Screen Actors Guild Approves Merger with AFTRA

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Dante Alexander

 

Friday, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) agreed to set plan to merge with the American Federation of Television, Radio, and Artists, ALF-CIO (AFTRA). The package reviewed prescribes the general layout of an agreement structuring the membership requirements, financial outlay, dues and attributive responsibilities of the union successor.

The National Board of Directors voted 87.1% in favor of the merger, at the SAG James Cagney Board Room in Los Angeles, California Guild headquarters. The combining of the AFTRA and SAG organizations, if approved will effect in a G1, “Group for One Union” designation. AFTRA’s National Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on the package after review Saturday.

AFTRA’s umbrella of actors, performers in media and broadcast have queued with television hire with industry and SAG’s actors traditionally with features and television obligatorily. If a tentative merger is agreed upon by both organizations, notification by referendum is scheduled for receipt by members of each organization for ratification.

The Screen Actors Guild will honour is best in profession with an Awards presentation this weekend. If SAG and AFTRA organization approve the package for G1 terms, the name proposed for the new union will be SAG-AFTRA.

The January 27, 2011 SAG completed resolution:

“It was moved and seconded that the National Board of Directors, on the recommendation of the Merger Task Force, approves the proposed Merger Agreement between Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and further approves the proposed SAG-AFTRA Constitution. The National Board directs that the proposed Constitution and Merger Agreement be submitted for membership approval by mailed ballot referendum, in cooperation with AFTRA. The referendum materials and ballot shall be mailed on or about February 27, 2012, with a ballot return and tabulation deadline of March 30, 2012.”

The Screen Actors Guild Awards® airs January 29th, 2012; live on TBS and TNT broadcast networks, 8 p.m. EDT, 5 p.m. PDT.

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AMPAS Inaugurates Electronic Voting with 2013 OSCARS

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Dante Alexander

Vote tally by Internet voting process extends to the golden statue OSCAR® in 2013 –The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences inaugurated its transition from balloting to casting votes online with request for member Internet mails and an overwhelming core response. 83% of the Academy’s members replied with return cards in favour of the change after an extensive query by AMPAS to collaborate with an electron admin powerhouse – with strengths in information and security systems, technology, and election balloting transparency.

The Academy’s entrance in the electronic age continues trek at a pace marginal to other co’s, guilds, and film collectives with standardizing an electronic balloting process; it’s development of a complete electronic balloting platform for its 85th Awards the Academy plans to debut by next year.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has agreed to partner with Everyone Counts, and its accounting tier PwC to complete the transition.

The AMPAS officiated its segue into the electronic voting process with press release January.

 

“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has entered into an agreement with Everyone Counts Inc. to exclusively develop an electronic voting system for the 85th Academy Awards®, to be held in 2013.

Everyone Counts will work with PwC, the Academy’s accounting firm of record, whose role in tabulating Academy members’ votes will remain unchanged. Over the next year, the Academy will undertake a rigorous security and user-acceptance testing process.

‘This is the first of many steps that we’ll be taking toward developing a secure and convenient electronic voting system, beginning with next year’s ballot,’ said Academy Chief Operating Officer Ric Robertson. ‘We’re excited to have found great partners in the people who do this best.’

The selection of Everyone Counts is the result of an 18-month search conducted by the Academy. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in election administration and computer security and its voting platform is a global leader in the election industry. Built into its technology and processes are multiple layers of security that include military-grade encryption techniques. The company’s other clients include the United States Department of Defense; the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice; the state of New South Wales, Australia; and the states of Oregon, Florida, and Washington.

‘We are honored to have earned the trust of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in bringing online voting to the Oscars starting next year,’ said Lori Steele, Chairman and CEO of Everyone Counts Inc. ‘Our Company was founded to set a new standard of security, accessibility, and transparency in elections. We’re proud to be working with the Academy, an organization that also represents the highest standards in its field.’

‘We look forward to working with Everyone Counts for next year’s 85th Academy Awards and beyond,” said Brad Oltmanns, balloting leader, PwC. “We are excited about the new electronic voting system, which will enable us to conduct the tabulation process with the same high level of precision, trust and integrity that we have for the past 78 years.’”

 

An advance in voting connectivity between Academy members and an electronic tally process may accelerate the tract the Academy Awards® follows en route to an earlier Awards’ yearly broadcast.

2012, the 84th Academy Awards®, hosted by Billy Crystal, airs live in Hollywood, California, and broadcasts live worldwide February 26.

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Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Announces 2012 Best Picture Nominees

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Dante Alexander

 

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced its Best Picture nominees for this season’s Academy Awards®.  Tuesday, January 24 only 9 pictures were cleared for the annual cinematic award blitz readying for broadcast this upcoming month.

The year’s nominations opined the Academy’s inaugural ruling instilling a 5 to 10 pictures nominees’ list ordinate in first rank by voted choice; the selections complemented by feature interest and entertainment throe.

Previous AMPAS tally of 10 features to make the grade two 2 years ago, from 5 films to pass industry muster 5 years earlier; the Academy has redefined its broadening of theatrical spectrum.

The AMPAS’ choice to expand feature categories previously to 10 allowed for genres including the action film opportunity to make headway for the Oscars® bid.

This Awards season Hollywood sects laud the year’s features in current selection— amidst below the line sentiment expressing query why less product-packaged films without industry influence should not pierce the Awards veil with equanimity.

AMPAS president Tom Sherak commended, “Remember, we knew way back when we started doing 10 movie nominations for three years that there was a group that felt it should be less than 10, that it should be five again. But this way the Academy members told us what it should be. We didn’t tell them. I think that’s a great thing, and I’m really proud of the Academy for us coming up with that and the board going along with it. The members gave us nine movies, not the Academy, and I think that’s a good thing for us.”

Academy prexy Tom Sherak aligned veteran Oscars® host Billy Crystal and producer Brian Grazer to continue the year’s Awards and program after original seat Brett Ratner’s departure.

While the 83rd edition of the Academy Awards saw predictable wins and less viewer attention, Oscars® show co-producer Don Mischer said he is enthusiastic about the Awards season’s newest contenders.

“When we got to the nine nominated films this morning, the first thing that popped to my mind was we’re gonna have a very electric audience. I think when we go on the air there’s gonna be some uncertainty about who is gonna win. One of the worst things that can happen to us is by the time we get to Oscar® time after a long run of awards shows that there is no horse race and everyone knows who is going to win in major categories,” Mischer expressed. “That makes it harder for us as producers to create an interesting show, but I think it is not gonna be that way this year… The fact is until this morning the gun had not sounded. So we are now in the race, and we have four weeks to pull it all together. This is when the fun starts.”

Features passing the grade for the Oscars® running in queue, including 2 U.S.-French collaborative efforts, The Artist and Midnight in Paris for Best Picture:

February 26, 2012 the Oscars® airs on ABC network, live; tune in to the debut episode of Oscar Dailies at Oscar.com from Oscar Insider.

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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Says Oscars to Stay in Hollywood

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Dante Alexander

 

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences continues prep for the 84th televised airing of the Academy Awards – vituperative candor part of scoff – with word the AMPAS may exercise its option to set the Oscars® at the AEG Nokia Theatre in place of its current home, the Kodak Theatre.

New helm at the AMPAS and Dawn Hudson in seat over executive director Bruce Davidson’s retire and departure led to review of current Academy practices and business precepts in 2011; part of the assessment the locale where the future Oscars® will reside.

The AMPAS notified CIM group, the co. owning rights to the Kodak Theatre it may use its option in contract to seek new location for the yearly Awards.  The right to use the option may brim not only from the APMAS’ contract clause allowing change of site after ten years – subjective view from Kodak company’s financial strata and its cooperative selling licensing to strengthen its cash reserves may also include affect.

The board of governors of the Academy has stated, “this is purely a business decision.

“The bottom line is we are going to look at other places and listen to all offers.  We may ultimately decide to stay where we are if we can renegotiate a better lease.  Don’t forget, things have happened there,” the reference to Kodak and the surrounding rumors of the company’s financial change October last year.

Tom Sherak AMPAS prexy included, “personally, I love the Kodak.

“I’ll say that until I’m blue in the face. I’ve been there since the very beginning.  But in the next year the Kodak and others will come to us and the board will make a decision at some point.”

THR opined December 31, 2011 neither the Academy governor nor the AMPAS felt assured with the changes amidst Kodak.   While Kodak continues transitioning from imaging into the digital age, the company arranged agreement to host its brand on the current Hollywood & Highland corner in Hollywood, California for $75M, spread across 20 years, in $4 million payments annually.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ option to negotiate new terms reflects question whether the CIM Group will select to resell naming rights to the current theatre and how the selectivity may strengthen the Oscars® as a renowned brand.

Adding to rumour was the Academy’s less than supportive words to THR for reporting any change in locale was prevalent.    Wednesday, January 11 the Academy issued statement THR’s tacts were “erroneous” and denied any rumour, sans demand of retraction, the AMPAS is in discussions to relocate the Academy Awards to the 7,100-seat AEG Nokia Theatre.

”The Academy has not begun any negotiations for the Oscar telecast beyond 2013,” the AMPAS said.

Part of the potential clouding with change of location includes wording and clause in additional contract.  If the Academy selects to relocate to the Nokia Theatre, the host arena for the Primetime Emmys®, the Emmys® TV Academy may exercise its own rights to leave for a new televised site.

The Academy held its first seat at the Kodak Theatre in 2002.   The very first Academy Awards showcased at Roosevelt Hotel, across from the present Hollywood & Highland site in 1929.   Since then the event has presented at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the RKO Pantages Theater in Hollywood, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, and the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Televised since 1953, the 84th Academy Awards celebrates the finest in cinema February 26, 2012 7:00 EDT, 4:00 PDT on ABC.

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Oscars 2012 “Off The Grid” – First Trailer

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Dante Alexander

 

Just weeks before the Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences – has released its first send-up of the Oscars® in a trailer.

The return of veteran host Billy Crystal, mild punch-lines, and Megan Fox relegated perhaps less-than-thrill around Tinseltown Friday – and greater peer chagrin – the trailer will project to over 2,000 theatre screens this weekend.

“Off the Grid,” a collaborative with sketch-makers Funny Or Die, the A.M.P.A.S trailer features Josh Duhamel, Vinnie Jones, William Fichtner, and comedian Robin Williams for Academy Awards® 2012 affect.

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Art Directors Guild Announces Nominees

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Dante Alexander

 

February, the Art Directors Guild presents its Lifetime Achievement Award to Emmy Award® winning Production Designer Tony Walton and will induct Production Designers legends Robert Boyle, William Darling, and Alfred Junge into the ADG Hall of Fame.

The Art Directors Guild Cinematic Imagery Award the ADG will present to the principals of the Harry Potter theatrical franchise: Producers David Barron and David Heyman; Director David Yates; Production Designer Stuart Craig; Screenwriter Steve Kloves; Art Director Neil Lamont; Set Decorator Stephenie McMillan; and author J.K. Rowling.

Monday, the Art Directors Guild announced its noms in Production Design in features, television, commercials, and music videos for the win at the Art Directors Guild Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards.  Council prexy Thomas A. Walsh and Awards co-producers Greg Grande and Tom Wilke queued the ADG nine categories in competition; comedienne Paula Poundstone will host.  Online voting for the nominees continues to February 2nd.

Art Directors Guild nominees competing:

Nominees for Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film in 2011:

Period Film

THE ARTIST Production Designer: Laurence Bennett

HUGO Production Designer: Dante Ferretti

THE HELP Production Designer: Mark Ricker

ANONYMOUS Production Designer: Sebastian Krawinkel

TINKER TAYLOR SOLDIER SPY Production Designer: Maria Djurkovic

 

Fantasy Film

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY

HALLOWS PART 2 Production Designer: Stuart Craig

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE

FIRST AVENGER Production Designer: Rick Heinrichs

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN:

THE SECRET UNICORN Production Designer: TBD

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:

ON STRANGER TIDES Production Designer: John Myhre

COWBOYS & ALIENS Production Designer: Scott Chambliss

 

Contemporary Film

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt

THE DESCENDANTS Production Designer: Jane Anne Stewart

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE Production Designer: K.K. Barrett

DRIVE Production Designer: Beth Mickle

BRIDESMAIDS Production Designer: Jefferson Sage

 

Nominees for Excellence in Production Design in Television for 2010:

One-Hour Single Camera Television Series

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

Episode: 21 Production Designer: Bill Groom

 

GAME OF THRONES

Episode: A Golden Crown Production Designer: Gemma Jackson

 

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

Episode: Murder House Production Designer: Mark Worthington

 

THE PLAYBOY CLUB

Episode: The Scarlet Bunny Production Designer: Scott P. Murphy

 

PAN AM

Episode: Pilot Production Designer: Bob Shaw

 

Television Movie or Mini-Series:

MILDRED PIERCE Production Designer: Mark Friedberg

CINEMA VERITE Production Designer: Patti Podesta

TOO BIG TO FAIL Production Designer: Bob Shaw

THE HOUR Production Designer: Eve Stewart

BLING RING Production Designer: Robb Wilson King

 

Episode of a Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series:

MODERN FAMILY

Episode: Express Christmas Production Designer: Richard Berg

 

30 ROCK

Episode: Double-Edged Sword Production Designer: Keith Ian Raywood

Teresa Mastropierro

 

WEEDS

Episode: Game-Played Production Designer: Joseph P. Lucky

 

CALIFORNICATION

Episode: Monkey Business Production Designer: Michael Wylie

 

NEW GIRL

Episode: Pilot Production Designer: Jefferson D. Sage

Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety, or Unscripted Series

 

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Episode: Host Justin Timberlake, Production Designer: Keith Ian Raywood, Eugene

And Musical Guest – Lady Gaga Lee, Leo Yoshimura,

N. Joseph De Tullio

 

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Episode: Ducky Tie Production Designer: Stephan Olson

 

2 BROKE GIRLS

Episode: And The Rich Peoples Production Designer: Glenda Rovello

Problems

 

AMERICAN IDOL

Episode: Top 12 Boys Perform Production Designer: James Yarnell

 

DANCING WITH THE STARS

Episode: Round One Production Designer: James Yarnell

Awards, Music, or Game Shows

 

83rd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS Production Designer: Steve Bass

68th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES Production Designer: Brian Stonestreet

2011 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS Production Designer: Florian Wieder

63rd ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS Production Designer: Steve Bass

IT’S WORTH WHAT? Best Buds Production Designer: John Ivo Gilles

 

Nominees for Excellence in Production Design for Commercials and Music Videos for 2011:

ACTIVISION: CALL OF DUTY

Episode: Modern Warfare 3 Production Designer: Neil Spisak

 

VICTORIA’S SECRET

Episode: Red Production Designer: Jeffrey Beecroft

 

AUDI A8

Episode: The Art of Progress Production Designer: Marcos Lutyens

 

CHEVY VOLT

Episode: Discovery Production Designer: Jeremy Reed

 

JIM BEAM

Episode: Parallels Production Designer: Christopher Glass

The 16th ADG Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards draws its finest onto proscenium February 4, 2012 at the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills.

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Los Angeles Location Filming Up 2011

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Dante Alexander

 

Commercial production continues favorably in Los Angeles, local shooting increasing to 4.4% and a massive quant of 7, 739 days – separate from the derisive constriction in production from its television counterpart, primetime.

Productions in California rose with the powerhouse slating of The Dark Knight Rises filmed in L.A. matched with subsequent lensing locally; including production of Savages by director Oliver Stone belaying the routine slough in fourth-quarter shooting days – a 26.4% dip.

FilmL.A., location permit coordinator, released queue on-location production in Los Angeles: production rose 4.2% over the past year due to the successful wraps of theatrical and commercial schedules; however TV dipped to 10.6% in the fourth-quarter with 10 less hourly dramas completing.

New York City continues to proffer higher incentive for filming and production.  New York’s strong production draw – it expanded and extended its state Film Production Tax Credit Program tallying 23 primetime series attracting 10 seasonal pilot shootings, 8 picked for a series’ run.  CW’s Ringer and NBC’s Prime Suspect began NYC production, resetting in L.A., and later cancelled.

Pilots in production increased 6.1% over the year, reality TV rose 1%.  Sitcoms dropped 12.8% and nighttime dramas tapered to 11.5%.

The California Film and Television Tax Credit Program afforded productions to seek greater filming opportunities – New York, Louisiana and other United States have bettered their tax and credit breaks to court production-slates.

The goal of any incentive remains to halt runaway production; Unions roll back rates with productions made outside of Los Angeles to previous numbers; the affect to draw subsequent productions locally.

 

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The Dark Knight Rises – Summer 2012

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Dante Alexander

 

“Sorry to spoil things, boys, but Bane needs these guys himself,” Selina Kyle, Gotham socialite says in the pathos-rife action vehicle, The Dark Knight Rises.  Kyle, played by actress Anne Hathaway, recapitulates between civic-minded do-good and villainy as the nefarious alter, Catwoman.  Director Christopher Nolan depicts a grittier city Gotham into a stark anti-paradise with big-bads, and peril afoul.

In the darker Gotham Catwoman maintains her serrated-edge stiletto heels with accoutrement of futuristic goggles, retractable into feline-like ears – she’s beautiful and perfect, resembling a mix of sugar, spice and not so everything, nice.

Hathaway discovered inspiration for the updated Kyle from 1930’s actress, Hedy Lamarr.  ”I know this sounds odd, but her breathing is extraordinary,” this year’s 2011 Oscars ® co-host said.  “She takes these long, deep, languid breaths and exhales slowly.  There’s a shot of her in Ecstasy exhaling a cigarette and I took probably five breaths during her one exhale.  So I started working on my breathing a lot.”

After her Oscar ® host debut, Hathaway chose a foray into portrayal of a Gothamite. “What’s come before doesn’t limit or even affect this new version,” she says about the Bob Kane – DC Comics Bruce Wayne cosmos.  “It doesn’t affect me because each Catwoman – and this is true in the comics as well – she is defined by the context of the Gotham City created around her.  Catwoman is so influenced by Gotham and whoever is creating Gotham at the time.  Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman was informed by Tim Burton’s Gotham and Eartha Kitt was informed by Adam West’s Gotham.  You have to live in whatever the reality of the world is and whatever Gotham is.”

The moodier, near hedonistic aplomb presented in Nolan’s picturing proffers Christian Bale as the altruistic and super-conflicted hero in waiting Wayne/Batman.  Tom Hardy as Bane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, and Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose, as Miranda Tate round out the international cast in the conclusion of the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, in theatres and in IMAX July 20, 2012.

 

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ASC 26th Achievement Awards

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Dante Alexander

 

2011, the American Society of Cinematographers, the ASC, announced its nomination list revision in television and the forthcoming ASC Achievement Awards.

Held annually, the ASC heralds the finest in cinematic vision; this year categories in television will be lauded including one-hour episodic television; movie and miniseries; and a third addition one half-hour episodic series and/or pilot.

“This competition is designed to celebrate the achievements of our peers who contribute to telling compelling stories,” says Michael Goi, ASC prexy, ”under tremendous time and budget pressures.”

Jonathan Freeman led with win at this 2011’s American Society of Cinematographers’ 25th ASC Awards.  The ASC claimed top elects in episodic competition for HBOs “Boardwalk Empire” and Freeman’s “Home” episode and with Stephen Windon in the ASC movie/miniseries category win with “The Pacific,” and “Okinawa” HBO drama.

“The evolution of households that have home theaters with large, high-definition television screens makes artful cinematography more important than ever,” ASC Awards Committee Chairman Richard Crudo, ASC connotes.

Nominees for the absolute in outstanding cinematic genre and categories:

One-hour Episodic Television Series/Pilot category:

David Franco – HBO, Boardwalk Empire, “To the Lost”

Jonathan Freeman – ASC, Boardwalk Empire, “21”

David Katznelson – DFF, BSC, PBS – Downtown Abbey (Pilot)

John Lindley – ASC, ABC – Pan Am (Pilot)

David Stockton – ASC, NBC – Chase, “Narco, Part 2”

 

Television Movie/Miniseries category:

Ed Lachman – ASC, HBO – Mildred Pierce

Kevin Moss – Showtime, Chicago Overcoat

David Moxness – CSC, ReelzChannel – The Kennedys, “Moral Issues and Inner Turmoil”

Martin Ruhe – PBS, Page Eight

Wojciech Szepel – PBS, Any Human Heart, “Episode 2”

 

The third half-hour Episodic Series or Pilot category added 2011:

James Bagdonas – ASC, ABC – Modern Family, “Bixby’s Back”

Michael Balfry – CSC, The Hub – R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, “Brush with Madness”

Vanja Cernjul, – HFC, HBO – Bored to Death, “Forget the Herring”

Levie Isaacks ­– ASC, ABC – Man Up, “Acceptance”

Michael Weaver – ASC, Showtime – Californication ,“Suicide Solution”

The American Society of Cinematographers ASC Achievement Awards competition presents its top honours February 12 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland, Hollywood, CA.

 

 

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Top U.S. Filming and Production Locations – P3

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Dante Alexander

 

Production, post production and filming location treks release truncated list and domestic and international tally with queue.  Wednesday, Hollywood’s other inside, P3, released its descript of the best performing states in America adept at reconnoitering feature complementary feature completion – the alignment mildly suggestive to which attractive quality is industry preferred, tax incentive-rich or sans production cost-effective in segue.

P3, now in its 25th year of industry and brand unifying preproduction, production, and post production, reinscribes its current States’ sects.

P3 Top 10 States in Production

1. Louisiana

2. Illinois

3. Florida

4. Georgia

5. California

6. Connecticut

7. New York

8. Utah

9. New Mexico

10. Michigan

 

P3 Top 10 Filming Locations in the ‘Universe’

1. California

2. Connecticut

3. Georgia

4. Louisiana

5. Massachusetts

6. New York

7. North Carolina

8. Canada

9. New Zealand

10. United Kingdom

P3 observes the latest technological advancements maintained and applied within features, television, live/broadcasting, commercials, documentaries, educational, industrial, and music video in preproduction, production and postproduction.

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