New Projects - Emmys Analysis - TV in Transition - Broadway is Back! - GA Expansion

By Abigail Hardin, September 21, 2021

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Happy Fall, UTD!

I don't know about you, but it's finally starting to feel like Fall to me, as it should be given that tomorrow is the Fall Equinox 🍁. There is often this misconception that Labor Day is the herald of the busy Fall season, it just isn't the case. I find that it takes until the end of September for everyone to get on the same page and move full speed ahead. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot happening right now! Theatre auditions are back with a vengeance and Film & TV are barreling forward with most projects either in production or eyeing an October/November start. It seems as if the industry has found a clear way of moving forward in this post-pandemic world (at least for now).

To help you navigate this busy season, Annie & I are back offering free workshops! Join us next week for our online seminar BOOKING FILM / TV WORK AND MUST HAVE MARKETING TOOLS with Actors Connection. This is a great opportunity to learn how to use the Up-To-Date Actor to get ahead of the audition notice and take bold, well-informed, action. Click on the link for more information and to register.

Starting in October I will be hosting a monthly 1-hour Up-To-Date Actor tutorial with detailed information on how to get the most out of your subscription. Each session will be centered around a topic and will then have a general Q&A at the end where I will answer your specific questions about the Up-To-Date Actor. No active subscription is required.

In preparation, I want to know which topics/features you want to learn more about. Some suggestions:

How do I find projects I am right for? What do I do next? I received a notification for one of my targets, what do I do next?
Researching and starting an agent/manager campaign
How do I log my audition, meetings, and events? Why is record keeping important?

These are just a few suggestions of larger topics, please email info@uptodateactor.com and let me know what topics you would like covered. Again each session will start out with a smaller focus so that there is time in the hour for your specific questions. The first session will be Thursday, October 7th at 2 PM ET. The topic will be announced next week!

More events will be announced in the coming weeks. You can always find our upcoming workshop schedule on the Up-To-Date Actor. Hope you can join us!

Now, onto news!

Emmys

As I'm sure you know, the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards were this past Sunday. If you missed the whole thing here is a complete list of all of the winners.

Netflix took home the most wins by any streaming service or networks. Netflix's total 44 wins ties CBS' record in 1974. It’s ironic since the ceremony aired on CBS, which in the sad state of network affairs won nothing from its primetime show this evening. Only NBC, with SNL (which counting last weekend’s Creative Arts wins took eight Emmys overall) racking up another win for Variety Sketch Series, kept the Emmy broadcast from being a complete washout for the four broadcast networks who once exclusively ruled this roost.

Between Netflix & Apple's "crowning" British Invasions (THE CROWN 👑, TED LASSO ️⚽️) and newcomer HBO Max's terrific and upset wins for HACKS, it was a great night for streaming services. Amazon and Hulu, which had previously and repeatedly beaten out Netflix, did not have many takeaways. In fact, Season 4 of Amazon's HANDMAID'S TALE came out as the biggest loser. Winning 0 of 21 of its nominations. Ouch! Especially considering the showrunner's recently said the show might be ending.

And on the aforementioned British Invasion - more than half of the primetime awards were given to UK series & talent. 🇬🇧

Speaking of who was and was not awarded, not a single acting award was given to a Black, Asian, Latino, or actor from an underrepresented group at the Emmys (better known as the #EmmysSoWhite). This comes despite numerous nominations for I MAY DESTROY YOU, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, LOVECRAFT COUNTRY, and BLACK-ISH. Last year, four of the 12 main categories were won by Black actors.

On a positive note, women swept the comedy and drama directing awards. THE CROWN'S Jessica Hobbs won Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series and HACKS' Lucia Aniello Won Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series, respectively. This marks the first time women have swept both directing categories in the same year.

Still want more Emmys insight? Here is a great op-ed.

Television in Transition

In celebration of the Emmys, last week Variety released a five-part series examining the transformation of television. Take a look at each issue for in-depth industry analysis. Each one is on a different topic but be sure to look at numbers 1 and 3 For insights on changes to the Fall Season format as well as how COVID and globalization have changed casting.

Lights...Camera...Vax

SAG-AFTRA and the Joint Policy Committee of the advertising industry have agreed, for the first time, to allow commercial producers to mandate Covid vaccinations on commercial shoots and auditions. The new guidelines are an addendum to their existing Covid safety protocols and are similar to those already in place on film and TV productions. "We are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement on a policy that permits employers to require mandatory vaccinations for cast and crew on commercial productions," SAG-AFTRA told Deadline. "This policy is in addition to our current protocols on testing and set safety, all of which continue to help ensure the safety of our members on sets. Similar to other policies permitting producers to require mandatory vaccinations, performers must be notified at the earliest point in the process as well as notified about the procedure to trigger the interactive process if there is a request for a medical or religious accommodation."

Georgia on My Mind 🍑

UTA is expanding to Atlanta, billing its full-service presence in the burgeoning entertainment and sports market as a first for any major Hollywood agency. Atlanta has been expanding as a home for film and TV production, with a number of new soundstages coming online and potentates like Tyler Perry establishing a major footprint. A number of advertising agencies and digital firms have also set up shop along Peachtree Street. The Savannah College of Arts and Design, which puts on the well-regarded Savannah Film Festival about 250 miles east of Atlanta, also has an Atlanta campus, where it stages an annual TV festival.

Broadcaster Gray Television has acquired Third Rail Studios, a film and TV production facility in Georgia, from Integral Group for $27.5 million. The studio, built in 2016, is adjacent to and will now be integrated into a studio and community development Gray is building in Doraville, about 20 minutes from Atlanta. The project, called Assembly, is currently under construction at the former site of a General Motors assembly plant. Third Rail Studios' clients include Netflix and Apple and productions from OZARK, to RAMPAGE with Dwayne Johnson, MILE 22 with Mark Wahlberg, the Dolly Parton series, and THE BALLAD OF RICHARD JEWELL. Apple has leased a significant amount of space within Third Rail Studios to help fulfill its production needs.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

A new report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative— released to coincide with the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month—finds popular movies continue to marginalize Hispanics and Latinos. The investigation—co-authored by Ariana Case, Zoily Mercado, and Karla Hernandez —assessed leading and co-leading Hispanic and Latino actors and all speaking characters across 1,300 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2019, as well as their presence working behind the camera as directors, producers, and casting directors. It’s important to note: Hispanics/Latinos spend $1.7 trillion as consumers. They account for 25 percent of movie tickets sold. "Whether in leading roles or across all speaking characters, the absence of Hispanic and Latino actors and characters is noticeable. This community represents nearly 20% of the U.S. population and nearly half of Los Angeles residents and yet remains almost invisible onscreen," Case said in a statement.

On a positive note, last week The National Hispanic Media Coalition premiered its Latinx Stream Showcase to uplift and promote Latinx talent in the entertainment industry. The presentation showed 7 short films written, directed, acted, and produced by Latinx talent for an audience of industry executives, casting directors, producers, agents, managers, and audiences for consideration both above and below the line. The showcase can now be viewed online. Read more for details.

According to the latest “Boxed In” report from Dr. Martha Lauzen, More than half (52.2%) of the major characters on streaming programs shown during the 2020-21 season were played by women – an increase of seven percentage points from a year ago and a "recent historic high." The report also found that percentages of females in all speaking roles (45%) for both broadcast networks and streaming services have reached "recent historic highs," with the broadcast networks up from the previous high of 44% in the previous year, and streaming shows dead even with the percentage they achieved in 2018-19. Read more to see the full report.

The Women’s Weekend Film Challenge has selected eight emerging writers as fellows for its inaugural pilot accelerator program, which will feature three weeks of intensive training followed by the chance to pitch to studios, production companies, and executive producers. WWFC, founded by Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre in 2017 to promote gender equity behind the camera and on screen, is best know for its signature film challenge that has produced 30 short films with more than 700 female filmmakers, as well as running production workshops. The accelerator is designed to help emerging writers with completed scripts advance their careers as well as boost representation of women and non-binary people in TV.

Check out this article on the need for diversity and authenticity in Hollywood and how several producers are fighting for their seats at the table.

Tony Awards

The 74th annual Tony Awards are this Sunday, September 26. The celebration is being split into two parts. Audra McDonald will host the awards portion starting at 7 PM ET on Paramount+ and Leslie Odom Jr. will emcee a live concert event, Broadway's Back! airing at 9 PM ET on CBS, Paramount+, and the CBS app. This format received much criticism when it was announced several months ago. The Tony Awards have a history of poor viewership, falling to a record low of 5.4 million during the last televised broadcast in 2019. Many see CBS' move to streaming only (...who has Paramount+ anyway....? 🤷🏻‍♀️) as a bad indicator to the future of the award ceremony on network television.

Broadway is Back!

This past week Broadway fully opened! HAMILTON, WICKED, LION KING, and CHICAGO were just a few of the megawatt musicals to open their doors and welcome vaccinated audiences. The New York Times has extensive coverage of the openings along with hopes and concerns for remaining open and the economic impacts for the city at large.

Finishing the Hat 🎩

The wait is soon to be over - Sondheim announced last week that he has been working on a new musical with hopes for a 2022 Broadway or Off-Broadway debut! The musical titled SQUARE ONE is being written with playwright David Ives. 91-year old Sondheim also shared that a reading of the new musical took place last week (which is rumored to have featured Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters). Stay tuned for more info!