BoxOffice® Pro - May 2013

MPAA
news
TheCredits.org celebrates
Hollywood’s many unsung heroes
Meet the
Magicians
TheCredits.org is an online magazine, sponsored
by the Motion Picture Association of America,
that celebrates the many talented creators and
makers in the film and television industry. The
Credits pulls back the curtain to provide audiences
with a more meaningful understanding of the
hard work that goes into producing the entertainment
we love and the people who make it happen.
n Think back to the very first movie or television
program that swept you away. Another
world, a brand-new realm, a trip via teleportation—it’d
be hard to find anyone who wouldn’t
concede that their first major entertainment
viewing experience could be wrapped up in one
little word: magic.
Of course, we get older, wiser, a little bit
jaded, and a whole lot more skeptical. But the
magic of movies persists. Just look at Avatar,
Life of Pi, or Argo for proof. The difference
between movies at age five and movies at age 35
is that we become aware of the incredibly hard
work it must take to make movies look like a
mere slight of hand.
But just how in tune are we? We all know the
Brad Pitts, the Anne Hathaways, the Steve Spielbergs
of this world. But what about legendary
makeup artist Steve LaPorte, the Burbank-based
icon who has worked up the ranks from clownschool
graduate to Academy Award winner—the
man who made Michael Keaton into Beetlejuice?
Or how about the wonderfully spunky casting
director Pat Moran, who started her career by
partnering with John Waters to create movies
like Cry-Baby and Hairspray, built a legacy in
Baltimore as she eventually cast HBO’s epic ensemble
The Wire, and gifted us with the amazing
characters on HBO’s Veep and Game Change?
Behind a veil of magic, many of Hollywood’s
most impactful, insightful, and talented
by TheCredits.org
professionals have gone unrecognized for far
too long. At The Credits, we’re hoping to
change that.
The Credits is a new kind of industry
website. We don’t care about scandal or celebrity—and
don’t even get us started on dirt. We
care about film and television. Craft. Issues that
affect everyone in our industry—from content
protection, technological advances, educational
initiatives, and location-based tax film
incentives.
Don’t get us wrong—we love the magic of
movies and television (OK, some could say
we’re pretty much obsessed). But we know that
behind every astonishing visual effect, every
incredible dance sequence, and every gorgeous
set design, there are dedicated men and women
who make a living making magic every single
day.
(continued on page 24)
22 BoxOffice ® Pro The Business of Movies may 2013