Monday, February 23, 2009

March 2009 Filming in Louisiana

This is the lastest for filming in Louisiana for March 2009 and there are more to come.

The Expendables is in Pre-Production in New Orleans theexpendablesmovie@gmail.com

Leonie is in pre-production in New Orleans leoniemovie@gmail.com

Jonah Hex is in Pre-Production in New Orleans jonahhexnola@gmail.com

Punishment is in Pre-Production in New Orleans punishment@rocketmail.com

Dead of Night is in Pre-Production in New Olreans deadofnightcrewresumes@gmail.com

My Last Goodbye Pre-Production in Lafayette wxartinc@gmail.com

Drill Deep Filming in Shreveport g.kallenberg@gmail.com

Treme filming New Orleans blowndeadlineprod@gmail.com

Sinners and Saints filming New Orleans info@mostwantedfilms.com

The Imagination Movers Filming in New Orleans imaginationmovers1@earthlink.net

True Blood Filming Baton Rouge this time truebloodbr@gmail.com

The Chameleon Filming Baton Rouge (225) 610-1670 no headshots

The Wrong Side of the Tracks Part I Filming Baton Rouge info@filmsinmotion.com

Video Girl Filming Baton Rouge info@mostwantedfilms.com

Cool Dog Filming in Shreveport cooldogproductions@gmail.com

Jaws of the Mississippi jobs@bulletfilms.net

Medusa Filming in Lafayette jobs@bulletfilms.net

Wolf Filming in Lafayette jobs@bulletfilms.net

SAG, AMPTP may need Mediation

Talks at bitter standstill after guild rejection of 'final offer'
By Jay A. Fernandez



With TV-theatrical contract negotiations between SAG and the AMPTP at a bitter standstill, both sides may be looking for a third party to pass out the olive branches. Perhaps the CAA topper will -- as he did to forward labor peace during the WGA strike last year -- once again bring powerful parties together to coax an extra dose of compromise from the players in the room.

After three full days of bargaining, the AMPTP on Thursday delivered to SAG its "last, best and final offer," which was summarily rejected by the union's board two days later by a vote of 73% to 27%. The new contract offer included a few gives on the producers' side and an acceptance by SAG negotiators of a deal more in line with the one ratified by AFTRA, the WGA and the DGA last year.

But "like Lucy pulling the football away," as one SAG board member put it, the AMPTP altered one crucial demand.

The fatal sticking point, made explicit by the SAG board, is the proposed end date of the new agreement. The AMPTP is insisting on a full three-year window that starts upon SAG's ratification of the contract. That would place its expiration date sometime in spring 2012 or later.

SAG wants the new deal to expire June 30, 2011, which would bring it in line with the end dates of the WGA, DGA and AFTRA contracts up in May and June and amplify the collective bargaining power of all the unions as a result.

The previous contract expired June 30, 2008.

Positive outside influence on the talks could take several forms. SAG leadership could communicate with studio execs outside of the AMPTP negotiating sessions. A relatively neutral outside party like Lovett could intervene (a federal mediator failed to broker a resolution in November).

SAG's sister guilds could be inspired to weigh in more heavily, as SAG did for the WGA during its negotiations and 100-day walkout.

Or high-profile SAG A-listers who came out publicly last year against a strike authorization, such as George Clooney or Tom Hanks, could put pressure on friends in the studio ranks to push their offer into a shape that the SAG board could approve.

It's unknown whether anyone has proactively been invited to step in thus far. SAG president Alan Rosenberg and former chief negotiator Doug Allen claimed to have engaged in such behind-the-scenes talks during the stalemate last year.

The back-channel diplomacy tactic, however, implies a split in the conglom community over the wisdom of pushing a hard line on the end date. Those who rely more heavily on feature product could be persuaded to push a more generous offer back across the table, since feature production is slowly grinding to a stop.

Should any of these circumstances persuade the studios to revert to the June 30, 2011, expiration date, approval by the SAG board would be all but assured.

Meanwhile, negotiations for a new commercials contract between SAG and AFTRA, bargaining jointly, and the JPC, negotiating for the ad industry, launched Monday in New York. The first two weeks of discussions scheduled to hammer out that agreement, which is nearly two-thirds the value of the TV-theatrical deal, provide a convenient window for the back-channel negotiations to have a chance to gain some momentum.

But added complications could arise if the commercials contract discussions don't go any better than have the TV-theatrical talks. In that scenario, a strike authorization vote could be in play for one or the other, but unlikely both, of the negotiations.

Beyond that, any actual walkout would first require substantial fence-mending within the guild to foster the kind of determined solidarity necessary to push back hard enough to force changes in the deal offer. Though union members -- hardliners and moderates, alike -- are now pretty much unified in their disgust for the current offer, internal rifts over what step to take next remain hot to the touch.

The Hollywood division of SAG has a board meeting scheduled for March 9, and there is a full plenary on the books for April. But should anything budge on the TV-theatrical front, an emergency confab could presumably be enacted quickly.

California Budget Includes Tax Relief for Film, TV Shoots





Incentives long sought by the entertainment industry should help keep productions at home.
By Richard Verrier
February 20, 2009

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former movie actor, has been trying for years to get tax credits to keep California's signature industry at home.

He got his wish early Thursday when the Legislature approved tax credits for film and television productions as part of an economic stimulus provision of the new state budget.

The credits -- capped at $500 million over five years -- are modest compared with those offered by other states.


Still, the announcement was welcome news to many in Hollywood who were skeptical that the Legislature would help the entertainment industry given the enormousness of the task of plugging the state's $42-billion budget gap.

"We applaud the passage of this incentive, which will help make California competitive and not only save jobs that are being lost but generate much-needed revenue for the state," said a joint statement from Hollywood's actors and directors unions and the Motion Picture Assn. of America, which have been lobbying for the credits for a decade.

Previous attempts by Schwarzenegger to secure such credits have been torpedoed by lawmakers who viewed them as a handout to Hollywood. But those arguments weakened amid mounting evidence that other states were poaching jobs from Southern California.

More than 30 states now offer tax credits and rebates to lure production crews to their locales. New York, New Mexico, Louisiana and Michigan have seen a surge in production and jobs since implementing incentive programs, contributing to historic lows in L.A. shoots.

"So much has disappeared, anything we bring back will be a boon," said Paul Audley, president of FilmL.A., which processes filming permits.

The tipping point came last summer when ABC moved production of its sitcom "Ugly Betty" to New York from Los Angeles, creating an uproar among hundreds of crew members.

Attracting such shows back is the primary aim of the new incentives, which offer a 25% tax credit for TV series that relocate to California. Low-budget independent films with budgets of $1 million to $10 million will also be eligible.

Producers of new films and TV shows can claim a 20% credit that they can use to offset their income and sales tax liabilities. However, the deduction can be applied only to so-called below-the-line costs such as crew members' wages and not to the salaries of actors, writers or directors. The credit would exclude movies that cost more than $75 million.

The program caps annual funding at $100 million, a relative drop in the bucket considering the average cost of a studio movie is about $70 million.

By comparison, New Mexico offers a 25% rebate on production costs and does not have a cap. Neither does Michigan, where filmmakers get up to 42 cents back for each dollar they spend on filming.

"It's hard to understand how [California's tax credits are] going to be competitive with states that actually have incentives where the credits are much higher," said attorney Peter Dekom, who helped craft New Mexico's rebate program.

Jean Prewitt, chief executive of the Independent Film and Television Alliance, also questions how effective the program would be, but added: "This is the first time the California Legislature has recognized what an important economic driver film production is, so in that sense it's important."

Supporters said the tax credits, however, were a step toward more comprehensive incentives and would have an immediate effect. Culver Studios Chief Executive James Cella, who worked on the proposal, estimated that the credits would shave up to 13% off the budget of a $2.5-million TV series. "That's enough to make us competitive," he said.

richard.verrier@latimes.com

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Feburary 2009 filming in Louisiana.

This is the lastest for filming in Louisiana for Feburary 2009 and there are more to come.

The Expendables is in Pre-Production in New Orleans info coming soon.

Jonah Hex is in Pre-Production in New Orleans jonahhexnola@gmail.com

Dead of Night is in Pre-Production in New Olreans info coming soon.

My Last Goodbye Pre-Production in Lafayette wxartinc@gmail.com

Drill Deep Filming in Shreveport g.kallenberg@gmail.com

Treme filming New Orleans blowndeadlineprod@gmail.com

Sinners and Saints filming New Orleans info@mostwantedfilms.com

The Imagination Movers Filming in New Orleans imaginationmovers1@earthlink.net

True Blood Filming Baton Rouge this time truebloodbr@gmail.com

The Chameleon Filming Baton Rouge (225) 610-1670 no headshots

The Wrong Side of the Tracks Part I Filming Baton Rouge info@filmsinmotion.com

Video Girl Filming Baton Rouge info@mostwantedfilms.com

Cool Dog Filming in Shreveport cooldogproductions@gmail.com

Youth in Revolt Filming has wrapped

Jaws of the Mississippi jobs@bulletfilms.net

Medusa Filming in Lafayette jobs@bulletfilms.net

Wolf Filming in Lafayette jobs@bulletfilms.net

Sunday, February 8, 2009

HBO and Others Jump on the LA Bandwagon


By Joshua Davidson

Fresh off of a record setting year in which Louisiana saw its highest movie payout to date with Brad Pitt’s, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the state has a promising year ahead in 2009.

Louisiana’s tax incentives are continuing to entice new film ventures to the state with new projects set to film in the coming months around the region including sites around Baton Rouge.

Since the Louisiana Film incentive and Tax Credit Program began in 2002, the state has shown numbers second only to California, thus earning the nickname “Hollywood South.” Currently, the program gives producers a 25 percent tax credit on shooting films in Louisiana as well as an additional 10 percent credit on all payroll used on Louisiana residents in connection with the production.

HBO is currently in the Baton Rouge area working on pre-production efforts for the second season of its hit series, True Blood, starring Anna Paquin. Filming is slated to begin in February. Along with True Blood, HBO is also set to start filming the pilot for a new series, titled Treme, starting March 9, and is still casting roles that call for all ages, ethnicities and types.

The tax incentives have encouraged producers to take a second look at the many historic locations in Louisiana including swamps, plantations and, of course, the famous French Quarter. One producer was especially eager to take advantage of the locations surrounding a Louisiana swamp for the filming of the upcoming bayou thriller, Beard’s Creek.

“The tax incentives in Louisiana are great,” said Beard Creek producer, Ilan Arboleda. “The great locations are an added bonus. It makes choosing Louisiana a no-brainer when it comes to choosing a place to film.”

The movies aren’t the only player finding financial success in Louisiana. The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that major studios bring about $225,000 per day to their shooting locations, which in turn, can become very lucrative to all parties involved in the project both directly and indirectly.

Some notable stars set to make appearances in Louisiana films this year include Val Kilmer, Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent, Sharon Stone, Megan Good and John Cena, among others.

“I’m excited to see so many opportunities in movies here,” says university student Jessica Holman. “I’m trying to get a job on the crew with an upcoming independent movie called, ‘The Chameleon,’ here in Baton Rouge.”

The window for these endeavors could be closing up quick with roughly 40 other states offering similar incentives and subsidies that Louisiana offers according to the Incentives Office, a consulting firm located in California. One state that is gaining ground on Louisiana rather quickly is New Mexico, which has a similar 25 percent tax credit.

Regardless of what happens with the other states vying for Louisiana’s position as one of the premier destinations for filming, this year is sure to be a great success for the state. Much of the films slated for 2009 are still looking for both cast and crew and could make for a great experience for one looking to get into the business, so be sure to keep an eye out for what’s going on in the coming months.

For more information, visit Parental Advisory, Tiger Weekly’s entertainment blog at www.tigerweekly.com/theblogs.


Originally Published:Tigerweekly.com, Issue 752 - January 28, 2009

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Year One Movie Trailer

Year One Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMgGnhPnSF4


The embedded version has been removed but if you still want to see it you can go to you tube by following this link.