JASON CLOTH: MAKING MONEY FROM MOVIES IS ALL ABOUT TUNING IN TO THE TIMES
Hit film producer Jason Cloth knows what can lift the spirits of cinema audiences depressed by the grim world of Covid-19. “People are afraid, they’re tired,” says the 54-year-old Canadian, who is one of the industry’s biggest private financiers. “If we can truly give them some uplifting escapism, they will go back.” https://www.ft.com/content/c1a873eb-930d-4cc5-bafd-5e36c09384b9
CINEPLEX CEO SAYS MOVIE EXHIBITOR HAS OPTIONS TO WEATHER UNPREDICTABLE COMING YEAR
The head of Cineplex told investors at the company's webcast annual meeting on Tuesday that executives will "make the necessary changes" to push through the next six to 12 months, which could see theatres temporarily closed due to the virus, Hollywood films delayed and titles diverted to streaming services. https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/cineplex-ceo-says-movie-exhibitor-has-options-to-weather-unpredictable-coming-year-1.5143199
LOS ANGELES FILM SHOOTS PLUMMET 54% LAST QUARTER, FILMLA STUDY SAYS
While Hollywood is slowly resuming film and TV production with COVID-19 safety regulations enforced, the pandemic is still taking its toll on the industry as the latest quarterly study from FilmLA reports a 54% year-over-year drop in shooting days for the third quarter of 2020. https://www.thewrap.com/los-angeles-film-shoots-plummet-54-thanks-to-pandemic-filmla-study-says/
PALADINO CASTING CALLS RACIST ASIAN AMERICAN CASTING NOTICE AN “INEXCUSABLE OVERSIGHT”
This weekend, Paladino Casting got into some hot water with a recent casting notice it posted for a Kinder Joy commercial. The notice, which called for a “Chinese/Korean Mom With Child/Children”, started off OK, but upon further reading of the breakdown, it just got offensive. https://deadline.com/2020/10/paladino-casting-racist-asian-american-casting-notice-1234595511
FORMER EMPLOYEES AT CENTRAL CASTING, HOLLYWOOD’S LEGENDARY AGENCY, SAY ACTORS WERE TIRED OF BEING TYPECAST INTO STEREOTYPICAL ROLES
Over the course of nearly 100 years, Central Casting has come to dominate the TV and film industry. But current and former employees say that power has gone unchecked internally, creating what they say is a toxic workplace. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/krystieyandoli/central-casting-employees-actors-complaints
IS THIS THE END OF CINEMA? THE KNOCK-ON EFFECTS OF CORONAVIRUS COULD SPELL CREATIVE CATASTROPHE FOR THE INDUSTRY
It’s probably too soon to tell, but the outlook doesn’t look good. Throughout the pandemic, many of us have been consuming more content, but we’re doing it at home in our bubbles. Considering the prices, the availability of films online, movies are something most people seem more comfortable doing at home. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/cinema-closures-no-time-to-die-bond-cineworld-mulan-soul-b1047155.html
THE END OF A BOOM? HOW THE PANDEMIC IS SHAPING THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION
While this drop off is inevitable, for many it’s a situation that’s not easily rectifiable, given the variables in legislation, quarantining and state-driven insurance measures from territory to territory. https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/covid-19-drama-series-international-co-production-1234800076/
FEMALE FILMMAKERS MAKE BIG STRIDES IN FESTIVAL WORLD, NEARLY DOUBLING IN LAST DECADE
Still, men continue to outnumber women 66 percent to 34 percent when all behind-the-scenes roles are considered. And yet it seems clear that a consideration for parity at festivals, once something of an oddity in the festival world, has made serious strides in recent year. https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/female-filmmakers-festival-2020-indie-women-study-1234592987/
BROADWAY'S CLOSED TILL 2021, THE ONLY WAY IT COMES BACK AND THRIVES IS WITH VOD
The Broadway League announced that theatres will remain closed through the end of May 2021. This is why the Broadway powers-that-be need to start considering every avenue to return to work in some form that is both safe and lucrative. Broadway is going to have to perform via video-on-demand(VOD). https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/the-only-way-it-comes-back-and-thrives-is-with-vod
SCREEN IRELAND RECEIVES 52% BUDGET HIKE FOR 2021
The boost was provided by Ireland’s Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin. Including administration, the org’s overall budget is now €30M ($35.2M). https://deadline.com/2020/10/screen-ireland-52-budget-hike-2021-1234597146/
UK ACTORS SHARE SELF-CARE ADVICE FOR SURVIVING THE CRISIS
The current crisis facing actors poses major challenges when it comes to personal wellbeing. While film and TV work is proving more buoyant, there is widespread concern among all performers about their profession. https://www.backstage.com/uk/magazine/article/uk-actors-self-care-advice-71889/
GRANT GUSTIN ON HIS MUSICAL THEATER TRAINING, AUDITION ANXIETIES + ‘THE FLASH’ SEASON 7
To just try to have less self-doubt and anxiety about everything that you throw yourself into, because it's so easy to doubt yourself and to let anxiety, especially for auditioning, take over. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/grant-gustin-the-flash-interview-71912/
BIZ STUDIO: ONLINE PROFESSIONAL FILM+TV ACTING CLASSES FOR KIDS+TEENS
Biz Studio has a seventeen-year track record of training young actors who work regularly in film and television.
Classes are like small-group personal training, and take a maximum of six students so that instructors can work with each actor to give them what they need. This is the place for young actors ready to take their work to the next level! http://www.bizstudio.ca/classes
ROGUES WEST ACTORS STUDIO
With studios in Vancouver and Calgary, the Rogues name is synonymous with the highest calibre of training and we have been training and mentoring actors for over 25 years. The online platform has proven to be a powerful and dynamic medium for developing relationship, character and creating complex human performances. Our next session of in-studio and online classes for Young Adults, Film, Meisner and Scene Work starts soon – email us for more info and book your intro meeting with Christiane
Hirt! rogueswest@gmail.com | www.rogueswest.ca
UPCOMING EVENTS
BLACK ARTISTS MATTER
October 20
Join artist Naomi Gracechild in an online conversation and call to action with Khari Wendell McClelland, Jason Bempong, Jacky A. Yenga and Krystal Paraboo, four Black arts leaders from Metro Vancouver, to explore commitments that organizations can make to become actively anti-racist. https://www.allianceforarts.com/black-artists-matter
WILLIAM F. WHITE COFFEE CHAT
October 20
For professional filmmakers, producers, directors, screenwriters, actors and everyone who wants to know more about the industry, #WIFTVCoffeeChats are often a great way to meet a variety of different people in the film and television community in Vancouver. Guest speaker: Lindsay Peters. https://www.womeninfilm.ca/cgi/page.cgi/_evtcal.html?evt=516
VANCOUVER HORROR SHOW FILM FESTIVAL
October 20 – 26
The 2020 lineup includes 42 short films and seven feature-length films. With more than half of the programming comprised of Canadian-made films, the international festival is showcasing diverse works from 13 different countries. https://www.vancouverhorrorshow.com/
TREMORS
October 28 – 31
Rumble is pleased to present the 2020 edition of Tremors, running online and out of our home base of PL1422, from Oct 28 to 31. This year’s festival switches gears from full-length plays to focus on eight new works in development from up-and-coming artists. https://rumble.org/upcoming-shows/tremors/
HEART OF THE CITY FESTIVAL
October 28 – November 8
The 2020 Festival features twelve days of online and pop-up outdoor events, including music, stories, poetry, ceremony, films, readings, forums, workshops, discussions, art talks, history talks and visual art exhibitions. http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com
VANCOUVER ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
October 31 - November 8
The VAFF 2020 lineup showcases 18 film programs of industry panels plus 46 feature-length and short films of all genres from the local and international Asian diaspora. http://vaff.org/
VANCOUVER SOUTH AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
November 1 – 12
VSAFF is proud to present features and documentaries that explore the culture, history and politics of South Africa – films that inspire, inform, and entertain. https://www.vsaff.org
PEEK FEST
November 1 – 22
Impulse Theatre’s Peek Fest offers an exciting new look at work-in-development from innovative creators and contributes to the development and growth of performing artists through residencies, showcases and workshops.
