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New Projects Casting - Pilot Season Update - Production Returning - Arts & Politics

By Abigail Hardin, January 25, 2022

I'm going to keep it short and sweet this week. As we enter the last week of January, the casting portion of production has ramped into full gear and production is moving forward after the holiday break.

If you read one article from below, check out the section on Pilot Season. As we often talk about, pilot season structure has been shifting for some time, but this year is unlike any other. despite the ongoing demand for content, numbers are down largely due to many effects of covid, but there are many other factors at play. I highly encourage you to read this article in full.

We've got some big feature announcements coming in the next few weeks so stay tuned. In the meantime, make the most of this busy season — discover projects casting, build your list of targets, and check out our last workshop for tips on getting ahead of the casting notice!

Now, on to the news! Have a great week!

Production Returning

LA saw an unprecedented boom in production in the last three months of 2021, with FilmLA reporting that the region's Q4 filming stats set an all-time quarterly record with 10,780 shoot days over the time period. While the record-setting quarter led many to hedge their bets on even more prolific 2022 projections, the report noted that overall production for 2021 was still below totals for 2016-2018, and just barely edged out 2019 numbers. With Hollywood officially extending all COVID protocols until February 13th at least, totals for Q1 of 2022 seem to remain in limbo, but hey - production is back baby!

LA, NYC, and Atlanta might be hotspots for filming these days, but a new venture from Space 11 Corp is looking to set up shop with a soundstage - in space 🌌 Representatives from the company are in talks with Voyager Space company Nanoracks to construct the facility in the Earth's orbit, which is said to also include an audience space and sleeping arrangements. Studio heads believe the soundstage can be operational by 2027.... mark your calendars for an intergalactic trip to the theater now 🚀

Pilot Season Lows

Pilot season 2022 seems to be deflating right before our eyes, as fears of COVID shutdowns have dropped anticipated pilot numbers to be around 30-40 for the season. COVID isn't the only determining factor, the cycle had already begun to shift pre-pandemic.

"Some of the reduction is due to evolving broadcast models and shifting cycles (I hear some nets in December were already taking pitches for the 2022-23 development season), and some of it is because of the increased financial pressure declining linear ratings have put on pilot spending, even with networks' digital revenue on the rise."

Still, 30-40 pilots this season is a significant decline from the 70+ that the industry has seen in pre-pandemic years. "I don't think any network is going to do more than four pilots on either side of the ball," one industry professional said of top networks' reluctance to hedge their bets on new projects.

With less overall new content coming out for pilot season, it's such an important time to keep your eyes open on any new projects that you feel you would be a great fit for, and go after them right away! Find out what pilots are currently casting on the Up-To-Date Actor and discover tv series/pilots in development. If you fit the world of the project add it to your targets to be notified of any updates and changes to casting!

Award Season: Oscars Race Shaping Up, Artios Awards Moved Online

The list of films eligible for this year's Oscar race for Best Picture was officially unveiled by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week, dropping from 366 in 2021 to 276 features this year. The main reason for the drop was the shortened eligibility period, lasting only from March 1st to December 1st, 2021. Nominees will be announced by the Academy on February 8th. See if your favorite movies of the year made the cut! 🍿

The Casting Society of America's 37th Artios Awards has made the decision to go virtual once again this year amidst the spike in COVID cases over the last few months, hanging onto their March 17th date but moving online for "an intimate member virtual celebration." Film nominations are set to drop a week from today after TV nods went out in mid-November. Be sure to keep track of which casting directors have received nominations and awards this season - reaching out to congratulate them on their achievements is a great way to stay connected!

Tony Award voters will be required to take part in unconscious bias training ahead of casting their votes for this season and beyond, helmed by inclusion strategist and VP, Inclusion Strategy at Netflix Vernā Myers. Voters will participate in an 18-part video that outlines identifying their implicit and unconscious biases that may factor into which nominees they choose each year and methods to counteract and eliminate this behavior moving forward.

Political Updates: Arts Workers Lobby for Increased Funding in 2022

The arts community at large has been the subject of several high-profile hearings in the halls of Congress over the past week, as representatives from both the AFL-CIO and Be An #ArtsHero/Arts Workers United spoke to representatives in Washington to urge for increased funding for more long-term arts support programs.

Members from the AFL-CIO sent a letter to reps on the House and Senate appropriations committees asking for increased funding for the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, along with a bump to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as well. "The CARES Act and American Rescue Plan helped creative professionals get through the worst of the pandemic and allowed them to start to get back on stage and return to sets, but the reality is that industry employment remains below pre-pandemic levels," the letter said, which asked for funding in fiscal year 2022 to increase to $565 million for the CPB and $201 million for both the NEA and NEH each.

Artistic directors, actors, venue operators and more also spoke in front of the House Small Business Committee last week to describe the dire situation in funding for arts houses across the country, as the PPP loans, Save Our Stages and SVOG grants begin to run dry and Omicron keeps many venues closed. "The wounds the pandemic inflicted on the arts economy are deep and painful. If we want the industry to return to pre-COVID trends and continue to be an economic engine for local communities, these businesses need more support and investment," committee chair Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) said during the testimony, speaking to the important role that the arts economy has played in communities across the country. You can check out some of the testimony here 🎭

Some good news at the state level came through last week as well, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul releasing her proposed fiscal year 2023 budget that would extend the application period of the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit to June 2023, and increase the cap on the program from $100 million to $200 million. Some hope on the horizon for theatre in New York!

After an extensive investigation into last year's election of SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, the Department of Labor found that the protests rejecting the election's validity had no merit, informed each dissenter that they would receive "a statement of reasons setting forth the basis for this decision" in the weeks ahead. "I am working diligently to do them proud and make a difference for all our members whether they voted for me or not," Drescher said in a follow-up statement.

Streaming Wars Continue: Netflix Earnings Dip As Industry Mulls Virtual Future

Netflix debuted its rocky fourth-quarter earnings in a call with investors and analysts last week, noting that the company's revenue had dropped significantly during the last few months of 2021, stumping exes as to the specific culprit for the downturn. Wall Street quickly responded to the lackluster earnings call by modifying projected earnings and scrambling for answers as to how these numbers may ripple across fellow streaming companies. The announcement came on the same day companies like Disney and ViacomCBS saw their shares dive, testing the waters for already-wary investors about the stability of streaming as a whole.

On a positive note, Netflix also announced that it will be donating $1 million to the Southern African Development Community region through its Netflix Creative Equity Scholarship Fund, created in 2021 to present funds to media agencies around the world over the next five years. The scholarships for SADC will cover living expenses, tuition, and more for individuals studying film and TV at eligible institutions in 2022.

Actors on Acting

Some of my favorite stories to hit the newswire are interviews and panels with A-list actors talking about how they approach their craft, building relationships on their projects, and the interesting (and sometimes straight-up weird) places they pull inspiration from. In a lot of ways, it's a perfect reminder that the greats are just like us - who hasn't had some great inspiration hit on a crowded subway car or belting out notes in the shower! 😉

Penelope Cruz has worked with famed director Pedro Almodóvar on seven films, an impressive feat for any actor-director pair, and even more so considering the relationship spans nearly 30 years in the industry. Cruz said that Almodóvar was a "huge influence" on where her career ended up going, saying that it was because of the relationship and work ethic between the two that kept her focused and excited to come to work.

For Jennifer Garner, her approach to developing the intricate voice for Anna Delvey in the upcoming Netflix series INVENTING ANNA involved weeks of changing the way her tongue moved, to embody the complex blend of German, British, Russian and American that Delvey has become known for. So much work was done in such a small amount of time that Garner's husband said she started sleep-talking with the accent an actor prepares, at all times of the day and night!

Quick Bites

Good news, New Yorkers! You can finally go to the movies and enjoy some beer, wine, or cider along with your popcorn! 🍿 The New York State Liquor Authority will now allow venues to apply for licenses that would allow viewers to take drinks to their seats, an upgrade from the current system that requires theaters to have wait staff serving beverages to patrons in seats. Honestly, sounds like the perfect pregame plan before heading out on Pete Davidson and Colin Jost's new Staten Island Ferry club 🍻 UTD party in NYC this summer, anyone?

VIDEO: Meet TINA's Pint-Sized Powerhouse, Skye Dakota Turner

PBS has launched a new virtual series aimed at celebrating some of the best-known works and artists of the American musical theatre community. BROADWAY IN CONCERT will kick off with An Evening With Lerner and Loewe on Sunday, March 6th on PBS, featuring performances of iconic songs like "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "On The Street Where You Live" from artists like Jenn Colella and Aisha Jackson. More episodes for the concert series will be announced in the months ahead 🎙

After a nationwide search spanning several months, the Geva Theatre Center has found its new artistic director in Elizabeth Williamson, who will also serve as co-CEO with executive director Christopher Mannelli. Williamson, a veteran of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and the West End, will serve as Geva's first female artistic director beginning in June. Congrats Elizabeth!