Be sure to tune in to Friday Night Lights this Friday. Rumor has it that FNL just may get a 2 year renewal. That would be great news for Austin and for all Texas actors and for the FNL crew. Please tune in and help those audience numbers.
Yours truly has another quick appearance as Grandma Saracen’s doctor, Dr. Campbell in this Friday’s episode, A HARD RAINS GONNA FALL., directed by Michael Waxman.
SXSW 2009 has come and gone and I was able to see only a couple of films this year. Now that there’s a little time to breathe I’ll post some thoughts on those two films. First up is THE 2 BOBS.
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.
SXSW is fast approaching and there are more than a few things to plan for. To start with, check out premiere screenings of the latest from Austin filmmakers Tim McCanlies and John Bryant.
Tim McCanlies, well known for his family friendly fare such as DANCER TX, POP. 81 and SECONDHAND LIONS as well as the award winning screenplay for IRON GIANT offers up a complete change of pace with this low budget comedy that, based on the script I read, is definitely not one for the kiddies to attend.
The 2 Bobs
Director/Writer: Tim McCanlies
Just as they finish their groundbreaking violent video-game masterpiece, the two gaming legends known as “The Two Bobs” discover that their precious game-software has been stolen… and with it, their livelihoods, genius reputations, everything they own. Cast: Tyler Francavilla, Devin Ratray, Mika Boorem, Cody Kasch, Leonardo Nam (World Premiere)
Narrative Feature
World Premiere
screening in: Spotlight Premieres
Screening Times
6:45 PM, Friday March 13th – Austin Convention Ctr
6:30 PM, Monday March 16th – Paramount
John Bryant has taken his award winning short, BROTHERLY LOVE and transformed it into a feature length film called THE OVERBROOK BROTHERS. I saw an early screening some months ago at the Austin Film Society that had the audience alternately laughing and wincing as the brothers duke it out…literally and figuratively turning a family get together into an ‘all hell breaks loose’ dramedy.
Having read the script, I was eager to see how a particularly ‘edgy’ scene would play. I must say, my inner boy took over and I laughed a lot. Looks to me like John Bryant is just scratching the surface of his talent here and I recommend you check out THE OVERBROOK BROTHERS.
The Overbrook Brothers
Director: John Bryant. Writer: John Bryant and Jason Foxworth
Jason brings his girlfriend home for Christmas… and bad things happen. Cast: Nathan Harlan, Mark Reeb, Laurel Whitsett, Steve Zissis, John Jones (World Premiere)
Screening Times
4:15 PM, Sunday March 15th – Alamo Ritz
9:30 PM, Monday March 16th – Alamo Lamar 3
10:00 PM, Saturday March 21st – Paramount
TXMPA Lobby Day 2009 was a long day that began with a 7:30 AM rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol.
What a sight! Hundreds of film industry professionals and business people who benefit from a thriving film industry, many dressed in red, answered the call of the TXMPA and showed up for lobby day.
According to the Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film Commission,
7000 film jobs and $500 million in film industry revenue have been lost in the state since 2003. That’s when states like Louisiana and New Mexico began their programs that aggressively court film producers with tax incentive programs. Louisiana and New Mexico have been offering incentive and/or rebate programs that amount to roughly 25% of a film’s expenditures if shot in their respective states. Michigan is now drawing productions with its 40% incentive.
In 2006 in a ‘better late than never’ reaction to the well documented downturn in Texas location filming, the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA) was born. After securing lobby firm Hillco Parters, TXMPA led the way and Texas produced its own film incentive package in 2007.
Unfortunately that legislation, with a 5% incentive and a cap of $20 Million spread over two years, just wasn’t competitive with the other states’ programs. The 2007 bill did produce some dividends in commercial and video game production but the feature film work that was a primary target of the legislation did not materialize.
The classic example of the failure of the 2007 legislation to stem the tide of lost feature film production is Drew Barrymore’s film, WHIP IT!. That film story is set in Austin, Texas and was scheduled to shoot in Austin. But that was before the state of Michigan implemented their whopping 40% film incentive program. Suddenly Ann Arbor, Michigan started looking a lot like an acceptable substitute for Austin, Texas. Goodbye Texas, hello Michigan. Goodbye jobs, etc. etc.
During today’s Lobby Day I was on a team that visited with four different legislators. All were open to the new legislation and passage of the bill looks like a good possibility. However, passage of the bill is only the first step. The program goes through a separate process to receive funding. If the bill passes but is not funded, it would be a completely hollow ‘victory’.
Late in the day I sat in on a committee meeting for House Bill 873 and listened to testimony by people like director/writer Richard Linklater and producer/director Garry Brown (Prison Break).
Linklater told the committee that he has a $17Million film that is set in Texas and is ready to go. He wants to shoot in Texas but he may end up shooting in Shreveport, LA if Texas doesn’t get an improved film incentive package passed this session.
Similarly, Garry Brown, who was responsible for bringing PRISON BREAK to Dallas for its second and third seasons, offered the committee the insight of a producer who has shot many projects in Texas and wants to shoot more. In fact, Brown announced that he has a TV Pilot for Twentieth Century Fox that he wants to shoot in Dallas. Once again, the selection of a shooting location will be heavily influenced by tax incentives.
The new proposed legislation (HP 873 / SB 605) seeks an increase in funding from $20Million to $62Million and gives the Texas Film Commission office much greater flexibility in negotiating the incentive rate on a project by project basis.
The tact that supporters were urged to take with legislators was to underscore that this is not a giveaway bill but a job creation bill and a bill designed to let Texas once again compete with other states on a more level playing field. No rebate money is distributed until after production money has already been spent on in-state moving picture projects.
The progress of these bills (HB 873 / SB 605 ) through the legislative process over the next couple of months will tell the story of the future of the Texas film industry.
DATE: Wednesday, March 4th
TIME: 7:15am
LOCATION: The South Steps of the Capitol Building
WARDROBE: Wear Red. Look nice.
AGENDA:
· 7:15am – CALL TIME! Be on the South Steps of the Capitol Building in
your snazzy red outfits! There will be a table set up where you can get
information, pick up a Rally Fan, and be directed to the Rally area.
· 7:30am to 8:30am – Governor Rick Perry and other film bigwigs will
address our group while we RALLY and make a big show for the press
· 8:30am to 9:15am – Skits based on popular Texas films will be
performed for our entertainment and encouragement
· 9:15am to 11:15am – Rally on the steps OR walk the halls of the
Capitol wearing your red and carrying a sign or fan
· 11:30am to 1:30pm – Form a receiving line into and out of the lunch
tent so we can thank the legislators for their time and attention to our
issue (NOTE: Lunch is being served only to the legislators, their staff,
and TXMPA members who are taking meetings with them, not all in attendance!)
You are not REQUIRED to stay for any length of time for the Rally, but
we’d love to have the largest group possible earlier in the day to make
the best impression on the Governor and the press. If you can only come
for an hour or two, plan to be there right at CALL TIME!
In case you don’t think the loss of film work in Texas is at the critical point, read on. If you just haven’t been paying close attention to the situation so far, read on. If you’re trying to figure out what little ‘ol YOU can do to help change the situation, read on.
My agent, Heather Collier sent out the following email to her clients today to urge participation in the upcoming TXMPA legislative days. It’s a little long, but I think you’ll get a sense of the urgency of the situation. The email also contains instructions on how all of us who value Texas film business can get involved.
================
Hello everyone!
So I really need your help. Actually, the Texas Film Industry needs your
help. Here is your call to action!!!!!
I know, you all are tired of the emails. But let me tell you, you may not
have anything to audition for anytime soon if these incentives do not pass
with funding! I’m serious. There are very few projects on the horizon.
You would start to miss my crazy emails…no really, you would!
Please read this entire email. You do not have to email me back.
I need to you to show up at the Capitol for the Alliance Rally on 7:30am
SHARP on the TXMPA Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 and I need you to wear red.
If you can’t show up in the morning before work or school, you can
show up anytime during the course of the day wearing red.
We NEED to show the governor and the legislators how many people in Texas support the film industry. Things are so slow here right now…that should be a HUGE motivating factor.
There will be coming in from all over the state to descend on the Capitol. Most of you live in Austin so you don’t have to
travel far!
The Alliance told TXMPA we would have at least 1000 people at the Rally at
7:30am on the 4th. Please don’t make liars out of us : )
You don’t need to talk to any legislators…you just need to come dressed in
red!!!
So here is what you need to do…
1) Go to this website…
http://www1.mysignup.com/lobbydayrally
Sign up for the Rally. You can add “Collier Talent” to your name too.
2) Show up for the Rally between 7:15am-7:30am. Get there early to find
parking.
3) Bring friends, family, ANYONE that you know who supports the film/media
industry here in TX. Tell them to wear red!
4) If you are not in town, please, please, please contact friends, family to
come in your place.
5) If you can’t come in the morning, come sometime during the day. Lunchtime
would be great. TXMPA is buying lunch for all of the legislators, so it
would be great to have lots of bodies outside the Capitol wearing red
showing support for the industry as the legislators make their way to lunch.
6) Visit http://www.txmpa.org/. If you haven’t joined already, please join.
If you can’t afford to join, sign up for the newsletter so you can receive
updates on what is going on! If you want to participate in Lobby Day on
behalf of TXMPA and go in to the Capitol to talk to legislators YOU MUST
SIGN UP THROUGH THE TXMPA WEBSITE. You will also have to attend a mandatory
training the night of March 3rd before Lobby Day on March 4th.
7) Spread the word to your fellow actors and people in AND outside of the
industry!!!!! Seriously, now is the time to act!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to read this : )
Heather
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
Attention TXMPA Central Region members, potential members and friends. Do you care about the moving image industry in Texas?
Our legislative rallying cry/ kickoff mixer & information session will be Monday, January 26 from 6-9 at:
Roux Restaurant
214 E. 6th St, Austin 78701
512 479 0474
just a couple of doors down from the Alamo Ritz.
Special Guests:
Bob Hudgins, Texas Film Commissioner
Brandon Aghamalian, TXMPA lobbyist with Hillco Partners
Come early for networking Happy Hour (till 7) with great food & drink
This is a very important meeting for all of us.
WE HAVE A BILL. WE HAVE BILL SPONSORS IN HOUSE & SENATE.
We have a new speaker of the house. The legislature is in full swing, and we will know who all the power players are- committee chairs, etc. The past few months have been about raising money & membership numbers (which we do still need.) Now we turn our focus to action. At this meeting we will talk about what to do when to whom. Brandon & Bob can answer questions about our legislation, and best tactics for getting it passed & funded. We’ll talk about lobby day. Bring ideas you have for how to make our message heard. We’ll have volunteer assignments, letters to sign, etc. As most of you know, there has been a lot of bad press lately regarding incentives.
Now more than ever, WE NEED EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER. We’ll have special guests & plenty of networking time, so we promise it will be fun as well as informative. If you are concerned about the state of the moving image industry in Texas, COME TO THIS MEETING! NOW IS OUR MOMENT! BE PART OF THE SOLUTION!
WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK & NEXT.
1. Recruit 5 new people. An antique dealer, a film buff, an aunt, your neighbor, or anyone else you can get to care. If you can get them to join, great. If not, at least get their emails, go to website, & add them to email list. 20 seconds total. We need to build outreach so when it’s time for letter avalanche we reach as many people as possible.
2. FIND OUT WHO REPRESENTS YOU. WRITE THEM.
Go to this link to find your legislators. http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us Scroll down to your Texas State Senator & Representative. Then, write them.
It can literally be done in 2 minutes. You just check email, fill in your information, and then enter a brief message. Please support the Moving Image Industry Incentives. Add a brief personal comment like “Thanks for your support. I’m an actor. We need this legislation! Our jobs have left the state. We have families too.” You get the picture.
If you are concerned about the state of the moving image industry in Texas, COME TO THIS MEETING! NOW IS OUR MOMENT!
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION!
Here’s another good article about the Texas film business that touches on the lack of a competitive film incentive program. Time to nudge your legislators. The wheelin’ and dealin’ has begun in Austin
December 04, 2008
By Mark Dundas Wood
Recently, Drew Barrymore directed and starred in a feature called Whip It!, set in Austin, Texas, and based on a novel by a former Austinite, Shauna Cross. The film was shot in…Ann Arbor, Mich.
Say what? Why would a town with a rich film culture and at least two major favorite-son film directors — Robert Rodriguez and Richard Linklater — miss out on hosting a project that’s such an obvious fit?
As usual, it’s a money thing. Michigan — along with such states as New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Louisiana — currently offers producers hefty incentive packages to shoot on its soil. As Gary Bond, director of the Austin Film Commission, points out, the 8.25 percent sales-tax exemption and other incentives that Texas offers to filmmakers don’t add up to the same breaks available elsewhere.
Nevertheless, last January, Austin was named the No. 1 American movie city by MovieMaker magazine, beating out such incentives-rich locales as Albuquerque, N.M., and Shreveport, La., not to mention Los Angeles and New York. Austin may not be getting the same kind of commercial projects as other states, but apparently it is doing some things very well.
A (Lone) Star Is Born
The first Hollywood-size project that lensed in Austin, says Bond, was 1977’s Outlaw Blues. In subsequent years, a handful of TV movies and occasional theatrical features (1982’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, for instance) shot in the area, but no cinematic stampede to the city ensued. Things began to change in the mid-1980s when the first sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Jeff Bridges-Kim Basinger vehicle Nadine were shot back to back in Austin, with both films employing many of the same personnel. Gradually, says Bond, local crew — especially members of art departments — amassed impressive production credits and reputations.
At the same time, Austin was becoming a major music hub. The city’s famous South by Southwest (SXSW) festival actually began as a music event in 1987 but soon incorporated film and other media. “We were sort of a two-headed calf,” says Bond. “People wanted to come here and see what this buzz was all about.”
Filmmakers venturing to Austin found a city surrounded by a wide range of physical terrains: hills and lake chains to the west, rolling prairie to the east. “It’s always been an excellent place to do a road movie,” says Bond, noting that the bulk of the cattle-drive miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) was shot within 30 miles of Austin, with the countryside standing in for Canadian and Mexican locales.
In the 1990s, the scene grew, especially with the emergence of Linklater and Rodriguez and the latter’s then wife, producer Elizabeth Avellan. Other Austin-based filmmakers include Tim McCanlies (Secondhand Lions) and Mike Judge (Office Space).
Rodriguez and Avellan developed Troublemaker Studios at the site of Austin’s former municipal airport. Meanwhile, Linklater had founded the Austin Film Society. What began as a film-appreciation organization eventually expanded, assuming management of Austin Studios: other refurbished, city-owned airport property that became “production central” for projects coming into town.
The Actor Factor
But what about human infrastructure? What does Austin provide to filmmakers in the way of an actor workforce?
Beth Sepko, who operates Beth Sepko Casting, as well as an affiliated company, Third Coast Extras, began her career as an agent in San Antonio, returning to her native Austin in 1994. Sepko has worked on several films with Rodriguez. She also casts Austin’s first major network series, NBC’s Friday Night Lights, for which she won a 2007 Emmy. “We have a really strong talent pool,” she says, “but it’s sort of shallow. If I have a film project that has, like, 90 roles on it, then I definitely have to pull from other markets.”
Read the FULL BACKSTAGE ARTICLE HERE.
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