Oz Magazine November / December 2019

OZ MAGAZINE

Stephen King's

Discovers Precious Stone in

film. tv. entertainment NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019

SINCE 1990

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019

CONTRIBUTORS B. Sonenreich

OZ MAGAZINE

STAFF Publishers:

Tia Powell (Group Publisher) Gary Powell

Editor-in-Chief: Gary Powell

Managing Editor: Nicole Sage

Sales:

Martha Ronske Kris Thimmesch

Creative Director: Michael R. Eilers

Production and Design: Christopher Winley Michael R. Eilers

Social Media Engagement Coordinator

Cover Story: Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep Discovers Precious Stone in Georgia, p.28 B. Sonereich is a writer and cinephile with a passion for the horror genre.

She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in creative writing and film studies. While attending Florida State, she wrote and successfully defended her undergraduate honors thesis, "The Art of Adaptation Through Stanley Kubrick Films." In 2019, Sonenreich earned her Master’s degree in Communication at Georgia State University with a teaching assistantship. During her time at Georgia State, Sonenreich taught motion picture history and film aesthetics. Sonenreich has presented her film theory at University of Texas Austin’s Society For Cinema and Media Studies and is published in The Miami Herald, Bright Wall/Dark Room, Screen Queens, Vague Visages, and more.

Jatika H. Patterson Feature Story: ACTOR-VISTS: Their Purpose Driven Mission, p.34 Jatika H. Patterson a co-founder of imagineinstyle.com, has been writing for more than 20 years about entertainment, lifestyle and cultural topics.

Her work has taken her from New York Fashion Week to telling the stories of community activism. “My love of writing and storytelling has taken me to places I never could’ve dreamed. I’m always ready for the next adventure… the next story.”

Brooke Sonenreich

Cover Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros.

Chris Bunish Feature Story: Don’t Stop Making Faces, p.38

OZ MAGAZINE

Christine Bunish has been a writer and editor covering the professional film, video, broadcast and advertising industries for more than 25 years. She was a writer at Broadcast Management/Engineering and World Broadcast News and an editor at Millimeter before going freelance.

Stephen King's

Discovers Precious Stone in

Emily L. Foley Feature Story: How I Got In The Business, p.46

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ozmagazine.com /ozmagazine /ozpublishing /ozmagazine Oz Magazine is published bi-monthly by Oz Publishing, Inc. 2566 Shallowford Road Suite 104, #302 Atlanta, GA 30345 Copyright © 2019 Oz Publishing Incorporated, all rights reserved.

Reproductions in whole or in part without express written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. This magazine is printed on recyclable paper.

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Emily L. Foley is a freelance journalist whose articles appear in publications such as Allure, O, The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, US Weekly and Instyle. com. She's interviewed Oscar and Grammy award winners and reality show stars, the designers who've dressed them, and the hairstylists and makeup artists who make them look their best. A multiplatform journalist, Foley can also be seen as a television expert talking all things beauty, fashion, and lifestyle on television shows across the country, and on Instagram @ emilylfoley. Emily resides in Atlanta with her husband and their spectacular young children.

TRACY PAGE Photographer for Cover Story on Doctor Sleep, pg.28 Tracy Bosworth Page has focused on creating memorable images of actors and entertainers for over 13 years. She is an award winning photographer specializing in editorial and commercial portraits and is an Ambassador for Zeiss Camera Lenses, based in Atlanta. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia with her degree in advertising and fine art.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019

CONTENTS

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OZCETERA

FEATURE STORY

A compilation of recent news and hot projects from and about industry leaders.

How I Got In The Business: BronzeLens Gets the Gold with Kathleen Bertrand

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COVER STORY Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep Discovers Precious Stone in Georgia: How Warner Bros. Found Their Shining Stone in Actor Kyliegh Curran

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FEATURE STORY

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Oz Scene

The AICP Atlanta Show Fulton Films Hosts First FAM Tour with Location Managers Guild International BronzeLens Film Festival 2019

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ACTOR-VISTS: Their Purpose Driven Mission Afemo and Elisabeth Omilami

Morehouse College 1st Human Rights Film Festival Cine Gear Expo Atlanta 2019 Full Count Atlanta Film Premiere

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FEATURE STORY Don’t Stop Making Faces Georgia’s Make-up Effects Artists

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Let Me Give You My Card

November / December 2019

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OzCetera Owner of Three Ring Studios, Rahim Charania and Mayor of Covington, Ronnie Johnston

The frame going up for one of the mill shops on the Three Ring Studios site

City Officials and Leaders with the Three Ring Studios team celebrating moving forward with construction

Construction Begins at Three Ring Studios

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hree Ring Studios has begun pouring pads for the mill shops and sound stages that will make up its new movie studio campus in Covington. Three Ring celebrated the next phase of construction alongside community leaders, including members of the Covington City Council, the Newton County Board of Commissioners and the Covington/Newton Count y Chamber of Commerce. The f irst phase of construction involves sound stages, mill shops and support space. The completed campus will total over 250,000 square feet, 6

Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment.

making Three Ring one of the largest media facilities in Georgia.

“We are thrilled to be moving forward with construction”, said Olivia Schmitz, director of studio operations. The first buildings are projected to open in the summer of 2020.

When the project is complete, it will contribute an estimated $3 million a year to local property taxes and provide numerous employment opportunities for the community.

“We are proud to have selected such a dynamic, growing city like Covington to locate

our media campus. We are strong believers in the vision laid out by Mayor Ronnie Johnston and the City Council and share in their belief that Covington can be an economic driver for our great state of Georgia,” said Rahim Charania, founder and chairman of Three Ring.

“We are proud to be an important part of that vision and look forward to being a partner in the Covington community for many years to come.”

November / December 2019

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OzCetera

Atlanta’s Reel Divas

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wenty women with notable careers in film and TV have put their likeness and resources together to bring awareness to women of color as writers, producers and directors in the Georgia production industry with the launch of #ReelDivas movement. Some of the women spearheading the movement Hopper's Cabin from include: Jasmine Guy (DifferentStranger World,Things Grey’s Anatomy), Terri J. Vaughn (The Steve Harvey Show), Cas Sigers-Beedles (NAACP Image Award Nominee), Tamra Simmons (Surviving R. Kelly) and Ty Johnston-Chavis (Founder of Atlanta Pitch Summit).

“With our brother-in-f ilm, Tyler Perr y, getting so much notoriety and acclaim for opening his 330-acre lot here in Atlanta, we feel that the time is now,” says co-creator of Reel Divas, Sigers-Beedles, who is also a writer, producer and director. “Atlanta has already served as the home base and mecca for a lot of TV and film projects, so we are doing our part to continue pushing this narrative to the masses.”

The group will focus on being a collective unit to showcase how women are more powerful together than individually. “We are

Reel Divas from L-R: Terri J. Vaughn, Tamra Simmons, Gieva Stinchcomb, Samantha Ramirez-Herrera, Angi Bones, Shante Paige, Denise Hendricks, Lisa Cunningham, Cas Sigers-Beedles, Wanda Shelly, Deborah Riley Draper, Autumn Bailey Ford, Jasmine Guy, Dianne Ashford, Star Smith (Floor Centered) Ty Johnston-Chavis.

(Photographed by Donna Permell)

mothers, wives and daughters, but we are also the writers, producers and directors of Southern Hollywood,” says co-creator of Reel Divas and TV and film producer, JohnstonChavis. “We are all consistently working, either in development, production or post production, and we are here to stay.”

Included in the Reel Divas are award winners, international and community leaders,

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professors and professional women. Some are even executives for major companies in film and television, with decades of experience.

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OzCetera New Waldorf Astoria leisure and entertainment sales manager, Jessica Blunt

Attending filmmakers at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival

For Above the Liners: Jessica Blunt and Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead

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fter reflagging in December 2018, The Waldor f A storia Atlanta Buckhead b e c a m e t h e f i r s t Wa l d o r f A s to r ia property in the city. The luxury hotel recently appointed Jessica Blunt as the property’s new leisure and entertainment sales manager. As an Atlanta local who worked for the property when it was Mandarin Oriental, Blunt brings years of hospitality expertise to her new role.

Blunt is excited to be embarking on this new adventure with the Hilton Family, and she is looking forward to client’s experiencing quality customer service from the very best the South has to offer.

The Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead of fers an urban retreat in the hear t of Buckhead, one of the city’s more affluent neighborhoods, and the hotel attracts both out-of-town travelers and local residents alike. The hotel is known for its proximity to local travel and amenities, and it boasts idyllic filming locations with its English garden and grand staircase.

Trapped in The Black Box

By Shane Dedman

T

he 13th annual Atlanta Horror Film Festival was a three-day event that showcased over 70 titles. Creatures, creeps, machines and ghouls alike were welcomed on screen, greeting horror fanatics and filmmakers from across the country. The festival was held at Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta and hosted by Cameron Munson.

Horror is a genre of dedication, and many non-industry audience members showed up from across the Southeast to view what fresh takes Atlanta’s curation had to offer.

Notable mentions include Georgia-lensed short, Finley (2019) from director J. Zachary Thurman. The title character is a ventriloquist doll that is discovered in the attic of the three human characters’ house. Finley starts out like any other doll horror movie but allows the audience to gain sympathy through comedy, as Finley repeatedly fails at murder.

Director Brian Hanson brought The Black String (2019) to a Georgia audience af ter premiering the feature at London’s FrightFest.

The Black String stars Frankie Muniz of Malcolm in the Middle (2000) fame. In the film, Muniz suffers from a mysterious skin infection after an encounter with a call girl. He spends the rest of the film searching for answers and cures, while slowly growing more alienated from his family and friends. Hanson was a friendly resource for young filmmakers, offering unique advice and heartfelt anecdotes.

The Atlanta Horror Film Festival will not always fall on Friday the 13th as it did this year, but the community can look forward to following the continued expansion of the city’s horror film scene in the years to come.

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OzCetera

Herc tees it up for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Herc Entertainment Tees It Up For a Good Cause

H

erc Entertainment Services hosted its Fifth Annual Golf Tournament to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

The event honored the children as Georgia’s own celebrities and raised $11,000. During the event, golfers from across the state competed at Flat Creek Country Club in Peachtree City, Georgia. Golf enthusiasts, primarily from film backgrounds, played with camaraderie as they engaged in helping children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In Georgia, there is a mutual respect between the film industry and the general public; Herc Entertainment Services continues to keep these ideals alive. After the festivities, all the participants gathered for a barbeque dinner, which included braised ribs and southern-style mac and cheese.

The event ended with prizes such as a flat-screen television and YETI cooler. One golfer won first class tickets, courtesy of Delta Air Lines. Herc’s golf tournament is held annually, and the event proves that everyone is a winner when you come together to help those in need. Herc Entertainment supplys film equipment for many major Georgia productions and studios.

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OzCetera Lucas Grabeel with SCAD students at his masterclass

Lucas Grabeel with SCAD president Paula Wallace

SCAD Hosts AnimationFest By: Crystal Villarreal

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or some people, animation is life. In Georgia, many of those people go to the Savannah College of Art & Design’s (SCAD) AnimationFest, the place to be for emerging animators. The three-day event hosted some of the biggest names in the animation industry, giving students the chance to hear from a panel of experts and pre-screen films like Abominable (2019). “The Abominable showing last night has been the best thing so far,” said Laura Baker, an undergraduate student at Chattahoochee Technical College.

The conference was hosted by SCAD at the college’s Atlanta campus. The animation

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment.

community in Atlanta is small but mighty, and SCAD is steadily helping it grow. Home to animation powerhouses like Cartoon Network, Primal Screen, Awesome Inc. and many more, Atlanta is making a name for itself in the industry.

SCAD AnimationFest is a place for students to network and hunt down industry experience.

“For me, it’s been great,” said Darien Mcrae, SCAD alumni. “I’ve been able to meet other animators, hear about their experience in the industry and make connections.”

At the Designing for Animation: Costumes, Characters and Complexity panel, attendees had the chance to hear about all the detail that

goes into character design and movement for movies like Moana (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). SCAD AnimationFest was held at the college’s SCADShow Theater in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. From virtual reality to motion graphics, the industry is vast and wide, and it continues to grow year after year. “Find what sparks you,” said Kate KirbyO’Connell, a technical animation supervisor at Disney Animation Studios and SCAD alumna.

“What am I good at? Find the strength you can capitalize on and work hard.”

November / December 2019

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OzCetera Spike Lee (left) and Morehouse College, President David A. Thomas (right). Lee’s oil portrait will be the first image of a filmmaker to be featured in Morehouse College’s International Hall of Honor

Morehouse College Honors Spike Lee More coverage on first annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival page 54

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orehouse College recently presented Academy Award - winner Spike Lee with the first ever Spike Lee Award for Social Impact in Filmmaking at the school’s Ray Charles Per forming Ar ts Center. The presentation came at the conclusion of the first annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival on campus and during the 30th anniversary celebration of Lee’s film Do the Right Thing, a 1990 Academy Award-nominee for best screenplay.

Lee, an Atlanta native and third-generation Morehouse Man, thanked the faculty members who made him work harder at Morehouse, as well as his grandmother, Zimmie Reatha Shelton, a teacher and Spelman graduate who supported him in different ways. “My grandmother worked for 50 years and saved her Social Security checks for her grandchildren’s college educations,” Lee said. “I was able to see my grandmother every day, and that meant I got a good meal every day. And on Sunday, I

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment.

was able to bring a group of guys.”

Lee’s grandmother gave him money to study filmmaking in graduate school at New York University and seed money for his first feature-length film. “I say my prayers every night because I’m doing what I love,” Lee said.

In addition to the Spike Lee Award for Social Impact in Filmmaking, Lee received an Originator Award from Chris Escobar, the executive director of the Atlanta Film Society, Morehouse College’s partner in the Human Rights Film Festival. Lawrence E. Carter, the dean of the Martin Luther King International Chapel, presented Lee with an oil painting of the filmmaker’s likeness for the Morehouse College Hall of Honor. Lee’s painting will be the first likeness of a filmmaker to be hung in the school chapel’s oil portrait gallery.

The inaugural Human Rights Film Festival showcased 34 f ilms from eight countries, including documentaries, feature films and marquee films. The festival featured works

from independent filmmakers and veteran directors, including films from students and former students in the Morehouse Cinema, Television and Emerging Media Studies Program. In addition, there were workshops on screenwriting, editing, directing and producing, as well as discussions on immigration, race, politics, health care, law enforcement and the judicial system.

The purpose of the festival was to celebrate filmmakers who have dedicated themselves to the ideals of social justice. “Morehouse College has a rich legacy of producing leaders who speak truth to power across disciplines, including film and television,” said Morehouse President David A. Thomas. “Sharing that spotlight with new voices exposes our scholars, the greater Morehouse community and the public to ideas that broaden their intellect and to art that speaks to their cultural experience.”

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OzCetera

Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell re-creation of the 1996 bombing in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park.

Richard Jewell, played by Paul Walter Hauser, acted heroically to clear people away from the bomb.

(Claire Folger/Warner Bros.)

Richard Jewell Gets December Release Date

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lint East wood returns to the big screen with Georgia-lensed feature Richard Jewell (2019), the true story of a security guard who found a backpack of explosives at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Centennial Olympic Park, only to later be named a suspect and vilified by the national media and local authorities.

Richard Jewell explores the rise and fall (and rise again) of a man who

evacuated dozens of people from a live bomb-scene and then fought to stay out of prison. The movie stars I, Tonya (2017) breakout star Paul Walter Hauser in the titular role, alongside Kathy Bates, Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm, Sam Rockwell, Ian Gomez, Dylan Kussman and Wayne Duvall. Richard Jewell opens nationwide on Dec. 14.

November / December 2019

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OzCetera New episodes of Atlanta-lensed Star Trek indie, Axanar, are in production

Axanar: Going Where No Man . . . or Production . . . Has Gone Before

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ith more than four million views on YouTube, the Star Trek-inspired short Prelude to Axanar generated a lot of buzz when it dropped in 2014. The short swept the f ilm festival circuit, netting 46 awards around the globe. Writer and producer Alec Peters wrote the script over 20 years ago, and through Kickstarter he raised enough money to produce a quality product that starred actual Star Trek alumni.

Af ter raising $1.2 million for a feature film and releasing a teaser trailer, CBS and Paramount sued to stop the film from going forward. After over a year of litigation, the two industry giants settled, and Peters is now free to make two more episodes of the Axanar series. The episodes will reveal the story of the Battle of Axanar, which was referenced in the original Star Trek series but never fully realized on film. Key cast include J.G. Hertzler

(Star Trek: The Next Generation, ST: Voyager, ST: Enterprise, ST: Deep Space 9, Charmed, Six Feet Under, Quantum Leap) and Gar y Graham (Alien Nation, M.A.N.T.I.S., Siege at Ruby Ridge). Production began in October, and an audio book of the Peters’ two-hour script will be released in addition to the films.

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OzCetera Georgia actor Randall Franks is now a music hall of famer

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Randall Franks Fiddles to Fame

eorgia-based actor, producer and musical artist Randall Franks was recently inducted into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Jimmy Bowen, Gail Davies, Jeannie C. Riley and Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely. The multi-instrumentalist is perhaps best known for his role as Officer Randy Goode in the awardwinning series In the Heat of the Night (1988). “I am deeply honored to be included in such company,” Franks said. “I never imagined, as a Georgia boy who just loved to play my fiddle and sing, that one day my efforts might be heralded alongside those of so many of my musical heroes.”

Keelan Bearden Takes to the Cloud

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eelan Bearden has been tapped to lead the production services division at Cloud to Ground, an Atlanta-based production rental and post house. Bearden comes on as equipment manager, helming each aspect of operations for television and feature film equipment rentals.

A former rental manager for MBS Equipment Company, he’s managed equipment leasing for notable projects such as Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Stranger Things (2016) and True Detective (2015).

“With Keelan’s experience and oversight, Cloud to Ground will continue to provide the best production equipment at the most affordable prices in Georgia,” said Scott Thigpen, the company’s chief operating officer. “As we continue to build Cloud to Ground, bringing in the best in the industry to manage operations is key to our growth.”

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he Ultimate DC Membership recently announced a new initiative to harness the creativity and talent of DC Comics fans and unleash a new unscripted concept and video series for its nascent digital subscription service, DC Universe. In association with an Atlanta-based agency, Ideas United (iU), the streaming site kicked off DCYou Unscripted at its New York Comic-Con pop-up event headquarters, inviting emerging creators and dedicated fans alike to submit unscripted series ideas that draw on all things DC Comics.

“The DC Universe mission is to create a place for fans to dive deeper and express their fandom and this is a continuation of that aim,” said Sam Ades, the division’s senior vice president and general manager. “As we head into our second year, we're excited about this new initiative. We want to empower fans to bring their unique and diverse voices to DC Universe in this very ambitious way.”

The DCYou Unscripted project will be open for entries until Nov. 18 to any iU network member who lives in the United States and is over 18 years old. Any creator is invited to apply to join the iU network.

The top 10 entrants chosen will travel to L.A. to spend a day with industry professionals to refine their concepts and have the chance to pitch in-person to a panel of DC executives and entertainment luminaries.

Three finalists will move on to have unscripted pilots produced by iU in Atlanta, with one final entrant receiving a series order that will launch exclusively on DC’s digital streaming service.

“Working with DC Universe allows us to highlight the tremendous talent of the next generation of creatives and give them an unbelievable opportunity to share their ideas with the world,” said Abe Mohammadione, iU’s vice president of creative and production.

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Among the acts filmed by three squared at Atlanta Music Fest: DMX, Busta Rymes, Queen-Naija and Raphael-Saddiq

Celebrating 20 Years at three squared

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igital agency three squared, based in Buckhead and started by brothers Shane and Eric King, produce awardwinning programs and immersive media experiences that include 360 video, augmented reality, virtual reality and dynamic drone aerials. three squared of fer s turnkey p roduc t ion ser v ices inclu d in g scr ip t in g , s to r y b oard in g ,

location, post, 2D and 3D animation and audio.

Recently the three squared team produced 360 video content for the 10th annual Atlanta Music Fest in Centennial Park. Acts included Gucci Mane, Wu-Tang Clan, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Busta Rhymes, Three 6 Mafia, DMX and more.

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as well as footage of the overall venue and the enormous crowds. “360 video is a great way to get vast coverage an event like that,” says co-founder Shane King. “It gives viewers a chance to feel like they are truly a part of the actual live audience experience.”

November / December 2019

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OzCetera DVI CEO Matthew Lopes

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DVI Group Tends to Fast Growth

hanks to a three-year revenue growth of 244 percent, The DVI Group now ranks number 1,677 on Inc. magazine’s annual 5,000 list, a prestigious list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful

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companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment. The DVI Group joins Microsof t, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Zillow and other wellknown brands.

“We’re excited about how The DVI Group is performing as we enter into our 20th year,” said DVI CEO Matthew Lopes. “Our clients have entrusted us with providing innovative video content and integrated marketing services for

their world-renowned brands, and the success of our creative partnerships is evident in the recognition and awards that have happened as a result. From being short-listed at Cannes, to being ranked in the Inc. 5,000, I’m extremely proud of our client relationships and the hard work and dedication of everyone at DVI who have made achieving this honor possible.”

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COVER STORY

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

DISCOVERS PRECIOUS STONE IN

GEORGIA

How Warner Bros. Found Their Shining Stone in Actor Kyliegh Curran

By B. Sonenreich

G

eorgia preteens pressed up against their classroom window to watch as Kyliegh Curran received the news of her latest casting. The hallways filled with whispered cheers as Curran’s mother relayed the message to her outside of her reading class.

“Kyliegh,” she recalls her mom saying in the school hallway, “You’re going to be in a movie!”

After a couple auditions on tape and a callback from director Mike Flanagan, it was settled.

Curran was going to star in

Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep (2019), the sequel to King’s haunted hotel story, The Shining.

Doctor Sleep picks up on the iconic story of Danny Torrance, the young, telepathic boy who rode his tricycle through the deserted Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980). The sequel takes place 40 years after Danny’s traumatizing experience at the Overlook Hotel.

In an effort to find peace of mind, Danny tries to cut his bad coping habits and settle down somewhere once and for all.

However, the potential for peace is shattered when Danny meets Abra Stone, a young girl who also possesses an extrasensory gift, what King termed “the shine.”

Flanagan’s film stars Ewan McGregor as Danny Torrance and Curran, in her major feature debut, as Abra Stone. It’s hard not to doubt Curran’s age; she acts much older than she is. The now 13-year-old brings an air of confidence and ease to the table that one might associate with an “old soul.”

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Perhaps this apparent wisdom is linked to Curran’s multi-city upbringing.

Born in Miami, Curran practiced theater in a conservatory at Actors Playhouse in first and second grade. “[The conservatory] taught me the basics of music and acting,” said Curran.

She took her first bow at that very theater in Coral Gables, a flourishing Spanish-style area located southwest of Downtown Miami. This was the location that facilitated Curran’s appreciation for the arts, a place where she was first given the opportunity to be in the spotlight. By the end of Curran’s first show, Madeline’s Christmas, she had a realization: “This is my life now!”

Coral Gables was ultimately a launching point to even greater achievements. “I think [Actors Playhouse] is very close to Broadway, so that was a very good base for when I moved up to New York,” said Curran. For eight months, Curran and her mom would wake up in Manhattan. Curran, who landed the role of young Nala in Broadway’s production of Julie Taymor’s The Lion King, looks back at her time in New York with a tinge of nostalgia. Taymor’s production concept of presenting actors as animals simultaneously with puppetry won Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Musical and for Best Costumes in 1998. It was Curran’s first major theatrical role yet.

Every day in the city was an opportunity for Curran to explore with her mother. They’d go to the market and spend time in the park before Curran’s performances. Oftentimes, they would meet up with Mehret Marsh, the other young actor performing the role of young Nala, cultivating a friendship Curran still cherishes today. Curran fondly recalls the cast of The Lion King when considering who has supported and informed her career as an actor. “We’re all very supportive of each other,” said Curran.

“We help each other practice. We make up dance routines. It’s a very inclusive community.”

However, New York and Miami had their setbacks. While Curran praises both cities for being musically oriented, she recognizes that her current success is directly linked to Atlanta’s booming film industry. “Atlanta is very film based,” Curran said in an appreciative tone. “More studios and more opportunity for film.”

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“

We looked at north of 900 actors trying to find our Abra, of varying degrees of experience,” said director Mike Flanagan. “This is the character to whom King is passing the mantle of The

“

Shining to. This is the new generation of The Shining and Abra is a force to be reckoned with...she’s more powerful than Dan.

Juggling attendance at the British Academy of Performing Arts, an acting academy in Marietta, the Renaissance International School of Performing Arts in Milton, working with a voice teacher and acting coach and participating in theater, Curran also manages to complete her academic work, spend time with her siblings and friends and attend dance classes. “The dance programs are amazing here,” Curran said as she listed her dance classes off both of her hands. “Two classes of ballet, two classes of jazz, modern and tap.”

Curran’s discipline and maturity level are the key components to her success. The young actor understands the level of mastery and work ethic that is required to become a star. However, her love for horror sets her apart from other child actors, many who would not dare to take on the dark material Curran developed and performed in Doctor Sleep.

“I will never push for a child to audition for something the parent feels is not appropriate,” said a Georgia talent agent who prefers to remain anonymous. “It is the agent’s job to present the opportunity.

It is the parent’s job to monitor the material, protect their child and decide whether their child is mature enough to handle certain material.”

“They’ve always been super supportive,” Curran said in regard to what her parents think about her role in Doctor Sleep. “They were there to help me if I ever felt uncomfortable.”

Kyliegh Curran and director Mike Flanagan.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

“The smartest thing I see are parents who keep their kids grounded, respectful of others, maintain a normal life off set and allow them to be kids when they are not [at] work,” said the Georgia-based agent, who has specialized in representing young talent in both Atlanta and Los Angeles.

“It was great to have my mom or my dad on set,” said Curran. “One day my mom saw me on the monitors and was like, ‘Kyliegh, you did so well!’ And we went out and got ice cream; it was amazing.”

As bright and positive as Curran is, she admits to her affinity for anything horror. When she’s not being a kid, she is immersing herself in the horror genre in both film and literary mediums. Curran has watched Doctor Sleep director Mike Flanagan’s terrifying filmography and is currently reading Stephen King’s The Stand. “My brain just exploded; there was so much suspense,” said Curran, shifting the conversation from her own roots to her admiration of Doctor Sleep’s origins, Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining.

Curran’s mother is usually her partner in exploring the genre, but Curran even had trouble convincing her to watch Kubrick’s film. The Shining is a disturbing, psychological thriller.

The film starts at the Overlook Hotel, a beautiful establishment that needs a capable caretaker for the upcoming winter.

Jack Torrance, played by a young

Jack Nicholson, arrives at the hotel for an interview. He is warned that a past caretaker who tried to stay the winter ended up butchering his family and taking his own life before the season came to a close.

Torrance, desperate for a quiet place to finish his writing, accepts the position anyways. He gathers his wife and son, played by Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd respectively, and he drives them to the hotel with high hopes to finally complete his book. However, the empty Overlook is anything but quiet; it is home to spirits that terrify and coerce the Torrance family, while also distorting time and space.

“My mom refused to watch The Shining with me,” said Curran. “Before the callback, my dad and I watched [it].” Curran and her father shared the terrifying experience at Movie Tavern in Tucker, Georgia. Curran excitedly describes the moments of watching Kubrick’s masterpiece on the silver screen: “I felt so invested in the movie because of how big the screen is. The volume was way louder, so the music kept shocking everyone with jump scares.”

Krzysztof Penderecki, the Polish composer of Kubrick’s The Shining, creates music that chills to the bone. The Guardian once wrote that Penderecki’s compositions are “used as the musical manifestation of the subconscious,” and

Kyliegh Curran - Photography by Tracy Bosworth Page

that each piece is a “sonic realization of the horrifying and disturbing realms of imagination.” Curran’s appreciation for Penderecki’s music and the way it evokes jump scares from the audience, suggests that she might one day take a seat in a graduate level film studies course with the ability to not only contribute to discussion, but also direct it. Curran is not afraid of the interaction between the film and the audience; she’s curious and explorative, building a vocabulary around cinema at a young age that is necessary when entering the realm of film theory and criticism.

“There were just so many little things that put you off; it was so disturbing,” said Curran, almost jumping out of her seat with excitement. She says that she was especially creeped out by Kubrick’s smaller details. The title card that reads “A MONTH LATER,” still makes her skin crawl. “How can dates be so scary?” she asks rhetorically.

When Curran talks about Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining, she reveals a deeper connection between her and the fans lining up to watch the sequel. There is an admiration for Kubrick’s attention to detail that every horror exploring cinephile shares. Even if one was to watch the film once a month, there are aspects of Kubrick’s adaptation that can still shock and confuse. Jack Torrance’s reflection doesn’t always show up in the hotel

mirrors he passes by, the television in the lobby area has no visible cord plugged in (but plays for Danny anyway) and the camera takes on a phantom-like quality while noiselessly following Danny’s tricycle through the Overlook’s hairraising hallways.

Soon after viewing Kubrick’s chilling film in theatres, Curran accepted her invitation to read for Abra Stone in front of the director Mike Flanagan. “Mr. Mike himself—called my mom and goes, ‘Hey, we’d love to have Kyliegh come in and read with Mr. Ewan,” Curran said with a smile from ear to ear.

Curran remembers the reading as a relaxed experience with kind professionals. “My nerves just melted away, and I did my best. And I hoped that was good enough, and it was,” she said about reading lines with Ewan McGregor in front of Flanagan.

Flanagan is not a stranger to the horror genre, nor Georgia-lensed productions. His latest television series, The Haunting of Hill House (2018), was filmed in LaGrange, Georgia and Atlanta.

The show premiered on Netflix last October, and its haunting popularity gained Flanagan a second season.

“We brought in Kyliegh to meet Ewan and to do a test scene with him to see how they connected,” Flanagan explains. “And Ewan came out of the experience saying, ‘I feel so in tune with her. I think that the relationship between Dan and Abra really is the heart of the movie for me, and with her, I see it. I can see it all working.’”

A chemistry read is an opportunity for an actor to read lines with the actor playing the role opposite of theirs, usually the lead. It is a chance for the director to view the instinctual relationship between actors. Before every chemistry read, the casting director must first approve the actor.

“We looked at north of 900 actors trying to find our Abra, of varying degrees of experience,” said Flanagan. “This is the character to whom King is passing the mantle of The Shining to. This is the new generation of The Shining and Abra is a force to be reckoned with...she’s more powerful than Dan.”

This country is full of competitive talent agencies hoping to cast actors in career-launching roles, as big and small studios do nationwide searches. It is

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Curran and Flanagan discuss the scene.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

incredible that out of all of the children, from the east coast to the west, that auditioned for the role of Abra, Flanagan discovered the precious stone right here in Georgia.

The importance of chemistry here is undeniable. Curran proved she was able to perform alongside Golden Globe-winner for Fargo (2018) Ewan McGregor, while also managing to contribute an organic element to the relationship. This isn’t simply a vocal match; it’s a physical match as well. Chemistry cannot be faked, and neither can potential stardom. During the chemistry read and throughout filming, Curran radiated the energy Flanagan needed to see alongside someone with as much experience and star power as McGregor.

“Definitely watching them work was a big learning experience for me,” Curran said about working alongside McGregor and Doctor Sleep’s main villain, Rose the Hat (played by Rebecca Ferguson). “They would kind of talk to themselves when they were getting ready, and right before the camera would turn on, they’d just snap right into character.”

“At one point, Mr. Ewan would be playing chess, and then he’s standing all of a sudden as Dan Torrance,” Curran said with a voice full of admiration. There are levels of genius to this career that sometimes go unnoticed. Curran studied these moments on set, recognizing the gift McGregor has to be able to play strategic games, support Curran as a co-star and act his own part.

In addition to studying McGregor’s skillset, Curran prepared to work under Flanagan’s guidance by going through

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his IMDb page and watching his feature films, including Before I Wake (2016), as well as his Netflix series debut, Haunting of Hill House. “I watched [Haunting of Hill House] three times,” said Curran. “It’s a masterpiece!”

Flanagan’s original series follows a family of young parents and children who endeavor to flip an old, creeping house that still stands today in LaGrange, a town located southeast of Atlanta. Flanagan directed the series’ child actors to perform a spectrum of extreme emotions: insurmountable fear, unwavering bravery and intense selfpreservation.

Curious to understand how child actors approach such intense material, Oz asked Curran if there were parts of Doctor Sleep that scared her to the point of stepping away from the script. “I read halfway through Doctor Sleep,” she said, pointing to the paperback copy on the table. “But it got way too disturbing for me. I couldn’t really handle how disturbing it was.”

“I learned how to kind of ‘leave it at the door’ and separate my character from my real life because sometimes we can muddle our characters with our real life, and that just really messes with your mind,” Curran said about engaging with a script that disturbed her to her core. “I try to think about the positive things in my life and in the world,” said Curran. “But there are somethings you can’t let go of from the book and script.”

Casting a child actor is more than a phenomenon; it is a shot in the dark.

Before any acting coaches come in, and prior to auditioning on tape, the

young actor has to find their calling at an age when children are traditionally distracted, hyper and, without an adult’s supervision, almost completely directionless.

Curran’s acting is a firm and wellresearched career move. She does not get on stage or in front of the camera because of her love for playing pretend. Curran knows this is what she was born to do, and she is building mastery over the skills with a focus that is often impossible to attain by other children in her age group.

“We generally know in the first few seconds of meeting if a child has the personality and a sparkle in their eyes,” said the Georgia-based talent agent on witnessing star power. “From there, we look at how well they listen, follow directions, express themselves and, if they are at a certain reading level, how well they deliver lines.”

“[Curran] was kind of brand new, and it’s one of those stories you hear about where someone’s audition just naturally rises up past this ocean of fully deserving, wonderfully talented, very experienced young actors,” said Flanagan. “She really just kind of distinguished herself.”

Curran’s performance refused to be overlooked. She was able to tap into the fear and perseverance required for Abra Stone’s character during the chemistry reading.

“I really put myself in Abra’s shoes,” Curran said. She discloses the question she asked herself in order to act frightened or in combat with the villains of Doctor Sleep, such as Rose the Hat. “How would I feel if this horrible, disgusting person was standing right in front of me?”

The question prompted emotions of rage, terror and trepidation.

“I would love to see just what’s going on in his mind when he’s writing,” said Curran, describing her experience reading King, an author she admires for his ability to evoke fear from his readers while holding them in for a lengthy period of time. Most of his books can run from 300 to 1,138 pages. Curran’s reading level is beyond impressive. Most children wait until high school to crack open their first Stephen King novel, but for Curran it was necessary research for the role of Abra.

In both King’s and Kubrick’s versions of The Shining, the Overlook’s chef, Dick Halloran, explains to Danny Torrance

T

Red carpet premiere. Photo courtesy of K Curran

what “the shine” really is. Before the Overlook’s staff clears out of the hotel for winter, Halloran gives Torrance and his mother, Wendy a tour of the industrial kitchen. When she leaves her son with Halloran to tour the rest of the Overlook, Halloran leans over to tell Torrance about the first times he realized his own shine.

“I can remember when I was a little boy, my grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths,” Halloran says to a quiet, young Torrance. “She called it shining. And for a long time, I thought it was just the two of us that had the shine to us. Just like you probably thought you was the only one.”

In order to accomplish scenes like this, The Shining and Doctor Sleep both use voice-over to illustrate the powers of the shining to audiences; to show a conversation going on between two telepathic characters who never open their mouths.

“They took me into a separate room and I just read lines without context,” Curran said while describing her own experience to showcase Abra’s ability to speak telepathically to McGregor’s character. To Curran, voice-over work does not provide the same challenges she loves taking on in front of the camera.

“It wasn’t a big deal. It was just a reading off of the lines, putting it in the mic and then you’re done,” Curran said. “I like voice-over work, but I don’t really see myself doing that. I like to be in front of the camera and being able to see what I’m doing.”

Curran, now 13-years-old, finds film to be a happy balance between theater and

voice-over when considering the difficulty of the three mediums. “In theater, we all know you have one shot, and if you mess it up, you mess it up,” said Curran. “Retakes for me were very liberating because Mr. Mike let you have as many retakes as you wanted.”

In addition to creating a balance between real life and the character played on camera, Curran believes that work ethic should be considered the most important aspect of an actor’s career if they plan on making it. “There’s a lot of Georgia talent, and I don’t think they get enough recognition,” Curran said. “I’d tell [those aspiring actors], ‘Persistence and hard work definitely pay off,’ and, ‘You’re doing great, keep it up!’”

There is an obvious admiration that Curran holds for Flanagan's ability to create King's unique universe; the director adapted Doctor Sleep into a full-length screenplay himself. “I have a lot to learn about music, [and] a lot to learn about acting," said Curran. "Especially with expressions and reactions, I definitely need to learn more about that. I’m hoping to learn a lot more about writing too.”

With high school around the corner, Curran plans to attend a performing arts academy to continue strengthening her skillset.

“I want to write novels, horror novels and scripts,” Curran said zealously. For now, viewers can see the young actor on the silver screen in Stephen King's Doctor Sleep, but it might not be long before Curran pens her own feature-length horror film. She might even direct it.

he Haunting of Hill House stars Henry Thomas as the father Hugh Crain; however, viewers might recognize him as Elliott, the young boy who houses a friendly, homesick alien in Steven Spielberg’s ‘80s masterpiece, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982).

The casting of Elliott did not come easy for casting director, Marci Liroff. “The Story of Casting Elliott in E.T.” is a short film available on YouTube. It briefly tells the story of Liroff’s casting experience and her ability to be perceptive while judging a plethora of child actors for the role. “In about three seconds flat, [Thomas] had us all crying behind the camera.

He just became this little boy.

He used his, I think his fear and his anxiety, to really push further in the role,” Liroff said describing Thomas reading Elliot’s lines. “And he moved us so deeply and so, so fully.”

The video captures Thomas crying to someone reading the NASA agent’s lines off-screen.

Thomas’s chin trembles, his eyes well up and he pleads to the NASA agent who is trying to take E.T. away from him. “I don’t care what the president says,” a young Thomas recites, tears streaming down his small cheeks. “He’s my best friend!”

Spielberg’s voice is heard off-screen after the audition comes to its end, “Hey kid, you got a job.”

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Ä„

THEIR PURPOSE DRIVEN MISSION

Afemo and Elisabeth Omilami

By Jatika H.Patterson

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in need of "rightWnow,”ea are renaissance says Elisabeth

Omilami, actress and CEO of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless (now known as Hosea Helps). She runs the company alongside her husband, chief operating officer and fellow actor, Afemo Omilami. Her words come from an honest place of using art to improve the lives of others and combine the worlds of entertainment and philanthropy. That combination can be challenging in one household, but Elisabeth and Afemo make a powerhouse team that makes it come seamlessly together.

The Omilami's, Congressman John Lewis, Chris Tucker and Santa entertain families in need at their annual Hosea Helps event

In 2000, Elisabeth inherited Hosea Helps from her father, civil rights icon Reverend Hosea Williams, who created the organization to keep hunger out of Atlanta’s communities with an annual Thanksgiving and Christmas meal drive.

Every year since 1971, Hosea Helps has fed, housed and offered employment assistance to more than 40,000 Atlanta residents. The pair has managed to increase the services and create a yearround business model that allows them to touch a larger group of people. “It’s more than the Thanksgiving dinners,” Afemo explains. “We came into leadership, and we went from the two [holiday] events to providing services all year around.”

They are among a small group of people who hold two equally demanding, full-time jobs: philanthropy and entertainment. Afemo, who has a long list of movie credits, shares that he would love to play a superhero one day, and the irony of his statement shines a

light on his humble spirit. In Raising Dion (2019), Afemo plays an ornery apartment supervisor who gives seemingly idle threats to the protagonist and his mother while the boy learns to control his newly found superpowers. The series, produced

by Michael B. Jordan, gets Afemo one step closer to his superhero role, but only on the other side, as an unempathetic character.

In reality, Afemo’s hero work started many years ago when, in the middle of his acting career, he added philanthropist to his name. When Rev. Williams passed away in 2000, Afemo had a role in Remember the Titans (2000), starring Denzel Washington. He and his wife knew they had to pick up the torch that her father lit and keep the work going.

Their community and social activism always find a way to make it on screen, making them a couple of true creative forces, much like Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Just as in life and their 42-year

Afemo Omilami in Steel Magnolias (2011)

marriage, they’ve often carried out their acting roles together, which has positioned them as a “go-to” couple for the screen. In Ray (2004), they played a couple who abruptly interrupted a Ray Charles performance in a club, warning the dancers and performers that they were hell-bound for listening to his groundbreaking combination of gospel and bebop music. In Selma, Lord Selma (1999), they were not a couple, but they graced the screen to tell the story of two young girls coming of age and fighting in the civil rights movement.

Between them, the two have appeared in some of Hollywood’s more iconic movies and TV shows. Elisabeth has recently starred in American Soul (2019), Merry Wishmas (2018) and Hap and Leonard (2016). Afemo can be seen in the upcoming Creepshow (2019), Poms (2019), Full Count (2019), A Brother’s Honor (2019) and Freedom’s Path (2019). He can also be found on Bounce TV as detective Noah St. Charles in Saints and Sinners (2016). His credits also include, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), The Firm (1993) and Survivor’s Remorse (2014).

More recently in the Georgia-lensed film, Best of Enemies (2019), the Omilami’s helped tell the courageous story of Ann Atwater, a civil rights activist who fought the plight of poverty in rural North Carolina in the 1960s. Elisabeth

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Elisabeth Omilami in The Blind Side (2009) For Elisabeth Omilami, acting and helping lead Hosea Helps is a talent With support from Delta Elisabeth makes sure Hosea Helps those in need that are hungry

“If we didn’t have our acting careers, we would be bonkers. It lifts us up. This is [our] therapy: to be creative.”

�

- Elisabeth Omilami

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shared how working with Academy Award-winner Sam Rockwell and Emmy Award-winner Taraji P. Henson gave her insight into how to take on such a deep and soul-gripping role. “I found out that Taraji is a true, committed actress because the conditions that we had to film in were very challenging,” she said. “The whole experience proved to me that it was a labor of love for her; that she did it not because of any other reason, but she believed in the story of Ms. Ann Atwater.”

In 2014, Elisabeth played the lead role in the stage version of Best of Enemies at Atlanta Theater, Theatrical Outfit.

Playing the character herself and talking with Atwater’s family gave Elisabeth the privilege of sharing her knowledge of the activist.

Sharing their leadership, acting expertise and passions with the communities they serve is something Elisabeth and Afemo look forward to.

They want to help others reach their

full potential in the entertainment industries, both on stage and screen, that have brought them so much joy.

Elisabeth explains, “If we didn’t have our acting careers, we would be bonkers. It lifts us up. This is [our] therapy: to be creative.” Another part of their mission is to encourage creativity in others through mentorship. The couple express their pride in a few of their former co-actors and what they’ve come to accomplish in the harsh world of Hollywood. In Selma, Lord Selma (1999), Afemo plays a young girl’s father, who is played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell. He beams with pride thinking of the roster of films she’s worked on and starred in.

In the midst of all of their community work and encouragement, the couple has fought for their own acting careers. Audition after audition has kept them on their toes. Each audition has helped them master handling rejection by being brutally honest with themselves and any other actor or artist that stands in front of that table. “I don’t care what any actor says, ‘Oh, I just forget about it and go on.’ No, you don’t. You don’t forget.

You wonder why,” she laughs. Drawing courage and taking examples from those they encounter through Hosea Helps, Elisabeth and Afemo push through the rejections and keep fighting for what they want and need.

It has ultimately been a labor of love that fueled them to build Hosea Helps to serve even more families. They constantly hear stories of families living out of cars, facing hunger and falling into depression.

Giving their all to help families stay together and stay afloat, as well as living their cinematic dreams, is a daunting double life, but Elisabeth and Afemo have mastered the balancing act. They aspire to the heights of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, who were incomparable storytellers of their time.

Throughout their careers, they’ve taken on roles that will stay with them and allow them to keep dreaming and stretching their talents. Afemo shares that his role in Sankofa (1993) was his most impactful acting job. He played a slave that was trained by his master to become a cruel overseer of his own people.

While learning about Noble Ali, Afemo discovered that he could relate to the character on a deeper level. There was a

The Omilami's philanthropy is contagious with Atlanta's Arthur Blank

Tyler Perry helps the "have nots" have Hosea Helps

time in his life when he was conditioned to believe less of himself. “I was born in a very poor place and kind of brainwashed about my history, who I am,” he said.

“And I was totally ignorant. Yet through all of that, I began to find my way to the revolutionary person of, ‘Afemo Omilami.’”

“People find their way to us to say, ‘can you help us?’ I don’t care whether we are

in India, Africa or Asia, or just out on the street! We had to finally accept that we’ve been marked.”

�

- Afemo Omilami

Elisabeth recounts her favorite character on the 1990s stage of the Alliance Theater, when she got the chance to bring John Henry Redwood’s The Old Settler to life. In the story, an older woman who’s running a boarding home with her sister catches the eye, and heart, of a young male boarder. The romance sparks ire and temptation in the house. But Elisabeth also leaves a little room to keep looking for a role that removes her out of her comfort zone. After seeing Octavia Spencer star in the thriller Ma (2019), she

(L-R) Elisabeth & Afemo Omilami inspire activism to others, special guest, Armelia Cartier and director Rob Hardy

knew that she would love to play a villain.

With a laugh, she admits it could release some every day tensions.

Confronted with the idea of being typecast as freedom fighters and leaders, the thought doesn’t seem to bother Elisabeth and Afemo one bit. As a matter of fact, they welcome it. “If we don’t tell our stories, someone else is going to write them and tell them wrong,” she said.

“Then we can’t blame them for telling it wrong because you didn’t tell it, and you knew [the stories].”

The Omilami’s activism and love can be found in nearly all of their roles.

They’ve played strong willed characters and tremendously vulnerable characters.

They have been able to find themselves in the parts they play and have a front row seat in the lives and minds of others that they may otherwise never know about. That educational, service-oriented dynamic is a winning combination.

Afemo mentions how they get recognized for both their acting and activism in their travels. “People find their way to us to say, ‘Can you help us?’” he said. “I don’t care whether we are in India, Africa or Asia, or just out on the street! We had to finally accept that we’ve been marked.”

Just as in one of Afemo’s latest projects, Raising Dion, he and his wife are still learning about the superpowers they possess: the power to save lives, return dignity and tell the stories of the real-life fighters. Raising Dion tells a story of selfacceptance and self-love that often falls on deaf ears. The show gives insight into the fictional life of an amazing, powerful black boy, who could possibly save the world. And it’s the truth of a story that we need today; not all heroes wear capes. The work that Elisabeth and Afemo do shows that you can do absolutely anything with the superpower that lives inside your gift.

November / December 2019

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Do

es By: Christine Bunish

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p Making o St Fa

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“The scope of the project was challenging: ten episodes over a nine-month shoot in Georgia.

It was scheduled like a ten-hour movie with the same director Kurtzman & Justin Long - final touch ups after placing Justin in a full facial prosthetic and then a "walrus" body cavity in Kevin Smith's Tusk

throughout.”

M

onsters are a great motivator.

Generations of movie and comic book monsters have inspired kids to build their own creatures, mold scary masks and devise blood and gore designed to still the hearts of mothers everywhere. Who knew that the rudimentary props, prosthetics and makeup skills they acquired in childhood would lead these Atlanta-based make-up effects artists to successful careers on screens big and small?

Kurtzman Opens Atlanta Studio

Joshua Campbell as The Basement Ghost in Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House

Victoria Padretti as Nell/Bent Neck Lady in Netlfix series The Haunting of Hill House

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Robert Kurtzman, the renowned make-up effects and creature designer who heads Robert Kurtzman MUFX, LLC in Atlanta and Santa Fe, has worked in the field since the age of 19. He grew up in Ohio drawing, sketching and painting; was an avid reader of Famous Monsters of Filmland and Fangoria magazines, and followed the careers of movie monster-makers.

“I was amazed by the old-timers but didn’t even think of creating make-up as a career,” he says. He tried art college for a year then dropped out and moved to L.A. to pursue monster making. He enrolled in a 12-week course at make-up maven Joe Blasco’s studio where he learned the basics of corrective make-up then landed a job at Mechanical and Makeup Imageries (M.M.I.), “a great learning ground” that enabled him to work on half a dozen low budget films a year.

Kurtzman freelanced for a number of years and met his future partners, Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, with whom

he founded KNB EFX Group Inc. in 1988.

One of the most prolific effects studios in Hollywood, KNB has hundreds of feature and television credits, including numerous films with Quentin Tarantino and Wes Craven. Kurtzman left in 2003 to direct and offered special make-up and creature effects through Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps in Ohio. He launched Robert Kurtzman MUFX in Atlanta two years ago.

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and I’m still learning,” he says. “What excites me are the filmmakers, the projects, the characters and their different looks.

Straight up gore is the most boring thing to do: How many times can you see a head pulled off? But what’s exciting is creating an aging makeup or an unusual character with prosthetics.”

Some of Kurtzman’s most challenging work was for season one of The Haunting of Hill House, the Netflix series loosely based on the iconic Shirley Jackson ghost story, which has been filmed a number of times (KNB worked on the 1999 Liam Neeson version). The series debuted last fall.

“The scope of the project was challenging: ten episodes over a ninemonth shoot in Georgia. It was scheduled like a ten-hour movie with the same director throughout,” he reports. “There were a variety of characters with age make-up and prosthetics; there was even a nine-foot- tall character. It was shot

Shark bite for Baywatch

4K so all the make-up had to be cleaner and more precise, although almost every make-up product is created for HD now and has to hold up to scrutiny. The show was one of the most well received ever on Netflix; fans really liked it. The fact that it was more of a family drama with scary images made it very endearing.”

The now-classic 1996 Dusk Till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino based on a story by Kurtzman, was also a challenge for “the sheer amount of work. We did everything but the kitchen sink and had ten times more planned,” Kurtzman recalls. “It was at a time when digital effects were just starting to come out, and the physical elements and digital VFX were not blending well."

“At first, us physical effects guys didn’t want anything to do with digital,” he notes. “But when I was directing I had to learn what could best be done practically and digitally. Once I started doing digital, I embraced it. You don’t want to overuse one or the other; you want them to blend perfectly.”

Over the last decade Kurtzman and his colleagues in the industry have seen tools and techniques evolve and change.

“The advances in silicone products have been great,” he reports. “We make our own silicone appliances and ProsAide transfers” to apply to the skin to simulate lacerations and scars. “Sometimes we CyberScan a body and mill out body forms to build costumes. And we work with 3D printing houses on prototypes to demo to producers.” Greasepaint has also been

Prop body from Ozark

phased out in favor of alcohol-based make-up, which “holds up twice as long” and looks better when captured by highresolution cameras, he notes.

Kurtzman’s recent feature film credits include Kevin Smith’s Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, shot in New Orleans, and Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep and the science fiction pilot (Future) Cult Classic, both shot in Georgia. “My crew here has been great,” he says. “People willing to put in the effort and work hard will always find jobs in this business. But you have to eat and sleep this stuff. You have to continue to improve your portfolio.”

Johnson Goes NonStop at Lone Wolf Bill Johnson, owner of Lone Wolf Effects in Lawrenceville, made Super 8 movies, crafted miniatures, worked on student projects at the University of Georgia and took a job in an art store in his run up to a career in make-up effects. He took the Dick Smith mail order make-up course and got his first professional break in 1987 creating “blood and gore” make-up effects on Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland, which filmed back-to-back in Georgia.

Film work picked up in the 1990s with Johnson earning credits for RoboCop 3, Freejack, Pet Sematary Two and The Patriot, among others. With the new century and increased production incentives in Georgia, Johnson is working steadily with a regular crew. “It’s pretty much non-stop now,” he reports.

Fat make up for Champaign Illinois

Johnson has been make-up effects department head for Ozark’s three seasons creating prop bodies, gore effects and prop animals. He has worked on Stranger Things as a makeup effects supplier and recently as make-up effects designer/department head on The Outsider, the Stephen King miniseries that airs next year on HBO.

Currently, Johnson coordinates with make-up department head Travis Pates on Doom Patrol, which debuted last February on the DC UNIVERSE streaming platform. Season two begins in November with the superhero series returning to DC UNIVERSE and launching on HBO Max.

“It’s not easy but real creative and lots of fun,” says Johnson of the series, which shoots in Conyers. “It’s odd to say but we did a very pretty scar make-up for

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“It's odd to say, but we did a very pretty scar make-up for Matt Bomer's Negative Man character.

It's a challenge to make something that's normally horrific actually beautiful in its own way.”

A splitting headache courtesy of Bill Johnson

Matt Bomer’s Negative Man character.

It’s a challenge to make something that’s normally horrific actually beautiful in its own way. Travis wanted a crystal skull look with purple marbling but painting to make something glassy looking is tricky. So, I created a tattoo with a purple marbled look, laid it over clear pieces and airbrushed and painted over them to get an iridescence.”

Johnson also created more than two dozen prosthetics for Negative Man’s full-body burn make-up. He’s worked on most of the show’s characters, including Crazy Jane’s more extreme multiple personalities.

With the advent of HD and UHD camera capture, new materials and techniques are employed “to make sure what we do works with that kind of clarity of image,” Johnson explains.

The application of new silicone products creates seamless prosthetics, and spattering techniques done with a specialty airbrush add realism.

Johnson also uses digital tools like Adobe Photoshop and Pixologic’s Zbrush.

“I’ll take a photo of an actor and create

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a bruise in the computer, do an overlay and show the director what it looks like before I create a tattoo that looks exactly the same,” he explains. “As the bruise progressively heals I can change its shape and color. I did this with a character on The Outsider.”

Johnson still enjoys designing, sculpting and painting in his shop.

He encourages his crew members to “gravitate to their strong suits” but also “learn all the other areas until you’re proficient in them.”

While 13 seasons of the science fiction series Face Off “sparked a lot of interest in make-up effects and helped sell the resurgence of practical effects,” Johnson wonders if the field is overrun at the moment. “I would never discourage anyone from following their passion, but in terms of creating make-up effects you can learn the techniques end of things, but you have to have an artistic background too.”

Morton's Silver Scream Makes Noise Shane Morton, owner of Atlanta’s artists collective Silver Scream FX LAB, has been doing special effects for 25 years with make-up effects a big part of his repertoire.

Watching the original King Kong on this third birthday “blew my baby mind.

I wanted to make monsters!” he reveals (Morton got to meet King Kong’s Ray Harryhausen years later when the master monster-maker complimented Morton’s work.) He qualified for enrichment classes in school where he saw many classic films, attended the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) on a full scholarship, then got into music and touring for a decade. He had been doing Halloween and haunted house make-up when Rob Zombie, with whom he’d toured, asked him to do the hair, wardrobe and make-up for the extras in Halloween II (2009). For one scene “my team of eight did 275 make-

Shane Morton working on skull prop

Shane Morton making custom White Walker suit for Game of Thrones Premiere at the Fox Theatre

ups in under four hours,” he recalls.

After focusing on making monsters full time, Morton landed the Adult Swim series, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, serving as the art director of Hell and supplying special effects and make-up.

The show is shot in Georgia; season four debuted last spring.

“That show helped catapult me. Since I’m in on the design I’m able to give it my personal sort of wacky, low-brow, rock ’n roll look, the kind of thing that inspired me as a kid,” Morton explains. “While I’m known for gross stuff…I’ve done so many decapitations and eye gougings…I really prefer more silly and fun stuff.”

He notes that, “quite a few shows have challenges. Even if you have time to do test make-up, the conditions may be different on the set.” For an episode of Your Pretty Face Morton found himself “doing make-up change-ups hanging on the side of a mountain: The character had fallen into a crevice. It took 30 minutes to climb up to the location, and there was no

“While I'm known for gross stuff I've done so many decapitations and eye gougings, I really prefer more silly and fun stuff.” electricity to power the airbrush I needed to give a cartoon look. So, I had to fake an airbrushed look without the tool.”

Morton is now charged with creating “live in-camera people disintegration effects” for the show. He’s employing “all kinds of stage magic ideas” using “make-up effects with digital effects applied to it for a Pepper’s ghost type of solution.”

Using “digital VFX on top of make-up to arrive at the best solution is an exciting thing,” he says. A few years ago, a Starbenders music video required a nose removal and mouth enlargement for an alien character. Morton “painted the real nose blue so it could be removed in post; then we scanned a nose we made.

They applied it to the face and removed it digitally. The mouth enlargement was done digitally too.”

Morton is proud of his 20,000-square foot FX LAB where he not only works but also offers make-up classes for kids and adults “based on the Dick Smith monster manual method. We keep the classes to 13-16 people, and they accomplish a surprisingly nice zombie, werewolf or swamp thing make-up by the end of the day. We want to branch out and do more.”

Morton praises Atlanta’s “great horror community of creative artists” whose principles of “solidarity and inclusion make the horror scene here better and stronger.” Morton’s Live Silver Scream Spook Show has been running almost 15 years bringing artists and fans together to share their mutual love for monsters.

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Freitas applied ageing makeup on Oscar-winner Allison Janney for Georgia-lensed I, Tonya

Diversity Keeps Freitas Busy Andre Freitas opened AFX Studios Inc. in Marietta in 1991 and credits the diversity of his special effects offerings and the markets he serves with his longevity. As he describes it “old age, trauma, creatures, fake animals, unique characters and surreal images are part of our day-to-day operations.”

As a kid growing up in a creative household, Freitas liked to watch and draw superheroes and monsters. In the days before the Internet, a fellow high school student showed him his

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collection of masks and horror magazines and the rudimentary special effects he was trying to do. “It was so cool; it was what I wanted to do,” he recalls. Freitas saved his money to buy kits and materials, but school art classes were not accepting of his work and “nobody saw this as a career path.”

A trip to Washington, D.C. and a Smithsonian introduction landed the teenager a coveted four-month apprenticeship in the museum’s office of

exhibits based on the impressive portfolio of creatures he’d built in his bedroom.

When the apprenticeship ended he visited a friend in L.A., and on his third day in town, he was hired by noted makeup effects artist Michael Burnett. That experience “showed me how to turn out high-quality work fast to meet movie schedules,” Freitas says.

Back home he enrolled at Georgia State, was awarded prop work on Pet Sematary Two and got his own studio space. He won sculpture commissions and did his first make-up effects for the film, Kalifornia, creating “blood-pumping murder molds of Brad Pitt and David Duchovny.” Freitas gained more credits for Stephen King’s Thinner and for Space Truckers.

He diversified with work for pro wrestling and Ringling Bros. Then, film and TV returned to Georgia with Zombieland and Teen Wolf, and he was back working on productions. Freitas supplied prosthetics for the Crossbones character in Captain America: Civil War and applied The Vision’s make-up effects for actor Paul Bettany. He reteamed with the actor in Avengers: Infinity War.

He’s particularly proud of his work on the Georgia-lensed Tonya Harding film, I, Tonya. He applied star Margot Robbie’s older looks as well as aging make-up for

reg Solomon and his wife Sandra, who moved to Georgia in 2016, have just launched FXetc in Carrollton, a school specializing in the art of make-up effects.

Solomon did makeup for community theater for two decades, went to cosmetology and makeup schools in L.A. with the goal of working on movies and television, and plied his trade in town creating prosthetics and make-up effects.

His first feature, Alien Nation (1987), found him building a burned alien skeleton for Stan Winston Studios.

Although he recently did make-up effects for the film Reckoning, which shot in Georgia, Solomon is phasing out his on-set work and focusing more on his school. “I want to share my knowledge with the next generation of makeup artists,” he says. “FXetc will start by offering make-up classes for people of all ages and experiences; some established artists who do beauty work want to learn make-up effects, too.

Next year we plan to add effects shop classes.”

While some colleges in Georgia offer makeup training as part of their film and television curriculum, FXetc may be the state’s only full-time school dedicated to make-up effects.

“Students aren’t taught at this level in university courses,” Solomon notes. “A lot of them are very interested in learning more.”

FXetc takes students on a deep dive into wounds and injuries, aging make-up, tattoos, facial hair, bald caps, airbrushing and blood effects. Lab skills will include lifecasting, sculpting, mold making, casting silicone appliances, and pre-painting and airbrushing large pieces.

Different types of silicone and their applications have been developed, too, including “platinum-based silicone that’s 100 percent safe for skin,” he notes. Solomon has his own formula for creating flaky, shedding skin, which he used on aliens in the 1999 TV series Roswell.

“A lot of new materials and techniques have been introduced,” says Solomon. “People doing beauty make-up may not know about the alcohol-based makeup palettes used in the effects world. And there are a lot of things we can do right in the trailer now. For example, I created a 3D transfer for a scar on 50 Cent’s chin for the movie Den of Thieves right there in the make-up trailer.”

G

Applying Vision's look on Paul Bettany for Avengers/ Infinity War

Oscar-winner Allison Janney, who played Harding’s mother. “I think the realism of the make-up helped with her character development,” Freitas says.

Freitas is now lead special effects make-up artist on the Zombieland: Double Tap sequel. He did Marlon Wayans’s Netflix movie, Sextuplets, and he created a full mummy body and a narwhal that impaled Bruce Campbell for the AMC series, Lodge 49. This year he has provided prosthetics design and manufacture for Harriet, the Harriet Tubman biopic, and the upcoming Underground Railroad series for Amazon.

New technologies such as ProsAide transfers and directs mold transfers as well as gel-filled silicone appliances help reduce build times and meet the faster turnarounds required today, he points out.

Freitas collaborates with make-up effects artists whom he followed growing up with on a daily basis. “That they have become good friends and colleagues is a dream come true,” he says..

On set at Pinewood Studios creating a perfect "Vision"

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BronzeLens Gets the Gold with

By: Emily L. Foley

(L-R) 1. 2019 BLFF Legendary Superstar, actress Regina Hall and Bertrand 2. Bertrand and actress/screenwriter Yvette Nicole Brown 3. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms honors Bertrand with The Phoenix Award for the 10th Anniversary of BronzeLens.

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W

hen it comes to film festivals, the Venice, Cannes and Toronto iterations likely take the proverbial prize for being the most recognizable, while Sundance easily holds that distinction in the United States. However, before they were the powerhouses they are now, each of these festivals had to be built from scratch and earn their now stellar reputations through the hard work of people with vision. In Atlanta, such a person is building a film festival that is earning its own distinction and praise. The BronzeLens Film Festival is an Atlanta-based festival dedicated to bringing a global eye to the city of Atlanta as the epicenter for film production for people of color. Now in its tenth year, BronzeLens is what it is today thanks to the tireless efforts and the important vision of executive producer Kathleen Bertrand. Oz Magazine caught up with Bertrand to talk about the inception of the festival and some of its many victories along the way.

Kathleen Bertrand with 2018 BronzeLens Women SuperStars. Producer Samantha Vincent Fast & Furious movies Director and educator Ayoka Chenzira, actress Tina Lifford Queen Sugar BronzeLens Artistic Director Deidre McDonald

Oz Magazine: Many people know you as the executive producer of the BronzeLens Film Festival, but can you tell me about the path that led you there?

Kathleen Bertrand: People know me for one of two careers: Either as a jazz singer or as an executive with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) where I worked for 32 years. I was a senior vice president at the ACVB, and my background was diversity marketing and governmental affairs, so I was very familiar with bringing community partners into projects and with promoting Atlanta as an amazing destination for people of color. William Pate, the president of the ACVB, asked me why Atlanta didn’t have a top notch film festival, and then he said, “Why don’t you see what you can do with that?” That was the quote that started it all.

That is a pretty huge blank slate. How did you even begin such a project?

At the bureau, I’d always had projects that started from nothing; started with just a concept; a blank piece of paper and no money in the bank, and that was the challenge and that was the excitement of what I did. This was just another

project in that wheelhouse, and while my background is not in film, I know how to run things, and I know how to hire or engage people that know what I don’t know. I had great relationships in the community from, at that point, my 20 years at the bureau, working with the mayor’s office, community groups, fraternities and sororities, etc. and don’t forget my background of marketing Atlanta as a great place for people of color to come, and none of that changed [in starting BronzeLens].

And how did you know in 2008; years before the explosion of film production in the state of Georgia that; creating this festival would be a smart move, and that Atlanta was the place to start it?

All the indicators were there that this was a growth industry. The indicators were such that more and more productions were taking place in Atlanta and looking at trends and looking at it with hospitality eyes, it all made sense.

What was your ultimate goal for creating the festival?

Some people may view the film industry as frivolous, but they just really don’t

know. Our goal is to expose the stories about our community that may never get told [without us], and exposure is knowledge and education and gives people an understanding. And our secondary goal beyond that education and understanding is to be that pivot point where young people of color learn about the industry and realize what an incredible opportunity it is to be a part of it. People tend to gravitate where they can see themselves, so we want to show that not everyone is a movie star, but there are hundreds of jobs and opportunities within the industry where people can use their talents to be a part of an amazing and growing film community.

One of the films screened during your very first film festival in 2010 was Ava DuVernay’s first feature film I Will Follow. Now seeing the success that both she as a filmmaker and BronzeLens as a film festival have achieved, that’s a pretty incredible union right out of the gate for you both.

How did that screening come to be?

Ava was introduced to us by two Atlanta women, Deborah Riley Draper and Gloria Goins. Ava was well known as a Hollywood publicist, and she was just beginning to make the rounds in the

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film festival circuit. So, she brought her very first feature film, which she made with a $50,000 budget, to our festival and ended up winning the Best Feature award and Best of Festival, and we honored her as an emerging superstar. And with Ava’s PR machine, we ended up getting mentioned in The LA Times and The New York Times. Then after the festival, we got a call from Ava to talk to us about a new film distribution network she was forming (which is now called ARRAY), because she was really impressed with our programming and how organized we were. We were beyond thrilled, and she has remained a dear friend of the festival.

totally different arena. So maybe inviting her repeatedly put us on someone’s radar, or maybe it was our friends in the Academy, Reuben, Ava, or maybe it was the timing because it was right around the time of the #OscarsSoWhite protest.

But somewhere in that, BronzeLens got on someone’s radar, and now we get to provide at least one film to the Academy, which is so exciting because we are representative of a larger audience.

The festival is an Academy Awards qualifying festival in the short film category, which is a pretty remarkable feat for such a young festival. How did you earn the distinction, and what exactly does it mean?

“Nothing is built overnight, and it is vital that people can look you in the eye and know that you’ll say what you’ll do and do what you say.”

There are certain things independent filmmakers have to do to submit their film for the Academy Awards, a couple of “portals” if you will. One of those is to come through a qualifying film festival and win “best of” in a specific category.

So, the winner in our best short category each year gets to then submit their film to the Academy Awards. I had been trying to reach Cheryl Boone Isaacs (the president of the Academy) to invite her to our festival for three years. With the help of my friend Reuben Cannon (an iconic casting director who was invaluable connecting us with people in those early years), every year I’d write her, and finally, in the third year, I got her. But despite that, the request we got to be a qualifying festival came from a

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There is a common thread throughout your journey about how important relationships are.

When I worked for the AVCB, people would say, ‘Can you introduce me to so and so, because you have connections’, and if I

(L-R) Actress/producer Terri J Vaughn, BronzeLens artistic director Deidre McDonald, Kathleen Bertrand and actor Keith David

heard that, I stepped back and probably didn’t follow-up, because that denoted a fast, ‘here’s my card’ situation, and I firmly believe it takes more than that. You have to sit down together and tell people who you are and why what you’re doing is important; and don’t expect anything in return. You make the connection and share what you can do for them, and by building relationships with people, you show them that they are valued for whatever it is they wish to give. Nothing is built overnight, and it is vital that people can look you in the eye and know that you’ll say what you’ll do and do what you say. Those are nice, old-fashioned clichés, but they mean everything in building good relationships, and good relationships are vital to success.

No journey is just a bed of roses though, and despite your many successes, what are some of the hurdles you’ve faced making BronzeLens the festival it is today?

It’s always fundraising. Being able to tell our story to the right people to get the exposure and have the right people see the value. And also, not just being an Atlanta festival. Although we are based here, and we are using all the assets this city has to offer, our vision has always been to be more than just a local festival.

So, what about the future? What are your goals for BronzeLens in the next five and then 10 years?

We need a building. We need to have a place to screen our films and for classes during the year. Right now, we screen in hotels and various theaters, but we need a space that’s our own. I don’t know what that’s going to take, but that is our big dream that I am putting out there.

I’m also looking forward to taking our concept to other cities where there are art communities, but they may not get exposure to this great and growing filmmaking community. We will go in and start to feed the market and nurture these new areas like a “road to BronzeLens” so to speak. We want this up-and-coming talent to say, “[BronzeLens] is where we want to go; that is what we want to be a part of.”

Taking your production to new heights

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The AICP Atlanta Show The Art & Technique of the American Commercial (AICP) Atlanta Show was held at the Rich Theater at the Woodruff Center for the Arts. The AICP Show honors the craft of the commercial, recognizing every aspect of commercial-making and presents winning work judged by hundreds of advertising and production professionals and is assembled by a curatorial panel of prominent industry leaders. The winning work is preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s state of the art archives.

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IMAGES 1. AICP Atlanta Show at Woodruff Arts Center 2. AICP president Matt Miller and Tabitha Mason-Elliott of Bark Bark 3. AICP attendees 4. Jeremy Seymour of Primal Screen and friends

5. Rochelle Brown of The Mill 6. Charlene S. Legend, Karlief Legend and Sherman Elliott 7. Amy Russell and Patti Fraiser 8. Mark Wofford of PC&E and AICP host 9. Rick Estimond, Audrey Stadler, Laura Crawford and Lina Ramirez of People Store

10. AICP attendees 11. Kenneth Lovell of Blue Green Submarine 12. David Brand of Bark Bark and Joe Murray of Wondersmith 13. Jenn Kelly and Kimberly Thomas of Big Picture Casting 14. AICP guests on the step and repeat

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Fulton Films Hosts First FAM Tour with Location Managers Guild International Fulton County Georgia’s Fulton Films Division partnered with the Atlanta Chapter of the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI), comprised of film and TV location managers, to execute their first Familiarization (FAM) Tour of filming sites. Location managers were able to scout facilities while learning about the design history, unique filming policies, and they received helpful information about State tax incentives and community relations. LMGI Event- Photo Credit: Jen Farris, LMG. IMAGES 1. Cardellia Hunter, director, City of Atlanta Office of the Mayor Film and Entertainment 2. FAM Tour with LMGI (L to R): Terria Smith, Fulton Films/FGTV, Darryl Peek, FGTV, Ryan Schnetzle, LMGI, Lalohni Campbell, Fulton Films, Jen Farris, LMGI, Matt Chamberlin, LMGI board member, Shaunya Chavis, Fulton County director of cable & film, Liz Hausmann, Fulton County Commissioner District 1, Councilmember Helen Willis, City of South Fulton, District 3, Tyree Spencer, Fulton Films, Honorable Vince R. Williams, Mayor of Union 52

Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

City, Dan Gorman, LMGI, Cardellia Hunter, director, City of Atlanta Office of the Mayor Film and Entertainment 3. FAM Tour Site Seeing: Fulton County Government Center (interior) 4. (L to R): Flo Flowers, Per Se Media Group, Lalohani Campbell, Fulton Films brand liaison, Hunter Gilmore, Per Se Media Group 5. FAM Tour Site Seeing: Fulton County AirportBrown Field (Charlie Brown Airfield) 6. FAM Tour Site Seeing: Fulton County Government Center (exterior)

7. Liz Hausmann, Fulton County Commissioner District 1 8. Honorable Vince R. Williams, Mayor of Union City 9. Councilmember Helen Willis, City of South Fulton, District 3 10. Film Pros (L to R): Cayman Eby, location manager & scout, The Savannah Location Company, Shena Verrett, location coordinator and PR consultant, The Savannah Location Company

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BronzeLens Film Festival 2019 BronzeLens was voted winner in two categories in Atlanta Magazine’s annual “Best Of” awards: Best Showcase for New Filmmakers and Best Place to Break into the Film Industry. This honor truly recognizes one of the key elements of our mission, which is to support the next generation of filmmakers.

IMAGES 1. Civil Rights Attorney Mawuli Davis moderates Sunday Brunch with Brothers with two of the Exonerated Five, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana 2. BronzeLens executive producer, Kathleen Bertrand and CFO Eddie Bridgeman, holding award for his years of service 3. Women SuperStars Luncheon MC, Kim Coles

4. BLFF team and committee members receiving a BronzeLens 10th Anniversary Proclamation from Fulton County Commissioners 5. Q & A panel with director Deborah Riley Draper, actress, Jasmine Guy and cast from Illegal Rose 6. Opening night Q & A with star of Don't Let Go, David Oyelowo

7. 2019 BLFF Women SuperStar Honorees: director Lisa Cortes, actor Regina Hall and actor Angela Robinson 8. Host of BET's All Shorts, All Night Terri J Vaughn 9. Returning Women SuperStars Lynn Whitfield, Anna Maria Horsford and Sheryl Lee Ralph

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Morehouse College 1st Human Rights Film Festival Morehouse president David A. Thomas hosted a VIP reception for filmmakers and panelists of the first annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. Actor, Omari Hardwick and writer/director, Nate Parker, talked at the screening of their new film American Skin. Parker said American Skin was created to inspire important conversations about the shooting of unarmed men of color by police. Parker studied police use of force protocol for the film. Hardwick said the screening was the first time that he experienced the film on a big screen. The audience gave the film a standing ovation. See OzCetera in this issue for more information about the festival.

IMAGES 1. (L to R) American Skin, film producer, Lukas Behnken, actor, Omari Hardwick, director/writer, Nate Parker, moderator, Dr. Stephane Dunn, director of Morehouse's cinema, television, and emerging media studies program 2. Spike Lee and Nate Parker 3. Nate Parker and Omari Hardwick

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4. Nate Parker, Morehouse president David A. Thomas, Spike Lee 5. (L to R) JosĂŠ Mallabo, vice president of marketing and communications for Morehouse College, Jenn Sapp, film festival event coordinator, Henry Goodgame, vice president of external relations and alumni engagement, D. Aileen Dodd, senior media and public relations manager for Morehouse,

Nate Parker, Ms. Willetta Lewis, first lady of Morehouse College, David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse, Dr. Stephane Dunn, director of Morehouse's cinema, television, and emerging media studies program, actor Omari Hardwick, Kara Walker, executive director of film festival, David Thomas, first family member, Lukas Behnken, producer, and Karoistaan Vandiver, filmmaker

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Cine Gear Expo Atlanta 2019 IMAGES 1. The cranes beckon like carnival rides at Cine Gear Expo Atlanta.

The best part, though: admission is free

2. Hands on pro tips with new gear 3. Cinemoves is ready to take any camera operator on the ride of their life

4. A drone shot of the outdoor Cine Gear exhibitors with Pinewood Atlanta Studio sound stages in the background. (photo courtesy of Ascend Aerials)

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Full Count Atlanta Film Premiere Atlanta stars attended the red carpet world premiere screening of the Georgia-lensed film Full Count at Regal Atlantic Station. Full Count tells the story about an unfortunate chain of events that force a young baseball phenom to give up his dreams of playing college baseball and return home to the farm and town he fought so hard to escape.

IMAGES 1. (L to R) Adam Boyer, Natalia Livingston, John Paul Kakos, Victoria Staley, E. Roger Mitchell

2. (L to R) Clifton Powell, Elizabeth Omilami, Afemo Omilami

3. John Paul Kakos

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PHONE: 678-854-8169 FAX: 866-256-8859 CELL: 678-251-6668

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ALL THINGS SCRIPT RELATED CLASSES | COVERAGE | CONSULTATION SCRIPTWRITERS FOR HIRE

404.963.6305

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WWW.BRIDGESEVENTEEN.COM

Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

BROADCAST HUB

FOR ALL YOUR TV & FILM PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT, SOLUTIONS, & RENTAL NEEDS Cameras | Lenses | Lights | Sound Equipment | Blackmagic Design | RED | Litepanels | Rokinon | Xeen | Sony | Canon | Nikon | COOKE | DJI | DRACAST and more!

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BOOK US TODAY AND LET US CATER YOUR EVENT! TRUCK: 678-609-8468

STORE: 678-694-8903

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P: 678.336.7158 iberman@taylorenglish.com

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Termination and Discipline Counseling Employment Agreements Restrictive Covenants Handbooks and Procedural Manuals

1600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 200 | Atlanta, Georgia 30339

Film Friendly! Private appointments available for Film & Television Crew

queeniesconsignment.com

2755 Lavista Rd. Decatur, GA 30033 (404) 670-2226 queeniesconsignment@gmail.com

Queenies’ specializes in high-end women’s fashion and accessories, trendy furniture and home accents.

Over 3,000 wonderful consignors who bring new inventory daily!

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November / December 2019

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LET ME GIVE YOU MY CARD

Infinite Healing Chair and Table Massage, etc Call today to schedule an appointment:

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COSTUME RACKS

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

Z RACKS

HANGERS

Tuesday, Nov. 5th (12pm)

Member Meeting Plaza Theatre Members Free | Guests $20

Tuesday, Dec. 3rd (12pm)

Member Meeting Plaza Theatre Members Free | Guests $20

Sunday, Dec. 8th (5pm)

Holiday Industry Party (and Fundraiser) The Armour Event Center at The District

November / December 2019

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