The following is a list of POSSIBLE SAG signatory productions that are either already shooting or are considering production in Texas. Keep in mind that some productions begin the signatory process but don’t follow through, so before agreeing to participate in any film production, verify its signatory status with SAG. Check www.sag.org for online verification or to locate the appropriate phone contact number.

The start dates as listed below are not set in stone. For instance, the ULB (Ultra Low Budget) film, NATURAL SELECTION, has pushed back their start date to at least March 22, apparently due to the availability of their lead actress. Actual start dates of other productions may likely vary from the stated dates as well.

If you see something you’re interested in pursuing, be smart. The best method is to work through your agent. If you don’t have an agent or for some other reason don’t want to work through your present agent, be very careful about contacting production sources. Always be professional and to the point in any emails. Avoid phone calls to the production office, if the number is listed. Don’t get yourself put on someone’s ‘always ignore’ list.

This list is being published as a service to the Texas actors community. Use the information below wisely.

The list:

“Benavides Born” – 00257737
SDB, LLC – Low Budget
Location: San Diego/Benavides, TX
Start Date: March 15, 2010
Casting: Toni Cobb Brock/Sally Allen

“Beyond the Farthest Star” – 00233502
Pathlight Entertainment, LLC – Low Budget Modified
Location: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX
Start Date: March 15, 2010
Casting: Karen Armstrong

“Cash’n In” – 00256261
Lisa Norcia – Low Budget
Location: Dallas/Waco, TX
Start Date: To be determined

“Cherry Bomb” – 00246793
Strike Anywhere Productions, LLC – Ultra Low Budget
Location: Austin, TX
Start Date: To be determined
Casting: Garrett Hargrove at  contact at cherrybombfilm.com

“Cowgirl Chicks, The” – 00248526
Rodeo Films, LLC – Low Budget Modified
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
Start Date: March 2010
Casting: Judy Belshe-Toernblom, Los Angeles

“Friday Night Lights” – 00246956
NBC Studios, Inc.
Start Date: September 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Casting: Beth Sepko at  info at bethsepkocasting.com

“Limited Engagement” – 00252416
Rodeo Pictures, LLC – Low Budget
Start Date: Late April, 2010
Location: Tyler/Dallas, TX

“Mortal Vampire, The” – 00256260
E. W. Bradfute – Low Budget
Start Date: To be determined
Location: San Antonio, TX

“Natural Selection” – 00228417
Windar Productions, LLC – Ultra Low Budget
Location: Smithville, TX
Start Date: March 15, 2010
Casting: Karen Halford (TX), Meg Morman/Sunny Boling (L.A.)

“September Morning” – 00254521
Doki-Doki Productions, LLC – Low Budget Modified
Location: Texas and California, unspecified
Start Date: To be determined
Casting: Jacqueline Rush Rivera at  submit at chriseska.com

“Ten Days in County” – 00252746
Real Men Productions – Theatrical
Location: Houston, TX
Start Date: To be determined

“Theory” – 00258132
Aqua Foxx Productions, LLC – Internet/New Media
Location: Houston, TX
Start Date: March 23, 2010
Casting:  TheoryPilot at gmail.com

“True Grit” – 00257202
DW Studios Productions, LLC – Theatrical
Location: Austin, TX., Santa Fe, NM
Start date: March 15, 2010
Casting: Debbie DeLisi at  texascasting2010 at gmail.com

“Under the Western Sun”
Zobest Pictures
Start Date: April 13, 2010
Location: Austin/Smithville, TX

Still from Web.Files interview with creators of BMB: Dirty Bomb Diaries

We’re at the beginning of a new age of ‘television’ and ‘film’ production and distribution. Some of the old models of content delivery are getting some competition and some are likely to fade altogether. For actors and all creatives this new model offers some great opportunities. No longer will it be absolutely necessary to live in one of the major markets in order to work in and hopefully, make a living in, ‘the business’. Take a look at this interview, check out some of the episodes of this and other web series on strike.tv or your favorite distribution channel.

The first ‘reel’ is my final edit…maybe… and one that I’m happy enough with to distribute to casting sites. I’ve always tried to keep demos to 5 minutes or so, knowing that few pepole will sit through more, if that much tape on a actor’s reel. This online version is a trim 1:43.

So, while I’d like to let scenes play longer, I’m trying to reach a ‘happy medium’ of showing enough to get the character played before having to move on to the next clip, and keeping the total reel to a manageable file size. I’ve had to leave off some clips I’d like to use for various reasons….they’re good material, but just way too old, or I couldn’t find a way to put them into the mix and still keep the time and quality combination at an acceptable level for internet distribution

The issue I faced, that everyone faces when trying to put decent looking material on the net is the issue of what settings to use for conversion and rendering of the footage so that you have the best results once YouTube gets through processing your clips. This is where YouTube itself is a big help.

A search on YouTube will result in quite a few video tutorials on how to optimize your video for YouTube. Frankly I haven’t been much of a YouTube user and I’m not up to speed with all the nuances of how to use the service. But I’m learning. If you’re like me and want to take a shot at editing and publishing your own demo, it’s definitely something that can be accomplished. But even if you take your footage to a professional editor, the best choice for most of us, you can use this information to make sure that the person who cuts your demo will give you at least a version of your reel that will play nicely on the net.

Here are the rendering settings I used in Sony Vegas 9 Platinum Pro Pack to get the results above…results with which I, at least, am happy:

File Type: MP4 – Some tutorials suggest saving as WMV, others as MP4. I had the best look with MP4. If you use WMV, try the WMv 9 setting in your software
Frame Size: 1280 x 720
Frame Rate: 29.970(NTSC) – same frame rate the source material was captured in
Field Order: None (Progressive scan)
Pixel Aspec Ratio: 1.0000
Bit Rate (bps): 10,000,000 -This may be adjustable in your software – I used as high a setting as possible and still keep the final rendered file under YouTube’s 1 gig file size limit.
Audio Sample Rate (Hz): 44,100
Audio bit rate (bps): 128,000

Below is a slightly different edit of basically the same material except for a clip from Dancer,TX Pop. 81 which is not in this version:

In case anyone is interested I’m using Vegas Video 9 Platinum Pro edition to edit. Each scene is a DVD rip using DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink and MovAvi Converter in that order. I’m converting the rips to uncompressed .avi files, bringing those files into Vegas Video for the edit. I’m now playing with various rendering schemes in order to get the best quality for YouTube and other online distribution outlets. When I get that done to my satisfaction, I’ll cut a somewhat longer version for DVD distribution to my agent, etc.

Please join us Sunday afternoon for an informative presentation including Q&A from the audience. If you can make it Sunday please introduce yourself and let me know you saw the announcement here.

Here’s the pitch:

Indie people don’t wait for the projects to come to them . . . they create!

Join industry experts for an informative session of supporting your creative vision while using professional talent. From Shorts to Ultra Low, to Full Features, to Webisodes or New Media and Gaming . . . SAG has a contract that can help improve your creation by broadening your talent pool. Bring your ideas and your questions.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

2-4 p.m.

Picture Box Studio

701 Tillery, Suite A-7

Austin, Texas 78702

512-480-9291

Panelists:

Bryan Poyser - Producer, Writer, Director has created award winning indie films of various levels from shorts to full feature productions. Co-Founder of Cinematexas Film Festival, Bryan is recognized as a fixture in the Texas film scene and now serves as the Director of Artist Services for the Austin Film Society.

Linda Dowell - SAG Regional Branch Division Executive Director oversees a Division covering 20 regional branches across the nation (every branch between LA and New York). Linda is well versed in the details of SAG’s film agreements and has assisted hundreds of filmmakers with utilizing professional talent in their low budget projects. She also serves on the Board of TXMPA, is a member of Women in Film in Houston and Dallas, and is a member of the Dallas Producers Association.

Lori Madrid - Line Producer, UPM and now Director of Operations at Spiderwood Studios has worked on numerous features and webisodes including “A Tribute to Big Red”, “Inspector Mom” and “Prison Break”. She knows the different challenges that face features, webisodes and TV production and is dedicated to helping the media community understand the importance of raising the bar and creating more production in Texas.

Tom Booker – Actor, Producer, Director, Writer knows the art of creating work. As a performer, Tom has appeared in hundreds of commercials and television shows. His live performances include “The Real Live Brady Bunch in LA and New York and his improv skills have led him to direct and teach at The Second City Training Center in LA. Tom co-wrote “Kill The Man” starring Luke Wilson that premiered at Sundance and is the founder of The Institution Theater in Austin.

This event is free. Seating is limited. RSVP to  tavery at sag.org

Space & equipment graciously donated by Reel Women & Exec. Director, Sherry Mills.

Once again the list of POSSIBLE SAG signatory productions for Louisiana and Texas show that Texas is playing in the rough, with one arm tied behind our back without a competitive film incentive program.

Happily HB 873 passed this week by a vote of 139-6. Now we await the vote on the Senate version of the bill, SB 605.

Passage of these bills is critical, of course, but there is still the matter of funding. Keep an eye out for directives from the AMPTP on when it’s time to contact your representatives about funding for the enhanced film incentive program.

In the meantime, look at how many Theatrical contract productions are slated for Louisiana. The Theatrical SAG agreement is for the larger budgeted films. Bigger budgets mean more local jobs for actors and crew. More jobs that extend for longer periods of time. More money into the local and state economies.

We are glad to have so many low budget and ultra low budget films shooting in Texas. We want those projects. But to survive as an industry, and surely to actually make a living in the film industry, we MUST have larger budgeted productions shooting on a regular basis in Texas.

Louisiana

Caged Innocence #00226166

United Spirits LLC – Theatrical

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: April 30, 2009

Champagne Society #00239437

Champagne Society, LLC – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, LA

Start Date: May 1, 2009

Dead of Night #00234500

Long Distance Films, Inc – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: To be determined

Dead Whisper #00231285

Dead Whisper Pictures, LLC – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA; Big Bear, CA

Start Date: To be determined

Disconnect #00235354

Triumphant Pictures – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: March 10, 2009

Expendables, The (aka Barrow) #00233317

Alta Vista Productions, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: March 28, 2009

Jonah Hex #00240540

Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc

Location: Louisiana (non-specific location)

Start Date: April 13, 2009

Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield, CSA – (212)868-1260 x29

Leonie #00238888

Leonie Productions, LLC – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: April 12, 2009

Little Murder #00239911

Little Murder, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Detroit, MI; New Orleans, LA

Start Date: April 20, 2009

Wrong Side of Town #00237651

WSOT Productions 1, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Start Date: February 3, 2009

Texas

Apparition #00233593

Firestorm Pictures – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Houston, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Basement, The #00237744

T.L.P., LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Dallas, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Casting: Shawn Griffith  shgriffith at earthlink.net

Beyond The Farthest Star #00233502

Pathlight Entertainment, LLC – Modified Low Budget
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

Start Date: October 1, 2009

Casting: Benjamin Dane

Broken Promise, A South Texas Story #00210652

Que Tal Productions, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Brownsville, Mercedes, TX

Start Date: February 15, 2009

Mario Torres – (956) 227-1933

C.A.B. #00239396

Tom Proctor – Low Budget Modified

Location: TX, AZ and Los Angeles, CA

Start Date: May 16, 2009

Carried Away #00238361

Carried Away, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Start Date: TBD

Location: Fort Worth

Casting: James Johnston

Earthling #00239014

The Abductors, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Start Date: April 1, 2009

Location: Dallas

Casting: Josh Ridgeway  earthlingprods at yahoo.com

Iron Horses #00237421

Curveball Films, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: August 1, 2009

Letter H, The #00233247

GCP Film, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Houston, El Paso, TX

Start Date: June 1, 2009

Casting: Rodney Acevedo

Love and the Texas Sky #00238741

Dust Bowl Pictures – Low Budget Modified

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: April 1, 2009

Love Thy Neighbor #00238949

Nail Scarred Films, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Keller, TX

Start Date: April 25, 2009

Casting: Zach Smith (817) 938-9971 or  zachsmithkeller at yahoo.com

Maybe, Maybe No #00239585

Red Rider Films, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Wylie, TX

Start Date: June 12, 2009

Casting: Ryan Paige

Minority Western #00220674

FAD Productions – Ultra Low Budget

Locations: AZ & Dallas, TX

Start Date: December 30, 2009

Nerveracker

Troublemaker Studios

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: June 2009

Casting: Beth Sepko

Player’s School #00238898

Nexus Entertainment and Greg Carter

Location: Houston, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Shadow Play #00236154

Silvatar Media, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Waco, TX

Start Date: April 11, 2009

To be sure I’m well beyond the demographic that THE 2 BOBS targets, 15-25 year olds. The ones who get off on edgy video games, F-bomb humor and copious amounts of exposed flesh…real, illustrated or animated. You know, the age group that actually spends a lot of money on movies AND video games.

THE 2 BOBS starts at an almost frenetic pace that sucks in even the ‘old farts’ like me (I guess I didn’t really need the quotes around ‘old farts’, but I’m still coming to grips with being one) with clever graphics and effects work that give the film an initial visual style and appeal that seems opposed to the reality that this movie was shot for well under one million dollars on a SAG modified low budget agreement. Score one for the writer-director and his post-production team.

The film rocks along as we are introduced to the two Bobs – Horizontal Bob (Devin Ratray – the shorter, heavier one) and Vertical Bob (Tyler Francavilla - the taller, thinner one). Nerds to the core, these two otherwise complete losers discovered computer programming in high school, created their own video game and were transformed from a couple of loser, high school dweebs into a couple of loser, ex-high school dweebs…with money.

Here’s the story according to Voodoo Cowboy Entertainment and Texas Avenue Films:

The 2 Bobs is a video game geek comedy based in Austin, Texas. The story follows two gaming legends known as The 2 Bobs. But just as they finish their ground-breaking violent video game masterpiece, these gaming gurus discover their precious game software has been stolen – and with it, their livelihoods, genius reputations, and everything they own. To get back their game – and their lives -The 2 Bobs and their fellow-geek employees Munch, Doofus and The Dark Prince are forced to ‘turn detective’ and plunge into the strange world of Christian Venture Capitalists, aged Dixie Mafia hoodlums, and bizarre Internet Spammers that inhabit Austin.

The cast, a mixture of Texas pros and L.A. and NY actors all give enthusiastic, ‘can you believe we’re actually getting paid to do this?’ performances. But what the hey…this movie is a lot more PORKY’S than PATTON…uhhh, actually there is no PATTON here, but you get the picture…and the cast delivers the required goods. A particularly strong performance was turned in by Leonardo Nam as The Dark Prince, the most complete and interesting character in the ensemble.

Overall, THE 2 BOBS works as a broad comedy with a ‘keep Austin weird’ mentality. While it will be interesting to see how THE 2 BOBS plays at the upcoming AFI Dallas Film Festival, the full crowd at the SXSW screening I attended found no shortage of laugh out loud moments.

McCanlies’ fans who might be drawn to a film by the director of SECONDHAND LIONS or DANCER, TX POP. 81, should probably skip THE 2 BOBS if they’re expecting similar fare. Instead wait for the release of his next film, the more family friendly, ALABAMA MOON.

Don’t Become Media Roadkill

This SRO event returns to Austin to speak of all things Screen Actors Guild.

Keep your career in the fast lane and off the shoulder.

Get all the info you need for your next film, webisode, video game, commercial, industrial or music video.

Join SAG Experts:
Darrien Michele Gipson, National Director of SAGIndie
Bob Jensen, Manager of National New Media Department
Steve Graham, National Director of Digital Marketing (iActor)
Todd Amorde, National Director of Organizing

Indie filmmakers, game developers, animators, directors, cds, agents and performers get together to get questions answered and discuss building the biz.

When: Saturday, March 14, 2009
2 – 4 p.m.
(Members only reception begins at 1 p.m.)

Where: 501 Studios
501 North IH-35
Austin, TX 78702
Free parking

Cost? Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

FROM: Drew Mayer-Oakes, TXMPA Legislative Committee

We are fast approaching the Texas Motion Picture Alliance Lobby Day
for 2009. Thank you for your participation last session – we need
your help again. If you are able to volunteer again, the TXMPA needs
you! Lobby Day is March 4th, with orientation and training for new
team members the evening of March 3rd, in Austin. This year we are
signing up on a fantastic volunteer management system, so please take
a moment to register at http://txmpa.volunteerhub.com . Once you sign
up on this system, we will make assignments based on your home
address, so be sure to include that. The form is really
self-explanatory.

And if you are already planning on coming, please SIGN UP so that we
can communicate with you directly about your legislative assignments.

Here are the details:

Lobby Day Sign-up!

Time to get off the mark, get on the bus, get your act together and
let your voice be heard. Time to sign up for LOBBY DAY!

Click here http://txmpa.volunteerhub.com) and sign up for training and
assignments on March 3 and 4!

We’ll ask you where you live and assign you to a team that will
visit four or five members of the Texas Legislature on March 4.

TXMPA LOBBY DAY AGENDA:

Tuesday March 3rd – Volunteers arrive in Austin
Check in at Austin Studios, 1901 E. 51st Street, 78723
7:00 PM – Welcome
7:30 PM – Training/orientation for volunteers

Wednesday, March 4th -
7:30 AM – Lobby Day Rally at the Capitol – south steps
Join members of the Austin Alliance  http://www.theallianceaustin.com)
and show support for competitive incentives. Wear something red!
9:00 AM – 11:30AM – Capitol office visits
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM – Break
1:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Capitol office visits

Make your hotel reservations 2/13 at the special $89 rate!

Clarion Inn & Suites Conference Center
2200 IH 35 S.
Austin, Texas 78704
512-444-0561, 877-424-6423

Tell them you are with the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA) to get
our group rate.

Sincerely,

Drew Mayer-Oakes, TXMPA Legislative Committee
TEXAS MOTION PICTURE ALLIANCE

Note that Texas has 11 potential signatory projects listed and Louisiana has 14. Of the eleven projects slated for shooting in Texas, three projects have budgets that place them in the ‘Theatrical’ category (Total budget over $2,500,000) and the other eight projects are “Low Budget” (Total budget of less than $2,500,000), “Modified Low Budget” (Total budget of less than $625,000) or “Ultra Low Budget” (Total budget of less than $200,000) projects.

Of the fourteen projects slated for Louisiana, nine have budgets at the “Theatrical” level, one is a Television Series, and only three are at the “Low Budget” or “Ultra Low Budget” level.

The TXMPA effort to significantly increase Texas’ current 5% incentive program is well underway. Visit the TXMPA site and see how you can help us bring more Theatrical budget level productions back to Texas.

Texas

Apparition

Firestorm Pictures – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Houston, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Beyond the Farthest Star

Pathlight Entertainment, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Start Date: February 2, 2009

Broken Promise, A South Texas Story

Que Tal Productions, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Brownsville, Mercedes, TX

Start Date: February 15, 2009

The Chops

Steven Cortinas – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA

Start Date: To be determined

The Final

Final Fate Features, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Dallas, TX

Start Date: March 2, 2009

Kalle King

Susie T. Entertainment – Low Budget

Location: Dallas, TX, New York, NY, Hollywood, CA

Start Date: November 23, 2008

The Killer Inside Me

KIM Productions, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Oklahoma City, OK; Lockhart, TX

Start Date: To Be Determined

The Letter H

GCP Film, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Houston, El Paso, TX

Start Date: March 2, 2009

Minority Western

FAD Productions – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Arizona, Dallas, TX

Start Date: To Be Determined

Restive

Restive, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Waco, TX

Start Date: February 16, 2009

Shadow Play

Silvatar Media, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Waco, TX

Start Date: February 16, 2009

Louisiana

Caged Innocence

United Spirits LLC – Theatrical

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: To be determined

The Chameleon

Chameleon Productions, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Start Date: February 2, 2009

Dead Whisper

Dead Whisper Pictures, LLC – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA; Big Bear, CA

Start Date: To be determined

Dead of Night

Long Distance Films, Inc – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: To be determined

Disconnect

Triumphant Pictures – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: March 10, 2009

The Expendables

Alta Vista Productions, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: To be determined

Eyes of the King

Eyes of the King, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Louisiana (non-specific)

Start Date: To be determined

Happy Holidays Katherine Sloane

Happy Holidays Katherine Sloan, LLC – Theatrical

Location: New York, NY; New Orleans, LA

Start Date: February 1, 2009

Mania

Mania Productions, LLC – Low Budget

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: March 10, 2009

Preaching to the Pastors

Digital Media Production House – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Start Date: To be determined

Sons of Thunder

Insight Entertainment, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Montgomery, AL; Atlanta, GA

Start Date: March 1, 2009

Three Stories about Joan

Three Stories Productions, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: To be determined

True Blood – TV Series

HBO – TV

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Dates: February, April and June 2009

WSOT Productions 1, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Start Date: February 3, 2009