Vancouver Actor's Guide Newsletter - March 13 2017
Published: Mon, 03/13/17
INDUSTRY NEWS
VANCOUVER ACTOR'S GUIDE CEO RESPONDS TO CRITIC OF THIS NEWSLETTER
On
March 8, International Women's Day, Vancouver Actor's Guide and Production Heads Network Inc CEO, Kenji Maeda responded to a subscriber who wrote: "You have too many articles about women in the Vancouver Actor’s Guide. It is becoming a women’s guide with little relevance to male actors." Read the full response.
ACTRA AND
SAG-AFTRA PARTNER TO PROMOTE PRODUCTION UNDER UNION CONTRACTS
Under the #WorkingTogether initiative the two unions will pool resources to promote the value of union work to employers and engagers while increasing work opportunities for members.
Heart, humour and spectacle. That’s the trinity that production designer Tyler Harron says is key to success in the locally shot DC comics universe shows The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow and
Legends of Tomorrow.
CANADIAN SCREEN AWARD NOMINATIONS HIGHLIGHT UPSTART FILMMAKERS
Of the 10 films up for best picture on Sunday, several are directed by up-and-comers, including Kevan Funk for "Hello Destroyer," Chloe Leriche for "Before the Streets," Matt Johnson for "Operation Avalanche," and Johnny Ma for "Old Stone," which won best Canadian first feature at the Toronto International Film
Festival.
LUCIFER SERIES DITCHES VANCOUVER PRODUCTION FOR A SUNNIER TAX SCENE
The high-profile American TV series Lucifer, set in Los Angeles but shot in Vancouver, is moving
production to the real L.A. thanks to California tax breaks – a plot twist in the buoyant narrative around British Columbia’s booming TV production sector.
With the network’s massive output deal with Netflix that sees all CW series put on the service eight days after their seasons end, the numbers are pretty much gravy.
DIRECTOR JOHNNY MA EMBRACES FEAR IN HIS FILM CAREER
There’s a school of thought that says one key to realizing a goal, be it a job or a better physique, is to use the technique of visualization. Johnny Ma may not have read much, if any, visualization literature when he was 15. But there’s no denying he was a big dreamer at that age. And in dreams begin responsibilities.
The voice work was cast with equal diversity behind the scenes, with Korean Canadian Sandra Oh taking on the role of the lead, Rosie, and several prominent Iranian actors voicing the roles of others.
MICHAEL J. FOX 'HUMBLED' TO RECEIVE CANADIAN
HONOUR OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S AWARD
Mr. Fox, 55, was born in Edmonton and raised in Burnaby, B.C. He made his debut as a professional actor at 15 on CBC’s Leo and Me. At 18, he moved to Los Angeles. When he landed the role on Family Ties, he became a star.
A movie production team was denied permission to shoot in the Rocky Mountain national parks after Parks Canada staff learned the film's plot involved an indigenous gang leader.
PARKS CANADA INSULTS ALL INDIGENOUS ACTORS WITH FILM'S REJECTION
North
of 60, a 1990s CBC drama set in a small, sub-Arctic community, was probably the first Canadian TV show to accurately portray the lives of indigenous people. Now one of that show's stars is set to appear in a new production, and once again, not as a First Nations stereotype.
PILOT LOCATIONS 2017: NY, VANCOUVER & ATLANTA TICK UP; LA, TORONTO, CHICAGO SLIP
Production in Canada has been booming, and observers
suggest that Vancouver and Toronto may have maxed out in terms of available production space, forcing TV productions looking to shoot north of the border to stay in the U.S. instead, with Atlanta as a popular alternative.
SAMUEL L JACKSON HIT OUT AT BLACK BRITISH ACTORS IN HOLLYWOOD. WAS HE
RIGHT?
When it comes to the roles they are assigned in Hollywood, African American actors have every right to be aggrieved. Once depicted only as nannies, pimps, prostitutes, thieves, simpletons and savages, the possibilities have grown in recent times but the opportunities are nowhere near where they could or should be.
YOUR ACTING CAREER: TIPS FOR STAYING (MOSTLY) SANE WHEN YOU’RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL
Expect that there will be twists, turns, false starts, and even inevitable setbacks – and that you may not see the fruits of your labor until far later than you’d ever imagined. Embarking on this career with false expectations and an unrealistic
timeline will do nothing but cause you needless frustration and grief.
On the one hand, every audition is a potential job and the chance to possibly making your dream of being
a professional performer come true! On the other, each one is a high-stakes, three-minute-long “test” of your abilities and if you’re not cast, you may find yourself facing disappointment and questioning your talent. If that describes your audition experience, I have some good news for you: You’re doing this whole thing the wrong way.
PRESENCE: WHAT IT IS, HOW TO
GET IT + WHY IT'S VITAL TO AN ACTOR'S SUCCESS
You’ve been in the acting game for a long time and you want to be a star, but more importantly, you want to be remembered. When you look at the greats in our industry, you realize they all have one thing in common: presence! We often spend so much time honing our skills for a performance that we forget about honing our presence, the thing needed to make our
brand skyrocket.
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: 778-773-1402 | info@tonyalcantardialect.com
AUDIT FOR FREE AT ROGUES WEST ACTORS STUDIO
Compare RW to the rest! – CORE classes that
build foundation or brush up your fundamentals … FILM classes with new material every week and varied focus on Pilot Prep, Audition, Cold Reads, Taking Direction … SCENE STUDY classes with weekly goals that advance your work plus performance opportunities … plus experienced instructors, competitive prices, no interest payment plans and
no extra fees.
Experience the modern legacy of New York’s studio-tradition of acting. Follow-up your free audit with a one-on-one mentorship meeting.
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
ON CAMERA FUNDAMENTALS FOR TEENS AT ACTORVAN 8 weeks of classes from April 7 You will learn On Camera acting techniques as well as how to: prepare a scene, develop a character, prepare for an audition, analyze a script, handle nerves and memorize lines. This course will guide you through the journey of becoming a working actor in Vancouver. All
scenes will be on camera with a new scene every week. Marc Gaudet is a dynamic experienced UBCP union actor with over 15yrs experience. Contact Marc at marc@actorvan.com or call/text 604 805 3291 http://actorvan.com/camera-fundamentals-teens/
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE COLD READING SERIES
March 13
Stories illustrate our universally shared experiences. The Cold Reading Series (CRS) is committed to supporting and developing the talents of Vancouver’s story tellers – writers, actors, and musicians alike – by providing a forum where they can present their craft to a live audience and get instant feedback.
Chutzpah! The Lisa Nemetz
International Jewish Performing Arts Festival is the Lower Mainland’s winter music, dance, comedy and theatre festival presenting international, national and local artists. The Chutzpah! Festival delivers audiences work that is forward-looking, multi-layered, and entertaining.
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.
The ACT Arts Centre and the Ridge Film Studio, with the support of the City of Maple Ridge, present the inaugural Festival of BC Film. This new festival was developed to highlight film created in BC.
The Just Film Festival brings you compelling stories about social justice and human rights with themes ranging from the migrant crisis to the human toll of the actions of extractive industries in developing countries. This year we are presenting 14 award-winning documentary films including three student films from Langara
College.
