Vancouver Actor's Guide Newsletter - February 13 2017
Published: Mon, 02/13/17
INDUSTRY NEWS
NETFLIX RENEWS ERIC MCCORMACK SCI-FI SERIES ‘TRAVELERS’ FOR SEASON 2
Netflix has ordered a second season of Canadian sci-fi series “Travelers,” starring Eric McCormack,. The series is set
hundreds of years in the future where technology has developed a means of sending people back in time to the 21st century to help save humanity from a grim future. “Will & Grace” alum McCormack plays an FBI agent and team leader of the “travelers.”
Vancouver-born director Miles Jay was on a fruitless pursuit of accolades before he finally realized his mistake. Now the 27-year-old is directing major commercials -- he shot two Super Bowl
spots with John Malkovich -- and has a Cannes Silver Lion on his mantel. He could grab another trophy Sunday night at the Grammy Awards.
Last year brought great prosperity to Surrey’s film industry, doubling the number of permits issued to high-end productions like Supergirl. Film cameras have been rolling all over the municipality since last January, with more set
to arrive in the new year.
IT'S SHOWTIME FOR CHILLIWACK-MADE CHICAGO
TYPEWRITER
There's been quite a bit of buzz around Chilliwack secondary lately about an up-and-coming filmmaker's latest project. And there should be. The Chicago Typewriter, written and directed by student Zachary Obbagy, was filmed largely in and around the school. The cast is made up of students, and even a few teachers.
LIGHTS! CAMERA! OKANAGAN! NEW FILM PRODUCTION FACILITIES SET FOR THE VALLEY
The Okanagan is ready for its close-up, as plans for
two soundstage facilities turn a spotlight on the valley’s steadily growing film and TV production scene.
L.A. CITY ATTORNEY CHARGES FIVE CASTING WORKSHOPS IN ALLEGED TALENT SCAM
L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer announced on Thursday the filing of criminal charges against 25 people
involved in five casting workshops, alleging that they charged aspiring actors for auditions in violation of state law.
SHOULD WE HAVE A ‘CANADIAN VALUES’ TEST FOR FILMS AND TV
SHOWS?
Most viewers don’t care about a film’s official country of origin. But the issue of what, exactly, makes a film or TV show genuinely Canadian is suddenly gripping the industry, after a series of government moves to shake up long-standing regulations.
April Mullen, the Niagara Falls native, assembled a virtually all-female crew for the shoot, all the better to make her actresses more comfortable during the many intimate scenes in the
film.
SAG-AFTRA WILL PHASE OUT RESIDUAL CHECKS UNDER NEW DIRECT DEPOSIT SYSTEM
Under a new system that SAG-AFTRA is expected to launch this year, physical checks will vanish. They will be replaced by a direct deposit service that
will bring the union’s residuals payment method into the modern era.
‘THE EXPANSE’: HOW THE SYFY SERIES FOUND THE UNFINDABLE ACTRESS (WHICH MEANS OTHER SHOWS CAN, TOO)
The men behind adapting the popular "Expanse" novels to the screen faced a massive challenge in Season 2 — finding the perfect actor to play a beloved
favorite.
With theater attendance at a two-decade low and profits dwindling, the kind of disruption that hit music, publishing, and other industries is already reshaping the entertainment business. From A.I. Aaron Sorkin to C.G.I. actors to algorithmic editing, Nick Bilton investigates what lies ahead.
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD SETTLE BEFORE SIGNING A CONTRACT FOR AN ACTING
GIG
So you were offered an acting gig…congrats! Celebrate! And then start preparing. Now is the time for the business side of you to kick in and make sure everything is in order before you lay your John Hancock on that contract. Below are some questions you should be asking, whether the gig is theatre, film or industrial.
This is an industry of strong personalities that can translate to psychotic producers, abusive directors, and diva actors. So when people come aboard a project and they’re easy to work with, delightful to be around, and who roll with the punches of production, they help take the edge off a truly high pressure world. And that ability is
priceless.
IT'S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT REJECTION DIFFERENTLY
Every time you hear “no,” it’s proof of your effort, and as long as you see that as proof of progress—which it most certainly is—every rejection you experience is a building block in the foundation of
your success.
SPRING BREAK FILM+TV ACTING INTENSIVES FOR KIDS+TEENS Biz Studio students have about twice the one-on-one time with faculty as students at other schools, with a max of 6 students per class. We have a legacy
of training young actors who go on to work in the industry, *outstanding* instructors, and a beautiful downtown campus inside a working film & TV casting studio. * Kids (Ages 8-11) Monday-Friday 9:00am-12:00noon, March 13th-17th, 20th-24th & 27th-31st, www.bizstudio.ca/kidsactingclasses * Teens (Ages 12-17)
Monday-Friday 1:30-5:30pm, March 13th-17th, 20th-24th & 27th-31st, www.bizstudio.ca/teensactingclasses
BOOK THAT ROLE: NEW TONY ALCANTAR DIALECT CLASSES STARTING MARCH 2 To book, Vancouver actors MUST raise their game! Due to new rule for Canadian TV funding - "...it will now be easier to hire Americans instead..." Globe & Mail, Oct. 9, 2016. Producers demand Standard American English, now more than ever. Tony’s classes are fun, informative and hands-on...just what you expect
from Vancouver's #1 dialect coach! http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017167/ * “Tony…Thank you for everything. You’ve been a real pleasure. I thank you and Alice (Halle’s on-screen character) thanks you. Love, Halle Berry” * “Tony, thanks again for your enormous contribution to the show’s success.”
John Cameron, Producer, FARGO Register now: 778-773-1402, info@tonyalcantardialect.com
FOUNDRY INTENSIVE IN VICTORIA February 18 & 19, 2017 | 9am-6pm Through intensive focus exercises developed by Matthew Harrison, the actor is drawn out, into what the Foundry calls being ‘vectors-out’, the natural place where the performer can live truthfully in the scene. A specific, clearly defined preparatory process helps the actor explore the worlds of imagination and experience
in order to bring forth the emotional circumstances of the character. Actors receive scenes and scene partners in advance for a wonderful and intense weekend experience. https://www.actorsfoundry.com/intensive
DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE AT ROGUES WEST ACTORS STUDIO
AUDIT FOR FREE and watch the impact of training with professional instructors. Our January session is underway with choices to audit from CORE MEISNER, CORE
FILM and CORE ACTING plus our SCENE STUDY, PILOT PREP and AUDITION film classes. Our multidimensional Meisner & Hagen training encompasses everything from core fundamentals to a professional skill-set ... Experience the modern legacy of the New York Studio tradition of acting. Follow-up your audit with a no obligation, one-on-one mentorship meetings for our next session starting Feb 27. Email us
today! http://www.rogueswest.ca | rogueswest@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFmIBekc8BmXp6BPevsdhAA
UPCOMING EVENTS
TOMO SURU PLAYERS PRESENTS: SPRING AWAKENING
Feb 7-19 | PAL Studio Theatre Spring Awakening, the 2006 Tony Award winning musical, gets an unplugged rendition in February 2017. The
high-energy rock tinged musical is presented with the cast providing most of the musical accompaniment. While electric guitar and keyboard are used, acoustic guitars and organic percussion performed by the cast make this an intimate and emotionally charged performance, providing a direct connection between the performers and audience. http://www.tomosuruplayers.com/spring-awakening
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2017
February 11-17
Driven by a passion for film,
culture, and the outdoors, the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) Society seeks to advance appreciation of films and film-making while inspiring, informing, and educating the public in these areas.
The Talking Stick Festival is an open invitation to explore Aboriginal culture through the Arts and is proud to showcase extraordinary Indigenous performance and art, featuring some of the best emerging and established Indigenous artists Canada has to offer. This year's
festival features 11 days of entertainment including Film, Theatre, Dance, Celebration of Powwow Culture and Aboriginal Artisan Fair, Métis Fair, Talking Circles, Music Concert Series, Industry Series.
Register by March 1 (March 21-22) The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance produces the annual UGAs to provide an opportunity for Actors to audition once and be seen by a large number of artistic and freelance theatre directors who are
currently casting for local theatre productions. Actors must be full union members or be invited through the qualifiers to attend the UGAs. http://gvpta.ca/UGA-for-actors
VANCOUVER WEB FEST
March 17-19
The Vancouver Web Fest (VWF) celebrates the progressive evolution of entertainment and programming created exclusively for the Internet. The three-day festival hosts workshops, launch party, screenings, pitch sessions, facilitate panels featuring industry experts and concludes with an awards ceremony gala.
