Self-Distribution
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010January 17, 2010
NY Times
Declaration of Indies: Just Sell It Yourself!
By MANOHLA DARGIS
LAST November inside a conference room at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, a film consultant named Peter Broderick was doing his best to foment a revolution. Mr. Broderick, who helps filmmakers find their way into the marketplace, was spreading the word on an Internet-era approach to releasing movies that he believes empowers filmmakers without impoverishing them economically or emotionally. Mr. Broderick divides distribution into the Old World and New, infusing his PowerPoint presentation with insurgent rhetoric. He has written a “declaration of independence” for filmmakers that — as he did that afternoon — he reads while wearing a tricorn hat.
In the Old World of distribution, filmmakers hand over all the rights to their work, ceding control to companies that might soon lose interest in their new purchase for various reasons, including a weak opening weekend. (“After the first show,” Mr. Broderick said, repeating an Old World maxim, “we know.”) In the New World, filmmakers maintain full control over their work from beginning to end: they hold on to their rights and, as important, find people who are interested in their projects and can become patrons, even mentors. The Old World has ticket buyers. The New World has ticket buyers who are also Facebook friends. The Old World has commercials, newspapers ads and the mass audience. The New World has social media, YouTube, iTunes and niche audiences. “Newspaper ads,” Mr. Broderick said, “are mostly a waste of money.”
The 200 filmmakers inside the conference room laughed, soaking up Mr. Broderick’s pitch as if their careers depended upon it, which perhaps they do. Independent filmmaking has never been for the faint of heart. But the consensus is that the past few years have been especially brutal. Sales have slowed, deal prices have dropped, and most of the major studios have retreated from the independent scene, closing or scaling back divisions like Warner Independent Pictures and Paramount Vantage, which released the kinds of movies that win critical hearts and awards. And good films are going unsold. Given the changes and downsizing, these might seem like worrisome times for movie lovers as well. After all, if these companies disappear, how do we find the next great American independent filmmaker, the new Jim Jarmusch, Wes Anderson 2.0?
For consultants like Mr. Broderick and filmmakers like Jon Reiss (the documentary “Bomb It”) the answer lies in self-distribution, in filmmakers doing it themselves or, more accurately, doing it themselves with a little or a lot of help from other people, including consultants like Mr. Broderick and Richard Abramowitz. Last year Mr. Abramowitz, a film-industry veteran who runs an outfit in Armonk, N.Y., called Abramorama with one full-time employee (him), helped shepherd Sacha Gervasi’s documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” about a 1970s metal band and its rebirth, into a success, with almost $700,000 at the North American box office. Consultants guide filmmakers on every angle of distribution. They can simply offer advice, but can also develop a marketing strategy, book theaters and collect the money.
If the D.I.Y. drumbeat has grown louder in recent years, it’s not only because the major studios have backed away from the independent sector. That’s a factor, but there are other issues involved, among them that the economic barriers to filmmaking have never been lower. Martin Scorsese once said that John Cassavetes’s first feature, “Shadows,” shot in the late 1950s with a 16-millimeter camera, proved to filmmakers that there were “no more excuses,” adding, “If he could do it, so could we!” Still, even in the glory years of the new American cinema movement, from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, when the major studios appeared more open to original voices, Cassavetes had to self-distribute his 1974 masterpiece “A Woman Under the Influence,” which he did successfully, pulling in $6 million domestically.
Inexpensive digital cameras and editing software have lowered the barrier for filmmakers even further. Yet even as the means of production have entered into more hands, companies — large and small — continue to dominate distribution. Hollywood’s historical hold on resources and the terms of the conversation have made it difficult for an authentic alternative system to take root in America. The festival circuit has emerged as a de facto distribution stream for many filmmakers, yet the ad hoc world of festivals is not a substitute for real distribution. And then there’s the simple fact that there are independent filmmakers who do not fit inside the Hollywood (and Hollywood-style) distribution model and do not want to. For some stubborn independents D.I.Y. distribution has at times been either the best or only option.
In 1992, the year before Disney bought Miramax Films, thereby initiating the indie gold rush, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky became a model for true independence when they distributed their own documentary “Brother’s Keeper” (1992) to substantial critical and commercial success. In the years since, those entering self-distribution have included emerging talent like Andrew Bujalski (who initially sold DVDs of his 2005 film “Mutual Appreciation” online) and established filmmakers like David Lynch (who released his 2006 movie “Inland Empire” in theaters himself). As self-distributed movies have found levels of critical or commercial success or even both, others have followed, including “The Talent Given Us,” “Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037,” “Ballast,” “Helvetica” and “Good Dick.”
Some self-distributed titles find their audiences with help from consultants, while others make their way into the marketplace with the help of consultants and companies that take a fee, rather than a percentage of the profits and all the distribution rights. Innovative strategies abound. Mr. Broderick is an advocate of what he calls hybrid distribution, which, as he has put it, “combines direct sales by filmmakers with distribution by third parties.” Thus filmmakers hold on to their sales rights and sell the DVD retail rights to one buyer and the video-on-demand rights to another and so on — rather than handing them all over to one distributor, as has been traditional. This allows filmmakers to reach audiences directly while controlling their own work and destinies, at least in theory.
The new D.I.Y. world is open-source in vibe and often execution. Participants refer to one another in conversation and on their Web sites and blogs, pushing other people’s ideas and projects. (On his Web site, peterbroderick.com, Mr. Broderick even posts discount codes for other people’s books.) But these new-era distribution participants are not engaging in blog-rolling. By sharing information and building on one another’s ideas, they are in effect creating a virtual infrastructure. This infrastructure doesn’t compete with Hollywood; this isn’t about vying with products released by multinational corporations. It is instead about the creation and sustenance of a viable, artist-based alternative — one that, at this stage, looks markedly different from what has often been passed off as independent cinema over the past 20 years.
Although D.I.Y. has become shorthand for this new movement, a more complex idea of the filmmaker-audience dynamic is emerging (Mr. Reiss calls it “a sea change”), partly as a response to the shifts in the industry, though also in reaction to the changes in the audience or more specifically audiences. Although some viewers still enjoy the ritual of going out to see movies, others don’t want to experience their entertainment in a theater, preferring to immerse themselves in a media-saturated world across a variety of platforms. “My son,” Mr. Reiss said, speaking by phone from Los Angeles, “consumes media on his computer and his iPod, and he will occasionally go out to a movie theater.” He tries to encourage his son, who’s 13, to go to the movies, but finds it tough. “He would rather interact with media on his computer than anywhere else.”
One of the buzzy ideas in D.I.Y. is transmedia, a word borrowed from academia, in which stories — think of the “Star Wars” and “Matrix” franchises — unfold across different platforms. “Star Wars” helped expand the very idea of a movie, because it involved a constellation of movie-related products, from videogames to action figures, all of which become part of the understanding and experience of the original, originating work. This isn’t just about slapping a movie logo on a lunchbox or a screensaver: it’s about creating an entertainment gestalt. As the theorist Henry Jenkins writes, “Reading across the media sustains a depth of experience that motivates more consumption.” In other words, you can sell one ticket to a moviegoer or enlist fans into media feedback loops that they in turn help create and sustain.
It might seem counterintuitive that D.I.Y. independents are borrowing a page from the George Lucas playbook. But only if you forget that Mr. Lucas is the most successful independent filmmaker in history. 20th Century Fox distributed the first “Star Wars,” yet Mr. Lucas kept the sequel and merchandising rights. “If I make money,” he said when the movie was released, “it will be from the toys.” The new generation of D.I.Y. filmmakers might not be pushing toys on their Web sites (though I’d like to see an Andrew Bujalski action figure), but they do peddle DVDs, posters, CDs, books and — much as Spike Lee did before them — are getting hip to selling themselves alongside their art.
The downside to this new D.I.Y. world is that filmmakers, who already tend to expend tremendous time and effort raising money, might end up spending more hours hawking their wares than creating new work. “I struggle with this all the time,” Mr. Reiss said. But artists who want to reach an audience are rarely if ever really free of the marketplace, and filmmakers working in the commercial arena tend to be even less so. For Mr. Reiss and other do-it-yourselfers, the most important thing is to reach their audiences, any which way, niche by niche, pixel by pixel, in theaters or online. “This is the other voice of film,” Mr. Reiss said with urgency, “and if this dies, all we’re left with is the monopoly.”
Film Development
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010The ABCs of Film Development – reprinted from YourIndustryInsider.com
The development process is the term for the steps a project goes through at a film studio or production company from the idea phase through the shooting script. There are a million intricacies to this process so this explanation will be very basic.
1) If a project is bought at the idea phase (without a script), a writer has pitched it to potential buyers and there might have been a “bidding war,” depending upon what the project is (based on a bestselling book or previous hit movie) and what talent (director, actors, etc.) is attached. [Note: A pitch is never bought by a studio or production company by an unproduced writer without serious A-list attachments and heat. Even then, it's a longshot and they will likely bring in a more established writer or writers after the newbie writer delivers a first draft.]
2) If a project is bought as a script, the path it takes to the studio or production company varies, but usually it has gotten attention and good buzz on the tracking boards (online discussion groups where development assistants and junior execs communicate about material circulating in town) and has been considered by multiple buyers. [Note: A script sale by an unknown writer without any talent attached to the project is very challenging. That is one of the reasons that agents are so hesitant to take on what are commonly referred to in the business as "baby writers," no matter their actual age.]
3) Even when a spec by a new writer doesn’t sell, if it is really good, it can serve as a calling card around town and possibly get the writer rewrite assignments on projects a studio or production company is developing internally, either from scratch or from a script where the writer is no longer working on it. [Note: Most scripts do not get through the mainstream development process with the original writers on them from beginning to end. Studios and production companies like to bring in established writers with known 'specialties,' such as being good at dialogue or character development, when a script needs work in a particular area or areas.]
4) A pitch or script usually comes into the studio with a producer/production company attached.* When a writer finishes a draft of a script, it goes to the producer/production company for feedback first, at which point a rewrite might be done, and then to the studio’s lower-level development executives (or higher level, depending upon how far along in the process the script is and how high-profile the project is) will read it and give feedback. [Note: To a new screenwriter, one of the challenges of going through the development process is knowing who to listen to when doing a rewrite, as you can often get conflicting notes from the various people giving input.]
[*NOTE: If a producer/production company has its own financing and either has distribution in place for all of its films OR if the producer/production company is willing to make the movie and pursue distribution once it has the final product completed, then the studio is taken out of the equation and the producer/production company is the buyer and the only one(s) providing feedback on drafts.]
Creating Your Acting Reel
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010To get copies of any episodic TV show or TV movie, contact Julie Stevens (double19productions@gmail.com) a few days in advance of airing and she will record it for you. She can also edit the episode and add it to your acting reel. Don’t have a reel yet? Julie can help you film some scenes or monologues and edit together a short reel.
If you would need a copy of a soap opera or game show, please contact Dave Manship at Edit Plus – (818) 380-0126.
Or you can go to Actors Access and click on the button called “Air Check” and place your order that way.
TV Pilots ordered for 2010-2011 season
Friday, February 19th, 2010The CW
2010-11 pilot orders
(w) = writer (d) = director (ep) = executive producer
DRAMAS
Betwixt >CBS TV Studio/Warner Bros. Elizabeth Chandler (w, ep), Paul Stupin (ep)
SYNOPSIS: Revolves around “changelings” in an urban setting who are responsible for saving humans from evil; based on novel of the same name.
Hellcats (presentation) > Warner Bros. TV/CBS Studios/Tom Welling Co. > Kevin Murphy (w, ep), Tom Welling (ep) > Ensemble show set in the world of competitive college cheerleading; “Election” meets “Bring It On.”
Untitled Amy Holden Jones (presentation) > Warner Bros. TV/CBS Studios > Amy Holden Jones (w, ep), Hayden Panettiere (co-ep) > Aspirational, sexy freshmen class at Harvard Medical School embark upon the biggest challenge of their lives, seen through the eyes of a young woman who is both excited and intimidated by her surroundings.
Nikita > Warner Bros. TV/Wanderland > Craig Silverstein (w, ep) McG (ep), Peter Johnson (ep) > Update of “La Femme Nikita” where Nikita has gone rogue, and a new Nikita is being trained to replace her.
The Wyoming Project > Warner Bros. TV/CBS Studios > Amy Sherman-Palladino (w, ep), Dan Palladino (w, ep) > Family soap set on horse farm in a small town in Midwest or Rockies.
ABC pilot orders
DRAMAS
187 Detroit ABC Studios
TEAM: Jason Richman (w, ep), Todd Hoberman (ep), David Lieberman (ep), Jeff Nachmanoff (d)
SYNOPSIS: A real but humorous look at Detroit’s top homicide division as seen through the cameras of a fictitious documentary crew.
CAST: Jon Michael Hill (Det. Damon Washington), Aisha Hinds (Lt. Maureen Mason)
Body of Evidence > ABC Studios
> Chris Murphey (w, ep), Chris Murphey (ep), Matt Gross (ep)
> A procedural that centers on a brilliant and tenacious medical examiner whose background as a neuro surgeon gives her a unique and refreshing crime-solving perspective at the ME’s office — one that often puts her at odds with just about everyone who crosses her path.
Cutthroat > 20th Century Fox Television Michele Fazekas (w, ep), Tara Butters (w, ep) > A one-hour dramedy about an ambitious single mother who finds that running her own international drug cartel is perfect training for navigating the cutthroat world of Beverly Hills high society.
Edgar Floats > Warner Bros. Television
> Rand Ravich (w, ep), Far Shariat (ep)
> About a police psychologist who becomes a bounty hunter.
Generation Y > ABC Studios
> Noah Hawley (w, ep), Warren Littlefield (ep), Henrik Bastin (ep), Peter Magnasson (ep), Martin Piersson (ep)
> A documentary-style scripted dramedy that follows a disparate group of former high school classmates, tracking their paths during the past 10 years and the events that have shaped their lives.
> Michael Stahl David (Steven), Keir O’Donnell (Kenneth)
Matadors > Sony Pictures Television > Jack Orman (w, ep) > Two long-feuding families battle against each other as one populates the Chicago District Attorney’s office and the other manages the most influential private law firm in the city.
No Ordinary Family > ABC Studios > Jon Feldman (w, ep), Greg Berlanti (w, ep), Morgan Wandell (ep), Dave Semel (d, ep) > Strange things begin to happen when your typical American family suddenly finds themselves with new “abilities.” Navigating how to deal with being “super” is only part of the story — after all, they are still a family. > Michael Chiklis (Jim)
Off the Map > ABC Studios > Jenna Bans (w, ep), Shonda Rhimes (ep), Betsy Beers (ep) > Three doctors, each anxious for a fresh start, leave the comfort of the states to work at an isolated tropical clinic, where they face exotic and unusual medial challenges as well as their own personal ones. > Martin Henderson (Ben), Enrique Murciano (Manny)
The Whole Truth > Warner Bros. Television > Tom Donaghy (w, co-ep), Jerry Bruckheimer (ep), Jonathan Littman (ep), Tom Donaghy, KristieAnn Reed (co-ep), Alex Graves (d) > A legal show that has a unique alternative narrative structure that shows both the defense and prosecution sides equally and keeps the audience guessing and shifting allegiances on guilt or innocence until the final scene. > Eamonn Walker (Senior assistant district attorney Terence “Edge” Edgecomb), Sean Wing (Chad)
True Blue > ABC Studios > Jon Feldman (w, ep) and Chris Brancato (w, ep), Bert Salke (w, ep) > A group of San Francisco homicide detectives reunite to solve the murder of one of their own, in the process reviving old passions, rivalries and friendships.
Untitled Richard Hatem project > ABC Studios > Richard Hatem (w), Bert Salke (ep), Chris Brancato (ep), Gary Fleder (d, ep) > A female detective teams with a disgraced ex-cop to solve crimes and untangle the conspiracy that sent him underground.
COMEDIES
Awkward Situations for Men > Warner Bros. Television
> Jeff Filgo (w, ep), Jackie Filgo (w, ep), David Heyman (ep)
> A relatively famous British on-air personality moves to America with his wife, only to discover that his everyday behavior clashes with American values and constantly gets him into trouble. Inspired by the anecdotes in Danny Wallace’s book “Awkward Situations for Men.”
Cast: Danny Wallace (Danny), Tony Hale (Will), Matt Letscher (Bob), Laura Prepon (Meg)
Freshmen (multicamera) > 20th Century Fox Television > Greg Malins (w, ep), Arianna Huffington (ep) > An ensemble show about three first-year members of Congress who live together in a row house in Washington. > Sarah Chalke (Nancy)
Funny in Farsi (single-camera) > ABC Studios > Nastaran Dibai (w, ep), Jeffrey B. Hodes (w, ep), Barry Sonnenfeld (d, ep) > Based on the novel “Funny in Farsi” by Firoozeh Dumas, her memoir about growing up in the 1970s in Newport Beach as an Iranian immigrant. > Maz Jobrani (Kaz), Hrach Titizian (Uncle Mo), Marjan Neshat (Nancy), Kendra Jain (Julie), David Gore (Chip), Sarah Shahi (adult Julie/voiceover)
Happy Endings > Sony Pictures Television > David Caspe (w), Jamie Tarses (ep), Joe Russo (d), Anthony Russo (d) > After a couple breaks up at the altar, they and their group of friends must figure out how to maintain their friendships.
How to Be a Better American (single camera)
> ABC Studios
> Steven Cragg (w, ep), Brian Bradley (w, ep)
> A father embarks on a journey to be a better person and drags his family along kicking and screaming.
It Takes a Village (single camera)
> ABC Studios
> Casey Johnson (w, ep), David Windsor (w, ep), Mark Gordon (ep), Deb Spera (ep)
> Two exes and their new significant others join forces to raise their 15-year-old boy.
Mr. Sunshine (single camera)
> Sony Pictures Television
> Matthew Perry (w, ep), Alex Barnow (w, ep), Mark Firek (w, ep), Jamie Tarses (ep), Thomas Schlamme (d, ep)
> The self-involved manager of a second-rate sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday.
> Matthew Perry (Ben), Allison Janney (Crystal), Andrea Anders (Alice), Nate Torrence (Roman)
Untitled Couples Project (fka Untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan Project) (multicamera) > Warner Bros. > Shana Goldberg-Meehan (w, ep) > Revolves around two sisters at different stages in their romantic relationships: One is in a happy, long-term relationship but isn’t married; the other gets pregnant and winds up quickly marrying her new beau. > Joanna Garcia (Mia), Jennifer Finnigan (Maddie)
Untitled Dana Gould Project (multicamera)
> Warner Bros.
> Dana Gould (w, ep), Tom Lassally (ep), Dave Becky (ep)
> A guidance counselor at a local high school and father to two young children is caught between his father’s old-school parenting beliefs and his wife’s very progressive ideals.
> Dana Gould
Wright vs. Wrong (single camera)
> Sony Pictures Television
> Stephanie Weir (w, ep), Mitch Hurwitz (ep), Eric Tannenbaum (ep), Kim Tannenbaum (ep)
> With the help of her eclectic staff, a driven conservative pundit tries to maintain her public persona despite being faced with her own vulnerabilities.
Who Gets the Parents (multicamera) > ABC Studios > Joe Port (w, ep), Joe Wiseman (w, ep) > Three adult siblings deal with the unexpected fallout of their parents’ later-in-life divorce.
Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid (multicamera) > ABC Studios > Howard Morris (w), Jenny Lee (w), Elliot Webb (ep) > A new couple, having both survived failed marriages, is determined to get it right this time. Based on the book “Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid,” by Howard Morris and Jenny Lee.
CBS pilot orders 2010-11
DRAMAS
ATF Sony Pictures TV
TEAM: Michael Dinner (w, d, ep), Sarah Timberman (ep), Carl Beverly (ep)
SYNOPSIS: An ATF agent hunts down the most dangerous criminals while trying to balance life as a dad to his teenage daughter who has re-entered his life.
Chaos > 20th Century Fox TV
> Tom Spezialy (w, ep), Brett ratner (d, ep)
> A group of rogue CIA operatives combat bureaucratic gridlock, rampant incompetence and political infighting.
CAST: Freddy Rodriguez (Rick)
Criminal Minds spinoff (planted spinoff)
> ABC Studios/CBS Studios
> Chris Mundy (w, ep), Mark Gordon (w, ep), Ed Bernero (ep), Deborah Spera (ep), Richard Shepard (d)
> Revolves around a new group of profilers, led by Cooper (Forest Whitaker), who work outside the FBI bureaucracy.
> Forest Whitaker (Cooper), Matt Ryan (Mick), Beau Garrett (Gina), Michael Kelly (Prophet)
Defenders > CBS Television Studios
> Niels Mueller (w, ep), Kevin Kennedy (w, ep), Carol Mendelsohn (ep), Joe Gantz (ep), Harry Gantz (ep), Davis Guggenheim (d, ep)
> Two charismatic and fiery Las Vegas defense attorneys go to the mat for their clients.
Hawaii Five-0 > CBS Television Studios > Roberto Orci (w, ep), Alex Kurtzman (w, ep), Peter Lenkov (w, ep) > Updated take on the original series centered on an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police headed by Steve McGarrett and answerable only to the governor. > Alex O’Loughlin (Steve Garrett), Daniel Dae Kim (Chin Ho Kelly)
I Witness (rollover from last year)
> CBS Television Studios
> Trey Calloway (w, ep), Pam Veasey (w, ep)
> A detective/professor uses her psycho-physiological skills to solve crimes.
Untitled Burgess/Green project > CBS Television Studios
> Mitchell Burgess (w, ep), Robin Green (w, ep), Leonard Goldberg (ep)
> Multigenerational show revolving around a family of cops in New York.
The Quinn-Tuplets (presentation) > CBS Television Studios > Mike Kelley (w, ep), Giyora Yahalom 9ep), Oren Jakobi (ep), Yona Wiesenthal (ep), Eilon Ratzkovsky (ep), Arik Kneller (co-ep), Chris Kelley (w, p) > Follows the personal and professional lives of the Quinn quintuplets — five adults whose lives were documented and broadcast since childbirth; based on an Israeli format
The Odds > Warner Bros. TV/Silver Pictures > Jeff Wadlow (w, ep), Joel Silver (ep), Ian Biederman (ep), Beau Bauman (p) > Buddy cop show set in Las Vegas where the cops are just as outrageous as the crimes they solve.
Untitled Medical drama > Warner Bros. TV/John Wells Prods. > John Wells (ep), Hannah Shakespeare (w, co-ep) > A mobile medical team travels the U.S. helping those in need get through life-or-death medical crises.
Untitled Redlich/Bellucci > Sony Pictures Television/CBS Television Studios > Ed Redlich (w, ep), John Bellucci (w, ep), Sarah Timberman (ep), Carl Beverly (ep) > A female NYPD detective possesses the special ability to remember everything — although a gift in her job, it’s also a curse in her personal life.
COMEDIES
Untitled Ant Hines project (presentation)
> Sony Pictures Television
> Ant Hines (w, ep), Larry Charles (d, ep), Eric Tannenbaum (ep), Kim Tannenbaum (ep), Mitch Hurwitz (ep)
> British low-life moves to LA to reconnect with his daughter who is a teen celebrity.
> Paul Kaye
Hitched (multicamera)
> Warner Bros. TV/College Hill Pictures
> Josh Schwartz (w, ep), Matt Miller (w, ep)
> Ensemble centered around a newlywed couple, their extended family and friends.
Livin’ on a Prayer (multicamera)
> 20th Century Fox Television
> Carter Bays (w, ep), Craig Thomas (w, ep), Kourtney Kang (w, ep), Joe Kelly (w, ep), Pamela Fryman (d)
> Ensemble centered around an unmarried couple and their friends in Pittsburgh.
Mike and Molly (multicamera) > Warner Bros. TV/Chuck Lorre Prods. > Chuck Lorre (ep), Mark Roberts (w, ep), James Burrows (d) > Ensemble centered around a couple who both struggle with overeating. > Billy Gardell (Mike), Katy Mixon (Victoria), Reno Wilson (Carl)
Open Books (multicamera)
> Warner Bros. TV
> Gail Lerner (w, ep), James Burrows (d)
> About a female book editor and her circle of friends and their romantic entanglements.
> Laura Benanti (June)
Untitled Tad Quill (multicamera)
> CBS Television Studios
> Tad Quill (w, ep)
> About the widowed father of a 12-year-old son who is re-entering the dating world.
Team Spitz (multicamera) > Sony Pictures Television/CBS Television Studios > Bill Martin (w, ep), Mike Schiff (w, ep), Eric Tannenbaum (ep), Kim Tannenbaum (ep), Mitch Hurwitz (ep), Peter Principato (ep), Paul Young (ep) > Ensemble centered around a bombastic high school football coach. > Rob Riggle
True Love (multicamera) > Sony Pictures Television/CBS Television Studios > Matt Tarses (w, ep), Jamie Tarses (ep), Pamela Fryman (d) > Ensemble centered around four friends in NYC, two of them falling in love and the other two not so much — at least for now. > Minka Kelly (Kate), Ashley Morris (Connie)
NBC pilot orders 2010-11
DRAMAS
The Event > UMS
TEAM: Nick Wauters (w), Steve Stark (ep)
SYNOPSIS: A thriller with a unique storytelling device and multiple points of view about a regular guy fighting his way through the mysterious circumstances of a larger conspiracy.
Chase > Warner Bros. TV/Jerry Bruckheimer TV > Jennifer Johnson (w, ep), Jerry Bruckheimer (ep), Jonathan Littman (ep) > An action-packed game of cat and mouse between a team of U.S. Marshalls and the most wanted criminals they hunt.
Undercovers > Warner Bros. TV/ Bad Robot > J.J. Abrams (w, d, ep), Josh Reims (w, ep), Bryan Burk (ep) > After a few years in retirement, a domesticated husband and wife are reactivated as agents for the CIA. Working together for the first time, they discover new aspects of their past while rediscovering their passion for each other. CAST: Boris Kodjoe (Steven), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Samantha), Carter MacIntyre, Gerald McRaney, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Ben Schwartz.
Love Bites >UMS Working Title Films
> Cindy Chupack (w, ep), Timothy Bevan (ep), Eric Fellner (ep), Shelley McCrory (ep)
> An hourlong romantic comedy.
Rockford Files > UMS/Carousel
> David Shore (w/ep), Steve Carell (ep)
> An updated version of the successful 1970s NBC series about Jim Rockford, a roguish private eye who takes on the dangerous, quirky and unpredictable cases no one else will.
Prime Suspect > UMS
> Hank Steinberg (w, ep), Erwin Stoff (ep)
> Based on the award-winning BBC series, “Prime Suspect” follows a fearless female detective as she investigates complex mysteries in a politically-loaded big city.
Kindreds > Warner Bros. TV/David E. Kelley Prods.
> David E. Kelley (w, ep)
> Follows a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer and his group of misfit associates as their lives bring them together to form an unconventional kind of law practice.
Untitled John Eisendrath > UMS/ Conaco
> John Eisendrath (ep, w), David Kissinger (ep)
> Will tackle topical issues through the eyes of an ex-justice trying to change the law.
The Cape > UMS/BermanBraun > Tom Wheeler (w, ep) Gail Berman (ep), Lloyd Braun (ep) > A former cop is set up as a criminal and becomes a masked hero to clear his name and reunite with his son.
COMEDIES
Beach Lane (multicamera)
> UMS/Broadway Video
> Paul Simms (w, ep), Lorne Michaels, Marci Klein
> A celebrity author is hired by an irresponsible millionaire heir to run his struggling small-town newspaper in the Hamptons.
> Matthew Broderick
Untitled Adam Carolla (single-camera)
> UMS/BermanBraun
> Jon Pollack (w, ep), Kevin Hench (w, ep), Adam Carolla (w, ep), Jimmy Kimmel (ep), Gail Berman (ep), Lloyd Braun (ep)
> A contractor embarks on rebuilding his life after a divorce, helped by his friend/roommate and his teenage daughter.
> Adam Carolla
Nathan vs. Nurture (multicamera) > Sony Pictures TV > Moses Port (w, ep), David Guarascio (w, ep) > About Griffin Birk, an overachieving heart surgeon who reunites with his birth father and underachieving brothers 35 years after his adoption.
Outsourced (single-camera)
> UMS
> Robert Borden (w, ep), Ken Kwapis (d, ep), Tom Gorai (ep), David Skinner (ep), Alex Beattie (co-ep)
> An office comedy about a recently demoted manager of a novelties company who is shipped off to India to manage a ragtag group of customer service reps.
Perfect Couples (single-camera)
> UMS
> Scott Silveri (w, ep), Jon Pollack (w, ep), Andy Ackerman (d, ep)
> A romantic comedy revolving around three couples, all with varying definitions of relationship perfection.
The Pink House (multicamera)
> UMS/Stuber
> Rick Wiener (w, ep), Kenny Schwartz (w, ep), Scott Stuber (ep), Quan Phung (co-ep)
> About the friendship between two guys who take a risk and move out to LA to begin the next chapter of their post-college lives.
The Strip (multicamera)
> UMS/Principato-Young
> Tom Lennon (w, ep), Ben Garant (w, ep), Peter Principato (ep), Paul Young (ep)
> About a former child star turned Hooters-style bar owner on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
> Tom Lennon, Ben Garant, Cedric Yarbrough (Mr. Maurice), Dave Holmes (Dave), Natasha Leggero (Natasha)
This Little Piggy (multicamera)
> ABC Studios
> Stephen Cragg (w, ep), Brian Bradley (w, ep)
> A father of two’s dream for a peaceful household is shattered when his under-employed sister and materialistic brother move in.
> Erinn Hayes (Sarah)
Fox pilot orders 2010-11
DRAMAS
Breakout Kings > 20th Century Fox TV
TEAM: Matt Olmstead (w, ep), Nick Santora (w, ep), Gavin Hood (d, ep), Peter Chernin (ep), Katherine Pope (ep)
SYNOPSIS: An action-packed investigative show pairing a team of U.S. marshals with a group of convicts on work furlough as they race against the clock to apprehend recently escaped prisoners before they disappear forever.
CAST: Laz Alonso (Charlie)
Code 58 (summer series)
> Fox Television Studios
> Matt Nix (w, ep), Tim Mattheson (d), Mikkel Bondensen (ep)
> An action-packed buddy-cop show about two mismatched outcasts in the police department who are clawing their way to the middle.
> Colin Hanks (Jack), Bradley Whitford (Dan), Diana Maria Riva (Lt. Anderson), Jenny Wade (Liz)
Midland > 20th Century Fox TV
> Kyle Killen (w, ep), Marc Webb (d), Chris Keyser (ep), Amy Lippman (ep), Chris Weitz (ep), Paul Weitz (ep)
> A subversive soap that follows a polygamist juggling two very different lives and two wives, set against the backdrop of the greed and corruption of Texas oil and power industries.
> Jimmy Wolk (Bob/Robert)
Pleading Guilty (cast-contingent)
> 20th Century Fox TV
> Jason Tracey (w, co-ep), Jon Avnet (d, ep), Hart Hanson (ep), Peter Chernin (ep), Katherine Pope (ep)
> A legal thriller based on the book “Pleading Guilty” by Scott Turow about embezzlement, bookmaking, offshore banking and the politics of a high-powered law firm.
Ride-along > 20th Century Fox TV
> Shawn Ryan (w, ep), Charles McDougall (d), Marney Hochman (ep)
> A rogue cowboy cop and Chicago’s first female police chief vow to clean up the streets by any means necessary, even when it means taking on the city’s dirty and historied political machine.
Worthy (penalty plus two additional scripts) > 20th Century Fox TV > Davey Holmes (w, ep), Jake Kasdan (d), Gavin Polone (ep) > A subversively comedic look at an aspiring politician who gets sucked into a world of crime and larger-than-life characters after he accidentally kills a low-level thug in a powerful local gang.
COMEDIES
Bob’s Burgers (animated) (series order)
> 20th Century Fox TV
> Jim Dauterive (w, ep), Loren Bouchard (w, ep)
> Follows a family who runs a burger joint where anything can happen.
> H. Jon Benjamin (Bon), John Roberts (Linda), Kristen Schaal (Louise), Dan Mintz (Tina), Eugene Mirman (Gene)
In Security (single-camera)
> Sony Pictures Television
> Adam F. Goldberg (w, ep), Seth Gordon (d, ep)
> An office comedy about a cute but slighty awkward guy who joins a digital security firm; amongst the oddball group of geniuses, he finally finds a place he can fit in.
> Bret Harrison (Cameron)
IRS aka Tax Men (single-camera)
> 20th Century Fox TV/Imagine TV
> Brent Forrester (w, ep), Ron Howard (ep), Brian Grazer (ep), David Nevins (ep)
> Workplace show following IRS employees who fight to overcome hatred while providing an important and vital government service.
> David Krumholtz (Spencer)
Keep Hope Alive (single-camera)
> 20th Century Fox TV
> Greg Garcia (w, ep), Mike Fresco (d)
> A man raises his child as a single-parent while living with the parents who made him the screwed-up adult he is today.
> Lucas Neff (Jimmy), Martha Plimpton (Virginia), Garret Dillahunt (Burt), Cloris Leachman (Maw Maw), Olesya Rulin (Sabrina)
Most Likely to Succeed (multicamera) > 20th Century Fox TV > David Walpert (w, ep), Adam Bernstein (d), David Nevins (ep), Brian Grazer (ep) > About a young ensemble of friends living in Seattle who, for a variety of reasons, have not lived up to the promise they showed in high school. > Kathryn Hahn (April)
Nevermind Nirvana (multicamera) > 20th Century Fox TV > Ajay Sahgal (w, ep), Scott Ellis (d) > Sonny’s traditional Indian parents move into his garage in an attempt to exert control over him. > Utkarsh Amdubkar (Raju), Harish Patel (Arjun)
Untitled Carvey/Feresten Sketch Show (presentation > Dana Carvey (ep), Spike Feresten (w, ep) > Sketch comedy > Dana Carvey
Strange Brew (multicamera) > Warner Bros. TV > David Kohan (w, ep), Max Mutchnik (w, ep), James Burrows (d) > A family that owns a small but successful regional brewery struggles with working and living together.
The Station (single-camera)
> 20th Century Fox TV/Red Hour Films
> Kevin Napier (w, ep), David Wain (d), Ben Stiller (ep), Stuart Cornfeld (ep), Jeremy Kramer (ep)
> A covert CIA operative and his workmates are embedded in a South American country and must navigate their mission to install a new dictator in this banana republic with its own unique set of challenges.
> John Goodman (Ted), Justin Bartha (Eric), Rob Huebel (Hank), Carla Gallo (Andrea), Jordan Peele (Joe), Jose Zuniga (Sherman)
Traffic Light (single-camera)
> 20th Century Fox TV
> Bob Fisher (w, ep), Chris Koch (d), Adir Miller (ep), Avi Nir (ep), Ran Telem (ep), Elad Kuperman (ep)
> Revolves around three male friends in different stages of relationships; based on the Israeli series.
Julie’s tip of the day
Thursday, February 11th, 2010If your call time is after 8 a.m., you should ask the person who calls with your call time what time is the crew call. If your call time is not the same as the crew call, then do not expect to eat breakfast on set. Catering will serve breakfast 30 minutes prior to crew call, so if you want to eat breakfast on set, prepare to arrive 20-30 minutes prior to crew call. Otherwise, show up having eaten. The first sit-down meal will be served 6 hours after the crew call time.
Fox Changing it’s Pilot Casting Process
Sunday, October 25th, 2009Network is shifting to taped auditions over in-person tests
By Nellie Andreeva
The Hollywood Reporter
Fox is changing the way it selects actors for pilots.
The network is phasing out traditional in-person network tests, in which finalists for each role audition for network executives who choose a winner.
Taking a page from the feature world, where screen tests are prevalent in casting a role, Fox is opting for taped network tests. After passing live tests for the producing studios, actors’ performances are being filmed and sent to the network for judging.
The network’s three greenlighted projects so far this season — Greg Garcia’s comedy pilot “Keep Hope Alive,” the untitled Mark Brazill comedy pilot and the Matt Nix series “Jack and Dan” — are being cast that way.
To accommodate the change, 20th Century Fox TV, which does a lot of business with Fox, has equipped a special screen-testing suite.
Fox casting head Marcia Shulman said the network has experimented with network tests on tape for the past couple of years.
“The network spends months and months developing a show, and then we have this network test where three actors wait nervously in the hallway, staring at each other and talking on the phone with their agents whether or not to sign the contract,” she said. “Sometimes we can’t cast the right lead for a show because they had a bad moment. Casting is more than 50% of the success of a show, so after spending all that money, why have we been going through that crazy process for so long?”
Taped tests were embraced by new Fox entertainment chairman Peter Rice, who came to the network in March from the feature world, having headed Fox Searchlight.
“He wanted to standardize the tests,” Shulman said.
That led to Fox giving studios guidelines on what it’s looking for in a test: actors should be off-book and free to move around, the test should include close-ups, etc.
Although employed across the board so far this season, the tests-on-tape rule allows for exceptions, as in the case with the Brazill coming-of-age ensemble comedy produced by Warner Bros. TV.
After a live studio test, finalists for several roles were taped at the studio for a network test scheduled for earlier this week. But after looking at the material, WBTV brass determined that, taped in front of a blue screen, actors didn’t pop the way they did during the in-person studio test. Additionally, as a multicamera comedy, the project hangs heavily on the chemistry among the leads and the energy in the room, which also was lost on tape.
As a result, WBTV asked Fox to do an in-person network test; it also opted to do another, more elaborate screen test with the actors on set (but still with no professional makeup or director present). Now, Fox will make the pilot’s casting decisions after seeing actors perform live and seeing the new tapes.
While it might make it easier on actors, the new practice is creating an extra level of anxiety for agents and producers. With in-person tests, they know when the casting sessions are and instantly find out the outcome. Now, it’s not clear exactly when network executives would watch tapes and make decisions, so those involved often spend long hours by the phone waiting for news.
Overall, Fox’s new method is gaining acceptance, minus some growing pains.
“In the long run, it is probably good, but it takes awhile getting used to a whole new requirement that is bucking the system right now,” a TV producer said.
Recommended Reading
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009Self-Management for Actors
By Bonnie Gillespie
Acting Is Everything: An Actor’s Guidebook for a Successful Career in Los Angeles – Expanded Gold Edition
By Judy Kerr
How To Get The Part Without Falling Apart
By Margie Haber
Acting in Film: An Actor’s Take on Movie Making – Revised Expanded Edition
By Michael Caine
The Sitcom Career Book
By Mary Lou Belli and Phil Ramuno
The Eight Characters of Comedy (A Guide to Sitcom Acting and Writing)
By Scott Sedita
An Agent Tells All (An uncensored look at the business of Acting)
By Tony Martinez
How to Stop Acting
By Harold Guskin
Hitting Your Mark (What every actor really needs to know on a Hollywood set)
By Steve Carlson
Respect For Acting
By Uta Hagen
The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor
By Larry Moss
1945 Code of Ethics for working in the theatre
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009A 1945 Code of Ethics for working in the theatre
While appearing on Broadway in her Tony-nominated role of Jeanette in The Full Monty in August, 2001, Equity member Kathleen Freeman died of lung cancer. Equity Councillor Jane A. Johnston, a longtime friend and executrix for Ms. Freeman’s estate, later discovered among Ms. Freeman’s papers a document containing A Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers. Ms. Freeman was a daughter of a small time vaudevillian team. Her childhood experience of touring with her parents inspired this Code of Ethics, Ms. Johnston writes. She also notes: “What is particularly interesting about this list of dos and don’ts for the theatre is that it was written in 1945 when Kathleen was establishing one of the first small theatres in Los Angeles and she was 24 years old. I wish I had been told some of ‘the rules’ when I was a young actress instead of having to pick them up as I went along.”
The theatre was the Circle Players (with Charlie Chaplin among its backers), which later evolved into the Players’ Ring. Although there is no record that either company used an Equity contract (they certainly pre-dated the 99-Seat Code in Los Angeles), Ms. Johnston confirms that all the participants were professionals.
Foreword to the Code
“A part of the great tradition of the theatre is the code of ethics which belong to every worker in the theatre. This code is not a superstition, nor a dogma, nor a ritual which is enforced by tribunals; it is an attitude toward your vocation, your fellow workers, your audiences and yourself. It is a kind of self-discipline which does not rob you of your invaluable individualism.
“Those of you who have been in show business know the full connotation of these precepts. Those of you who are new to show business will soon learn. The Circle Players, since its founding in 1945, has always striven to stand for the finest in theatre, and it will continue to do so. Therefore, it is with the sincere purpose of continued dedication to the great traditions of the theatre that these items are here presented.”
The “rules” follow:
1. I shall never miss a performance.
2. I shall play every performance with energy, enthusiasm and to the best of my ability regardless of size of audience, personal illness, bad weather, accident, or even death in my family.
3. I shall forego all social activities which interfere with rehearsals or any other scheduled work at the theatre, and I shall always be on time.
4. I shall never make a curtain late by my failure to be ready on time.
5. I shall never miss an entrance.
6. I shall never leave the theatre building or the stage area until I have completed my performance, unless I am specifically excused by the stage manager; curtain calls are a part of the show.
7. I shall not let the comments of friends, relatives or critics change any phase of my work without proper consultation; I shall not change lines, business, lights, properties, settings or costumes or any phase of the production without consultation with and permission of my director or producer or their agents, and I shall inform all people concerned.
8. I shall forego the gratification of my ego for the demands of the play.
9. I shall remember my business is to create illusion; therefore, I shall not break the illusion by appearing in costume and makeup off-stage or outside the theatre.
10. I shall accept my director’s and producer’s advice and counsel in the spirit in which it is given, for they can see the production as a whole and my work from the front.
11. I shall never “put on an act” while viewing other artists’ work as a member of an audience, nor shall I make caustic criticism from jealousy or for the sake of being smart.
12. I shall respect the play and the playwright and, remembering that “a work of art is not a work of art until it is finished,” I shall not condemn a play while it is in rehearsal.
13. I shall not spread rumor or gossip which is malicious and tends to reflect discredit on my show, the theatre, or any personnel connected with them-either to people inside or outside the group.
14. Since I respect the theatre in which I work, I shall do my best to keep it looking clean, orderly and attractive regardless of whether I am specifically assigned to such work or not.
15. I shall handle stage properties and costumes with care for I know they are part of the tools of my trade and are a vital part of the physical production.
16. I shall follow rules of courtesy, deportment and common decency applicable in all walks of life (and especially in a business in close contact with the public) when I am in the theatre, and I shall observe the rules and regulations of any specific theatre where I work.
17. I shall never lose my enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments.
In addition, the document continued:
“I understand that membership in the Circle Theatre entitles me to the privilege of working, when I am so assigned, in any of the phases of a production, including: props, lights, sound, construction, house management, box office, publicity and stage managing-as well as acting. I realize it is possible I may not be cast in a part for many months, but I will not allow this to dampen my enthusiasm or desire to work, since I realize without my willingness to do all other phases of theatre work, there would be no theatre for me to act in.”
All members of the Circle Theatre were required to sign this document. And they must have-because the theatre, and the group into which it evolved, was successful for many years.
Join our Facebook page
Thursday, August 6th, 2009Please join the Facebook fan page for Acting Outside The Box.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Acting-Outside-The-Box/21584005869
Private Coaching Available with Julie Stevens
Monday, June 1st, 2009Private Coaching Available
Julie Stevens and DOUBLE 19 PRODUCTIONS will assist you with:
* Finding a headshot photographer, choosing a headshot that best represents you and creating a resume.
* Personal guidance for submitting your headshot and presenting yourself to agents, managers and casting directors.
* Provide you with counsel and direction as you get auditions, jobs and become established in the business.
* Help in setting up Internet profiles with online audition submission services, creating your own website, and how to get listed on IMDB.
* What to expect at an audition, on set or on location
* How to choose the best 16 bars for a musical audition
* How to create demo reels, singing and voiceover demos
ONLINE CONSULTATION SESSIONS are offered via the internet using iChat/AOL Instant Messenger, if you have an iSight or web cam. Skype, an internet telephony service, is another free program downloadable from the Internet that enables video web chat. Consultations by phone, Skype or AOL/iChat are scheduled and conducted in the same way as an in person consultation.
For more information, call Julie Stevens at (323) 848-7719 or email (double19productions@gmail.com) double19productions (at) gmail (dot) com
