Sports Division remains unchanged and willcontinue to operate their downtown location until the spring whenthey relocate to the western suburbs. LFV

“The nature of modernmotion picture productionrequires an ever-changingvariety of equipment.”

produced and acted inUnspeakable with DennisHopper, Dina Meyer,Lance Henriksen, andJeff Fahey.

Inovo Studio’s plane isa 767 mock-up that is110 feet long and 15 feetwide. Like actualairplanes, the passengercompartments aredivided by class. The firstclass unit has the distinc-tive large, plush seatswith new seat covers.The coach class goesseven seats across,divided by two wideraisles. Inovo Studio alsohas older styles of planeseats for historically-minded productions.

Small details that every traveler knows too well haven’t been over-looked. The Inovo airliner mock-up has working seat belts and thosetiny compartments that require real effort to fit any size of luggage.Galley kitchen and flight attendant seats and workspaces have beenrecreated. There are even airline toilets and two working doors.

The cockpit features fully functional light panels with remotecontrol. All the lights, buttons and switches are in working order. Eachpilot has an actual working control stick, or joystick. The windscreensin front of the pilot and co-pilot can be removed for clear shooting.

The Inovo plane mock-up breaks down into sections. An extensivesteel superstructure runs the length of the plane’s exterior. The steel super-structure allows sections to be placed on a gimbal that can move thesections to replicate normal plane turns or turbulence.

Says Chaman Grover, “I have built the structure to resist movementsin four directions.”

The plane’s location in Harahan offers a large warehouse in a low-noise environment with office space, air-conditioning, and enough left-over room for equipment and catering. However, the plane can be brokendown and transported. Recently the entire mock-up was taken to BatonRouge and used as a set for Left Behind, a major motion picture produc-tion. Sections of the plane were attached to a large steel structure thatwas bounced to provide the cast a sense of turbulence.

“The plane was so big,” Grover reports, “that they stored a wholesection in a warehouse. They didn’t realize just how large our plane wasuntil it arrived.”

For Grover, building a working plane mock-up has been just anotherchallenge for this structural engineer. With a master’s degree incivil/structural engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Groverhas participated in the design and construction monitoring of buildings,bridges and nuclear power plants. LFV

For more information about Inovo Studio’s 767 plane mock-up, please contact Chaman Grover

at 713-882-8758 (cell) or 504-684-5414 (office), or through e-mail at [email protected]

or [email protected].


INOVO STUDIO OFFERS AIRLINERMOCK-UP FOR PRODUCTIONSSTORY BY JASON RAYMOND

We can all think of films and TV episodes withsignificant scenes on airplanes. Many filmsare set almost entirely on airplanes. In fact,

Wikipedia lists 65 movies under the category “Films Seton an Airplane.” With New Orleans becoming a majormovie hub, it seemed inevitable that someone wouldcreate a functional airplane set.

That someone turned out to be Inovo Studio in Harahan, a NewOrleans suburb. Director of operations Chaman Grover drew on his 30years of engineering and construction experience to create a functionalairliner set.

“We contacted people around the state,” he says, “and found no one herehad an airplane set like ours. My son planned to make his own movie, titled97 Minutes, mostly to be shot in the plane set. We knew Louisiana hadbecome a moviemaking hub. So we created this set for our use, as well asto offer other filmmakers a unique plane mock-ups or their objectives.”

Grover’s son, Dr. Pavan Grover, is a successful Houston pain special-ist who has appeared on CNN discussing medical issues. In addition tohis medical practice, Dr. Grover is also an actor/writer/producer. 97Minutes isn’t Dr. Grover’s first film production. In 2002, he wrote,


“A t Amazing Animals wepractice modern-dayaffection training. It’s

training using love, patience, calm-ness and consistency, with mutualunderstanding and respect,” saysSid Yost, owner of AmazingAnimal Productions.

Amazing Animal Productions hasprovided professionally trained animals forsome of the biggest productions in Holly-wood. A few of their more recent clientsinclude 12 Years A Slave, 2 Guns, The Orig-inals, Ravenswood, Killer Women, Homefront,Sleepy Hollow and Selfless. Amazing Animalsis currently in production on Manglehorn,starring Al Pacino.

Yost, 59, has been working with animalsfor nearly 40 years. Starting out his careeron Wild Kingdom with Marlon Perkins andJim Fowler, he has since appeared on

hundreds of talk shows, and played RangerRick Kelly for 10 years on Critter Gitters, aneducational TV show for kids.

Now with Amazing Animals, Yost and hispartner and top dog trainer, Tracy Oliver,work tirelessly to provide trained dogs, cats,horses, wild boars, chickens, hawks, owls,

AMAZING ANIMALS IN HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

Amazing Animals talent one set.


ravens, wolves and much more for movies,television, music videos and commercials allaround the country.

“We’re having a blast,” says Yost. “Whatwe do is not a job. A job is when you wishyou were doing something else.”

Last year, Yost moved all his animals fromCalifornia to Louisiana, where he set up hisheadquarters in an enormous horse barn ona 58-acre spread of land just outside ofCovington.

“We’ve been here 18 months, long enoughto call it home,” says Yost. He continues,“God bless Louisiana for that tax incentive.Coming out here was very scary, very brave,a big jump for us, but it’s been a great movepersonally and financially.”

Yost and Oliver are constantly on themove, working to meet the demands ofclients. Amazing Animals provided horses,buggies, wagons, chickens, pigs and wran-glers, and attack dogs for the criticallyacclaimed 12 Years a Slave, which wasfilmed locally and opened the 24th annualNew Orleans Film Festival.

Within a given day, Yost has bought twoalpacas to use in The Maze Runner, got a callfrom someone in California who needed alion, and received another call from some-one wanting a six-foot alligator in a bathtubfor a music video.

Although their hands are full, Yost

emphasizes, “No animal is ever leftuntended.”

The staff at Amazing Animals is preparedfor the unexpected, to say the least. Yost getscalls for cockroaches, scorpions, giantcentipedes, and even “65,000 flies” for oneparticular production. He provided butter-flies, among other creatures, used in theMichael Jackson documentary This Is It,and supplied snakes for The Campaign,starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis.

Dogs get the most casting calls. Yost has

a wide variety of canines at the ranch, andOliver owns Top Dog Talent Agency, whichhas countless more.

“They’re 80 percent of what people askfor,” says Yost.

Among other productions, his dogs haveappeared in a Wrangler ad with Drew Breesand in the film Devil’s Due, where his“phenomenal” golden retriever, Maverick,was listed number two on the call sheet.

Amazing Animals is often forced to rollwith the punches on set.

“In all the movies I’ve done, they’ve neverfollowed the script,” says Yost. “They’ll say,‘We decided to make a little change. Wewant to put the dog on a Ferris wheel andwhen he gets to the top, flip the seat upside-down.’”

And as long as the animals aren’t at risk,the staff at Amazing Animals is happy toadapt to the situation.

“We like to under-promise and over-deliver. I don’t like to say no,” says Yost.

Now happily settled in Hollywood South,Yost has become quite fond of New Orleans’culture and hospitality.

“The caterers on set even remember whatkind of omelet you like,” he says. “People inLouisiana have been incredible.” LFV

For more information, visit www.amazing

animalproductions.com.

Among Amazing Animals’ talent roster, dogs getthe most casting calls.



Filmmakers big and smallknow Kickstarter. Soon localfilmmakers will learn about a

new crowdfunding player calledFundDat (www.FundDat.com).The New Orleans start-up justthrew its launch party in Octoberduring NOLA Tech Week. Fund-Dat also recently spent four daysrepresenting New Orleans in LasVegas at the event “Tech CocktailCelebrates.”

Though its first projects didn’t involve film-makers, FundDat has Hollywood South on itsmind.

“We will be focusing on finding the best filmprojects in the first part of 2014, and will behosting crowdfunding events specificallygeared toward films. We want to create a placefor local filmmakers to crowdfund and show-case their ideas,” says FundDat co-founderAlex McConduit. “We’ll connect them toresources and give them a spark, and thenwatch them go.”

McConduit and his partner Marc Juneauintend to select 10 ideas for films and use themfor the next FundDat campaign.

Unlike Kickstarter or Indiegogo, whichmerely provide an online platform to raisefunds, FundDat assists the people pitching theproject. They help formulate a crowdfundingplan, and reach out to organizations thatmight be supportive.

Says McConduit, “We do organizationalsupport and media support for each project.The people pitching the project must find indi-vidual donors.” To get FundDat’s attention,aspiring filmmakers only need to submit theirproject through the website. After review,McConduit promises a call back to set up ameeting.

No one can accuse Louisiana nativeMcConduit, 27, of slacking. He had to makeup a semester’s worth of classes because ofKatrina, worked gutting houses, and stillcompleted on time his undergraduate degreein marketing at Loyola University in 2008. Heput his music industry minor to work hostinga radio show on crescentradio.com. Next heformed Bigboot Radio, where he promotedfive other shows in addition to hosting his own

FUNDDAT: NEW ORLEANS’ANSWER TO KICKSTARTER

program. From radio, McConduit moved to print.

He’s written three books for children so far,and just signed a book deal with Pelican Books.He also created W.R.I.T.E. (Write, Read,Illustrate to Educate), a program to helpsecond graders at Sci Tech Academy tobecome published authors. Just last November,he did an Indiegogo campaign for W.R.I.T.E.

That campaign made McConduit realizeNew Orleans needed its own crowdfundingplatform.

“Last April, I entered ‘Startup Weekend,’which was a 54-hour business competition,”he recalls, “and I came in third place. I thendid some research and found Marc andneworleanscrowdfunding.com.”

Marc Juneau came to crowdfundingthrough his expertise in Web design and soft-ware development. A former director of train-ing and development at GoDaddy, he createdNOLAGraphics in 2004. The tech companyoffers its international client base an array ofWeb solutions including SEO, website design,hosting, and social media marketing. Thoughlong a supporter of the NOLA tech scene,Juneau says his interest in crowdfunding camelast January.

“I heard a talk about this group called OneSpark in Jacksonville,” says Juneau. “OneSpark does a crowdfunding festival where yougo and fund these different projects. I thought,‘Hey, we should do this.’ So I registeredneworleanscrowdfunding.com.”

Juneau gave a well-received presentation to

the New Orleans chap-ter of NetSquaredabout NOLA crowd-funding. He built thewebsite and put sometools around it, butadmits, “I knew allabout the whole tech-nical side of the Web platform, but didn’tknow anything about the business end.”

Juneau first heard about McConduit duringthe latter’s successful appearance at StartupWeekend. The day after Startup Weekendended, McConduit called Juneau.

Says Juneau, “It was either split the field orbecome partners. Two months later we hadthe LLC formed and were launching Fund-Dat.”

By September, Juneau and McConduit hadconducted workshops to find the first 10 proj-ects. They then worked with each of theirselections, even doing a “film your pitch” videonight at Big Momma’s Lounge in the FrenchQuarter. They filmed 14 videos explainingideas and asking for support.

All this work and FundDat’s heavilyattended launch party have not gone unno-ticed.

Says McConduit, “I met so many peoplewhen organizing NOLA Tech Week, I gaveout over 1,000 business cards, and spoke to somany tech press people. They’re tired of NewYork and Silicon Valley, so they have beenlooking for an event to cover.”

FundDat is designed for projects that have

FundDat co-founders Marc Juneau (left) and Alex McConduit.


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some connection or provide some benefit to the Greater New Orleansarea.

“I don’t care if it’s a New Orleans-style restaurant in another city,”says McConduit, “so long as it provides some help to this city.”

Meanwhile, McConduit and Juneau are drawing national attentionto FundDat.

Back in September, TechCocktail.com declared FundDat the hotteststart-up in NOLA, which earned McConduit and Juneau a trip to LasVegas for “Tech Cocktail Celebrates,” their annual conference. Afterspending four days meeting with other tech companies, McConduitreports, “They were all interested in what was going on in New Orleans.

While interesting to compare the two scenes, I feel like we’re ahead ofplaces like Vegas.”

Juneau agrees with his partner’s assessment. “I think the Fremont area of Vegas today is where we were in 2009,”

he says. “They’ve shown an amazing amount of entrepreneurial spiritin starting their tech scene. But here in New Orleans, we’re more poisedthan ever to merge the tech and film communities that have been success-ful separately, and figure out how they can work together.” LFV

Filmmakers interested in learning more about FundDat can contact [email protected] or

[email protected]. Projects can also be submitted directly at www.funddat.com.


NOVAC’S FIRST WEB WEEKENDSTORY BY JASON RAYMOND

The New Orleans VideoAccess Center (NOVAC)hosted its first “Web Week-

end” just after the New OrleansFilm Festival and NOLA Tech Week.NOVAC brought in experts in Webseries and online media content, likefunnyordie.com producer Ally Hord,SnagFilms’ Andrew Mer, andCreatorUP! co-founder Mike Tringe.Web Weekend is the latest programin NOVAC’s mission to educate andoffer training to the New Orleans filmcommunity.

Said Ashley Charbonnet, NOVAC’s directorof programs, “Video for the Web is evolving allof the time, with new ways to both produce excit-ing content and get it out there. That is why wereached out to industry leaders who are creat-ing and distributing cutting-edge content in theonline space.”

Several members of the New Orleans filmscene have turned to making Web series. JosephMeissner and Helen Krieger just completed theirsecond season of Least Favorite Love Songs. Theyfind it a less restrictive creative platform.

About his Web series, Meissner said, “We tryto explore some edgy subjects—the pitfalls ofboth monogamy and polyamory, sex and fetishes,drug use, making a living while pursuing artis-tic projects—all in a nuanced way.”

Abigail Levner, in charge of membership &development at NOVAC, said that work on WebWeekend began last fall. “We’re constantly ontop of the industry, so we knew this was a perfecttime,” she said. Part of NOVAC’s outreachincluded a successful Kickstarter campaign,which raised over $5,000 to help defray the costof the program.

Web Weekend began with a “think tank”where local Web series creators had a chance toprivately meet with the panelists, screen theirshows, and receive suggestions for improve-ment. Participating series included Sunken City,she is alex, Least Favorite Love Songs, BourbonWhiz, Bloody Sunday Sessions and The Adven-tures of Keith Flippen.

Said Meissner, “Claire Graves, managingdirector of the Webby Awards, pointed out thata Web video really has to grab the audience in

the first five seconds. That’s something we’venever considered where we’re dealing with alonger form of storytelling than a viral video oradvertisement.”

Eritria Pitts, creator of she is alex, receivedsimilar feedback. “Unlike the audience for animprov show, the Web audience isn’t as willingto let you build... at least not in the same pace,”she said. “You’re competing with so much funny,interesting Web content that you have to showthem instantly why they should be watching.”

The think tank was divided so each Web seriescould meet with two groups of panelists. Fridayended with a screening of Black Folk Don’t, adocumentary series by panelist Angela Tucker,followed by a social networking opportunity.

On Saturday, Web Weekend pass holders sawa full slate of panels discussing Web series andvideo online content. While the panels offered acomprehensive format for understanding theonline world, issues of marketing and moneti-zation loomed large in panel discussions and inthe mind of audiences. Meissner described thepanels as extremely informative, giving him ideasfor the third season of Least Favorite LoveSongs.

“I know that we have a few super-fans of theshow, so I have to try to mobilize them to spreadthe word,” he said. “Mike Tringe ofcreatorup.com likes to talk about the Internet asan ecosystem. I like that idea.”

Tringe also spoke of Kickstarter as a “pre-sales platform” in his panel discussion withAngela Tucker and Andrew Mer. While there ismoney to be made in online content, he did warnthe audience not to expect revenue from theirfirst Web series, but to work building their audi-ence. He stressed “the verticals: music, gamingand comedy” as the main online moneymakers.

Tucker talked about receiving productionsupport from sources like Amazon and non-profitor advocacy organizations.

For the artists in the audience, the emphasison commercial aspects didn’t strike sparks ofunbridled enthusiasm.

Eritria Pitts put it this way: “I’m also a hippiewhen it comes to my show. I want things tohappen organically with she is alex, and any othervideo content I put up.”

Added Meissner, “It seems like you can’t justbe an artist anymore if you want to survive inthis new medium. You have to have a businessand marketing brain, too.”

Pitts did receive one marketing suggestion thatappealed to her. “I did get a fun note from MikeTringe saying never call a fundraising event a‘fundraising event.’ Call it anything—‘cupcakebonanza!’, ‘what’s up with nuns? gathering’,anything!—and people would likely come. Ireally liked that note.”

Web Weekend does highlight the creativebond growing among Web series creators. Meiss-ner pointed out, “There’s a lot of crossover withour series and another wonderful local Webseries, Sunken City. So there’s a lot of greatcollaboration and sharing of ideas that goes intothe production of our show.”

After its successful launch, NOVAC intendsto have another Web Weekend in October2014. Until that time, NOVAC continues tooffer programs to, in Ashley Charbonnet’s words,“educate and inspire area filmmakers.”

The new season of Least Favorite Love Songsdebuted in November. Information about she isalex can be found at www.sheisalex.com. To seeupcoming programs and events hosted by theNew Orleans Video Access Center, check outwww.novacvideo.org. LFV

Filmmaker Glen Pitre talks with Joseph Meissner and Helen Krieger of Least Favorite Love Songs.

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