VANCOUVER FILM PRODUCER SHAWN WILLIAMSON ON NETFLIX, MONSTER MASH-UPS AND OPERATING IN B.C.
To work in the Canadian film industry is to, as the apocryphal saying goes, “live in interesting times.” Vancouver-based producer Shawn Williamson knows all the ups and downs and, as president of Brightlight Pictures, he has carved out an intriguing niche in the Canadian landscape by balancing genre projects and critical darlings.
Hot on the success of Fargo, Hell on Wheels and Van Helsing, Calgary’s Nomadic Pictures is hitting
the ground running with a new sci-fi series called Ghost Wars. But unlike their previous efforts, Ghost Wars won’t be filmed in Alberta.
VANCOUVER DIRECTOR DELIVERS HAUNTING INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF HEATH LEDGER
Heath Ledger loved to create. Unbeknown to most, during his frantic ten-year rise to stardom, Ledger had
accumulated a vast self-filmed archive of videos. Vancouver-based filmmakers Derik Murray and Adrian Buitenhuis used Ledger’s footage to provide a rare insight into the life of the enigmatic star.
NORTH SAANICH MIDDLE-SCHOOLER TO APPEAR IN SEASON 2 OF POPULAR NETFLIX SERIES
When he’s not in class at North Saanich Middle School, Octavian Kaul, 13, is on set in Vancouver
developing his acting career. He’s currently filming for Season 2 of the Netflix series Haters Back Off. http://www.bclocalnews.com/entertainment/421770313.html
POWELL RIVER DIGITAL FILM
SCHOOL STUDENTS BRING HOME HARDWARE
Students from Powell River Digital Film School’s class of 2016 walked away with two awards from the 2016 BC Student Film Festival. The two award-winning productions have also been nominated for two Leo Awards, which annually recognize excellence in the BC film and television industry.
ONTARIO SCHOOL BOARD TOSSES SHAKESPEARE FOR INDIGENOUS WRITERS
As of this September, students will be reading and studying novels such as Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, Medicine River by Thomas King, My Name is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling, or As Long as the Rivers Flow by former Ontario Lieutenant-Governor James Bartleman.
The next time you see a Broadway show, or any show for that matter, I want to you pay
very close attention the lead actors and I want you to consider this question, Could a fuller-figured performer play that role? Would it have changed your perception of the show at all? The answers, if you're smart, should be yes and then no.
LIFE THREATENING INJURIES IN SCHOOL PRODUCTION OF SWEENEY TODD
School musicals should be a fun experience for everyone involved, but the recent staging of Sweeney Todd by an exclusive school in Auckland,
New Zealand, resulted in two students requiring surgery for life threatening injuries.
5 SELF-CARE TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BETTER YOUR ACTING CAREER
Whether you’re soldiering through a relentless schedule on set or hustling to snag endless auditions, burn-out is right around every corner. But guess what?
That’s not an option for actors!
Remember, as soon as you show up on set, the first thing you do is ask for the AD. Introduce yourself and ask what you should do next. It may be
to sign contracts, it may be to go immediately to hair and makeup or wardrobe, or it may be just hanging out in your trailer. Now you know you’re ready to start the day on-set in the good graces of the production team.
A few
weeks ago, I introduced five tips for digging deeper when it comes to TV and film auditions. Here, as promised, are five more ways you can change the audition game and truly connect with the material.
GREAT ACTING IS ABOUT MORE THAN TRAINING AND CLASS
All too often, actors focus on the obvious things for their acting. Yes, studying the craft, industry news, watching movies, improv, etc., are all very important. But things that generally enrich you as a person overall can dramatically affect your acting too, giving you a wider view of the world and more to draw on for your characters.
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
IN THE ROOM WITH CATHARINE FALCON AT THE FOUNDRY May 27 & 28 This is your chance to make a personal impression with a prominent casting
director, CATHARINE FALCON, (Anthem, Drink Slay Love, Britney Ever After). This format will hone audition skills, practice audition preparation, and teach communication skills with casting directors. Actors gain first-hand knowledge of how the casting director works and what they are looking for in the audition room. Sides are sent in advance and you will be coached by Matthew, one of Canada’s top coaches to get your best out in front of the people that need to see it. https://www.actorsfoundry.com/in-the-room-with-a-director
AUDIT FOR FREE AT ROGUES WEST ACTORS STUDIO Discover the Difference at RW! Our June session begins June 20/2017... CORE classes that build foundation or brush up fundamentals ... FILM classes that challenge you with new material every ... SCENE STUDY classes with weekly goals that advance your work ... IMPROV workshops that spark your creativity ... plus experienced instructors, performance opportunities,
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 no obligation, one-on-one mentorship meeting ...
SUMMER FILM+TV ACTING INTENSIVES FOR KIDS+TEENS | BIZ STUDIO 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. Biz Studio summer intensives feature about twice the one-on-one time with faculty as students at other schools (max of 6 students per class), instructors who are all working actors, workshops with local casting directors, and a beautiful downtown campus inside a working film & tv casting studio. Dates: July 10th-14th, 17th-21st and 24th-28th; August 14th-18th and 21st-25th * www.bizstudio.ca/teensactingclasses (ages 12-17)
Everyone is welcome! May's William F. White Networking Breakfast is all about membership. Join us to find out more about what it means to be a member, the opportunities and benefits offered to members, as well as to meet some of our WIFTV staff and board members. This month it is free for WIFTV members and FREE for non-member too!
Every year, for one week in May, The Cultch is taken over and transformed by young people. Hundreds of youth are involved in what has grown to be Vancouver’s largest youth-driven arts festival. The festival includes showcases in music, dance, and spoken word, the world premiere of three one-act plays, a visual arts exhibit, variety shows featuring improv, drag, circus arts, and much more. All of this is
created by local artists between the ages of 13-24.
We are celebrating 35 years of excellence in theatre! The Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards Society will be announcing the nominees for the upcoming theatre awards honouring Vancouver’s vibrant artistic community at the 2017 Jessie Nominations Party on
Tuesday, May 23th at Pacific Theatre (1440 12 AVE W, Vancouver). Doors open at 4:30pm and the announcement of the nominees will be at 5:00pm sharp, followed by a reception.
Want to earn your stripes as one of the city’s most diehard cinephiles? Test your mettle with 24 consecutive hours of essential cinema? It’s back! After a two-year hiatus – and overwhelming demand! – The Cinematheque is once again serving up a
sleep-depriving cinematic feast for adventurous Vancouver film fans.
