New Projects - Reopening - Renewals, Cancelations & UpFronts - Tax Credits & Relocation

By Sean Gregory, May 18, 2021

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I hope everyone has been loving this amazing stretch of weather we've been having here across the states; it's taken everything in me to not spend most of my days in a bathing suit on my roof acting like its the middle of July and getting my tan on... one thing at a time I suppose. Been a long winter and I'm ready for some real summer sun 😎

The industry continues to boom this week, particularly in the theatre world where the continued decrease in COVID capacity and mask guidelines is allowing for more theaters to eye reopening productions in the months ahead. It seems like we're getting news of reopening dates for Broadway shows every day here the past week; I remain equal parts excited and hopeful that when the curtains go up once again in Midtown, the activism that we've been seeing and demands for change within the Broadway community that have been called for will not have fallen on deaf ears, and that we really do see a new side to our industry, both in front of and behind the curtain. Keep the faith!

Peace & Love ✌️

COVID Reopening

It's safe to say most people were caught off-guard last week when the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people could resume most indoor and outdoor activities without wearing a mask. There was a sort of vague, unceremonious nature to it; after 14+ months of diligently strapping on and adjusting (and re-adjusting), I guess it's just now.... over? I'm not going to pretend to know much about the intricacies of epidemiology, but I'm still planning to mask up around the town here for a while longer. Call it extra precautions, or a general distrust I have for people after the last year... Who can say 🤷‍♂️

The industry was undoubtedly surprised by the development, though it did not come without its caveats. The official word from the CDC did note that masks can still be required on an individual basis "by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, including local business and workplace guidance." All shoots in CA will still operate on the previously-established COVID practices for masks and social distancing, at least until the Cal/OSHA board meets on Thursday to discuss any potential revisions. While the industry reaction has been a mixed bag at best, many feel the CDC's latest move portends a positive outlook for the months ahead. "It means the U.S. is on a positive pathway and that our economy is likely to come back soon," SMPTE Executive Director Barbara Lange shared. "Still, we need to take appropriate measures to ensure ongoing health and safety by continuing to promote vaccination as the quickest way to a normal state."

Broadway is bursting to get back, with about half of the shows announcing returning dates and ticket sales teeing back up. Is your favorite show back in business yet? Check the list here!

The past 15 months have given theatre companies plenty of time to experiment with how to bring theater to audiences anywhere other than inside an actual theater. And the effects of these findings may prove to be a long-term benefit for everyone. Outdoor venues and site-specific productions, long thought as a novelty and one-off trial runs for theaters, are now at a premium, and many companies remain interested to see how viable these models are to maintain in an annual season. "We've all been so closed up in our spaces so to just have something that’s not only communal but outdoors in pleasant weather, it's just so much hope," Saheem Ali, who will be directing the Public Theater's outdoor production of MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, told Playbill.

The return to live theater is a complex thing in the months ahead. We're nearly a year out from the We See You, White American Theater letter that sent ripples across the industry and forced every theatre company in the country to hold up the mirror and reassess their practices, policies, and motivations in the face of the systemic racism that was just as much a part of the American theatre as any other institution in the US.

Some performers have vowed to not return to the stage until they see real change from their companies. Others have brought groups together to discuss how to approach producers and managers about the changes they want to see in their productions. One thing is clear: The "new normal" that we are heading toward cannot be a facsimile of the one we left behind, no matter how many "statements of intent" and "pledges for change" are made. True change is made with action.

"We have watched you exploit us, shame us, diminish us, and exclude us. We see you," the WAT letter wrote. Gone are the days when performative activism and shallow inclusive hiring practices are just enough to "check the box," and I hope beyond hopes that they are gone for good. What's the point of reopening our theaters, from Broadway to the smallest community play, if we're not giving everyone the same chance and telling everyone's story, in an art form meant to be the champion of truthful storytelling? Now is the time to make good on all of these high-flying promises of "real change." If it's not inclusive, if it's not authentic, if it's not equitable and safe, then I don't want it.

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Renewals and Cancelations and UpFronts, Oh My!

As sure as the sun rises and sets, spring in TV land means the perpetual chopping block for shows old and new, and this year, albeit with a few minor COVID alterations, is no exception. Many studios have already cut or confirmed many of their upcoming shows for the year ahead, with some leaning more heavily on stalwart favorites while Canadian networks look to nail down new hits in the wake of series finales from SCHITT'S CREEK and KIM'S CONVENIENCE STORE. and it's possible that there is some change on the horizon with regard to how networks will regard the traditional 52-week schedule.

"Rather than competing each year with other networks for the best directors, best actors and best writing staff all in the same small window, we’re now going to be able to take the time to make the best show, period," NBC exec Susan Rovner said of the studios looming pivot to more sporadic, mid-season models moving forward. More adventurous than most, The CW is looking to add programming to the typically-avoided Saturday evening time slot, announcing plans to play with two hours of primetime blocks on Saturday nights for the first time in its 15 year run. Craziness!

As my old speech and debate coach used to say: Why do we care, Sean? (things I ask myself when obsessing over anything remotely ridiculous these days) Traditionally, pilot season was the precursor to up-fronts in April and May, meaning actors would run around in winter and early spring on four hours of sleep high on caffeine and low on self-worth hoping to book the same part as the 600 other actors auditioning for the same 11 roles. But! These days, as streamers break the mold and more and more networks are ordering mid-season pick-ups, the days of the traditional pilot/upfront seasons may be reaching their end, spreading out auditions across the year and (hopefully) taking off some of the immense pressure that used to crop up each winter. If only there was a website that kept track of all the new projects and who's casting them and when they're picked up and start shooting so we can all stay u p - t o - d a t e ... (too much coffee this morning, sorry not sorry ☕️)

Filming Relocating to California, or..... Space?

California governor Gavin Newsom announced a new $30 million tax credit that will be made available to film and TV production companies shooting in the Golden State. Capitalizing on an opportunity to skim business that may be looking to relocate from Georgia following the passage of the intensely restrictive voter laws in the state earlier this year, the one-time cash injection would help satiate the rapid increase in filming in the state as COVID numbers continue to remain low and vaccinations increase. "This is an opportunity for those productions, TV, and others, in places like Georgia, whose values don’t necessarily align with the production crews to consider coming back to the state of California," Newsom said in a statement.

Move over Tom Cruise, the Russians are coming! The race to creating the first movie shot in space got more interesting last week as the country's space agency confirmed that the two actors set to star in the space-bound CHALLENGE have undergone a host of testing processes to confirm their eligibility to film out among the stars, with flight training to begin by June before shooting later this year. Not much has been heard recently from the Tom Cruise-Elon Musk space venture that's set to film several action sequences onboard the International Space Station, but the pressure is on 🚀

Sundance to Maintain Hybrid Model in 2022

In a new vote of confidence for the dual online and in-person film festival model, Sundance has announced plans to keep the hybrid model for its January 2022 festival in Utah. "It's a grand experiment," Sundance director Tabitha Jackson remarked, hinting that the future of this and other festivals may continue to shape up in a virtual and live setting. And with good reason - many attendees at this year's event praised the snappiness of the online streaming platform adopted by Sundance, SXSW, NYFF, and TIFF, which never experienced any crashes or hacks and proved to be a welcomed reprieve to the often crowded and tightly scheduled in-person events.

Sundance Institute also announced the selections for its inaugural Episodic Lab, which provided 21 fellows the chance to workshop their new works to a panel of creative advisors and either reach a completely draft stage or develop them into a package to sell to networks and streamers 🎬

The Big Screen is Back

The major movie theater players in the US are teaming up for a celebratory return to the cinema event scheduled for tomorrow at the AMC Century City in Los Angeles. "The Big Screen is Back," a continuation of the initiative originally launched in April is the latest push from the National Association of Theatre Owners, the Motion Picture Association, and various studios to welcome viewers back to movie houses across the country. "There is a lot to be excited about and much for audiences to look forward to this summer," the event committee said in a statement. Get me some popcorn and a cup of soda as big as my face and drop me in the AMC on 34th Street, I'm ready to be back 🥤🍿

Studios don't seem as convinced. Disney is playing close to the vest on their theatrical release strategies for the coming year, choosing a sit-and-wait strategy to see how upcoming titles like CRUELLA, BLACK WIDOW, and SHANG-CHI fair in the box office before committing to a more expansive release package for its films in 2022. With subscription numbers for Disney+ coming in at a lower rate than what was previously anticipated for the first part of 2021, it seems like the House of Mouse is hedging their bets on a potential combo plate of short theatrical release windows plus straight-to-streaming premier access to keep viewership and revenues high.

Then there's the question of how Disney views the concept of showrunners in the abstract. Given the meteoric rise of the Marvel franchise in the last 15 years, it's no surprise that Disney is continuing to churn out content that all stems from the MCU, but the way in which they're going about has been raising a few eyebrows. As Deadline put it, "the studio is making its TV shows as if they were roughly six-hour movies," effectively eliminating the need for showrunners and instead is installing head writers that all still operate on the same ship crewed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, rather than maintaining complete creative control bestowed to showrunners under the normal model. Many writers across film and TV have expressed their concern about the Marvel model bleeding out into other studios in the years to come, potentially endangering the autonomy of the showrunner in the face of desired full studio control.

HFPA Fallout Continues

The much-maligned Hollywood Foreign Press Administration received a new round of blow-back last week as NBC announced that it would be dropping the 2022 Golden Globe Award Show from its network, stemming from continued condemnation of the organization's alarming lack of diversity on its board. And the reckoning extends beyond just the HFPA's dearth of representation in its ranks: journalists are now beginning to step out into the spotlight and recognize the complacency in the industry at large for enabling the HFPA's well-documented practices to continue unchecked. "The guiding principle of our industry has been winning awards at all costs, and it’s careened off the rails," longtime publicist Amanda Lunberg noted. "If we care about decency, inclusion, ethical behavior, and fiduciary responsibility, we must hold each other accountable to these and other tenets for any of it to be respected."

In an industry where time waits for no man, the Golden Globes' loss is now being eyed as the Emmys' potential gain. With the TV award show typically scheduled in the fall, half a year away on either side from nearly all of the major award shows that typically take place in winter and early spring, an adjustment in the show's schedule would drop the ceremony right in the middle of the excitement of award season, potentially leading to an overall increase in viewership for the various shows and a bump in ratings for the TV academy. IndieWire writes: "Making difficult decisions that may or may not have financial repercussions but are nonetheless the right thing to do happen so rarely in Hollywood, as in the world beyond, and other institutions should see this as a chance to be bold when everything inside them is yelling to stay the course."

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

"Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers." A scathing new report from Anita Hill's Hollywood Commission released last week delved into the seedy gray area of harassment and bullying among execs and their assistants in the industry, the latest in a tidal wave of accusations against leadership in entertainment this year. In the survey of nearly 10,000 industry workers, assistants were found to be two to three times more likely to experience bullying, and for women, who made up nearly 3/4 of the assistants surveyed, their rates of abuse were an additional two to three times higher than their male counterparts.

Broadway Advocacy Coalition is set to celebrate their inaugural class of Artivism Fellows with a four-night festival that will coincide with the launch of a new site dedicated to showcasing the Fellows' works. The Fellowship Hall, kicking off this Thursday, will feature free programming from members of BAC as well as performances from the individual Fellows, which you can sign up for via their website!

Advance Gender Equity in the Arts will sponsor 35 partnerships for BIPOC women and non-binary emerging theater artists of color through their IGNITE initiative, which will seek to pair their artists with BIPOC women and nonbinary leaders in the theatre community. The session will run through mid-summer and feature one-on-one sessions between the artists and leaders to discuss their career goals and establish mentorship opportunities for the up-and-coming artists looking to make the jump into the industry.

Advice & Submissions

We're always preaching it - just because you don't have an agent doesn't mean you can't be your own advocate and submit yourself on projects you know that you're perfect for! Colleen at Actors Connection is here to help dispel the myth: Now is the perfect time to submit yourself for projects, create and curate your own content, and keep pushing to get yourself in front of casting folks. And of course, The Up-To-Date Actor is the perfect companion to get you all the info you need to make it all happen 🤩

Looking for some new training opportunities? It's all about what you want and how you want to go about getting it. Check out these tips and kickstart your next acting journey! 🎭

JOB LISTING: Dancing Camera, a Denver-based video production company, is seeking a remote part-time Project Coordinator based out of NYC. Strong communication skills, managing workflow, responding to and coordinating client requests, invoicing and follow-up scheduling along with knowledge of Slack, Asana, Dropbox, Google Docs, and past project management experience are all required. A love of film, dance, and the arts is a plus! If interested, please send an email with your resume, cover letter detailing project management experience/involvement with the arts, and two professional references (name + phone numbers) to info@dancingcamera.com.

SUBMISSION: Are you a playwright looking to get your work noticed? The Yale Drama Series is now accepting submissions for its 2022 playwriting competition! The winner will receive a staged reading/virtual presentation, their work published in the Yale University Press, and the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000 💰

Quick Bites

AT&T's WarnerMedia will merge with Discovery to create a new "premier, standalone global entertainment company" that will focus on developing new content and bolstering the already existing slate of programs that will now fall under the company's umbrella, including HBO Max and the newly-launched Discovery+. The deal is expected to close in mid-2022, with the new name and structure to be announced in the coming months.

We all have our own audition lows and highs and... more lows. But we're certainly not alone. Apparently Seth Rogan and Jason Segel auditioned for 8 MILE together back in the early 2000s and had to rap together as each other's scene partners? I mean that's a movie I would watch on its own. Strange that neither of them got the part...

Looking to start in on a new series for the summer? Deadline has tee'd up its newest lineup of Contenders Television for 2021, an annual showcase of current frontrunners for TV award season. Check them out! 📺

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