Casting director offering weekend seminar

Casting director Bill Marinella is hosting an auditioning seminar Saturday at the Robinson Film Center. The seminar will cover auditioning basics, preparation techniques, set etiquette and more.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (April 4).
WHERE: Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St., Shreveport.
COST: $40.
TO REGISTER OR MORE INFO: billmarinella@yahoo.com or www.acmecastingcompany.com.

City to host forum about incentives

WHEN: 3 p.m. April 9.
WHERE: Independence Stadium Skybox, Shreveport.

The following is a note from Arlena Acree, Shreveport's director of film, media and entertainment:

"You are invited by the Mayor to a meeting to discuss existing film tax incentives and the future of Louisiana's film industry and tax incentives before the legislative session begins in April. We want to hear from you and your thoughts on what you would like for Louisiana's future for the Film Industry. We hope to have our legislators there as well as local city councilman and police jurors, parish commissioners, crew, talent, and vendors. See the attached invite and please forward to anyone interested in attending so that we can have a big turn out. Thanks so much and we look forward to seeing you there!!"

Trailer: 'The Last Lullaby' runs May 1-3 at the Louisiana Boardwalk

The Last Lullaby trailer (Longer Version) from Jeffrey Goodman on Vimeo.

Haven't seen Jeffrey Goodman's "The Last Lullaby" yet? The local director's flick premieres May 1 locally. Here's an early look.

Trailer: 'Where the Wild Things Are'

I'm going off subject, but this trailer makes me hopeful. Why? A studio's fantasy flick actually looks more like live action than CGI. Here's to hoping director Spike Jonze gets it right.

Casting agency offering workshops

Casting directors Toni Cobb Brock and Sally Allen will offer a variety of acting workshops Saturday and Sunday (March 28-29) at the Robinson Film Center. You can learn more about them by visiting their website.

Actors will be taped, and the workshop will end with a Q&A about their work.

Workshop times:

• 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday: Kids workshop, ages 6 to 11. (Bring your own lunch.)
  
• 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday: Adult workshop, ages 17 and older.
  
• 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday: Teen workshop, ages 12 to 16.
  
• 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday: Adult workshop, ages 17 and older.
  

Location: Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St., Shreveport.

Cost: $125, in advance, for each workshop; $150, at the door. To reserve, call Toni at (214) 752-9851.

LSUS offering intro workshop for animation/visual FX

LSUS's animation and visual effects program is offering another introductory workshop on March 28.

Program director John Miralles will head up the class, which is an intro to entertainment industry computer graphics. Students will produce their first visual effects during the workshop.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28.
WHERE: LSUS Technology Center, Room 258.
COST: $10, middle and high school students; $29 for LSUS students, faculty and staff; $39, general public.
TO REGISTER: ce.lsus.edu, or contact the Continuing Ed department at 318.798.4177.

'Phone it home, baby. Phone it home!' says Dick Vitale about this weekend's screenings of 'E.T.'

Just got off the phone with Dicky V. No, really ... I did. He's more excited about E.T.'s latest comeback than the Tar Heels' inevitable triumph. Best quote I've ever written down: "This Diaper Dandy came from beyond the stratosphere in 1982 to win the hearts and minds of movie nation, baby. E.T.'s fingers make James Worthy's look like half-eaten fish sticks! His levitating moon ride made M.J.'s free throw line dunk look like hopscotch! His translucent chest skin is more mind-altering than Michael Phelps bong hit! Scribble in this magnificent Martian as a bracket topper, baby! He's unbelievable. Unbelievable, baby!"

That ranks as the weirdest imaginary interview I've ever logged.

The Robinson Film Center is screening "E.T." on Saturday and Sunday. Details.

BPCC casting for summer movie project

The BPCC Film Institute will hold auditions March 31 for its summer film project “At War with the Ants.” What do you need to know?

CASTING CALL
When: begins 5:30 p.m. March 31.
Where: BPCC campus, 6220 E. Texas St., Building D, 3rd floor, Bossier City.
Bring: a casting headshot/photo.
Info: Paula Kaszuba at (318) 678-6177 or pkaszuba@bpcc.edu.

Available parts:

• male actors from young 20s to upper 30s
• Female actors from young 20s to upper 30s
• one African American girl (around 3 years old)
• one Caucasian boy (around 6 years old)

We should know more about 'The Pardon' soon

I recently spoke with Jim Davis. He's executive producer for "The Pardon," which was shot in Shreveport in mid-2007. What's the status of the film? "We'll have a distribution deal inked within the first quarter," Davis said. "The offers we're getting are for national distribution."

Davis also noted that he aims to skip the festival circuit and go directly to theaters.

"The Pardon" revisits the story of Toni Jo Henry (played by Jaime King), the only woman to die in the Louisiana electric chair. She was convicted of murder and executed in 1942 at Calcasieu Parish jail. Henry was born in Shreveport in 1916.

PHOTO: Jaime King on the set of "The Pardon" on May 31, 2007. (Douglas Collier/The Times)

Gary Chason to conduct workshop

Gary Chason will hold a screen-acting workshop, which begins Thursday. Participants will get DVD copies of their work. Details:

If you go
WHAT: Gary Chason's Film-Acting Workshop.
WHEN: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 19; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 21; 1 to 8 p.m. March 22.
WHERE: Acclaim Talent, 1411 Fairfield Ave., Shreveport.
COST: $150.
CONTACT: gchason@prodigy.net, www.garychason.com or (512) 468-8293.

'The Last Lullaby' to hold 'premiere weekend' from May 1 to May 3

"The Last Lullaby," a locally produced independent feature, will open its theatrical run during a "premiere weekend" May 1 through May 3 at Louisiana Boarwalk's Regal Cinemas 14 in Bossier City.

The crime drama will play on one screen, and director Jeffrey Goodman hopes to attract as many patrons as possible.

"Our goal is for 3,000 moviegoers to buy a ticket and see the film during our premier weekend," said Goodman in a press release. "I hope people feel as I do, that this is really the community’s film and they can have a direct impact on its success."

Goodman will host a Q&A after each screening.

The goal is to generate a high per-screen average and attract interest from a distributor. Goodman has screened the film at roughly 10 festivals during the past year, including AFI Dallas and, most recently, the Cinequest Festival in San Diego.

PHOTO: Tom Sizemore and Sasha Alexander star in The Last Lullaby." (Special to LaMovBlog)

Times-Pic tracking what's on the ground in New Orleans

Mike Scott, of The Times-Picayune, has a good overview of what's filming in New Orleans. As happens annually, according to Scott, the N.O. industry is experiencing a spring surge.

Coolest bit of reporting?

"A recent Twitter update from a local film-crew member said it all: 'Drought for months and then all of a sudden job offers from everywhere, and different departments even.'"

N.O.-based site tracking incentive news

While pursuing the ongoing story about tax credit legislation, I found a pretty solid resource. Ed Metz, of Robert Berning Productions in New Orleans, just started the Movie Tax Credits Report. The site features news about tax incentive programs from all around the country.

I added a feed widget to my blog on the right hand side (scroll down a wee bit).

Ed and I spoke last week about his interest in setting up the site. Like many in the biz, he'd noticed a major uptick in discussion about incentive legislation and wanted to provide folks with a resource to find current news.

"All of the activity has gotten very intense," Metz said. "Some states are jumping on board with both feet, and other states are giving it more scrutiny with how the money is spent."

The scrutiny will be particularly intense during the coming weeks as Gov. Jindal, Louisiana Economic Development, legislators and industry leaders begin hammering out legislative plans for 2009.

'The Year One' movie set ... yeah, they still build 'em like they used to

Without question, "The Year One" is the wildest movie set yet built in northwest Louisiana. It's six acres, surrounded by many more acres of desert-looking sand, and stands in for the Biblical city Sodom. The set will get oodles of screen time when the Jack Black comedy debuts June.

Times photographer Greg Pearson (his work below) and I got a tour of it last week, led by Phillip Jordan Brooks. Brooks now spends his weekdays showcasing the set to scouts. The set hopes to book another picture there, and really it could be re-dressed as anything from Sodom to a stereotypical Middle Eastern village to a modern-day sword-and-sandal epic to a western. Who knows, but the site has tons of potential for future filming.





Here's a little about Brooks (pictured), who some may recognize as a stage actor who graduated from Centenary College's Marjorie Lyons Playhouse. He's also a filmmaker who shot the war short "Deliberate" in the bowels of Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.

After Brooks graduated, he began eying the film industry and ultimately landed his biggest movie industry gig on "The Year One" as assistant location manager.

He's between movie jobs right now, so he's focusing his efforts on developing a script of his own: a suspense thriller tentatively titled "Modern Day Lotus." Not much detail yet, except to say it's set in northwest Louisiana and that Brooks is modeling his efforts after those of director Jeffrey Goodman, who funded and filmed "The Last Lullaby" locally. If you want to get in touch with Brooks, just lemme know.

Nu Image/Millennium pressing forward with studio

Did you catch part 3 of the miniseries? By the end of April, Nu Image/Millennium Films hopes to begin building their $8M studio in the Ledbetter Heights neighborhood. Later today, I'll post some shots of key pieces of local infrastructure.

Two stories on the industry today

We published two stories today: one on the current slowdown in the local film industry, and another that looks at the competitiveness of Louisiana's film incentives. Within the next six to eight weeks, there will continue to be a lot of behind the scenes talk about incentives, and whether or not they should be solidified or strengthened. The Legislature convenes April 27.

Animated short to be produced in The Shreve

Shreveport’s movie industry is opening a new frontier.

Children’s author and moviemaker William Joyce has teamed with producers Lampton Enochs and Alissa Kantrow to found DigiLou Studios. The animation studio will produce a short animated film called “The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore.” The project is early in development.

According to a press release, DigiLou Studios is a cooperative effort between the founders, LSU-Shreveport and the Louisiana Economic Development Department. The project is being developed with the help of seasoned animators John Miralles and Raffaele Scaduto-Mendola, who teach in LSUS’s animation and visual effects program.

Joyce, an acclaimed children’s author and TV producer living Shreveport, carries an expanding movie résumé. He helped conceive characters for “Toy Story” (1995) and “A Bug’s Life” (1998), and took on producing roles for “Robots” (2005) and “Meet the Robinsons” (2007).

Enochs and Kantrow cofounded Louisiana Production Consultants, a Shreveport-based company that has lured numerous movie and TV projects to northwest Louisiana. Titles include “The Mist,” “Wonderful World,” “The Killing Room” and “Tekken.”

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore” should be completed in 2010, according to the release.

There is no further information at this time. When more details become available, I'll let you know.

Looking for trade training opps? FIT has 8

The Film Industry Training Program is offering 8 training opportunities in the following trades: hair, scenic painting, props, sound, set dressing, makeup, wardrobe and special effects.

Classes begin March 23. They're free. To apply, call Cyndi Brenner at 318.682.5680. (I'd hurry.)

All are five days per week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and taught by film industry pros.

Classes last three weeks, except for special effects (six weeks).

Program is a partnership between Louisiana Production Consultants and Louisiana Technical College: Mansfield Campus, which received grant money.

Observe SLJ Day with 'Pulp Fiction'

Don't believe there was a Samuel L. Jackson Day in Shreveport? Believe it.

And celebrate it Monday at the Robinson Film Center with a screening of "Pulp Fiction."

When? 7:30 p.m. Monday (March 9).

Eats? Big Kahuna burgers and $5 milkshakes.

RFC is dusting off some other dandies, too: On Friday, "Citizen Kane" opens. Ever heard of it? On March 27, the monthly Friday Night Freakout breaks out the Wii bowling for "The Big Lebowski." Dude. ... Correction: The Dude.

PHOTO: Samuel L. Jackson spoke to students at the CCAA Balistine Hopkins Head Start Center in Shreveport on March 9, 2007. (Shane Bevel/The Times)

A view from New Orleans

Yesterday, in direct response to observations about New Orleans' production levels, I sent the following three questions to Jennifer Day, director of the New Orleans Office of Film & Video. Here are her answers.

Question: Are you experiencing a surge in production of late? If you are, what do you attribute it to?

Answer: I wouldn't necessarily say that we're seeing a "surge" of production. New Orleans experienced a record-breaking year in 2008 so this current pace, while slightly less than 2008, is similar to the level of activity that we experienced last year during these quarters. Considering the current economic climate and increasing competition from other incentivized states, we are very pleased with the slate we will be hosting over the coming months.

What we all have to realize is that during times of economic hardship such as these, production incentives like the ones offered by Louisiana, become vital to production. Increasingly projects must look for quality incentive states in which to do business. In many cases incentives are the key to getting films made period. That is why our lobbying efforts to stabilize the current production credits at a competitive rate will be critical. Our communities must demand that our lawmakers take action not only retain the millions of dollars our communities are reaping but allow the Louisiana industry to move forward competitively to capture even more business.

Q: Has anything changed in the way that New Orleans markets itself to the industry?

A: We are always striving to improve upon our marketing strategies and strengthen the New Orleans and Louisiana brand. One of the most powerful techniques that all film industry professionals in Louisiana can engage is superior customer service. Here in Louisiana we see a fair amount of repeat business which means that our clients are happy with what we have to offer. From the hundreds of Louisiana vendors to our workforce- all who service film and television projects must work harder and more brilliantly to continue this trend.

I feel so honored to represent New Orleans and all the city and the region have to offer. The state Office of Entertainment Industry Development has done a tremendous job promoting the state and the New Orleans brand is extremely potent. We are a world-class city with an amazingly diverse range of resources from locations to hotel accommodations. Here at the New Orleans Office of Film & Video we are always looking for the most efficient way to communicate our strengths to as many markets as possible. Film offices across the state will be traveling to the Association of Film Commissioners International's Locations Trade Show in April. This show is a staple in our marketing activities and allows for networking in Los Angeles which is still the mecca for the feature film industry.

Q: What's your outlook on production activity in N.O. for the near future?

A: For the near future our market looks to be stable. For the first two quarters of 2009 the Greater New Orleans production hub will have hosted 5 major projects (and that is not including documentary, still photography, commercial, or music video work). We are currently courting another 5 projects that could possibly shoot later this year. That being said, we are working diligently everyday here in the office to keep the idea of doing business in New Orleans, Louisiana at the forefront of industry professionals thoughts. But again, stabilizing our production incentives in April will be THE most important issue for continued success. I urge all who support the Louisiana film industry to contact their local film office to learn how they can participate in our lobbying efforts.