Vancouver Actor's Guide Newsletter - August 8 2016
Published: Mon, 08/08/16
INDUSTRY NEWS
STAR TREK BEAMS NEARLY $70 MILLION INTO B.C. ECONOMY: DEMAND FOR CREW, STUDIO SPACE AT ALL-TIME HIGH
Blockbusters such as Star Trek Beyond have contributed tens of millions of dollars to the economy, while a number of big-budget television series made by Netflix and Amazon has Vancouver’s production studios booked
solid. The skyrocketing demand, however, has left unions and companies scrambling for staff and studio space.
VANCOUVER RANKS 3RD IN TV PILOT PRODUCTION IN NORTH AMERICA, SAYS NEW REPORT
Growth in Canada was driven by the exchange rate, which offers American producers an additional 20 to 25 per cent savings
based on the value of the Canadian dollar, which plummeted over the past year.
A Vancouver production studio has been ransacked by thieves but what the robbers did not realize is the whole thing was caught on tape. Now, Go Studios is asked for the public’s help to find them.
Minds Eye Entertainment, which has movie credits including Forsaken, The Tall Man, Faces in the Crowd, Lullaby for Pi and Dolan’s Cadillac, has relocated its headquarters from Regina to Kelowna.
INTRODUCING TIFF’S CANADIAN CONTINGENT: XAVIER DOLAN, KIM NGUYEN, DEEPA MEHTA AND MORE
New films by directors Xavier Dolan, Kim Nguyen, Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald and Chloé Robichaud headline the Canadian slate at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, which was unveiled Wednesday afternoon at a press event in Toronto.
TORONTO'S ARC PRODUCTIONS LOCKS OUT EMPLOYEES AMID 'FINANCIAL EMERGENCY'
Arc Productions is one of the largest animation companies in
the city and had recently been hiring new employees to work on a slew of projects. Shocked employees, including some who had just started working at the company, said they had no warning about the shutdown.
HOW STORIES SHAPED WEYNI MENGESHA INTO THE THEATRE DIRECTOR SHE IS TODAY
Two stories from Weyni Mengesha’s upbringing help explain how she became the storyteller she is – a Canadian theatre director whose bridge-building philosophy has led to big box-office successes like ’da Kink in My Hair and Kim’s Convenience, and an artist with unusual insight into plays about war and royal families.
ACTRESSES OVER 60 ARE THE NEW BOX-OFFICE POWERHOUSES
It is not surprising that actresses with decades of great work to their
credit would have fans, but the fact that those fans — especially in the era of streaming and VOD — would be so willing to leave their homes and head for theaters comes as a jolt.
WHY WHITE ACTORS SHOULD NOT BE CAST IN LATINX ROLES — ON BROADWAY OR OFF
A Chicago theater received criticism after announcing that a white actor would play the lead role in a production of
Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “In The Heights.”
IN A WORLD GONE MAD, THE ARTS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Art opens us up to new ideas – so important always, but crucial now as the world seems to be losing its
peripheral vision. We can all take refuge in our echo chambers, but the danger of cutting ourselves off from other ideas – or from ideas, period – is in vibrant display at the moment.
You have to travel two
separate paths: the Business Path and the Creative Path. And you must pursue both, simultaneously, never letting one take precedence over the other.
There are no short cuts. You have to be great at so many things these days to work as an actor. But to those who are truly called to acting as
their life’s work, this couldn’t be more exciting news.
ROGUES WEST SUMMER PERFORMANCE INTENSIVE is underway! We invite you to our public shows Aug 20/21, 2pm/8pm tickets $15 at the door … don’t miss our powerful studio production of LA RONDE! Our regular
schedule of acting classes gets back underway in September – call or email us to book a one-on-one mentorship meeting with Christiane Hirt and discuss what RW has to offer. Check out our Meisner Immersion class, our Hero’s Journey Film class, Alexander Technique with Des Price and Voice & Movement with Trish Allen! Have a great summer! http://www.rogueswest.ca | rogueswest@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFmIBekc8BmXp6BPevsdhAA
SUMMER FILM+TV ACTING INTENSIVES FOR
KIDS+TEENS Summer Intensives are a chance for students to see the kind of progress they can make when they devote 100% of their energy to acting. As with all Biz Studio programs, summer students have about twice the one-on-one time with faculty as students at other schools (max of 6 students per class). Each week also features workshops with local casting directors. Intensives run August 8th-12th and 22nd-26th. Info and registration at www.bizstudio.ca/teensactingclasses (ages 12-17) and www.bizstudio.ca/kidsactingclasses (ages 8-11).
ACTORIUM’S 16 WEEK SCENE STUDY SERIES One role, one scene and 16 weeks of in-depth, thorough training. Actorium is a Meisner based school. Student must have completed Actorium's four week Intro, or equivalent to enroll. 2910 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. More info:
604-445-7751 | info@actorium.ca | actorium.ca
DIALECT COACHING | TONY ALCANTAR Hollywood producers trust Tony Alcantar with their stars: Oscar-winners Halle Berry, Billy-Bob Thornton plus A-list stars Stellan Skarsgard, Sam Rockwell, Joel Edgerton, Bob Odenkirk, Martin Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, etc. You can trust him too! Tony is Vancouver's #1 dialect coach, recommended by agents
and casting directors. Learn with confidence the most requested dialects and accents required for the Vancouver market. Book that role! Contact: 604-418-1192, tonyalcantar@icloud.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
TREMORS
August 11-20
Rumble Theatre is thrilled to present the 2016 edition of Tremors, our festival of emerging talent. We’ve selected three outstanding
scripts (Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel, Better Angels: A Parable by Andrea Scott, and Bull by Mike Bartlett) and assembled a company of emerging artists to direct, design and perform each show.
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival celebrates the best in independent queer cinema and facilitates a unique community space through a
variety of performances, panels and workshops. The 2016 Festival is set to showcase over 80 films from 20 countries, with themes ranging from queer troublemakers, indigenous voices, and queer freedoms.
Erin Mussolum, Project Manager of STORYHIVE, and Lizzy Karp, Marketing and Communications Manager of STORYHIVE, will be chatting about the TELUS STORYHIVE Digital Shorts Female Director edition which will be awarding 30 $10k grants
for these short films.
