New Projects - Year End Sale - Omicron: Cancellations & Mandates - Production & Streaming - Awards Season
By Abigail Hardin, December 21, 2021
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First off, let me start by saying I hope you and your family are healthy and safe during the recent rise in COVID cases. Like every sector, the entertainment industry has not been untouched by Omicron's new reign. Theatres across the country are canceling performances or, in some cases, closing the show altogether. Even some Film & TV production have entered their holiday pause earlier than planned due to the rise of breakthrough cases.
Those in charge of each sector are doing everything possible to avoid shutdowns. I am hopeful that the industry will still be moving forward in the new year. But look for more and more vaccine & booster mandates. Read below for more details about how major NYC theatre institutions (I.e. The Public and The Met) are already mandating greater precautions. While mandates are no fun and can be quite controversial, two things are certain - no one wants business to shut down again and we all want to be healthy and safe.
Enjoy the next two weeks. Spend time (virtually or in person) with family and loved ones. Take care of yourself. Rest up. I hope more than anything you experience a little peace this Holiday Season.
From all of us here at Up-To-Date Actor, thank you for being a part of our growing family. We wish you a Happy Holiday and a Fantastic New Year! â„ï¸ðŸ’«
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar! We have two workshops scheduled in January to help you set goals and take action in 2022!
I highly encourage you to attend our Taxes workshop. We only offer this workshop early in the year and I'm telling you....taxes should not be a source of frustration. Learn how to set up your career as a business to legitimately take advantage of the numerous deductions available to performing artists.
Awards Season
Globes Fading, TV Academy Revising Catagory Requirements
Another week, another award season round-up as we edge closer and closer to the days of Critics Choice, SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and Oscar buzz. It's an odd year for sure - NBC has dropped its broadcast of the 2022 Globes, though the HFPA still announced their nominations early this month and many around Hollywood weren't exactly busting down the door to announce their excitement of any nominations. Some argue that the Globes always stood as an outlier anyways - nominees and victors from the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Awards always seemed to step more in line with the eventual Oscar winners, and this year may just be the year that focus truly shifts to other ceremonies.
It's no doubt that we're in a content renaissance of sorts, with more production being undertaken than ever before, and more shows and films being released than anyone can seem to keep up with. One booming area of production this year seems to have been the indie film market, where COVID protocols seemed to step right in line with the smaller teams typically associated with Indie projects. The Film Independent Spirit Awards released their nominees this past week, drawing attention to some of the most highly anticipated indie projects of the year. The organization also released nods for indie TV shows for the second year in a row, drawing interest and ire from industry critics who believe the group should be doing more to delineate how their film and TV nominees are chosen. Check out the full list here!
In a big move ahead of its 74th award show, the Television Academy has eliminated the time requirement for comedies and dramas, in an effort to focus more on the content itself rather than pigeonholing a particular show based on run-time alone. The Academy also enacted a "no double Oscar-Emmy dipping" missive, saying that a project can't be eligible for Emmy consideration if it is placed on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences viewing platform.
The Television Academy is considering the future of its Interactive Peer Media Group, which serves as a review group to bridge the gap between traditional and digital media for the awards body. The original intention of the group was to represent "members who have an impact on interactive television programs that enable the audience to view and participate, alter, interact, and immerse in the program," though in recent years the advent of rapidly changing technology has made some call into question the group's viability. In an October letter from heads of the peer group to Academy governors, members shared their urgency for reformatting the group's purpose, arguing that they still had a purpose in the digital age.
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Production & Streaming Updates
The Saudi Film Commission is the latest group to throw out an impressive film rebate program in an effort to attract more productions to the country. Offering a 40% cash rebate on qualified spending for any local or international projects, the country's offering is among the highest in the world, being extended to feature films and documentaries in the years ahead.
Lionsgate Studios is set to open the doors for its latest production location in Yonkers, NY, a massive 100,000+ square foot studio that will be one of the largest of its kind in the Northeast. The company has already landed a contract with Starz' RUN THE WORLD to begin production in early 2022 and will open up its other soundstages to interested companies and educational institutions, as well as potential international production groups.
NBCUniversal is retooling its theatrical release window once again, leaning on the benefit of its positioning with streaming service Peacock to make most Universal titles available within 45 days of their releases in movie theaters. The DOWNTON ABBEY film DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA, THE 355, and more will be among the first round of movies to test out the streaming window, with execs hoping that the duel release schedule will further entice viewers to take full advantage of their Peacock subscriptions.
WarnerMedia and Discovery are eyeing up their own updated streaming release windows, assuming the merger between the two media giants goes through next year. Execs for the two firms still regard theatrical releases as "the top of the funnel" for HBO Max and Discovery+, hoping to become a worthy opponent to Netflix by breaking the 200 million subscribers threshold in 2022. "Our job is to grow the right side of the company — the streaming business, the motion picture business, and the TV production business — faster than the traditional business declines," Discovery CEO David Zaslav said.
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New York Theatre: Omicron Spikes
Cancellations, Testing, and Booster Mandates
As COVID numbers continue to rise around the country and particularly in NYC, many are wondering how the industry's already strict COVID protocols will continue to evolve as several shows announced cancellations over the last several days. The Broadway League has already said that they are not considering a full-fledged shutdown - League President Charlotte St. Martin reinforced the efficacy of the Leagues testing and tracing measures over the weekend: "I'm sorry that four shows have to go down, but I'm also proud that we have 28 shows performing."
Keeping shows open during this newest surge in cases is a moving target. The League has set up BwayToday.com, which will catalog which shows are still performing on a given day, as well as any special holiday schedules in the weeks ahead. The Rockettes have already canceled their remaining performances for the year, and The Public Theater officially began requiring a negative COVID test in addition to proof of vaccination through January 30th, 2022. All staff, performers, and audience members of the Metropolitan Opera will be required to receive their booster shots by January 17th, 2022. Needless to say, there's a lot to keep track of these days! So if you're planning a holiday visit to a show in New York this week, be sure to stay up-to-date with the latest protocols, and check out a running list of show cancellations and postponements here.
Not all hope is lost for the world of New York theatre, however. NYC & Company announced a new program aimed at welcoming visitors to the city through mid-February by offering discounted hotel rooms, 2-for-1 tickets for Broadway and other entertainment venues, prix-fixe menus at restaurants across the city, and more. Families looking to visit the city can check out the Met's newest iteration of CINDERELLA, a 90-minute pared-down of Massenet's take on the children's classic, written in English with the hopes of getting children interested in opera. And those interested in exploring the long history of Irish arts in NYC should check out the newly opened Irish Arts Center, a $60 million endeavor years in the making that will soon play host to dozens of lectures, shows, and other Irish-centered programming.
Industry Intel
Multi-award nominee Michael Sheen has announced that he will operate as a "not-for-profit actor" moving forward, pledging to donate most of his earnings to social causes. "I'm at the stage of my life and career where I have a window of opportunity that will probably never be this good again," Sheen said. "I'm able to get people in a room, I can open doors. I don't want to look back and think, I could have done something with that platform. I could have done something with that money."
Actors Connection is giving us the gift of casting director feedback this week with a list of adjustments they've heard CDs give during their classes. It's always a great time to tune into industry advice!
Congress is once again reviving the Creative Rights Caucus, a joint effort between congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) and Republican co-chair Drew Ferguson (R-GA) aimed at spreading advocacy and awareness for arts workers. "I helped to found the CRC because I wanted more of my Congressional colleagues to understand that the creative industries aren't just movie stars and high powered producers, but that these are a core part of our economy," Chu said in a statement. "The creative industries are a vital part of the economy all across the country, from California to Georgia... I look forward to collaborating together to protect the rights of creators and help showcase their important work to our colleagues in Congress."
We lost so many TV greats throughout 2021 - check out a full recap from TVLine 💜
With dozens of Broadway shows triumphantly reopening in the last few months, Playbill chatted with a handful of performers to get their perspective on how they felt when the curtain finally went up once again. "It was like meeting an old, familiar friend. Your senses are overloaded with lights, fog, and the roar of a 1,000+ people, but then you remember this is exactly where you're supposed to be, and this is exactly when you were meant to open," Anne Uzele of SIX wrote, after having just missed their opening night at the start of the pandemic.
Are you a musical theatre writer looking to get your newest work noticed? The National Alliance for Musical Theatre is once again opening up submissions for its Festival of New Musicals, slated to be held in October 2022. Past shows from the festival include ORDINARY DAYS, COME FROM AWAY, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, and THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Applications close January 10th!
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
After an in-depth evaluation from diversity consultant ReadySet over the past year, the Television Academy has announced plans to establish a DEI task force to further consider the group's findings and develop strategy to continue moving forward with its recommendations and best-practices. The initial findings from ReadySet revealed a lack of transparency and representation among historically underrepresented groups within the organization, which will serve as one of the main pillars for the group's workflow in the months ahead.
A new initiative from Janet Yang Productions and Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment will spotlight AAPI and non-binary filmmakers next year. The Short Film Challenge will select four winners to receive production grants of $15,000 to develop their work, and all submissions must include an AAPI female or non-binary character in the lead role. The winners will also receive networking opportunities from Janet Yang, as well as the chance to send in their work to other producers and platforms. Applications are open now through January 26th!
Circle of Confusion's Writers Discovery Fellowship is entering its second year, offering a new batch of up-and-coming diverse filmmakers the chance to have their projects analyzed and developed by folks in the industry. Interested applicants must submit a long-form pilot draft, which they will then develop with a given mentor. The first four months of the program will feature working sessions to develop a new pilot, which will then be ready to submit by the end of the six months. "The team at Circle of Confusion is so grateful for the talent and engagement of our inaugural class, and we are looking forward to continuing our success into the coming years," partner Lawrence Mattis said.
The 2022 iteration of TEDxBroadway will feature a new crop of young professionals hoping to make their mark on the Broadway community. Members of the Young Professionals Program will be on-hand to share their experiences and insights as up-and-coming voices on Broadway and to offer their opinions on shaping the future of the industry. Applications are open now through January 7th!
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