New Projects - Politics & Tax Credits - Industry Intel - Actors on Acting
By Abigail Hardin, July 19, 2022
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Happy Tuesday, UTD!
I hope you are staying cool during this global heat wave! 🥵 With temperatures soaring all over the world, even film & TV productions have been impacted. Major studios have issued health and safety guidance for producers in Europe encouraging breaks, water, air conditioning, and describing the signs to look out for of heat stroke. So, stay cool and limit your time outside if possible.
While you're holed up inside, make the most of your indoor time and review your marketing materials, re-work your cover letters, or build a targeted list of projects in production you are right for.
We'll be discussing these things and more at our free workshop next week. Make sure to register in advance. We hope to see you there!
- July 27, 2022 @ 3:00 PM EST — COVER LETTERS AND FOLLOW UP NOTES TO AGENTS AND CASTING DIRECTORS: THE POWER IN YOUR WORDS with Actors Connection
Create a great week! ✌️
Production Updates: Studios Watching Abortion Bans
At a time when film incentives are once again under examination for the abortion policies being instituted in their respective states, many studios are closely watching production prospects in states with impending or newly implemented abortion bans. In particular, the nation's leading film hub, Georgia, is set to institute a 6-week abortion ban in the coming weeks, forcing many companies to set their sights on other venues for future projects. Take a look at the abortion ban status of every state with film incentives in the US.
One of the states making the most of its legislation status is New Mexico, which recently posted its most robust production numbers to date. The state's film and TV office put up an impressive $855.4 million in direct spending in the 2022 fiscal year, a 36% increase over FY 2021 and setting a new record for the state's production history. New Mexico Film Office director said, "With the success of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Stranger Things, Dark Winds, Outer Range, and many other shows and films, New Mexico has established itself as a place with one-of-a-kind locations, skilled crews, and film-friendly small businesses that can propel stories to the highest level."
Paradise Square Fallout
Representatives from Actors' Equity and United Scenic Artists Local 829 sued the producers of PARADISE SQUARE last week, seeking $350,000 in abandoned benefits and wages from the show's run, which abruptly ended last Sunday afternoon. Producers for the show will be required to pay the requested sum by December 1st, at which point the rights to the production will transfer from producer to scenic designer if the payment is not submitted in full.
Actors' Equity has also added producer Garth Drabinsky to its Do Not Work list, barring the Tony-winner from mounting any productions with Equity contracts moving forward. The move comes after a call from members of the production to single out Drabinsky for "a continued pattern of abuse and neglect that created an unsafe and toxic work environment."
Industry Intel
A new agreement between AMPTP and the major Hollywood unions has extended the previous COVID protocols on film and TV sets through September 30th. With the current rise in cases across the country, productions are currently erring on the side of caution in order to keep casts and crews safe, and the provisions agreed to in this extension should set the stage for masking and testing to remain an integral part of productions through the remainder of the summer.
EVERYTHING'S TRASH co-writers Jonathan Groff and Phoebe Robinson have extended their deals with ABC to continue building content for The Walt Disney Company in the years ahead. The agreement continues a three-year partnership for Robinson, and a 12-year partnership for Groff, who has been involved in projects like BLACK-ISH and HAPPY ENDINGS.
The TV Critics Association Summer Press Tour is a bit smaller this year, as Warner Bros Discovery, Showtime, and The CW each decided to bow out of the program, with no current replacement in the works from the TCA. Showtime execs cited timing reasons for giving up their slot, while CW insiders pointed to logistics keeping them out of the first TCA press tour since 2020. After being hounded by technical issues during the virtual TCA's in 2021, organizers are hoping for a strong rebound in this year's program.
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Emmys 2022: SUCCESSION, TED LASSO, WHITE LOTUS Lead Award Fields
The TV Academy announced the nominees for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards this past week, kicking off the fall award season with dozens of hopeful candidates seeking the top prize in TV primetime programming. SUCCESSION blew the field open with a whopping 25 nominations, with TED LASSO and WHITE LOTUS following close behind at 20 a piece. The announcement was not without its snubs and surprises, as BLACK-ISH and THIS IS US received no love in the top performance categories entering their final seasons. The ceremony is set to broadcast on September 12th on NBC and Peacock.
Broadway also received a strong showing in this year's Emmys nomination pool this year, with Tony winner Steve Martin receiving a nod for his work in ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, while Andrew Garfield made the most of his screentime in Hulu's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN. Get you some actors that can do both 🎭📺
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Korean performing arts will hit the spotlight in this year's The Business of Broadway program, as the group collaborates with government org Korea Arts Management Service to expand the theatre model in the Korean creative community. The partnership will offer networking events and courses aimed at connecting performers with the community in the years ahead.
The Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival will once again hit Theatre Row this fall, giving a new group of seven TNB2S+ creators the chance to showcase their work and build up their community. The festival will operate as a free reading format, ensuring that all audience members have equal access to view the works in the festival. Congrats to all of this year's playwrights!
Actors on Acting: Dominique Fishback, Daniel Kaluuya & More
More behind-the-scenes takes from actors this week sharing their advice and experiences on getting to where they are today. Who do you identify with out of this week's group?
We've been so proud to watch our friend Dominique Fishback's meteoric rise over the last few years, starting from her breakout performance in the 2018 Sundance film NIGHT COMES ON and continuing on through the Oscar buzz for her work in JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH and her current role opposite Samuel L. Jackson in THE LAST DAYS OF PTOLEMY GRAY. Take some time to listen to her chat with Deadline in its SCENE 2 SEEN podcast about trusting her instincts in her work, and where she pulls inspiration for her performances.
Fishback's JUDAS co-star Daniel Kaluuya recently spoke about his disillusionment with acting in the months before booking GET OUT in 2018, saying that he had stopped acting for over a year before landing the part in Jordan Peele's first major film. Peele was quick to praise Kaluuya's work: "[W]hen you have a script that's good, and you get an actor like this, who has done work but has untapped potential and an untapped trust put into him — you get something special."
BLACK BIRD star Paul Walter Hauser spoke candidly about his struggles with sobriety after working on the show, and the difficulty he encountered in leaving his character behind once the cameras stopped rolling. "I'm grateful to be on the other side of it. And I have what matters the most, my wife and my son, and I have a piece of art that I'm pretty proud of," Hauser told IndieWire.
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Quick Bites: Gremlins vs. Baby Yoda, BARBIE Movie Intel, Theatre on Jeopardy
- BARBIE Ryan Gosling Says Ken Is 'Broke' and 'Has No Job'
- 'Gremlins' Creator Slams Baby Yoda: 'Shamelessly' Stolen and Copied
- Weed and Movies Mix at LA's Cannabis & Movies Club, Artist Tree
- The Final Jeopardy Category Is...Musical Theatre