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New Projects Casting - Actor Insider Tips: LA Edition - Talent Managers 101 - South East Production

By Abigail Hardin, May 02, 2022

Happy May, UTD!

I hope your week is off and running! Over the past month we've been building out another aspect of our resources section - a UTDA Blog! Here you will be able to find in-depth information on some of our most asked questions. This past month we took a deep look at Talent Managers. Look for new articles in the coming weeks on Talent Agents and Casting Directors as well.

If you have a question or topic you would love for us to explore, please email info@uptodateactor.com and let us know!

Create a great week! ✌️

Actor Insider Tips: LA Edition

We at The Up-To-Date Actor are thrilled to team up with Actors Connection and Ted Brunetti Studios to present Actor Insider Tips: LA Edition, a free Zoom panel where top-level industry experts provide practical guidance for actors looking to build their careers in the Los Angeles market. (Live on Sunday, May 15 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET)

Featured panelist Jamie Castro (acclaimed casting director for SCANDAL, GREY'S ANATOMY, STATION 19, INVENTING ANNA) will be joined by agent Elmer Blanco (Avalon Artists Agency), producer Ashley-Lauren Elrod, and award-winning writer, entertainment journalist, and publicist Steven Shehori.

Actors attending the live virtual event will receive constructive, hands-on industry tips and advice from the veteran panelists, whose topics of discussion will include "Gaining Visibility in Your Chosen Market" and "Strengthening Individuality in Your Career." The panel will conclude with a Q&A. Find out more info and register today!

• May 15, 2022 @ 5:00 PM ET — ACTOR INSIDER TIPS: LA EDITION with Actors Connection

Off-Broadway Accolades - Lucielle Lortel Awards

The Lucille Lortel Awards crowned its winners on Sunday evening, showcasing some of the most anticipated Off-Broadway shows to hit the stage over the past year. KIMBERLY AKIMBO took home the prize for Outstanding Musical, while ENGLISH took home Outstanding Play, both produced by Atlantic Theater Company, with Roundabout Theatre Company co-producing ENGLISH with ATC. Check out the full list of winners here 🏆

South East Report: Pay In-Equality & Growth

A fiery exchange took place on Twitter last month between Atlanta-based casting director Tara Feldstein and actress Bethany Anne Lind about the working conditions that many actors face when attempting to negotiate deals with studios, which led to an all-out sparring match between Feldstein and other members of the Atlanta acting community. Lind's original point - that mega-studios like Disney - do very little to fairly compensate actors for working on what typically become multi-million dollar profit machines like the Marvel franchise, choosing instead to pay actors the minimum day rate to be on set, and closing the door on any potential negotiations. Feldstein replied to Lind's tweet, saying "$132/hr + free food to sit around most of the day seems like a good day to me," and the race was on, with many actors feeling the comment was out-of-touch and did not advocate for their artistry to be fairly compensated. Feldstein's business partner Chase Paris later posted an apology on Twitter, but the exchange certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of many actors in the Southeast.

While many think of Georgia when discussing production destinations in the Southern US, Kentucky is looking to make a name for itself as an attractive alternative for productions looking for new areas to shoot outside of NYC and LA. An updated tax incentive program earlier this year that offers productions refundable credits is being seen as the first step in coaxing big-name projects to the Bluegrass State, and local industry players couldn't be more excited. "I believe this industry is definitely untapped in its potential for Kentucky and many of our young people who aspire to work in the industry have been moving to other states to work in it," State Senator Mike Wilson said. "Now they have the opportunity to work in their home state pursuing their careers."

One company looking to capitalize on the expansion of Kentucky's production landscape is Wrigley Media Group, which recently announced its latest endeavor to convert an old multiplex in Lexington into a state-of-the-art studio space by next year. The 52,000 square foot plot would become the largest studio in the state, becoming what Wrigley exes are hoping will be the premier shooting space for productions looking to take advantage of Kentucky's newfound tax incentive program.

Cable VS Streaming

In a surprising move, Warner Bros. Discovery announced last week that it would be closing down development for all scripted series on TNT and TBS, two die-hard cable stations that at one time boasted some of the highest numbers of scripted content available. The studio was mum on detail, but the move is an intriguing paradigm shift in the ever-changing cable vs. streaming landscape. What and who is next? 👀

Netflix has gained another ally in its quest to crack down on password sharing amongst its users - Charter CEO Tom Rutledge told analysts on a recent earnings call that addressing the issue is "a point [they've] been trying to make for years," relishing in the ability to say "I told you so," now that Netflix has begun workshopping a more hardline stance in policy. "It's a problem for everybody in the industry because all of that content that's used without anybody paying for it affects the supply and demand of all content, not just the provider that's selling the content, which diminishes the value of content for everybody," Rutledge said.

Movie theater giant Cinepolis' CEO Alejandro Ramírez Magaña has not been shy about the company's strong position it's found itself in this year, emerging from the pandemic lockdown with more locations than it had under its belt in 2019, and eyeing more acquisitions in the months ahead. Magaña credits a few factors for the chain's continued success, most notably its commitment to diversifying the content it hosts across its theaters, as well as relying on relationships with streamers, rather than running from them. "Some studios are coming to the conclusion that a theatrical release helps them down the line in their own streaming platform," he said. "We started conversations over the pandemic also with other non-Hollywood studios and streamers like Netflix; they're analyzing their options."

New COVID Protocols TBA

The major unions in Hollywood elected to extend the current COVID protocols on sets last week, setting up the prospect of a follow-up meeting with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers to revisit and potentially revise the current protocols in the months ahead. The current guidelines established the operating requirements for casts and crews in regards to masking and testing policies on set, and are now scheduled to expire on October 31st unless a new set of protocols is instituted.

Actors on Acting

Viola Davis has shared an intimate look at her life and career in her new memoir "Finding Me", breaking down the early days of her acting, and the obstacles she had to overcome to land the iconic roles she has since become known for. Davis spoke candidly about her time at Juilliard, saying that the "objective" of the program was to "make your Blackness disappear," and her first experiences in Hollywood being marred by casting directors believing she was "not classically beautiful" enough to star as a romantic lead. Take some time to read Viola's stories in "Finding Me"; they're a great reminder of resilience and handling adversity in the industry, from one of the most gifted actresses of our time.

Andrew Garfield recently shared that he would be taking a step back from acting, after a bustling year that included appearing in SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, and his incredible performance in TICK, TICK... BOOM. In short, it sounds like Garfield just wants to... be a normal person for a bit? "It feels very important right now, especially after a lot of output, a lot of being out in the world, and giving a lot of energy to things that I'm very passionate about, but I have to kind of refill the well so that I can authentically carry on..." Self-care king Andrew for the win 👑

An interesting sharing of creative power has been taking place on the upcoming HBO series THE IDOL, starring Lily Rose Depp and The Weeknd, who is also serving as producer and co-creator. The show is currently going through its latest round of edits and reshoots, as director Amy Seimetz exited the project after overseeing the first four episodes. While the official position of HBO has been that The Weeknd wanted to go in a "new creative direction" after seeing Seimetz's work on the first few episodes, the change of hands has sparked an interesting debate over who truly calls the shots behind the scenes: the director, the producer or the name talent bringing in the fans?

To Do in NYC

Planning to be in NYC this weekend? Classic Stage Company is partnering with the Union Square Barnes & Noble to host a release party for the new cast recording of ASSASSINS this Friday at 7 PM. Tony-nominee Judy Kuhn, along with director John Doyle, orchestrator Greg Jarrett and other members of the cast will be on-hand for a Q&A with the audience and sign copies of the album. Grab your tickets now 🎟