The Secret: Georgia Production Partnership - Southern Screen Report
The Secret: Georgia Production Partnership - Southern Screen Report
The Secret: Georgia Production Partnership - Southern Screen Report
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Vol. 3, No. 3 May 2007<br />
Feinberg takes 2<br />
films to Cannes<br />
ATLANTA — Well known Atlanta<br />
actor, writer, and director Ken<br />
Feinberg is premiering, not one, but<br />
two short films at the 2007 Cannes<br />
Film Festival.<br />
Seven Generations<br />
and Hearts<br />
and Souls will<br />
screen as part of<br />
the Short Film<br />
Corner market<br />
of the venerated<br />
festival.<br />
Both films were<br />
written and di-<br />
Ken Feinberg<br />
rected by Feinberg, an Atlanta native<br />
and University of <strong>Georgia</strong> graduate.<br />
He has a 20-year career in film and<br />
theater, and has made numerous appearances<br />
on television as an actor<br />
in shows such as Buffy the Vampire<br />
Slayer, <strong>The</strong> District, Alias, Charmed,<br />
and Star Trek Enterprise.<br />
See Cannes on Page 8<br />
INSIDE:<br />
Union or Non-Union? ....... 5<br />
<strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle ........ 6<br />
NABFEME Film Salon ..... 9<br />
Ciné Arthouse <strong>The</strong>ater ... 10<br />
Anime Evolution ............ 14<br />
DEPARTMENTS:<br />
Editorial ........................... 2<br />
Out <strong>The</strong>re in Pictures ....... 3<br />
Location: Riverwood’s<br />
Historic Backlot .......... 4<br />
In <strong>Production</strong> ................ 15<br />
Classifieds ..................... 16<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Secret</strong>: <strong>Georgia</strong><br />
<strong>Production</strong> <strong>Partnership</strong><br />
By Pamela Cole<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is an organization in Atlanta that<br />
probably impacts your ability to make a<br />
living in the film/video industry in <strong>Georgia</strong><br />
more than anything else. You may not<br />
be aware of them, but for the last ten years<br />
this group has gone about it’s business, behind-the-scenes,<br />
of touting the benefits of<br />
filmmaking in this state and influencing<br />
lawmakers to create financial incentives.<br />
What is this secret organization? It’s<br />
the <strong>Georgia</strong> <strong>Production</strong> <strong>Partnership</strong> (GPP)<br />
– and they’ve got your back.<br />
In recognition of the enormous contributions<br />
of this group over the last decade,<br />
IMAGE recently honored the GPP<br />
at the 2007 IMAGE Awards Gala (along<br />
with Will Packer of Rainforest Films and<br />
Kenny Blank, Executive Director of the<br />
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival).<br />
“We’re a coalition of companies and<br />
individuals who are active in all these industries:<br />
film, interactive gaming, music,<br />
and video, although it’s mostly been film<br />
and video,” says current co-president<br />
Fran Burst-Terranella. Burst-Terranella, a<br />
founding member of Women in Film and<br />
IMAGE, shares the position of GPP copresident<br />
with Craig Miller (Craig Miller<br />
<strong>Production</strong>s).<br />
Not a networking or program organization,<br />
the goal of GPP is to be “the col-<br />
See GPP on Page 12<br />
<strong>The</strong> National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment<br />
(NABFEME) Film Salon. (L-R) Yalanda Lattimore, Dryerbuzz.com; Tanya Dixon, Tandi<br />
<strong>Production</strong>s/Tandimonium Films; Michell Davis, Davis Register LLP; Diedre Thomas,<br />
Writer/Director; Johnnie Walker, NABFEME Founder; Monique Woods, Filmmaker; Krys<br />
Copeland, FUSION Magazine; N’Dieye Gray-Danavall, Filmmaker; Joanna Madruga,<br />
CNN; and Zina Brown, Life Dreams Entertainment. See story on Page 9.
Editorial Opinion<br />
<strong>The</strong> Avid Wars<br />
By Craig Tollis<br />
craig@screenreport.com<br />
Generally, I try to stay out of the Avid<br />
vs. Final Cut Pro wars: what works best<br />
usually depends on your individual circumstances.<br />
A recent gig with CBS’s College<br />
Sports TV (CSTV) on their NCAA Final<br />
Four team gave me an opportunity to see<br />
their Final Cut Pro edit setup in action.<br />
CSTV was not only using the latest<br />
Final Cut Pro 5, they had it running on<br />
Quad processor G5 systems with the Aja IO<br />
interface and G-Tech G-Raid storage. Nice,<br />
fast, quiet, and looks cool, too. Part of the<br />
dilemma for FCP is that while the software<br />
will run on just about any recent Macintosh<br />
system, it doesn’t necessarily run at its best.<br />
Avid has always been a stickler for performance,<br />
supporting only a fairly strict list of<br />
“approved” hardware. This makes their systems<br />
more expensive, but generally consistent<br />
and reliable. For practical professional<br />
editing on FCP, you need a nicely kitted out<br />
system with good hardware behind it. This<br />
makes all the difference in terms of speed<br />
and performance.<br />
Conceptually, it was interesting to see<br />
Final Cut Pro set up in a professional environment.<br />
A lot of FCP projects I’ve seen<br />
have been cumbersome to work with and<br />
confusing to edit—largely because of the<br />
haphazard way they’re organized. Again,<br />
this is FCP’s dilemma of accessibility: its<br />
flexibility and ease of use make it simpler<br />
to get a project going, but you can also get<br />
yourself into a mess. CSTV had their projects<br />
and media well prepared and well organized.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y didn’t outsmart themselves<br />
by trying to be too compartmentalized, but<br />
stayed consistent with their workflow.<br />
Once you’re into the edit, FCP’s comprehensive,<br />
software-based mindset really<br />
comes to the fore. For example, every clip<br />
has its own set of properties. <strong>The</strong>y include<br />
the ability to composite in different ways,<br />
crop, scale and distort the image, change<br />
speed and other parameters, many of which<br />
are keyframable. This is generally more<br />
powerful and more elegant than Avid’s approach<br />
of dropping effects onto clips in the<br />
timeline, which can become confusing and<br />
awkward with multiple or nested effects.<br />
All your basic processes are right there and<br />
they stay with the clip when you manipulate<br />
it in the bins.<br />
FCP’s LiveType also outperforms<br />
Avid’s Marquee in terms of usability and<br />
practicality. Both type creation systems require<br />
you to jump out of the main editor<br />
to a separate application, but LiveType is<br />
much easier to learn, contains a good number<br />
of editable presets and generally makes<br />
more sense. It also integrates well back into<br />
the parent application. Avid could use some<br />
radical improvement in this area.<br />
Another big software-based plus for<br />
Final Cut Pro is its ability to deal directly<br />
with various source resolutions for both<br />
video and stills. Although Avid’s latest<br />
products include a plug-in for manipulating<br />
high-resolution stills, this is still somewhat<br />
awkward compared to FCP’s approach, and<br />
Whatever happens, the<br />
competition can only<br />
benefit users of both<br />
systems, who continue<br />
to get more for less.<br />
doesn’t apply to video. Avid converts digital<br />
files to project resolution when it imports<br />
them. FCP accesses the original file<br />
directly—both stills and movies—so you<br />
can manipulate full resolution images in<br />
the editor.<br />
FCP does offer alternate ways to perform<br />
many editing tasks by specifying numeric<br />
lengths or time codes. A lot of the<br />
problems and errors I’ve seen in FCP sequences<br />
come from reliance on setting<br />
times, levels or speeds using click-and-drag<br />
methods. If you take the time to learn the<br />
more advanced and deeper hot key functions,<br />
it can really pay off in terms of accuracy<br />
and avoiding problems later on.<br />
I still prefer Avid’s way of thinking<br />
about the timeline. While FCP’s clipbased<br />
paradigm is powerful, appealing and<br />
makes you aware of footage options early<br />
in an edit, as you approach a more finished<br />
product this becomes less useful. <strong>The</strong>re’s a<br />
point at which you want to deal conceptually<br />
with the end result itself—to access it<br />
universally and cut and dice at will. FCP<br />
will do this, but you’ll have to look into<br />
some of the more advanced and secondary<br />
tools and it’s a little counter-intuitive to the<br />
way the timeline is arranged by default.<br />
Although I was warned about problems<br />
creating long sequences in Final Cut Pro,<br />
I didn’t encounter any on the CSTV job.<br />
This is a good thing, since I generally like<br />
to combine a nearly finished project into<br />
one sequence, unless there is some inherent<br />
Page 2 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
logic to splitting it, like commercial breaks.<br />
A professional edit system should be able<br />
to cope with the complex 30 to 60 minute<br />
timeline you need for TV, if not the full 90<br />
minutes plus required for feature films.<br />
Finally, Apple has rolled the latest FCP<br />
into a bundle of video, audio, graphics<br />
and DVD authoring tools called Final Cut<br />
Studio. This is everything you’ll need to<br />
achieve a professional look, from capture<br />
to delivery. Avid still suffers from the outdated<br />
notion that text, animation and compositing<br />
aren’t really a part of editing. It’s<br />
a hang over from the hey-day of the Media<br />
Composer as an off-line edit system supported<br />
by specialized graphics and finishing<br />
equipment. Avid needs to reconsider<br />
this and take seriously the popularity of the<br />
one-stop post production station, where everything<br />
can be conveniently put together,<br />
from start to finish. Especially when cable<br />
stations like CSTV are choosing Final Cut<br />
Pro on their edits.<br />
What remains to be seen is what Avid’s<br />
next step will be. Rumor has it that they intend<br />
to out-develop Apple’s product line with<br />
a trickle-down of features from their higher<br />
end systems. Whatever happens, the competition<br />
can only benefit users of both systems,<br />
who continue to get more for less.§<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Screen</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />
Editor-in-Chief, Pamela Cole,<br />
editor@screenreport.com<br />
Associate Editor, Ruksana Hussain,<br />
ruksana@screenreport.com<br />
Senior Advertising Executive, Melissa Randle,<br />
melissa@screenreport.com<br />
Classifieds: classifieds@screenreport.com<br />
News: news@screenreport.com<br />
<strong>Production</strong> Listings: listings@screenreport.com<br />
Published by Front Runner Communications, Inc.<br />
Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-806-7044<br />
Editorial Policy: <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Screen</strong> <strong>Report</strong> covers<br />
news, reviews, and production listings of the film<br />
and video industry in the Southeastern United<br />
States. <strong>The</strong> views represented here do not necessarily<br />
represent the views of the publisher.<br />
Issue 3, No. 3 © 2007 Front Runner Communications,<br />
Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this<br />
publication may be reproduced, stored in any<br />
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by<br />
any means—electronic, mechanical photocopying,<br />
recording or otherwise—without the prior<br />
written permission of the publisher.
WaveGuide Studio wins three awards for their PSA for the Hands On<br />
Network. (L-R) Marshall Peterson, Eric Lease, Tember Fasulo, Todd<br />
Watson, Steve Reed.<br />
Chris Klaus, CEO of Kaneva,<br />
speaks at the closing ceremonies<br />
of the 2nd Annual <strong>Georgia</strong> Big<br />
Picture Conference. (Photo by<br />
Pam Cole)<br />
On the set of<br />
CONJURER,<br />
camera<br />
operator Todd<br />
Marshall films<br />
Andrew Bowen<br />
and Maxine<br />
Bahns (with<br />
her prosthetic<br />
belly).<br />
(Photo by Kevin<br />
McKnight)<br />
GSU’s Digital<br />
Arts and<br />
Entertainment<br />
Lab (DAEL)<br />
recorded a<br />
live studio<br />
performance<br />
of the bands,<br />
Celephais and<br />
<strong>The</strong> Liverhearts<br />
in its Blue screen<br />
studio downtown.<br />
Out <strong>The</strong>re in Pictures<br />
yourACT was honored with a “BIG PICTURE AWARD” as Best<br />
Professional Educators at the 2nd Annual <strong>Georgia</strong> Big Picture<br />
Conference. Bob Harter (L) accepts award from GABPC Executive<br />
Producer, Ken Feinberg. (Photo by Pam Cole)<br />
Shayne Kohout on the set of<br />
Manhattan Crack’r being filmed<br />
in Atlanta, South Carolina, and<br />
Savannah. (Photo courtesy of<br />
Ron Vigil)<br />
www.screenreport.com May 2007 Page 3
Location, Location, Location<br />
Riverwood Studios, Senoia, GA<br />
Setting the stage for historical filmmaking<br />
By Ruksana Hussain<br />
<strong>The</strong> development of a period back lot in<br />
historic Senoia is <strong>Georgia</strong>’s next invitation<br />
for films to be shot here, thanks to Riverwood<br />
Studios. <strong>The</strong> studio has taken on this<br />
latest effort to lure several Hollywood projects,<br />
offering them a historic looking set of<br />
buildings and streets - a fairly unique asset<br />
for <strong>Georgia</strong> and the industry. Riverwood’s<br />
existing studios include four massive<br />
soundstages, production offices, editing<br />
space, a screening room, a mill, and plenty<br />
of hair/make-up/wardrobe space.<br />
For the back lot, Riverwood has acquired<br />
more than a dozen acres of developable<br />
land within the historic district of<br />
Senoia and has begun construction on the<br />
project, offering unique features designed<br />
to accommodate the practical needs of production<br />
crews. <strong>The</strong>se include underground<br />
power lines and multiple shooting perspectives<br />
on each street.<br />
In addition to the historic production<br />
facilities, Riverwood’s new development<br />
will include live/work space including office,<br />
retail, and restaurant space, and renovation<br />
of older buildings. Presales of lofts,<br />
brownstones, and town homes are scheduled<br />
to begin by Summer 2007.<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Screen</strong> <strong>Report</strong> caught up with<br />
Scott Tigchelaar, President of Riverwood<br />
Studios, to find out more:<br />
How did the idea for a back lot in<br />
Senoia originate and why Senoia?<br />
Senoia is a half-mile from the Riverwood<br />
Studios. Fifteen movies have been<br />
shot there in the last 15 years, so it was a<br />
natural choice for a place to do something<br />
like this because of its proximity and because<br />
it’s a quaint little town, frozen in<br />
time. <strong>The</strong>re is no real modern development<br />
in Senoia and that’s part of the reason why<br />
it has been so attractive to the film industry<br />
over the years as a setting for producing<br />
pictures.<br />
What are the facilities Senoia will offer?<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is always demand for locations<br />
but we are building Senoia first and foremost<br />
as a development. What we are doing<br />
is building it with an eye to making it conducive<br />
to future film projects as well. We<br />
want 50 more films to be shot here, so we<br />
are making sure that everything we build<br />
is consistent with the historic period and<br />
look of the town. And we’re laying it out<br />
in such a way that it makes it easy to film.<br />
<strong>The</strong> best example of that is, we have alley<br />
access to all the homes and even the businesses<br />
so you can shut down a street for<br />
filming and it doesn’t disrupt peoples’ ability<br />
to get to their home. That’s usually the<br />
biggest complaint when you are filming<br />
in a practical town. If you close the street<br />
off, the businesses and residents complain,<br />
since it restricts their access.<br />
<strong>The</strong> other thing we are doing, within the<br />
context of the historic town, is to have a<br />
street of brownstones, a couple of streets<br />
of single family homes that approximate<br />
Charleston and<br />
Savannah, a<br />
street of live/<br />
work town<br />
homes, factory<br />
lofts, and things<br />
like that. By<br />
having brownstones,<br />
those fit<br />
within the context<br />
of a south-<br />
Scott Tigchelaar<br />
ern town but<br />
they also allow<br />
you to cheat<br />
New York. All you have to do is park a<br />
couple of New York cabs on the street, and<br />
nobody knows it’s not New York. It might<br />
not work for every movie but for a film or<br />
television series working here and needing<br />
a New York looking street that will be<br />
available to them without having to go to<br />
New York. <strong>The</strong> same goes for Charleston<br />
and Savannah. Those are both heavy tourist<br />
areas and often they don’t like their streets<br />
Page 4 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
being shut down for filming. And they’re<br />
not as easy to get to as Senoia, which is just<br />
25 miles away from the busiest airport in<br />
the world. <strong>The</strong>re are also no direct flights to<br />
get to Charleston or Savannah from L.A.,<br />
you have to go through Atlanta. So Senoia<br />
is all about being close to the infrastructure,<br />
the amenities, and logistical considerations<br />
of a place like Atlanta, but still being able<br />
to cheat a neighborhood like Charleston or<br />
Savannah.<br />
We are doing this as a development.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re will be places people are going to<br />
live, offices where they will work, restaurants<br />
where they will eat, and all that other<br />
stuff, but it will be just that much more conducive<br />
to film work and by having a studio<br />
a half-mile away.<br />
When is the back lot at Senoia expected<br />
to be ready for filming?<br />
That’s the beauty of it! <strong>The</strong>re have already<br />
been 15 movies shot here so the town<br />
can already be used for filming. It’s not like<br />
everybody has to wait till we are done with<br />
what we are doing. We’ll just be adding to<br />
what’s already there. But that being said,<br />
we have started construction, and based on<br />
the way the demand is going, we’ll probably<br />
be done in two to three years. It’s going<br />
relatively fast.<br />
Has there been any special interest in<br />
the new development?<br />
<strong>The</strong>re has been interest already from<br />
studios in Hollywood. We have met with<br />
them and showed them the renderings of<br />
the development. <strong>The</strong>y’re already talking<br />
about Senoia is terms of development for<br />
TV series. It’s very easy to do a show<br />
See Riverwood on Page 8
Legalizations<br />
Union or Non-Union: That is the Question!<br />
By Cliff Lovette, Esq.<br />
One of the many questions facing independent<br />
film producers is whether to sign<br />
collective bargaining agreements with the<br />
various unions/guilds that represent film<br />
talent, crew, and other filmmaking personnel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> main ones are:<br />
• <strong>Screen</strong> Actors Guild (SAG) - represents<br />
actors, extras, dancers, choreographers,<br />
stunt coordinators, and stunt<br />
doubles<br />
• International Association of <strong>The</strong>ater<br />
and Stage Employees (IATSE) - represents<br />
technical crew such as cinematographers,<br />
camera crew, production<br />
designers, and grips<br />
• Teamsters - represents the transportation<br />
workers<br />
• Director’s Guild of America (DGA) -<br />
represents directors, assistant directors,<br />
and directors of photography<br />
• Writer’s Guild of America (WGA)<br />
– represents screenwriters<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are no union rules that would<br />
force a producer who signs with one union<br />
to sign with all other unions. So, a producer<br />
can make a separate decision to sign with<br />
each union or guild on a case-by-case basis.<br />
This article focuses on practical considerations<br />
in making that decision as related to<br />
the <strong>Screen</strong> Actor’s Guild (SAG).<br />
(For convenience, this article will use<br />
“union” and “guild” interchangeably.)<br />
SAG Agreement<br />
To use SAG actors in your production,<br />
you must sign a SAG guild agreement. <strong>The</strong><br />
SAG Codified Basic Agreement for Independent<br />
Producers (“Basic Agreement”)<br />
covers matters such as minimum pay for<br />
actors, working conditions around the set,<br />
credits, and residual payments for TV telecasts,<br />
DVD sales, merchandising, and other<br />
non-theatrical exploitation of the film. SAG<br />
provides the minimum terms and conditions,<br />
but many ‘stars’ and established actors<br />
can negotiate terms that are much more<br />
favorable to them than those in the Basic<br />
Agreement.<br />
In 1997, SAG created SAGIndie to encourage<br />
the use of SAG members in independent<br />
films. Under SAGIndie, there are<br />
four major classes for low budget agreements,<br />
depending on the amount of the production<br />
budget (see table).<br />
Benefits of a SAG Agreement<br />
Virtually all professional motion picture<br />
and television actors belong to SAG or<br />
AFTRA (the sister guild which shares jurisdiction<br />
over TV production with SAG).<br />
<strong>The</strong> quality of SAG actors and other talent<br />
is likely to be much better in terms of experience<br />
and performance than non-guild talent.<br />
Some experienced directors and other<br />
key personnel may not be willing to work<br />
on a project if the key cast for a project is<br />
filled with non-SAG actors.<br />
Independent producers attach key elements<br />
to their project, such as a known<br />
director or actor, to attract production funding<br />
and distributor interest, and to secure<br />
presales of certain exploitation rights. Creating<br />
a commercially viable project often<br />
requires the use of known talent, which necessitates<br />
becoming a SAG signatory. However,<br />
not all independent producers choose<br />
this route. Recently, <strong>The</strong> Signal was produced<br />
in <strong>Georgia</strong> as a non-SAG production<br />
and still secured a significant domestic distribution<br />
deal at Sundance in January.<br />
Using inexperienced performers who<br />
are not familiar with working on a film set<br />
can easily translate into longer rehearsals<br />
and more ‘takes,’ which increases production<br />
costs. Established SAG actors also<br />
offer the advantage of name recognition<br />
and ‘marquee’ value that an unknown non-<br />
Short Film<br />
Agreement<br />
• Total budget less<br />
than $50,000<br />
• Length of film must<br />
be 35 minutes or<br />
less<br />
• Salaries are deferred<br />
• No consecutive<br />
employment (except<br />
overnight location)<br />
• No premiums.<br />
• Allows the use of<br />
both professional<br />
and non-professional<br />
performers<br />
• Background performers<br />
not covered<br />
SAG Low Budget Agreements*<br />
Ultra - Low<br />
Budget<br />
Agreement<br />
• Total budget less<br />
than $200,000<br />
• Day rate of $100<br />
• No step-up fees<br />
• No consecutive<br />
employment (except<br />
on overnight<br />
location)<br />
• No premiums<br />
• Allows the use of<br />
both professional<br />
and non-professional<br />
performers<br />
• Background performers<br />
not<br />
covered<br />
SAG actor will not provide. Such high<br />
profile talent may generate increased box<br />
office revenues.<br />
If the production requires the use of<br />
stunt performers, using non-SAG stunt<br />
performers can greatly increase the risk of<br />
injury, increase the number of ‘takes’ because<br />
of inexperience in working with film<br />
crews, and increase the amount of liability<br />
insurance premiums.<br />
If a producer doesn’t sign a SAG agreement<br />
and ends up hiring SAG actors, the<br />
SAG actors will be forced to quit if the<br />
guild finds out. This could be devastating<br />
for an unfinished project.<br />
Drawbacks of a SAG Agreement<br />
A SAG production will require a higher<br />
production budget because minimum salaries<br />
may be higher and they bear fringe<br />
benefit payments. Also, the producer will<br />
have to observe SAG’s working condition<br />
restrictions, including the length of time a<br />
performer may work on the set. Additionally,<br />
SAG requires the payment of residuals<br />
for exploitation of the film in ancillary markets<br />
such as TV and DVD (‘supplemental<br />
markets’).<br />
SAG also requires that producers tender<br />
a security deposit (the ‘SAG bond’),<br />
which equals about 40% of the budgeted<br />
See SAG on page 8<br />
Modified Low<br />
Budget<br />
Agreement<br />
• Total budget less<br />
than $625,000<br />
• Day rate of $268<br />
• Weekly rate of<br />
$933<br />
• No consecutive<br />
employment (except<br />
on overnight<br />
location)<br />
• Six-day work week<br />
with no premium<br />
• Reduced overtime<br />
rate<br />
Low Budget<br />
Agreement<br />
• Total budget less<br />
than $2,500,000<br />
• Day rate of $504<br />
• Weekly rate of<br />
$1752<br />
• No consecutive employment<br />
(except on<br />
overnight location)<br />
• Six-day work week<br />
with no premium<br />
• Reduced overtime<br />
rate<br />
• Reduced number of<br />
background performers<br />
covered<br />
* http://www.sagindie.org/resources/contracts, 2007<br />
www.screenreport.com May 2007 Page 5
In the Spotlight<br />
By Pamela Cole<br />
It all started with<br />
Laura Mulvey in 1975.<br />
If you’ve ever endured<br />
the agony of a film<br />
theory class, you may<br />
remember Laura Mulvey<br />
(in fact, it’s probably<br />
all you remember<br />
from that class).<br />
That’s because Mulvey wrote about sex<br />
and gender and voyeurism (hard-to-forget<br />
topics) in her influential essay, “Visual<br />
Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Her<br />
controversial ideas about “the controlling<br />
male gaze,” based on Freudian concepts,<br />
have fueled academic debate in film,<br />
sociology, psychology, women’s studies,<br />
and gender and cultural studies.<br />
A local filmmaking project has now<br />
taken up that debate. “<strong>The</strong> Woman’s<br />
Angle,” founded by Tracy Martin and Bret<br />
Wood (the team that created Psychopathia<br />
Sexualis) is again treading into the territory<br />
of sexual controversy. <strong>The</strong> Woman’s<br />
Angle is “a short film project specifically<br />
designed for the new or established woman<br />
director who desires an opportunity to gain<br />
a fuller understanding and appreciation of<br />
her voice as a filmmaker.”<br />
DP Marc Story and director Tracy Martin on the set of Sucker<br />
Punch, a film in <strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle Project (Photo by Pam Cole)<br />
“As much as I detest<br />
singling out a group of<br />
people for their experience<br />
or their talent,<br />
I started feeling like<br />
it would be empowering<br />
for me<br />
as well as other<br />
women if we<br />
could come together<br />
and say<br />
‘let’s do this<br />
together,’”<br />
explained<br />
Martin,<br />
who<br />
was one<br />
of nine<br />
filmmakers that<br />
completed short films as<br />
part of the first Woman’s Angle<br />
project.<br />
“I think more women would make films<br />
if we had an environment that was more<br />
collaborative, that allows them to move<br />
forward,” said Martin, citing the fact that<br />
only 16% of filmmakers (directors, executive<br />
producers, producers, writers, cinematographers,<br />
or editors) are women. (Source:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes<br />
Employment of Women in the Top 250<br />
Films of 2004,” Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D.)<br />
Martin has produced several films including<br />
the 2006 sensation, Psychopathia<br />
Sexualis. She recently directed a short<br />
(Day Trip) that appeared in the Atlanta<br />
Film Festival.<br />
Laura Mulvey?<br />
It was co-founder<br />
Wood who mentioned<br />
Mulvey’s essay, after<br />
Martin approached him<br />
about wanting to start a<br />
project for women-only<br />
directors. In a really broad<br />
nutshell, Mulvey says that<br />
since most films are made<br />
by men, they naturally<br />
give us a male view of the<br />
world — showing men as<br />
more powerful, featuring<br />
mostly male protagonists,<br />
and focusing on stories<br />
Page 6 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
<strong>The</strong><br />
Woman’s Angle<br />
Nancy Knight<br />
and Deirdre<br />
Walsh (Photo by<br />
Sherri Larsen)<br />
that are important to men. Oh, and seeing<br />
women mainly as sexual objects. Mulvey<br />
says this “male gaze” is the classic perspective<br />
of Hollywood films.<br />
“I don’t know that I agree with everything<br />
she says, but she makes some very<br />
strong points that open the discussion,” said<br />
Martin about Mulvey. <strong>The</strong> original group<br />
of twelve women in <strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle<br />
discussed Mulvey’s essay and watched film<br />
clips from the 30s and 40s that illustrated<br />
her ideas.<br />
“We were rolling on the floor. It was<br />
amazing how women were portrayed in<br />
earlier films! It’s not as obvious anymore,<br />
but there are still plenty of movies that are<br />
examples of her opinions,” Martin said.<br />
It was then up to the directors to decide<br />
on the story they wanted to tell. <strong>The</strong>re were<br />
no restrictions on theme, genre, or adhering<br />
to Mulvey’s premise. “We encouraged directors<br />
to either embrace or completely defy<br />
Laura Mulvey’s opinions. I wanted this to<br />
be just ‘what is your angle as a woman?’<br />
To achieve that was a theme within itself,”<br />
said Martin.<br />
Rules of the Game<br />
Taking a page from the successful Atlanta<br />
Dailies Project, <strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle<br />
Continued on Next Page
allows filmmakers to collaborate on all<br />
aspects of creating a film from script to<br />
screen. <strong>The</strong>re is no fee to participate in<br />
<strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re were two main rules: the director<br />
had to be a woman, and you had to workshop<br />
your script with the group,” said Martin,<br />
stressing that the workshops were “not<br />
as diligent or aggressive as I would have<br />
liked them to have been.” Some films went<br />
over the original ten-minute time limitation,<br />
which the group decided to allow after discussing<br />
the reasons why it happened.<br />
“In the indie film community there’s<br />
a bit of resistance or suspicion when it<br />
comes to saying we’re going to workshop<br />
your script. In theater, where I started,<br />
plays are workshopped all the time. But<br />
it’s a new thing in the indie film community.<br />
So we were a little reluctant to scare<br />
people with too much workshopping.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle began meeting<br />
monthly on Sept. 13, 2006, sponsored by<br />
yourACT in collaboration with Sketchworks<br />
theater. yourACT agreed to let <strong>The</strong><br />
Woman’s Angle meet and screen their<br />
films at Sketchworks in exchange for a<br />
share in the ticket sales from the screenings.<br />
“yourACT has been wonderful,”<br />
stressed Martin. “It’s been incredible how<br />
many people and companies have come<br />
out and helped these women make their<br />
films,” she said, adding that each film set<br />
it’s own budget and was self-financed.<br />
Most were under $3,000—some way<br />
under.<br />
Future TWA Projects<br />
<strong>The</strong> next Woman’s Angle project is<br />
scheduled to start in January 2008 and<br />
will run for nine months, as did this one.<br />
“Yeah, it’s a big joke,” laughed Martin,<br />
when I pointed out that that’s exactly how<br />
long it takes to have a baby. “But it wasn’t<br />
intentional. It’s just that six months was too<br />
short and a year was too long. You have to<br />
be able to work within people’s schedules,<br />
and nine months seems to be just right.”<br />
For the next project, Martin wants to<br />
have scripts submitted in advance and approved<br />
to go forward before the workshopping<br />
process. She also hopes to be able to<br />
offer filmmakers some financial support,<br />
adding that “if you don’t have a little bit<br />
of money, it’s very difficult to make a decent<br />
film.”<br />
“We’re going to become a 501(c)3 nonprofit<br />
and generate more backing, and accept<br />
donations. It would be ideal if we<br />
could help back each project with just a little<br />
bit of soft money. It would be great to be<br />
able to go to the vendors in this city and ask<br />
them to sponsor us.”<br />
While <strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle is open to all<br />
levels, Martin hopes to attract more professional<br />
women directors to the next project.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re are a lot of women directors in Atlanta<br />
who do commercial or feature work.<br />
Making shorts just isn’t where they’re at<br />
anymore. But I knew that after our inaugural<br />
project, we would get some interest.”<br />
She says that she now gets “daily” e-mails<br />
from women who want to be involved in<br />
the next project.<br />
Overall, response to <strong>The</strong> Woman’s<br />
Angle project has been “overwhelmingly<br />
positive” according to Martin. But there<br />
was one recurring question.<br />
“You wouldn’t believe how many<br />
people asked me, ‘Oh you’re not going<br />
to make another Oxygen film, are you?,’<br />
which there is nothing wrong with. But nobody<br />
ever asks guys, ‘are you gonna make<br />
another comedy or action film?’”<br />
Martin says she just wanted women “to<br />
get behind the camera and shoot what was<br />
important to them—from their angle.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle<br />
“It was a learning process, we’ve got<br />
kinks to work out, but I can’t tell you how<br />
wonderful it’s been! We were successful at<br />
building a collaborative filmmaking community—we<br />
actually did it!”<br />
<strong>The</strong> first nine graduates of <strong>The</strong> Woman’s<br />
Angle project will premiere their<br />
works at four screenings on June 1-3 at<br />
Sketchworks. (Friday & Saturday at 8 pm;<br />
Saturday & Sunday at 5 pm.) <strong>The</strong>re will be<br />
a Q&A with the directors after each screening.<br />
Tickets are $10.<br />
For more information, see http://www.<br />
cinemaweb.com/womansangle. §<br />
Films screening in<br />
<strong>The</strong> Woman’s Angle:<br />
Angela Harvey - Sleep Keep<br />
Wake Take<br />
Avril Z. Speaks - Defining<br />
Moments<br />
Cara Price - Voices<br />
Deirdre Walsh - Insanity Du<br />
Jour<br />
Kathleen Kelly - Je Ne Sais<br />
Quoi<br />
Kimberly Jürgen - Fortune’s<br />
Fool<br />
Kristi Israel - Changing Baby<br />
Shandra L. McDonald -<br />
<strong>The</strong> Promise<br />
Tracy Martin - Sucker Punch<br />
www.screenreport.com May 2007 Page 7
Cannes<br />
Continued from Page 1<br />
“I’ve always wanted to be in Cannes…<br />
I submitted my first film to Cannes,” said<br />
Feinberg, who just finished a stint as Executive<br />
Director of the <strong>Georgia</strong> Big Picture<br />
Conference in Atlanta.<br />
That first film was Coming and Going<br />
(1999), shot in Covington, <strong>Georgia</strong> — in the<br />
same cabin where scenes from My Cousin<br />
Vinny (1992) were also filmed. But Coming<br />
and Going didn’t make it into Cannes.<br />
“That original film was about 20 minutes<br />
long. I was too young of a filmmaker<br />
and it’s a very mature piece. I had a producer<br />
who said, you know you’ve already<br />
done it, it’s behind you, move on to the next<br />
one. But always in the back of my mind, I’d<br />
think, ‘Oh I’d like to cut this out, chop it<br />
down.’” And that’s what Feinberg did earlier<br />
this year. Hearts and Souls is the re-edited<br />
version of Coming and Going, a film<br />
that was destined for Cannes, it seems.<br />
Feinberg’s other film premiering at<br />
Cannes is Seven Generations, which was<br />
adapted from a novel he wrote and funded<br />
by an actress who needed a demo reel. Feinberg<br />
wrote the novel, <strong>The</strong> Other Side of<br />
Now, while on a writing retreat that began<br />
the weekend of Sept. 11, 2001.<br />
“I was in LA and I had signed up for<br />
this writer’s retreat in Sedona, when 9/11<br />
came. I was going to cancel, but then I decided<br />
to go. So I was in Sedona, Arizona<br />
the weekend after 9/11, which was a great<br />
place to be. I went there with an idea for a<br />
short film—the next thing I know, I’m writing<br />
a novel. I came back to LA six weeks<br />
later and had the whole first draft written.”<br />
Feinberg adapted a scene from the novel<br />
for actress Nalini Sharma’s demo reel. (She<br />
executive-produced and starred in Seven<br />
Generations.) After finding the perfect location<br />
in Talking Rock, <strong>Georgia</strong>, and hiring<br />
and transporting the crew, he realized that<br />
it wouldn’t cost any more to shoot for the<br />
entire day.<br />
“I said to Nalini, why not stretch it out<br />
and make a short out of it? We’ve got this<br />
perfect location, we’ve got the crew, and<br />
everybody’s going to be in Talking Rock<br />
anyway?” explained Feinberg. <strong>The</strong> oneday,<br />
mini-DV shoot produced both Sharma’s<br />
demo reel and the 8-minute short now<br />
set to premiere at Cannes.<br />
“My intention now is to go there an use<br />
it as a sales piece to parlay it into a feature<br />
film, or sell the novel, or both,” said<br />
Feinberg, jostling two cell phones ringing<br />
simultaneously as he prepares for the journey<br />
to France.<br />
Feinberg plans to have a celebratory<br />
fund-raising event upon his return from<br />
Cannes, to raise money to make the feature<br />
length version of Seven Generations. Details<br />
will be posted soon on www.kenfeinberg.com.<br />
Ken Feinberg is the owner of Atlantic<br />
Station Studios, which provides rental<br />
space for casting, classes, events, photography<br />
studio, and production offices. He<br />
also teaches the Director’s Boot camp and<br />
Writer’s Boot Camp for aspiring directors<br />
writers. Feinberg completed a three-year<br />
mystical study program as well as a twoand-a-half-year<br />
certification as a relationship<br />
coach.<br />
Launched in 2004 by the Festival de<br />
Cannes, the Short Film Corner is part of<br />
the Marché du Film (the Film Market) at<br />
Cannes, where filmmakers can showcase<br />
short films to potential buyers. More than<br />
3,000 companies from 80 different countries<br />
will be attending. §<br />
Hey! Say you saw it in<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Screen</strong> <strong>Report</strong>!<br />
Riverwood<br />
Continued from Page 4<br />
like Northern Exposure or Desperate<br />
Housewives in a location like this.<br />
Some are already considering it in their<br />
development process for projects they<br />
are working on.<br />
Do you see any difference between<br />
Indie cinema and mainstream cinema<br />
in using this location?<br />
No, only that mainstream is more<br />
likely to be attracted at the studio level<br />
for TV series. But half the films shot in<br />
Senoia have been independent films, so<br />
we will always appeal to the independent<br />
category.<br />
How do you see this development<br />
contributing to better tax incentives<br />
for the film industry in Atlanta?<br />
A better bill for tax incentives was<br />
just passed so there is always hope for<br />
more. What was passed is outstanding<br />
and is going to set <strong>Georgia</strong> in a much<br />
more competitive position so it’s all<br />
good. We will probably have more business<br />
in the next two years than we can<br />
handle, and that’s good.<br />
For more about the Senoia back lot<br />
development, see www.riverwoodstudios.com.§<br />
Page 8 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
SAG<br />
Continued from Page 5<br />
talent costs (including fees above the SAG<br />
minimum scale and the pensions and health<br />
benefits). This security deposit is collected<br />
by SAG to insure that talent is paid what<br />
they are owed even if the production goes<br />
over budget or is otherwise under-funded.<br />
However, the deposit is paid in addition<br />
to the actual talent fees that the producer<br />
pays the talent, and is not released back to<br />
the producer until after production is completed.<br />
(Repayment will be withheld pending<br />
outstanding disputes over the accuracy<br />
of talent fees paid.) Consequently, a producer<br />
has to secure up to 140% of the actual<br />
talent costs to comply with SAG rules.<br />
A producer must also pay about an additional<br />
14% of the amount of the talent scale<br />
wages to SAG, to cover pension and health<br />
benefits that SAG provides to its members.<br />
Since most actors are independent contractors,<br />
SAG members rely on these important<br />
benefits, the majority of whom could not<br />
afford to fund on their own.<br />
<strong>The</strong> SAG low budget agreements also<br />
provide for overtime pay, travel expenses<br />
(including the cost of first-class travel),<br />
and other work condition restrictions, all of<br />
which add to the cost of production.<br />
Summary<br />
Independent film producers, working<br />
on the slimmest of production budgets,<br />
may conclude that they cannot afford to become<br />
SAG signatories due to the increased<br />
production costs. However, using SAG performers<br />
greatly increases the chances of:<br />
• attracting production financing<br />
• getting quality talent performances<br />
• attracting experienced directors and<br />
crew<br />
• securing theatrical distribution<br />
Regional SAG/AFTRA representatives,<br />
such as Melissa Goodman, Executive<br />
Director, <strong>Screen</strong> Actors Guild/AFTRA<br />
– <strong>Georgia</strong>, are happy to walk producers<br />
through the entire signatory process, and<br />
field questions regarding production budgets<br />
and other matters.<br />
(Thanks to Yokow Ribeiro for contributing<br />
to this article.) Cliff Lovette was recently<br />
ranked as the 9th most influential Atlanta<br />
music power broker by <strong>The</strong> Sunday Paper.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lovette Entertainment Law Group, Ltd.<br />
provides legal services to recording artists,<br />
music publishers, independent motion picture<br />
and television production companies, animators,<br />
game developers, directors, and similar<br />
content creators. Cliff can be reached at cliff.<br />
lovette@lovettegroup.com. §
Atlanta NABFEME Hosts Film Salon<br />
Organization showcases films of local women of color<br />
By Dawn Price<br />
“Perseverance and Passion” was the<br />
common theme for the inaugural Film<br />
Salon, hosted by the Atlanta Chapter of<br />
the National Association of Black Female<br />
Executives in Music & Entertainment<br />
(NABFEME). <strong>The</strong> salon featured some of<br />
Atlanta’s top female talent in the film and<br />
entertainment industry, who had an opportunity<br />
to showcase their work and participate<br />
as guest panelists to answer questions<br />
for aspiring filmmakers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> panelists included: Joanna<br />
Madruga, CNN; Deidre Thomas, Writer/<br />
Director; N’Dieye Gray Danavall, Director/Producer;<br />
Monique Woods, Director/<br />
Producer; Zina Brown, Director/Producer/<br />
Videographer; Tanya Dixon, Director/Producer/Editor;<br />
Michell Davis, Entertainment<br />
Attorney; and Krys Copeland, Publisher-<br />
Fusion Magazine (see picture on p. 1).<br />
<strong>The</strong> event started with a VIP Reception,<br />
where attendees had an opportunity to mingle<br />
with the panelists, while listening to the<br />
smooth vibes of Amarim, an up-and-coming<br />
vocalist on the Atlanta music scene.<br />
Next, attendees had an opportunity to<br />
view excerpts of the panelists’ documentaries<br />
and current projects, which covered<br />
a wide variety of topics, including Music<br />
(“<strong>The</strong> Beginning”, “Finally Saying What<br />
I Really Mean”); Social Issues (“Random<br />
Acts”), Human/Civil Rights (“Link: One<br />
Man’s Connection to the World”); and<br />
Health/Mental Issues (“Positive Faces”,<br />
“Death by Dementia”). <strong>The</strong>n, the panelists<br />
opened the floor for questions from the<br />
audience. Yalanda Lattimore, E-Publisher<br />
of DryerBuzz.com, an online news source<br />
for the latest in Atlanta Urban news and<br />
entertainment, facilitated the panel. Some<br />
of the questions, directed at the panel, included:<br />
how the filmmakers got their start,<br />
how their projects were funded, copyright<br />
issues, and general advice.<br />
Most of the panelists were in agreement<br />
that film was a “natural progression”<br />
in their individual career pursuits and instructed<br />
the audience that, while the process<br />
can be difficult—with passion and<br />
perseverance—their goals and dreams can<br />
be achieved, whatever they may be.<br />
NABFEME founder, Johnnie Walker,<br />
was also in attendance and was pleased at<br />
the event’s turnout. Walker is the Senior<br />
Vice-President of Promotions for the Def<br />
Jam Music Group, and has been instrumental<br />
in developing the careers of some of<br />
music’s biggest stars, including Jay-Z, Ludacris,<br />
and LL Cool J.<br />
“This is a beautiful event. I couldn’t<br />
miss the opportunity to be here and lend<br />
my support. NABFEME is all about getting<br />
together, those women who don’t<br />
mind sharing their experiences and knowl-<br />
Johnnie Walker (NABFEME founder) and<br />
Zina Brown, filmmaker (Photo by Dawn Price)<br />
edge, and helping one another to achieve<br />
our professional and personal goals. I’m<br />
proud of NABFEME-Atlanta for what they<br />
are doing.”<br />
Event attendee and aspiring filmmaker,<br />
Celeste Weaver, felt the salon was helpful.<br />
“I learned a lot, especially about the difficulties<br />
filmmakers face with funding their<br />
projects and the copyright issues with film<br />
soundtracks. I’m glad I came.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> NABFEME-Atlanta chapter held<br />
the Film Salon to showcase the work of<br />
local Black American documentary filmmakers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> chapter also marked the occasion<br />
to kick off its membership drive,<br />
themed “Atlanta 1000”, to reach its goal of<br />
1000 new members.<br />
NABFEME-Atlanta President-Elect,<br />
and Filmmaker, Zina Brown believes the<br />
time is right for the burgeoning Atlanta entertainment<br />
scene, and is committed to the<br />
chapter’s goal.<br />
“As the new President of the Atlanta/<br />
Southeast network, I believe that there are<br />
more than 1000 women who would like a<br />
network that empowers women of color<br />
in recorded music, the media, and related<br />
entertainment fields. It’s a tall order, but I<br />
am willing to devote the time to reach the<br />
goal.”<br />
NABFEME is a non-profit professional<br />
organization dedicated to the support and<br />
empowerment of women of color in recorded<br />
music, the media, and related entertainment<br />
industry fields. <strong>The</strong>ir motto: “One<br />
woman can make the difference, but it’s<br />
easier when we work together as a group!”<br />
For more information, see www.nabfeme.org.<br />
§<br />
Southwest Arts<br />
Center<br />
By Dawn Price<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fulton Southwest Arts Center<br />
collaborated with NABFEME-Atlanta in<br />
hosting the Film Salon. <strong>The</strong> center, operated<br />
by the Fulton County Arts Council,<br />
is the first facility built by Fulton County<br />
solely for the arts. It offers classes on<br />
Video <strong>Production</strong> for Teens, as well as a<br />
Video Editing Workshop for independent<br />
filmmakers. Courses last eight weeks and<br />
cost $76. <strong>The</strong> Fall Session will feature<br />
two new classes beginning in September:<br />
<strong>Screen</strong>writing for Short Film and a Short<br />
Film class, where students will make an<br />
actual film.<br />
Joe Jowers, one of the center’s film<br />
instructors, visualizes the film program<br />
and its participants growing and working<br />
together to become an integral part of the<br />
vibrant Southwest Atlanta area.<br />
“We want to build a community of<br />
filmmakers who are interested in both<br />
narrative and documentary films. We<br />
also want to build a technical and aesthetic<br />
foundation for filmmakers of color<br />
by providing a place where film & video<br />
engages the community and gets them<br />
involved,” said Jowers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Southwest Arts Center also<br />
holds monthly film screenings for independent<br />
filmmakers on the last Friday<br />
of each month at 7 p.m. Filmmakers<br />
interested in submitting their work for<br />
the monthly screenings may contact<br />
Joe Jowers at (404) 505-3220.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fulton Southwest Arts Center<br />
is located at 915 New Hope Road in<br />
Atlanta, <strong>Georgia</strong>, 30331. For more information,<br />
call (404) 505-3220, e-mail<br />
the center at: southwest.arts@co.fulton.<br />
ga.us, or visit the website at: www.fultonarts.org.<br />
§<br />
www.screenreport.com May 2007 Page 9
New Athens Arthouse<br />
By Sumier Phalake<br />
ATHENS, GA—<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Screen</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />
recently interviewed Kamala Lyons,<br />
the Public Relations Director at Athens<br />
Ciné, an arthouse theatre that opened in<br />
downtown Athens, <strong>Georgia</strong> on April 2,<br />
2007. She talked about the facility, the<br />
films we can expect to see there, and the<br />
upcoming events.<br />
How has the response been so far?<br />
KL: So far, the response has really<br />
been great. We did a special opening week<br />
where we had one film per night that would<br />
represent the kind of films that would be<br />
presented at Ciné. Most of those screenings<br />
were completely sold out, so that first<br />
week was really exciting. We have two<br />
films playing and also a midnight screening<br />
on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s exciting<br />
to see the local community supporting this<br />
endeavor. <strong>The</strong> only way we’ll be successful<br />
is if people actually come out for it.<br />
What kind of films will you screen at<br />
Ciné?<br />
KL: In general, Ciné will screen independent<br />
and international films. We’ll also<br />
do documentaries, films that come directly<br />
from festivals, finds that don’t have distribution<br />
yet. <strong>The</strong> first week we showed Army<br />
in the Shadows (L’Armee des ombres) a<br />
French film from 1969 and we also did<br />
two documentaries. One was from Cuba,<br />
called Suite Havana (2003) and the other<br />
was Iraq in Fragments by James Longley,<br />
which was nominated for an Oscar<br />
this year. And then we threw in a Robert<br />
Altman classic, <strong>The</strong> Player. Altman is so<br />
great, and <strong>The</strong> Player is fun, because it’s<br />
about the movie industry, so it was a great<br />
film to start off with.<br />
How did you get involved with Ciné?<br />
KL: I know the founder, Brigitta Hangartner.<br />
I met her a couple of years ago after<br />
she moved to Athens from the Berkley. I<br />
had been involved, and am still somewhat<br />
involved with this organization called Film<br />
Athens, which at the time had just recently<br />
started up. Film Athens<br />
is a not-for-profit, a networking<br />
vehicle for the<br />
local film making community<br />
to be able to post<br />
information, coordinate<br />
films and so on.<br />
I had heard that Brigitta<br />
was planning to<br />
do this independent art<br />
house cinema. One of<br />
the problems that we<br />
had run into while programming<br />
screenings<br />
for the local community<br />
in Athens was that there<br />
really wasn’t any venue<br />
for screening films. We<br />
had been working with<br />
some of the clubs and<br />
bars in town and they<br />
were fabulous for what<br />
we were doing, and it<br />
was exciting that they<br />
wanted to promote film and filmmaking,<br />
but it’s totally different from a cinema,<br />
you know, a place that has been designed<br />
to screen films. So this was something that<br />
had been lacking in the Athens community<br />
for a really long time, and it was really<br />
Page 10 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
<strong>The</strong>ater<br />
exciting to hear that Brigitta had decided<br />
to build one! She moved to Athens from<br />
Berkeley and the first thing she noticed was<br />
a lack of an art house theater. Most people<br />
might choose another course of action, but<br />
she decided that, well, if there wasn’t one,<br />
she would just build one!<br />
Tell me more about the structure itself; I<br />
understand it’s really cool.<br />
KL: It really is! I think Brigitta spent at<br />
least a full year looking for the right kind of<br />
building. She wanted it to be in the downtown<br />
area and Athens is pretty small, so<br />
there are only so many spaces available.<br />
She settled on this building that used to<br />
be a snow tire company that retread tires<br />
and it had been vacant for 15 years or so.<br />
It had some interesting graffiti and kids<br />
used to hang out there. It was downtown<br />
and seemed to fit<br />
the square footage<br />
and footprint she<br />
was interested in.<br />
It was also kind of<br />
in the artsy part of<br />
town, so it was the<br />
perfect location.<br />
She started working<br />
with designer<br />
Carl Martin from<br />
D.O.C. Unlimited,<br />
who is a local artist<br />
and designer and<br />
does a lot of development<br />
projects in<br />
town with kind of<br />
an artistic feel. She<br />
also knew that she<br />
needed to go the<br />
historic preservation<br />
route with the<br />
building, so she<br />
went through all<br />
those channels to<br />
do that properly through the city. We eventually<br />
got a grant that came from the <strong>Georgia</strong><br />
Cities Foundation, and this was the first<br />
time Athens had ever gotten that grant. We<br />
even got it for the maximum amount possible,<br />
so it was cool and exciting for Athens<br />
and its development.<br />
Founder Brigitta Hangartner in front of<br />
the original Snow Tire Recap Plant (All<br />
photos courtesy of Ciné)
Also, Robert Osborne, who intros movies<br />
on Turner Movie Classics before they<br />
air, has been doing a film festival here in<br />
Athens called the Classic Film Festival for<br />
the past couple of years. <strong>The</strong>y have to bring<br />
all the projection equipment in from outside<br />
Athens and there is a man named James<br />
Bond who does that. We call him the 007<br />
of the projection world, because he sets up<br />
all the projection equipment for the Classic<br />
Film Festival. He also collects<br />
old vintage projection<br />
equipment, refurbishes it,<br />
and then installs it and does<br />
design work for theatres.<br />
Through the Osborne<br />
fest, Brigitta got in touch<br />
with James and he came in<br />
to do all the theatrical installation<br />
at Ciné. So, the<br />
equipment at Ciné is really<br />
top of the line, and some of<br />
it is vintage and originally<br />
restored. For example, the<br />
bases for the 35mm projection<br />
equipment are refurbished<br />
antique bases, but<br />
the projectors are new.<br />
Is it open to the public for touring?<br />
KL: Absolutely, we’re open to the public<br />
now. You need a ticket to watch a movie<br />
in the screening rooms, but anyone can<br />
enter Ciné, look at the facility, and hang<br />
out at the bar café if they want. <strong>The</strong>re’s<br />
also a multi-function, multi-purpose space<br />
that right now has an art exhibit, but it’s the<br />
kind of space we can do a lot with for special<br />
events like catering, receptions, workshops,<br />
seminars, stuff like that.<br />
In the future, there will be a restaurant<br />
in here too, which will be a separate<br />
business concern. One of the best chefs in<br />
town, Hugh Acheson (Five and Ten, at Five<br />
Points in Athens) has gotten some recognition<br />
recently on a national scale from Food<br />
and Wine magazine and is on the rise. He is<br />
starting up a new Mediterranean tapas restaurant<br />
in front of the house, opening between<br />
July and sometime in fall.<br />
How long did it take to plan and<br />
launch?<br />
KL: <strong>The</strong> planning had been going on for<br />
about four years. <strong>The</strong> actual build out and<br />
construction phase started in the late fall of<br />
2005. So all in all, it’s been several years.<br />
Who picks what movies play at Ciné?<br />
KL: It’s a group process; we have a<br />
board of advisors, primarily, Brigitta, our<br />
founder and executive director; and our<br />
general manager, Paul Strawser. <strong>The</strong>y do<br />
a good job of coming up with films that<br />
they personally are very interested in having.<br />
And then we have a team of advisors,<br />
a lot of whom are from UGA, and filmmaker<br />
friends who regularly attend film<br />
festivals and are on the lookout. We generally<br />
try to book films that wouldn’t come to<br />
Athens, movies that only play in selected<br />
city markets. When possible we try to get<br />
the filmmaker to come and speak about<br />
the film, too. For example, we ran Iraq in<br />
Fragments and the director James Longley<br />
came to do the introduction and had a discussion<br />
afterward.<br />
We’re also planning an environmental<br />
film festival. We’re doing a little preview,<br />
an awareness screening of a shorts program<br />
from the Oakland Museum of California.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y host the EarthDance Environmental<br />
Film Festival every year that’s environmentally<br />
focused. We’re showing their touring<br />
program as a way to generate interest<br />
in doing a full-on festival in coordination<br />
with the University of <strong>Georgia</strong>’s Institute<br />
of Ecology. It will be a partnership between<br />
that department and Ciné, and grow into an<br />
annual film festival based here in Athens at<br />
Ciné, focused on ecological and environmental<br />
issues in kind of a broad sense. Not<br />
just documentaries, but also narrative films<br />
that also touch on the subject.<br />
Can anyone bring their films and try<br />
to get them screened at Ciné?<br />
KL: We’re always open to suggestion<br />
and we’re very open to the local<br />
community. We’re a little bit limited<br />
because in one of the screening rooms,<br />
we can only show 35mm prints and not<br />
many indie filmmakers use those. But we<br />
do have a digital room and that room is always<br />
available for rental. Anyone is always<br />
welcome to have their own private screening<br />
or screen a film out of our schedule.<br />
We have a little place on the website<br />
where you can send in your suggestions<br />
for the kind of films you want to see. We’re<br />
just opening, so we’re still feeling out what<br />
this area and Athens wants to see, and figuring<br />
out how we can incorporate that into<br />
our programming.<br />
It’s nice to hear that Ciné wants to support<br />
local filmmaking.<br />
KL: I’ve been involved in the local<br />
community for a long time and I’ve been<br />
making films in the area. I think it’s really<br />
important to support local filmmaking<br />
and for Athens in particular, that area<br />
is really growing right now. <strong>The</strong>re are so<br />
many young filmmakers doing their own<br />
thing here, and there’s a great convergence<br />
with the music scene. We have lots of folks<br />
doing music videos or crossovers where<br />
musicians will score filmmaker’s films.<br />
We’re looking into doing some kind of a<br />
local film festival that could be a showcase<br />
of local work.<br />
For more info, see the Ciné website at<br />
www.athenscine.com. §<br />
www.screenreport.com May 2007 Page 11
GPP<br />
Continued from Page 1<br />
laborative voice of the industry” according<br />
to Burst-Terranella. A non-profit, membership<br />
group, GPP membership is open to<br />
anyone active in the <strong>Georgia</strong> film/video, interactive<br />
gaming, or music industries. Individuals<br />
(small <strong>Georgia</strong>-based businesses<br />
and freelance artists & crew) can join for<br />
$75 a year ($25 for students). Corporate<br />
memberships are available for businesses<br />
at $250 annually.<br />
“One thing that GPP does is give an opportunity,<br />
once a month at our membership<br />
meetings, for everyone who is involved in<br />
the industry to have a voice, and to know<br />
each other and collaborate. We’ve got independent<br />
producers and production companies,<br />
post houses, unions, equipment<br />
houses, actors –we’ve got every kind of<br />
person involved in the industry.” GPP meets<br />
the first Tuesday of each month at Manuel’s<br />
Tavern in Atlanta, a long-standing gathering<br />
place for politicos in this city.<br />
“GPP has 200-300 members at any given<br />
time. It’s an ever-changing cast of characters<br />
at our member meetings,” she adds. GPP<br />
membership represents close to 5,000 people<br />
in professional and corporate organizations<br />
including members of AFTRA/SAG,<br />
Cinematographers Local 600, IATSE Local<br />
479, Teamsters Local 728, IMAGE Film and<br />
Video Center, Women in Film and Television/Atlanta,<br />
AICP Southeast, and corporate<br />
members such as Crawford Communications,<br />
Lab 601, and Turner Studios.<br />
But GPP is about the industry and not<br />
the individual, she explains. “We don’t do<br />
self-promotion. We have a gentleperson’s<br />
agreement that it’s all industry-related. But<br />
there is a lot of opportunity to note accomplishments<br />
of industry folks.”<br />
Beginning Incentives<br />
<strong>Georgia</strong> enjoyed an influx of filmmaking<br />
revenue in the 70s and 80s, but in the<br />
mid-90s, the state began to lose out to other<br />
incentive-driven states and Canada—where<br />
it was cheaper to make films.<br />
“Many other states were stepping up to<br />
the plate with incentives and we needed to<br />
have a concerted effort to have an incentive<br />
plan in <strong>Georgia</strong>, and we did not have one.<br />
That was our main mission for starting and<br />
it continues to be our main mission – to be<br />
competitive, and to be friendly so that people<br />
want to film here,” she says, describing<br />
the beginnings of GPP in 1997. It was then<br />
known as the Atlanta <strong>Production</strong> <strong>Partnership</strong>.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> incentives are really the name<br />
of the game at this point and have been for<br />
close to ten years.”<br />
GPP is the hand that guides the process<br />
of figuring out what incentives the state<br />
needs to remain competitive, and then presenting<br />
these needs to the state legislature.<br />
It does so through a group called Economic<br />
Development through <strong>Georgia</strong> Entertainment<br />
(EDGE),<br />
organized by GPP<br />
and IATSE Local<br />
479, the union that<br />
represents <strong>Georgia</strong>’s<br />
over 3,000<br />
film crew workers.<br />
(<strong>The</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong><br />
Film, Video<br />
& Music office<br />
administrates ex-<br />
isting incentive<br />
programs, but as<br />
a government entity,<br />
cannot propose the incentives.)<br />
Fran Burst-Terranella<br />
“It’s through EDGE that we can lobby<br />
and take direct legislative action. As GPP,<br />
we work to get ideas together and decide<br />
on what kinds of things should be in the<br />
incentives, but it’s through EDGE that we<br />
actually take direct action.” EDGE hires<br />
lobbyists to present the information to state<br />
legislators and push for legislation. In May<br />
2005, the work of GPP and EDGE resulted<br />
in the <strong>Georgia</strong> Entertainment Industry Investment<br />
Act, which enacted incentives responsible<br />
for bringing over $300 million in<br />
film revenue to <strong>Georgia</strong> in 2006.<br />
Since May 2005, other states have<br />
passed incentives that surpass <strong>Georgia</strong>’s,<br />
and GPP has been busy building momentum<br />
for a new round of incentive legislation.<br />
Mississippi just announced passage<br />
of film incentives that “trumped everybody,”<br />
according to Mike Akins, president<br />
of EDGE. Since September 2006, <strong>Georgia</strong><br />
crew workers have been slipping over the<br />
border into South Carolina to find work,<br />
where new incentives have drawn a lot<br />
of film production, “dispersing our crew<br />
base,” says Akins.<br />
Burst-Terranella adds: “We’re incredibly<br />
appreciative of what the legislature has<br />
been able to do so far in terms of incentives,<br />
and we know that this is an ongoing<br />
collaborative effort to keep improving what<br />
we offer while still making it a benefit to<br />
the state.”<br />
Fast Forward<br />
Incentives are the name of the game<br />
now, “but you’ve absolutely gotta have<br />
more,” says Burst-Terranella. So, GPP has<br />
started a new initiative called “Fast Forward,”<br />
master-minded by GPP member,<br />
Ric Reitz.<br />
“It’s an online database to provide outof-state<br />
film, TV, and commercial pro-<br />
Page 12 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
ducers with vital information about each<br />
county’s film resources. We’re working<br />
with the counties individually and collectively<br />
through the Association of County<br />
Commissioners to build up a searchable<br />
database. If someone is looking for a 200year-old<br />
oak tree, if they are looking for the<br />
equivalent of a Whistle Stop Café, if they<br />
are looking for a train station -- whatever<br />
they are looking for, they can find using<br />
this online searchable database.”<br />
Burst-Terranella says that GPP is setting<br />
up Fast Forward in conjunction with<br />
the <strong>Georgia</strong> Film, Video & Music office, to<br />
supplement the location service already offered<br />
there. <strong>The</strong> link to the Fast Forward<br />
database will be available from both the<br />
GPP and <strong>Georgia</strong> Film, Video & Music<br />
websites.<br />
“Our goal is to have every county in the<br />
state on the website. This is where we as an<br />
industry can step up and help make these<br />
contacts with the counties and help, potentially,<br />
more counties have more opportunities.<br />
It benefits everybody, because then<br />
you have a statewide commitment to the<br />
industry and you have a presence throughout<br />
the state. Of course, economically, it<br />
spreads it out.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fast Forward website is available at<br />
www.georgiaproduction.org/fastforward/.<br />
Sum It Up<br />
So, what does all this mean to you?<br />
Well, for those of you who want to stay<br />
close to home and earn a living, competitive<br />
incentives determine whether there is<br />
enough film production in <strong>Georgia</strong> to hire<br />
and support you. After all—it is called<br />
“show business” and every filmmaker<br />
knows that the dollar is the bottom line.<br />
Right now, southern states are in a bidding<br />
war for film production revenue using incentives,<br />
initiatives like Fast Forward, and<br />
plain old southern hospitality to lure those<br />
film industry dollars.<br />
GPP is the group that puts together incentives<br />
and sends them to the legislative floor—<br />
so anyone who makes a dime in the film and<br />
video (or music and interactive gaming) industry<br />
in this state owes GPP a big ‘thank<br />
you,’ or at least a membership fee.<br />
For Burst-Terranella, it’s a matter of<br />
“keeping the big picture in mind as well as<br />
the individual.”<br />
“I think the important thing is for everyone<br />
to go out and make their movies,<br />
but I think that we’ve also got to have a<br />
voice together. If we make a united stand as<br />
an industry then we have a great presence<br />
nationally and internationally. If we aren’t<br />
together, we don’t have the power to really<br />
speak for ourselves.”<br />
For more info, see www.georgiaproduction.org.<br />
§
• Asante Addae Bradford has joined<br />
the <strong>Georgia</strong> Department of Economic<br />
Development as Digital Entertainment<br />
“guru.” Bradford’s new<br />
position is part of <strong>Georgia</strong>’s plan to<br />
attract the lucrative video gaming<br />
industry. Bradford is also the founder<br />
of the Independent Black Film Festival<br />
(IBFF) in Atlanta, and is married<br />
to local filmmaker, Shandra L. Mc-<br />
Donald.<br />
• Sony buys FrameFlow - Digital Arts<br />
Entertainment Lab’s (DAEL) business<br />
incubation initiative, <strong>Georgia</strong><br />
Entertainment Business Development,<br />
reported that Sony Pictures<br />
Imageworks (SPI) has purchased an<br />
equity investment in FrameFlow, a<br />
DAEL-incubated visual effects and<br />
animation company founded three<br />
years ago. (Incidentally, <strong>Southern</strong><br />
<strong>Screen</strong> <strong>Report</strong> was also a DAELincubated<br />
business. Any buyers out<br />
there?)<br />
• Well-known Atlanta attorney Joseph<br />
Beck of Kilpatrick Stockton got<br />
a write-up in Hollywood <strong>Report</strong>er,<br />
ESQ as one of America’s top 32 mediation<br />
specialists for entertainment<br />
disputes.(http://www.thresq-digital.<br />
com/thresq/20070327sample/). Joe is<br />
married to equally well-known GSU<br />
Film History professor and IMAGE<br />
Board Member, Kay Beck.<br />
• Hurricane Katrina forced production<br />
out of the Big Easy, but just up<br />
the road, Shreveport is looking like<br />
the new Hollywood. Louisiana incentives<br />
(25% tax credit on produc-<br />
tion worth $300k or more plus 10% for<br />
using local labor) kept filmmakers in<br />
the state. According to Reuters, Shreveport,<br />
“a city that didn’t even keep tabs<br />
on film production revenue,” saw 12<br />
productions worth $300 million in<br />
2006. (NOTE: Several Atlanta actors<br />
have reported getting call backs for<br />
productions in Shreveport recently. I<br />
sense a mass exodus to LA, as in Louisiana,<br />
not Los Angeles.)<br />
• South Carolina recently upped their<br />
incentive package (again!), offering a<br />
30% cash rebate on supplier expenditures,<br />
and up to a 20% cash rebate on<br />
employee wages when at least $1 million<br />
is spent in the state.<br />
• Cinema Concepts’ first feature, Kathy<br />
T, won the Audience Favorite Award<br />
at the 2007 Palm Beach International<br />
Film Festival. A coming-of-age comedy<br />
written and directed by Evan Lieberman,<br />
Kathy T was shot in Atlanta using<br />
local talent and crew.<br />
• BET Networks has picked up Somebodies<br />
(2006) by Athens, <strong>Georgia</strong> filmmaker<br />
Hadjii, for development into a<br />
television sitcom. According to BET,<br />
“the single-camera sitcom about a<br />
group of post-collegiate slackers” will<br />
air in the fourth quarter of 2007. Many<br />
of the original cast and crew will be<br />
retained for the sitcom. Somebodies<br />
premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film<br />
Festival. (NOTE: I saw it at the 2007<br />
AFF, and it’s one of the funniest films<br />
I’ve ever seen! Let’s hope the series is<br />
as good!)<br />
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Short Ends<br />
• Black Family Channel Closes - or<br />
does it? While the Atlanta Journal<br />
Constitution reported that the Black<br />
Family Channel was being replaced by<br />
the Gospel Music Channel, a press release<br />
issued by BFC said that it was entering<br />
a “partnership” with the Gospel<br />
Music channel and that BFC programming<br />
would “soon be available free as<br />
a brand new, feature-rich broadband<br />
TV service.” But BFC Chairman Willie<br />
Gary admitted to the AJC that BFC<br />
“never made money.” Keep watching<br />
for BFC--somewhere.<br />
• Blood Car Wins Award At Cinequest<br />
- Atlanta-based Fake Wood Wallpaper’s<br />
first feature, Blood Car (directed<br />
by Alex Orr), won the New Visions category<br />
as “the director whose film best<br />
reflects the future” at the 2007 Cinequest<br />
Film Festival in San Jose.<br />
• Tyler Perry’s new film, Why I Got<br />
Married, starring Janet Jackson, recently<br />
wrapped in Atlanta.<br />
• Conjurer started post-production on<br />
May 8, “on schedule and on budget”<br />
according to Executive Producer Richard<br />
Mix. <strong>The</strong> film, shot in Carrollton,<br />
<strong>Georgia</strong>, boasted mostly local cast and<br />
crew. “We had the best crew we’ve ever<br />
had!” said Mix.<br />
Got news? Send it to<br />
news@screenreport.com.<br />
That’s what we’re here for!<br />
Name:________________________________________<br />
E-Mail:________________________________________<br />
Address:______________________________________<br />
City, St., Zip:___________________________________<br />
Phone:________________________________________<br />
www.screenreport.com May 2007 Page 13
Anime Evolution<br />
By Darius Washington<br />
Welcome to the first of a series of articles<br />
covering the animation industry. This<br />
introductory piece will cover the beginnings<br />
of the Japanese animation industry<br />
and how it came to influence the American<br />
market so greatly in recent years.<br />
While some people reading this may<br />
attribute the beginnings to when Cartoon<br />
Network’s Adult Swim showed Cowboy<br />
Bebop, or their Toonami arm showed<br />
Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, you’d<br />
have to go further back to really see the origins<br />
of Japanese animation (or as it’s commonly<br />
referred to in Japan, “anime”). You<br />
would have to trace those origins to a man<br />
named Osamu Tezuka.<br />
Osamu Tezuka was a medical doctor<br />
turned comic artist who changed the way<br />
animation was presented in Japan. Initially,<br />
just after World War II, there was very little<br />
animation except for U.S imports of Tom &<br />
Jerry and similar fare. When Tezuka came<br />
into the comic field, he introduced an incredible<br />
amount of detail in his artwork,<br />
a style that hadn’t been seen previously<br />
in Japan. Tezuka also wanted to introduce<br />
animation to television with his company,<br />
Mushi <strong>Production</strong>s, going on to animate<br />
his manga (the Japanese word for comics<br />
and print cartoons), Tetsuwan Atom, and<br />
revolutionizing the anime industry on two<br />
fronts. (<strong>The</strong> cartoon graphic above is Tetsuwan<br />
Atom.)<br />
On one hand, Tezuka changed the way<br />
animated works were produced. He wanted<br />
to use a different process from that of Toei<br />
Animation, which had produced a film<br />
every two years with 20,000 drawings for<br />
every 30 minutes of animation. Tezuka<br />
wanted to use 1/10th that amount with two<br />
techniques. One was layering cells to produce<br />
different bits of implied motion. <strong>The</strong><br />
other was the “bank system,” in which cells<br />
would be recycled and backgrounds moved<br />
to other parts of characters and sequences<br />
to create whole new scenes. <strong>The</strong>se newer<br />
production systems were part of what Tezuka<br />
called the “TV anime” style.<br />
Tetsuwan Atom (later<br />
imported to the U.S. as<br />
Astro Boy) was the first<br />
animated program on Japanese<br />
TV with a singular<br />
storyline instead of an<br />
episodic structure. Tezuka<br />
wanted to make a series<br />
that kids could enjoy, but<br />
which touched on themes<br />
of the environment, ethnicity,<br />
and other topical<br />
world events. Many talented<br />
animators wanted to<br />
work in the film industry,<br />
but decided to learn from<br />
Tezuka’s style and proceeded<br />
into the television industry. As a result,<br />
three more animated series premiered<br />
in 1964, bringing it to a total of four new<br />
ongoing animated series running in Japan<br />
that year, as animators learned to explore<br />
new storylines without any boundaries.<br />
This “TV anime” system remained<br />
prevalent until 1974, when the series Space<br />
Battleship Yamato premiered in Japan. It<br />
Page 14 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
was significant in that it was the first anime<br />
work that had not been adapted from a preexisting<br />
manga like all other anime works<br />
had been. <strong>The</strong> series was later shown in the<br />
U.S. as Star Blazers. <strong>The</strong> original 1979 TV<br />
series Mobile Suit Gundam had a similar<br />
fate before launching into a 25-year franchise,<br />
which in turn led to the publication<br />
of several anime-only magazines, (none<br />
existed before the late 70s-early 80s).<br />
In the United States, domestically produced<br />
television animation had gone largely<br />
by the wayside, with animation houses<br />
such as Filmation and Ruby Spears closing<br />
down in the 80s due to rising costs and<br />
companies exporting work overseas based<br />
on concepts by American writers. Broadcast<br />
companies also saw opportunities to<br />
import already produced programs for U.S.<br />
viewers, either via syndication (as was the<br />
case for Voltron and Ronin Warriors) or<br />
as packages containing several shows such<br />
as Pokemon and Yugi-oh, which networks<br />
would distribute to affiliates willing to<br />
show them, such as Kids WB.<br />
During the 90s, Cartoon Network became<br />
most prominent for importing anime<br />
programming for their Toonami lineup, with<br />
their Adult Swim arm continuing the trend<br />
gearing anime programming toward older<br />
viewers. At the same time, various U.S.<br />
production houses restarted the upswing<br />
of American animation programming,<br />
sometimes by re-imagining older works<br />
such as Sealab and Birdman, or in some<br />
ways spoofing Japanese animation the way<br />
Megas XLR would. Others such as Teen<br />
Titans and <strong>The</strong> Boondocks would simply<br />
incorporate the Japanese<br />
techniques of fast motion<br />
lines and wide-eyed character<br />
reactions after seeing<br />
anime films like Akira<br />
and Princess Mononoke<br />
in art house theaters.<br />
Currently 40 Japanese<br />
companies produce 100<br />
new anime episodes each<br />
week. Labor is usually divided<br />
as follows: 1) storyboards<br />
and plotting; 2)<br />
Osamu Tezuka<br />
backgrounds and coloring,<br />
and; 3) scoring, sound design,<br />
and other elements.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Japanese companies do not necessarily<br />
do all the work themselves, but mostly<br />
organize and farm out work to other sub<br />
companies. Thirty percent of it is farmed<br />
out to China, Korea, and the Philippines to<br />
cut costs. Contrast that with the fact that<br />
ten years ago, Warner Brothers and Disney<br />
sent about the same amount of animation<br />
work to Japan for the same reason! §
DREAM STATES. IslandHippie <strong>Production</strong>s, LLP.<br />
J.D. Moore, P.O. Box 190, Wadmalaw Island, SC<br />
29487-0190. jennifer@makingofadocumentary.<br />
com. Post-<strong>Production</strong>. Documentary. Mid (30-<br />
60 min). Start Date: May 29, 2006. Location: 32<br />
states in the US (list avail. online). Cast: Ginger<br />
Hart, Corwin Brown, Vincent Tremblay, Victoria<br />
Bogdan, Sharon K. Eubanks. Synopsis: Dream<br />
States explores similarities and differences<br />
between the dreams that people have, despite<br />
having never met, being a different religion,<br />
gender, etc.<br />
THE CITY IN MIND: ATLANTA. Phases of<br />
the Moon Motion Pictures. Landon Brown<br />
404-275-7365, Polly Sattler 404-550-4481.<br />
thecityinmind@gmail.com. Pre-<strong>Production</strong>. Documentary.<br />
Feature (>60 min). Start Date: April<br />
25,2007. Location: Atlanta. Cast: Female Narrator,<br />
Nine Women Hostess(Muses). Synopsis: <strong>The</strong> City in Mind is a 3-part<br />
documentary: Past, Present, and Future focusing<br />
on Atlanta’s Quality of Life and Civic Identity. By<br />
examining overarching issues like transportation<br />
and development the doc seeks to understand<br />
how Atlanta got where it is, what people think<br />
about it, and the possibilities for change.<br />
HOOKING UP IN COLLEGE. J’Hue Film <strong>Production</strong>s.<br />
Denice Ann Beckham. devans@j-huefilms.com.<br />
Pre-<strong>Production</strong>. Documentary. Short<br />
(60 min). Start Date: Fall 2007. Location:<br />
Macon, GA. / Los Angeles, CA / St. Simons<br />
Island. Cast: Alfre Woodward - Sheryl Lee Ralph<br />
- Pam Grier, Loretta Devine - Vanessa Williams<br />
- Ruby Dee, (still Casting). Synopsis: From the<br />
moment of her birth in a rural black hospital in<br />
<strong>Georgia</strong>, Lena Mcpherson is recognized by all<br />
the nurses as a special child, one with the power<br />
to see ghosts and predict the future. Only Nurse<br />
Bloom knows the spells to ensure that the child<br />
will see benevolent spirits, not evil ones, but she<br />
hasn’t bargained for Lena’s mother, who scoffs<br />
at “old timey ideas” and discreetly disposes of<br />
the special tea the nurse has brewed. A new face<br />
may be a new kid in town - or it may be the face<br />
from the grave.<br />
CONJURER. CONJURER, LLC. Richard Mix,<br />
CONJURER LLC, 500 Old Bremen Rd, Suite<br />
104, Carrollton, GA 30117, 770-634-7242, 770-<br />
834-2232. mixintl@aol.com. In <strong>Production</strong>.<br />
Horror. Feature (>60 min). Start Date: April 2nd.<br />
Location: West GA - Carrollton - Decatur. Cast:<br />
Andrew Bowen, Maxine Bahns, John Schneider.<br />
Synopsis: Photographer Shawn Burnett reluctantly<br />
agrees to move to an isolated country farmhouse<br />
to help his wife, Helen, recover from the<br />
loss of their stillborn baby. Shawn soon becomes<br />
convinced that the farm is haunted and Helen<br />
becomes estranged from her on-edge husband,<br />
as the ghostly presence manifests itself in increasingly<br />
horrific and deadly ways.<br />
SHUDDER - THE HAIN COUNTY HORROR.<br />
Southlan-Films. Ron McLellen Southlan-Films<br />
Flowery Branch Ga. 30542, 770 967 2356.<br />
horrorween31@bellsouth.net. In <strong>Production</strong>.<br />
Horror. Feature (>60 min). Start Date: 3/3/07.<br />
Location: Roswell, <strong>Georgia</strong>. Cast: Stacy Melich,<br />
Ondie Daniel, Hunter Ballard, Deborah Childs,<br />
Robert Peterson, West Cummings, Cesar<br />
Aguirre, Daniel Burnley. Synopsis: A recently<br />
widowed mother, Samantha, and her 10-yearold<br />
son, Ryan, move to Crossville to start a new<br />
life after the death of her husband. Soon after<br />
moving in, Ryan, turns to a new make-believe<br />
friend named Jenny for companionship. One day<br />
Samantha catches Ryan in conversation with his<br />
imaginary friend. Before long Samantha discovers<br />
that Ryan’s friend is not so imaginary, and not<br />
very friendly at all.<br />
If you have a film or<br />
video in production in the<br />
Southeast, please submit<br />
your information online at<br />
www.screenreport.com.<br />
All production<br />
listings are free.<br />
BAD LAND. Southlan-Films. Ron McLellen,<br />
5722 Garden Walk Flowery Branch, GA. 770 967<br />
2356. horrorween31@bellsouth.net. Post-<strong>Production</strong>.<br />
Horror. Feature (>60 min). Start Date:<br />
8/06/06. Location: Hall County GA. Cast: West<br />
Cummings, Elizabeth Keener, Josie Lawson,<br />
Jennifer Cudnik, Michael H. Cole. Synopsis:<br />
Four college students embark on the final phase<br />
of their fraternity & sorority initiations. Led astray<br />
by their friends, the four find themselves trapped<br />
on the private property of a family of hillbillies.<br />
Now hunted, the students must fight to escape or<br />
become permanent residents of Bad Land.<br />
SAINT JAMES. New Moon Films. Steve Moon,<br />
swmoon1@hotmail.com, Frankie Carra -<br />
fcarra@mail.com. In <strong>Production</strong>. Drama. Feature<br />
(>60 min). Start Date: March 2007. Location: Birmingham,<br />
Alabama. Synopsis: <strong>The</strong> true story of<br />
the murder of a Catholic Priest and the rise of<br />
power of the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama.<br />
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: A DOCU-<br />
MENTARY OF GIVING. Random Acts Foundation<br />
& Wavawoman Films, LLC. Random Acts<br />
Foundation, P.O. Box 2675, Washington, DC<br />
20013, www.RandomActsFoundation.com. busy<br />
bee@randomactsfoundation.com. Post-<strong>Production</strong>.<br />
Documentary. Mid (30-60 min). Start Date:<br />
02/25/2007. Location: South Africa & Swaziland.<br />
Senegal, West Africa. Cast: Juanita “Busy Bee”<br />
Britton, Executive Producer. Synopsis: A documentary<br />
of giving, chronicles the travel and experiences<br />
of an American woman’s compelling<br />
and emotional journey as she spontaneously expresses<br />
her love of sharing with women in rural<br />
African communities.<br />
THAT GUY: THE LEGACY OF DUB TAYLOR.<br />
JamesWorks Entertainment, LLC. James-<br />
Works Entertainment, LLC, 181 Rogers Street,<br />
Claxton, <strong>Georgia</strong> 30417, 912.334.0679.<br />
kicklighterjames@hotmail.com. Post-<strong>Production</strong>.<br />
Documentary. Mid (30-60 min). Start Date:<br />
In <strong>Production</strong><br />
May 30, 2006. Location: Nationwide. Cast: Dixie<br />
Carter, David Zucker, Buck Taylor, Don Collier,<br />
Riders in the Sky. Synopsis: Walter Clarence<br />
“Dub” Taylor, is a character actor from Augusta,<br />
<strong>Georgia</strong>, credited with more than 500 films and<br />
television shows. He was most well-known for his<br />
portrayal as Michael J. Pollard’s double-crossing<br />
father in Bonnie & Clyde. However, most who’ve<br />
seen Taylor on film never remember his name<br />
after the credits roll. <strong>The</strong> well-respected character<br />
actor, with an active, six-decade career, never<br />
played a lead role in a major motion picture.<br />
FOUR FAGS IN A FABULOUS CAR. cmgsoon<br />
productions. Ted Williams, 8581 Santa Monica<br />
Blvd. #271, West Hollywood, CA 90069.<br />
cmgsoon@gmail.com. Pre-<strong>Production</strong>. Comedy.<br />
Feature (>60 min). Start Date: July 2007. Location:<br />
West Hollywood, San Francisco, Portland,<br />
Seattle. Cast: Gabriel Romero, Derrick Sanders.<br />
Synopsis: When a gay man learns his father<br />
died, he has four days to make it to the funeral,<br />
but since he’s afraid to fly, his diverse gay friends<br />
volunteer to drive him from West Hollywood to<br />
Seattle in a fabulous new car, where they learn<br />
something new about their friendship while reclaiming<br />
their own gay pride.<br />
THE HIP HOP MASSACRE. dEM dAMN fILMZ.<br />
eleGant., 1581 Lester Rd., Conyers, <strong>Georgia</strong>,<br />
30012. elepro@yahoo.com. Post-<strong>Production</strong>.<br />
Drama. Feature (>60 min). Start Date: Feb. 2006.<br />
Location: Atlanta, <strong>Georgia</strong>. eleGant. Cast: Deven<br />
Bradshaw, Ed Bondz, Yardley Ilarraza, Andre’<br />
Garner. Synopsis: Hip Hop as we all know is more<br />
than just a music genre. It has become a Culture,<br />
a way of living. At birth, Hip Hop was an uplifting,<br />
educational experience with a driving beat<br />
that you could dance to. Through time it has gone<br />
from Hip Hop to Strip Hop. This movie focuses on<br />
the many topics, which are now denouncing Hip<br />
Hop as well as destroying its Culture.<br />
ON MY MIND. dEM dAMN fILMZ. eleGant., 678<br />
755 5087, 1581 Lester Rd., Conyers, Ga. 30013.<br />
elepro@yahoo.com. Post-<strong>Production</strong>. Horror.<br />
Short (
Classifieds<br />
Actors<br />
Rafiq Batcha. Accomplished actor<br />
guaranteed to connect to audience<br />
with powerful acting, nuanced<br />
characterizations and strong<br />
screen/stage presence. Wide range<br />
of complementary skills in singing,<br />
dancing, and Bollywood flair.<br />
E-mail: rafiq.batcha@gmail.com.<br />
Phone: 404-723-5269.<br />
Homer A. Duke, IV.<br />
Talented and motivated actor<br />
with eclectic skills. Experienced<br />
in film, theater, television, voiceover,<br />
and improv comedy. Will<br />
travel. Headshot and demo<br />
available upon request. E-mail:<br />
homerduke@yahoo.com or call<br />
404-693-3333.<br />
Prieska Outland. Film, theater,<br />
voice-overs, print, runway, promotions,<br />
directing.<br />
E-mail: prieska1979@yahoo.com.<br />
www.myspace.com/prieska<br />
www.musecube.com/prieska<br />
Page 16 May 2007 www.screenreport.com<br />
Put your dreams in motion.<br />
<strong>Georgia</strong> Film, Video & Music<br />
Department of Economic Development<br />
404.962.4052