SKATELAND ROLLS INTO THEATERS
NOLA FASHION WEEK
JAZZ FEST 2011 BEFORE THE SCENE
GRACE PARK
ANGELA SARAFYAN
MATTHEW
McCONAUGHEY
TWILIGHT’S
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VOL. 2, ISSUE 2 | March/April 2011
The entertainment awards season has past, along with Mardi Gras, and now it’s time to focus on work. But don’t worry: in entertainment, the work is just as fun. I will admit, there are times when writing an article or conducting an interview and scheduling a photo shoot can
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kevin Barraco
EDITOR’S LETTER be challenging, but as Randy Newman told me, “you just get through it, and it’s the journey that counts.” In this issue, Randy Newman talks with Scene Magazine on his love for New Orleans and his own challenges as a successful musician and composer. I admire Mr. Newman’s drive for continued success and admitting his procrastination when it comes to writing. I share the same illness. In our interview, he laughed at me, saying, “Better you write this than me.” In time to promote Matthew McConaughey’s new film, The Lincoln Lawyer, I sat down with Matthew at Sake Café in New Orleans near the end of his shoot on Killer Joe. Matthew was very gracious to
us, happy to share his stories on what he called one of the best times he ever spent on location with his family, and was very complimentary of Scene Magazine, saying to me, “You have so many original things that can give it a real weight, yet still be pro-local!” From Shreveport to New Orleans, we will continue to bring you all the insider information in film, music and fashion. Stay posted to our website and social network, we’ll have all the latest news and resources.
KEVIN BARRACO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@scenelouisiana.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erin Theriot HEAD WRITER Micah Haley STAFF WRITER Brittney Franklin DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Marcie Dickson EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Danielle Tabary SALES Jon Bajon, Jessica Mason CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Teddy Smith, Bobby de Vay, Chad West, Julia Pretus, Saeed Adyani, Erika Goldring, Rush Jageo, Ryan Gibbs GRAPHIC ARTIST Burton Chatelain, Jr. FASHION STYLIST Tessa Rowe CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AJ Buckley, Arthur Vandelay, Ben Adams, Greg Milneck Scene Magazine At Raleigh Studios Baton Rouge 10000 Celtic Drive Suite 201 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-361-0701 At Second Line Stages 800 Richard St. Suite 222 New Orleans, LA 70130 504-224-2221 info@scenelouisiana.com www.scenelouisiana.com Published By Louisiana Entertainment Publishers, LLC CEO, Andre Champagne President, Kevin Barraco Vice President, AJ Buckley Controller, Jessica Dufrene Display Advertising: Call Louisiana Entertainment Publishers for a current rate card or visit www.scenelouisiana.com All submitted materials become the property of Louisiana Entertainment Publishers LLC. For subscriptions or more information visit our website www.scenelouisiana.com Copyright @ 2011 Louisiana Entertainment Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used for solicitation or copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher.
4 | March/April 2011
CONTENTS ON THE COVER
Matthew McConaughey ABOVE THE LINE
42
Matthew McConaughey is All Right
BEHIND THE SCENES
14
Hear from cast and crew and take a look behind the Scenes
BEFORE THE SCENE
A Conversation with Grace Park
22
PRODUCER’S CORNER
10
Director Anthony Burns talks filming Skateland
LAST LOOKS
28
Twilight’s Angela Sarafyan
MUSIC / SOUND SPEED Randy Newman Jazz Fest Preview 2011
52
FASHION / THE RED CARPET NOLA Fashion Week Designer Profiles Spring Fashion
SCENE EXTRAS
58
34
News, Resources, and Celebrities on the Scene
CREATING THE SCENE
Zack Godshall and Mari Kornhauser
70
COLUMNS Today’s Scene 48 Won’t Bow. Don’t Know How. Treme, Season 2 by Ben Adams State of the Artist 24 Shiloh’s Skateland by Micah Haley In the Mix 68 Netflix Circa 1912 by Greg Milneck
THE UNSCENE
6 | March/April 2011
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FILM |
Director, producer and writer Anthony Burns with actor Shiloh Fernandez on the set of Skateland
photo courtesy of Freeman Film
Shreveport, Texas by Micah Haley
S
tarring Shiloh Fernandez, Ashley Greene, Heath Freeman and AJ Buckley, Skateland was born in Texas. “We did all the research in East Texas and went down to Austin to write,” says director and producer Anthony Burns, who co-wrote the script with Brandon and Heath Freeman. “We wanted to shoot in Austin, but the setting around Austin doesn’t resemble East Texas. Our second choice was to shoot in East Texas, but there’s no crew in East Texas: they’re all in Shreveport.” While local municipalities including Austin have made deals with some projects, such as the critically-acclaimed high school football drama Friday Night Lights, the State of Texas itself has yet to offer an incentive that competes with Louisiana’s. The result is that many Texas crewmembers have relocated to find work in Shreveport, making it more cost-effective for films to achieve a very similar look. While Skateland was shot in Shreveport, the coming of age drama was still set in Texas. “Shreveport actually looks a lot more like early-80s East Texas than East Texas does today,” says Burns. On an unusually fast track for any independent film, Burns found himself casting Skateland just a few months after it was written. “We got lucky,” he continues. “Trisha Wood, Jennifer Smith and Deborah Aquila cast our film. They had just done Twilight so they had young talent like Shiloh, who was second choice for the lead in Twilight, and 10 | March/April 2011
Ashley Greene in mind when we walked in. Great casting agents do that for you.” The early brush with the viral vampire phenomenon would prove fortuitous. When Twilight opened in 2008, it put Skateland on the radar of many by virtue of the casting crossovers between the two films. “Shiloh’s from a small town in Northern California,” says Burns. “We just spent a lot of time in the casting room, not just reading, but talking about the character and his life and Ashley did the same thing. She’s a very focused person. She came in and just killed it. We were very, very happy with who we got and how it worked out.” With the cast locked, Burns and company sought out shooting locations in Shreveport. The titular roller rink slated for closure in Skateland was “a monster” to find. “We had to find something with an exterior that had that early-80s look and the interior could at least be adjusted to recreate that,” says Burns. “Initially, I wanted to shoot the opening sequence when we’re outside hanging out and we follow everyone inside all in one shot. That didn’t happen because we shot two different places for interior and exterior.” For the interior, a newer rink was found that had to be dressed to fit the period. “Our team came in and brought in the signs, the video games, they re-carpeted, they brought in the lights. We had to relight the whole thing to create that whole 80s look.” Another important location was a lake house, something Shreveport
| FILM has in spades. But Burns was determined to find the one perfect for Skateland. “We had people looking at lakes in Texas, lakes in other cities. On Cross Lake near Shreveport, we looked and looked and I never found a lake house that worked. And it’s so important to ON SHREVEPORT: the story. Finally on a Sunday, I went out with our team and we scoured the lake,” he recalls. “We literally looked at, from the water, every single lake house and when the sun was setting late in the day, I found the house. It was the last house we looked at. It was the greatest feeling ever. It was towards the end of the day and this was our last chance. None of the lake houses were working and this one just had it all, man, it’s beautiful. All the scenes there are just really visually stunning.” Like smart independent filmmakers should, the writers of Skateland crafted a smaller, but meaty supporting role that might entice a well-known actor. “We wrote the Teddy T. role that AJ Buckley actually ended up playing for Matthew McConaughey because he’s from Longview,” says Burns. “We thought it’d be perfect for just a cameo but he passed on it.” In 1993, McConaughey starred in Dazed and Confused, a nostalgic love letter to
youth in the 1970s. “We like what American Graffiti did for the 60s, we like what Dazed and Confused did for the 70s, and now this is the 80s,” says Burns. “Skateland is a fun, honest film that has some hard topics, and we really wanted to celebrate the vibe of the 80s.” “One important thing is that you recreate that time and place correctly. From the clothes to the music to the hair and make-up, I feel like that’s difficult to do. You’re adding a layer to your film that’s another challenge and you have to make sure the people you’re working with not only get your vision, but can pull it off,” says Burns of filming a period piece. “We were just completely impressed with the hair and makeup, the crew in Shreveport. We were on a tight schedule but it’s easy to shoot there. It’s not too hectic and they have everything like a big movie studio city would.” As Skateland opens theatrically on March 25 and statewide in Louisiana on April 1, Anthony Burns is looking for the right city in Louisiana to shoot his next film. For more information, visit www.freemanfilm.com/skateland. S
We were on a tight schedule but it’s easy to shoot there. It’s not too hectic and they have everything like a big movie studio city would.
–Anthony Burns,
Director, producer & writer
www.scenelouisiana.com | 11
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BEHIND THE
SCENES
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ZOMBIE HAMLET Directed by John Murlowski, Zombie Hamlet shot in and around Baton Rouge and Denham Springs, Louisiana. The film follows Osric Taylor, who dreams of making a Civil War era adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But when his film’s funding falls through, he adds zombies into the mix to secure financing.
JOHN AMOS
“ Once I read the script, I said this could be fun. Plus, it’s nice to get
to Louisiana for any reason. I’ve never worked on a film here but I’m enjoying it. It’s a joy to work with Ms. Lockhart because she’s seen every aspect of the business. She knows her way around the set. And it’s good to work with these youngsters, too.
”
Top: John Amos is mauled by zombies, Right: The cast of Zombie Hamlet
MORE ZOMBIE HAMLET 14 | March/April 2011
behind the scenes
| FILM
“
I’m very discriminating and selective about what I do. I’m able to turn down more than I do. This was so funny, though, and the idea of Hamlet as a farce is just wonderful. [Director] John Murlowski is extraordinary. I’ve never worked with anybody who was able to cover all the different branches of the entertainment industry at the same time! He directs, he shoots, he’s funny. He’s just a dear.”
- JUNE LOCKHART
Above: Jason Mewes and Vanessa Lee Evigan with director John Murlowski, Top Right: Murlowski with Sharon London
VANESSA LEE EVIGAN
“ The experience has been fantastic. I’ve loved shooting on location.
We’ve really been working every single day, but I’ve definitely gotten out to The Chimes…love that place! Love Chimes. Love Chelsea’s. We went out to Chelsea’s and danced. We’ve had a great time.
”
Above: Travis Wester and AJ Buckley, Right: Jason Mewes in zombie makeup with Vanessa Lee Evigan
MORE BEHIND THE SCENES www.scenelouisiana.com | 15
FILM |
S POWER OF FEW Shot in New Orleans, this uniquely told action thriller takes place over twenty minutes on one afternoon, as seen through multiple perspectives. The story revolves around a mysterious smuggling operation that is forced to navigate through the paths of a few special characters that unknowingly control the outcome of the crime.
“ We were pleased to find an extremely solid infrastructure with crews, vendors
and facilities far surpassing our expectations. In fact, over 80% of our crew were local hires. Fortunately I found Will French, whose company Film Production Capital has a clear-cut approach to the credits and simplified the process. Having spent time in Louisiana another realization hit me for future consideration. In terms of backdrop, the state has so much more to offer than just swamps and Victorian architecture. You can find almost any location you need across the state, and if they don’t have it, you can build it on one of their stages. LEONE MARUCCI,
”
DIRECTOR
CHRISTIAN SLATER
“ I play Clyde, an undercover agent. It’s been great. I went to a
Saints game and that was awesome! They kicked ass and I sat in the owner’s box and that was an honor. They couldn’t have been sweeter. Tom Benson couldn’t have been a nicer guy. I didn’t get to see the Benson boogie, but one of these days. I met Rita, Tom Benson’s granddaughter. She’s a beautiful woman. Smart as a whip.
”
Clockwise: Nicky Whelan and Navid Negahban, Leone Marucci and Christian Slater, Jesse Bradford with Leone and Christopher Walken with Leone. photos courtesy of Steelyard Pictures
MORE BEHIND THE SCENES 16 | March/April 2011
FILM |
S
SWAMP SHARK Bullet Films and Active Entertainment release Swamp Shark this May. Shot in and around the Lafayette area, the creature feature stars Robert Davi, Kristy Swanson, D.B. Sweeney and also introduces Sophie Sinise, the talented daughter of Academy Award-winner Gary Sinise. In Swamp Shark, an animal smuggling deal goes wrong, resulting in a large sea creature escaping into a swampy backwoods river.
“ We are producing our tenth movie in the last three years entirely in the Acadiana
region. We have had several people move from California and buy places here to work full time. It’s amazing to see the sustained growth in Louisiana. This industry is bringing long-term employment opportunities to the state.
”
DANIEL LEWIS,
BULLET FILMS/ACTIVE ENTERAINMENT
KRISTY SWANSON
“ I had a great time on this film. Besides the heat, it was hot
photos courtesy of Active Entertainment
18 | March/April 2011
as hell shooting this in Louisiana during the summer! Most of our filmmaking was basically a big swamp tour. The town of Lafayette offers great hospitality, which makes it so easy to manage. We got away on the weekends and some of us would go to Blue Bayou and have fun.
”
by AJ Buckley
Before the Scene is where we all start. In a small town with our families. In front of a mirror with our friends. The days spent sleeping on a couch. The nights working at a bar. Living with the unknown and surrounded by uncertainty. It’s about the times that define us. It’s about the darkness just before the limelight.
GRACE PARK What made you become an actor? I have a special appreciation for the craft now, but acting was just a means to an end for me. One reason was my family was pretty conservative and not very expressive. Another was that, being from an immigrant family, we weren’t well off by any means. We wore our running shoes until they broke apart. It felt normal, though. I didn’t feel poor. I just didn’t ask for anything. I think I may have subconsciously felt that restriction. I didn’t like being in that position of not having what I wanted. And I knew not to ask my parents for it because I knew we couldn’t afford it. Early on, I started working so I could earn what I wanted. My little sister, when she was really young, she was going to ask my mom for something and I told her, “Don’t ask for it, just go get a job.” To be honest, I was acting for almost ten years before I realized a major piece of why I wanted to go into acting. I was on my first set (it might have been a commercial) and we all broke for lunch and we had this whole spread. I was floored. Plus we had our little room we could go into. All these things that sound really small, really mattered to me. My family didn’t have a lot of money so we went out to dinner about twice a year. Even though my family was really loving, I always thought I was on the out. It’s not anything they did, I just decided to believe that. Going to set was like going to a surrogate family. And when you’re on set it’s totally like that: you see each other at five o’clock in the morning. You see each other at midnight. You’re tired, you’re sick, you eat together. It’s kind of like family in a way.
and dance” torture exercises, while lovingly wrestling you from your wretched limitations, but what I didn’t really see was that they were fighting for me, and not just me or the craft, but my spirit: the human spirit. And that’s probably one of my biggest gifts from acting.
What were you doing the morning before the audition that changed your life? It was for Battlestar. I was getting ready and I had a coaching session with someone that gave me a great piece of advice. She said, “Today is not about your acting.” And I looked at her in incredulously and thought, ‘Are you mad? It’s all about the acting.’ She said, “No. It’s about getting through the room.” It gave me a completely new perspective on it and it felt like it changed me. It felt like I was doing a race on a different level. It was the same course, but for a different race.
What words kept you going?
Abandonment. Feeling like those around me would feel like I was unworthy. You feel it in every cell in your body.
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who, at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt
What was your lowest point?
How have you changed?
One of the hardest was when I was going to a university. I felt really alone. My sister might have just moved away to go to her university. And I wasn’t so close to my parents, so I felt the most vulnerable. Going through stuff when you are a teenager and going through all those life lessons. It was an unknowing stage, a depression stage.
I’m such a different person. I think one of the things I love most about my journey, not the bells and whistles or the lollypops that you get along the way, but how much I got to change because of my acting classes or an experience on set or these challenges of having to deal with people I don’t want to deal with. So I think I went from a quiet but unique, introverted girl to someone who is a lot closer to her authentic self. In other words, I feel much more free and expressive and definitely a lot more joyful. Especially with my fear of abandonment. I feel like now I get to shine a little brighter. And not for anyone else. Not any way someone else wants me to be, it’s how I was meant to be.
What was your biggest fear?
What was it that kept you from walking away? Initially it was my determination. And defiance. When I first decided to give this acting-as-a-means-to-being-on-set-thing a shot, I told my parents to give me a year. They didn’t. They kept “encouraging” me to do something else. That was all I needed. Their response became my Everest. And I was going to do whatever it took to get to the top of that and plant my flag. But it was a blessing in disguise because it made it easy. Because all I had to do was climb. Later on after I made it onto a few sets, when I wanted to quit, the thing that always stopped me was that I knew I wasn’t done yet. I’d imagine I’d walked away, and if I turned around, would I ever regret it? And the answer was always yes.
Who was your closest ally? My peers in Vancouver, my husband, family, my agent. But I think one of the allies I never thought about were my acting teachers. At the time, they’re ripping you up and down your emotional ladder, inflicting “song 22 | March/April 2011
What words to do you to inspire others? Find in yourself the thing you cherish the most and hold on to it for all dark times ahead. Love yourself because it profoundly transforms you visibly and invisibly. Explore, learn, heal and dare to work on yourself, your career, your life. Then, with courage, boldness and truth, run your fullest, believe your brightest, fly with all your colors and shine. Over the last six years, AJ has starred as Adam Ross on the hit TV show CSI:NY, now in its new time slot, Friday nights at 9pm. Originally from Dublin and raised in Vancouver, Canada, he has spent the past twelve years in Los Angeles acting and writing. He also stars in the 1980s period flick Skateland, which opens this March nationwide. Find out more by following him on Twitter at @AJohnBuckley and at www.ajbuckley.net.
BEFORE THE SCENE
And not for anyone else. Not any way someone else wants me to be, it’s how I was meant to be.
GRACE PARK
I feel like now I get to shine a little brighter.
www.scenelouisiana.com | 23
STATE OF THE ARTIST
SHILOH’S
SKATELAND AN INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR SHILOH FERNANDEZ
by Micah Haley Ashley Greene and Shiloh Fernandez in Skateland
M
arch is the month for Shiloh Fernandez. The soon-to-be sensation has two anticipated films set for release. Once the frontrunner for the role of Edward Cullen, he stars alongside Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in Red Riding Hood, director Catherine Hardwicke’s follow-up to Twilight that opens March 11. And on March 25, Shiloh stars in Skateland, a coming-of-age throwback to the 1980s, shot in Shreveport in 2008 by director Anthony Burns. “I got sent this script and [my reps didn’t] really talk to me about it. I read it and I was kind of confused by that,” says Shiloh of his first encounter with Skateland. “I called them, I said, ‘Do you realize that this is amazing? Like, this is fantastic and I need to be a part of this.’” After chemistry reads with several actresses, Shiloh was cast in the lead role of Richie Wheeler opposite Twilight alum Ashley Greene. Weeks later, they were in Shreveport to begin filming. “She’s really gonna open people’s minds to what she can do. She was fantastic. I actually took a lot from her in terms of her ease, her calmness and letting things kind of come and really feeling things,” he says of his co-star. “It was a really good lesson for me to learn, ‘cause I feel like sometimes I maybe do too much or I’m thinking too much. She was just so hyperaware and settled that it reads. She gave a fantastic nuanced performance. Plus she’s an awesome, awesome girl and it was great to have her as a friend there.” When the cast arrived in Shreveport, Anthony Burns and his collaborators at Freeman Film were well prepared. “Tony and Heath and Brandon had put together these packets of what was going on (in the 1980s),” he says. “It was a really sweet gesture and a welcoming gift. They gave us iPods, too, with all the music from that era.” “Shiloh was the one in every scene. He worked every day,” says
24 | March/April 2011
photo courtesy of Freeman Film
Burns. “The difference between him and the other actors was he would shoot a scene and more times than not, he would come to the video village and he’d want to watch it back. And he would sit there so we could talk about it before we did another take or moved on. Very open, very honest. He hid nothing and, to me, that really helped his character. I think he’s gonna have a great career ahead of him because of that.” “You have to trust yourself and you have to understand that you were cast for a reason,” says Shiloh. ““What was great about Tony is, he is a fantastic writer and so he knew everything about his film. Everything on set was so precise and period. The most important thing to remember when you’re doing a movie that takes place in another time is that people were still people. They had the same feelings and the same experiences. And he really let me kind of experience things and go for it.” After Matthew McConaughey passed on the role of Teddy, Richie Wheeler’s mentor and manager of the titular roller rink, AJ Buckley was cast. “The great thing about our characters was that it was a friendship, but it was also some sort of mentorship. I think that AJ is a fantastic friend and is also really smart and knowledgeable and kind of wise. To be able to have that feeling about him and then to step on set and do scenes with him, it was really easy to step into that. I really formed a connection with him, which was great for the film and I hope it comes through.” “We all stayed in the same apartment complex and it was right across from the studio,” Shiloh continues. “That was fantastic just to have everybody in this small area. Heath Freeman is a fantastic cook. He would cook for us and that was when the election was going on. That was when Obama won. We were all together for all those moments. I love Shreveport.” Shiloh Fernandez’s well-documented brush with Twilight is not something he has much emotion vested in. At the time of
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STATE OF THE ARTIST
Shiloh Fernandez, Heath Freeman and Ashley Greene in Skateland
his audition, it was a relatively low-profile project, one of many based on popular book series. The audition did allow him to connect with director Catherine Hardwicke, who was working on Red Riding Hood around the time Shiloh wrapped Skateland. “I’d been sent the script and I knew casting was going on,” he says of Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood. “I like her a lot. Not only as a director but as a person. I ran into her at this party and there was this other actor who’d been saying that he’d gotten this part. I asked her about it and said, ‘Catherine, you know, you told me we were going to work together one day and here you are casting this movie.’ And I was joking around with her, but she took me very seriously.” After the “regular hoopla of having a bunch of auditions,” Shiloh got the part of Peter and soon began work with Hardwicke. “She’s got so much energy that she really sets the tone for how the film is gonna go. We’re making a fairy tale and the great quality about her is that she really has this child-like curiosity. She is an amazing woman in terms of her knowledge of film [but] she’s wild and wants people to kind of experiment and to improv and to really, really go for it. And it’s nothing short of exciting to be on set with her and to work with her.” Shiloh’s crimson-caped co-star in Red Riding Hood is the beautiful Amanda Seyfried. “Like Ashley, and maybe a select few other girls I’ve had the pleasure to work with,” he says, “Amanda falls into that category of just fantastic actresses. Her cadence is really interesting and different, you know? So it’s impossible not to be sucked in and just be in that moment and that was kind of great for me.” With both Skateland and Red Riding Hood in the can, Shiloh Fernandez returned to his hometown in Northern California to star in a stage 26 | March/April 2011
photo courtesy of Freeman Film
production of Oliver! “I haven’t done a play in a long time. And what’s so fantastic is that you’re challenged to basically do something new and fresh every single night, while at the same time keeping the heart and the soul of the character you’ve created. It was also great because I haven’t really been home a whole lot since I moved to Los Angeles at eighteen.” The return home has clearly refreshed and refocused the leading man in wait. “To smell the grape Crush and to be there in a time of year that’s so beautiful…it brought back a lot of memories that are always helpful to recall as an actor and as a human being trying to grow and learn. Being in a community theater play where everybody’s doing their best and having a great time and just kind of loves what they do and it’s obviously not about money because nobody’s getting paid. That was lovely for me.” After playing romantic characters in both Skateland and Red Riding Hood, Shiloh has a new romance of his own. “She’s my high school girlfriend who I haven’t seen in, like, four-something years,” he says. “And, luckily, she—she spoke to me again. It’s good, man. It’s new and it’s fun and she’s just a fantastic girl.” While Shiloh Fernandez hasn’t had the explosive rise to fame that some of his generation have experienced, he is quickly amassing a body of work that impresses. It’s a resume that reflects the sensibilities of an intuitive talent, one with an eye for content. One that is managing the pressures of the entertainment industry well. When asked if there is anything coming up he’d like to promote, Shiloh says, “Follow Ashley Greene on Twitter,” with a smile. “I think that when people see Skateland, they’re gonna be amazed. I mean, not that that people don’t know she’s a good actor from her other films, but she really just kind of takes the cake in this one.” S
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FILM |
ANGELA SARAFYAN The New Cleopatra by Micah Haley
Angela Sarafyan at Sullivan’s Steakhouse in Baton Rouge. Dress, Angelique. Bracelet, Azby’s.
“T
o be quite honest, I have no full grasp of the enormity of this film.” Angela Sarafyan was cast last fall in Breaking Dawn, the two-part finale of The Twilight Saga. “I know it in theory but I haven’t experienced it, yet.” For the last three months, she has been living in downtown Baton Rouge while filming on location. Unlike Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Breaking Dawn is Angela’s first foray into the world of Twilight. “It’s been welcoming,” she says of being a newcomer. “They’ve been very, very nice. Everybody from the cast past and the new members that are coming in. It’s been truly like a family and I’ve had a lovely time with them.” In the fourth and fifth installments of the blockbuster vampire franchise, Angela plays Tia, a vampire belonging to the Egyptian Coven. “Tia and Benjamin have a special relationship,” she says. “They’ve been in love since before they were vampires.” Benjamin is portrayed by Rami Malek. “I kind of saw the characters more like the way Cleopatra and Marc Antony work. It’s a very strong couple. They make decisions together and they stick together.” The Egyptian queen’s romance with Antony famously attracted the pen of
28 | March/April 2011
photo by Teddy Smith
Shakespeare. His play Antony and Cleopatra also inspired several films. “If you know a little bit of the history, Marc Antony was in love with Cleopatra and though he left her and went with another woman,” Angela says, “he came back for her and they died together. I think there’s a similar quality about them.” Asked about the impact that Twilight would have on her budding career, she says, “I don’t ever go into work thinking that I’ll be defined by a certain character for the rest of my life. I don’t know if Kristen and Rob will be forever recognized for that, though I’m sure they will continue to be [those characters] for a lot of people. I don’t know honestly what the future holds because I really live in the moment and deal with everything on a daily basis.” After more than a decade working in film and television, Breaking Dawn promises to shine a bright light on Angela Sarafyan’s gifts as an actress. Her soft voice is kind, but could easily play deceptively cruel. From her toes to her gracious green eyes, her elegance seems tailormade for Daniel Craig’s arm in the next Bond film. And beyond beauty, her talents are the product of her obvious intellect. “I’m reading A
Photographer: Teddy Smith Stylist: Tessa Rowe Make-up: Jackie Dixon Tuttle Hair: Allison Bell for Lyon’s Den Hair Studio www.scenelouisiana.com | 29
FILM | Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and I love this book! I am just amazed at the magic that exists in the way he writes. How he views the Mississippi as a dirty and disgusting river, all of that. He, in a way, shows this different side of New Orleans and Baton Rouge than Tennessee Williams.” One of her favorite actresses is Anna Magnani, who won an Oscar for starring in the film adaptation of William’s play, The Rose Tattoo. “I couldn’t wait to go back to have some beignets,” the Los Angeles native says of anticipating her return to William’s adopted hometown. She previously shot a small independent film in the Crescent City. “Just to eat some gumbo and walk down the French Quarter and see more of New Orleans. The most beautiful part of it is seeing these incredible musicians on the street. You hear people just living fully almost every night and they’re real people. They’re people full of their own worlds and their own lives and they’re not waiting for anything. They’re not looking at somebody else’s life, they’re not in front of a computer typing away, they’re out experiencing the world. I love that.” In mid-March, Angela will appear in the independent film American Animal when it premieres at South by Southwest. “We shot the film in downtown Los Angeles. I really enjoyed it because somehow it reminded me of Waiting for Godot,” she says. “Both girls in the film are named Angela. I played ‘Not Blonde Angela’ and I thought the character’s name revealed a lot about her.” Out later this year, Angela stars with Jason Sudeikis in A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, a comedy “about a group of friends who get together every summer break and throw these crazy bashes at their friend’s house,” she says. “This particular year, their friend’s father is deciding to sell the house, so it’s gonna be the last bash. They create this party, this good old fashioned orgy, as being the last.” After months of living within minutes of Tennessee William’s home, Angela’s departure for the remainder of Breaking Dawn’s filming in Canada is bittersweet. “I’ll miss the people in Louisiana,” she says. “And the French Quarter. I will miss the musicians on the street and this girl with orange hair playing the violin, and the beignets. I’m going to miss a lot over here. I’m having a hard time leaving.” S 30 | March/April 2011
ON NEW ORLEANIANS:
They’re people full of their own worlds and their own lives and they’re not waiting for anything. They’re not looking at somebody else’s life, they’re not in front of a computer typing away, they’re out experiencing the world. I love that.
scene A VERY SUPER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST by Ben Adams
F
or the last several years, Louisiana’s entertainment industry has been a sustained presence at South by Southwest, Austin’s most prominent festival. One film shot in Louisiana premiering at SXSW this March is Super, a darkly comedic indie about an everyday guy who transforms himself into a superhero after his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer. He calls himself Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, but a lack for heroic skill. Super was filmed entirely in Shreveport, directed by James Gunn and starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon and Liv Tyler. Scene Magazine visited the set last year while in production and I recently spoke to producer Ted Hope about the anticipated premiere of the film at SXSW. “I think, in many ways, it’s the perfect U.S. place to present this film,” said Hope. “In some ways, South by helped make Ellen Page the star that she is. That’s great. And it’s been such a perfect mix of two sides of things. On one side, call it an embrace of ‘fanboy culture,’ starting with Ain’t It Cool News and Harry Knowles getting the types of films that have used South by as a great launch pad, including my own past film, Adventureland. But also it is very much a place that embraces the indie spirit in full. Not the indie spirit that even looks towards Hollywood, but kind of an indie spirit that takes a page out of the alternative rock and tech startup world.” Ted Hope has been at the forefront of producing independent films since the indie boom in the late 1980s. “This was very much a labor of love, working outside the system. It’s a film that South by embodies.” “When I first fell in love with cinema,” added Hope, “there were many movies out there that came from studios like Taxi Driver and A Clockwork Orange, 34 | March/April 2011
Rainn Wilson in Super
photo courtesy of IFC films
SCENE |
Ellen Page and Rainn Wilson in Super
that embodied that quality: strangers in the other culture that was out there and really daring to take you into an unsafe place. What a thrill ride that was! But in the subsequent twenty-plus years, I think that we stopped believing in the individual personality in films and wanted to make sure that we found movies that encouraged brand sponsorship and stuff along the way. I love that Super did not go for that, and that it would be willing to let its uniqueness be its badge of honor.” “The thing that has always been so exciting to me about Super,” said Hope, “is that although it uses pop culture as a launch pad, it hasn’t suffered in a way that many pop entertainment films do from corporate marking or group consensus. When I first read the script, it was really clear that this came from an absolute lunatic. That it had the energy and personality that is inherent in and I would come to know and love in James Gunn. I hadn’t yet met him when I read the script, which was a 110 page embodiment of quintessential W-T-F.” Rainn Wilson also serves as executive producer on Super, using his relationships to make the best movie possible, according to Hope. He brought Ellen Page on board, who was luckily already a fan of James Gunn’s previous film, Slither. 36 | March/April 2011
photos courtesy of IFC films
“Although we had a lot of help from Hollywood notables involved in the film, it was very much the kind of labor of love, working outside the system type of film,” said Hope. “This was a film that was at one time budgeted at $25 million dollars and we essentially made it for a cost a little higher than ten percent of that budget. But we didn’t lose special effects or visual effects or stunts. Plus, we had to shoot this on a super quick schedule and there was only one way to pull this off. As director, you had to be the most prepared person on set and James Gunn knew the shots that he wanted, he knew what he thought was the best order to shoot them in and he knew what was needed to make them well. I don’t understand why he hasn’t been hired to direct Iron Man 3 or maybe he should have been the person to reinvent Superman. Not only could he bring in an original vision on that, he could bring that in on a better price point.” As Super is set to release in theaters April 1, Ted Hope continues to work on optimizing the economy of independent film. You can follow him on Twitter (@TedHope) and at www.hopeforfilm.com. S
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SCENE | WIZARD WORLD NEW ORLEANS COMIC CON 2011 photos by Bobby de Vay
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MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY IS ALL RIGHT by Kevin Barraco
Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe in The Lincoln Lawyer
M
atthew called me to meet up with him on a Saturday afternoon at one of his newly adopted favorites on Magazine Street, the locally renowned Sake Café. It was a cold day in December, but he still rode to the restaurant on his bicycle, something he’d enjoyed for the entirety of his stay in New Orleans while filming Killer Joe. Together with Camila Alves and their two young children, the family stayed in uptown New Orleans, near Washington Avenue and Magazine Street. Blending in with the community is sometimes impossible for an A-list actor working on location. Fans and onlookers can make the stay uncomfortable, keeping the actor from enjoying his time off. But Matthew endorses our long-held belief that Louisiana is something special, primarily because our community welcomes everyone. As we sat at the bar, most of the staff knew Matthew well. We chatted about his work on Killer Joe, his new film, The Lincoln Lawyer, his passion project and company j.k. livin and great stories of his Louisiana experiences.
Q: How have you enjoyed staying in New Orleans? A: [When I got here], I’m pulling in from the airport, for the first
time realizing how tiny the city is: everything’s ten minutes away. I’ve never been down here, staying in this neighborhood. It’s a great neighborhood. We’ve done more walking and eating and taking the 42 | March/April 2011
photo by Saeed Adyani
kids out on a Saturday night. It’s been excellent here. New Orleans has always had a real good identity. But it’s been really relaxing and refreshing to be down here. Just on the street a minute ago, a girl came up and she was pulling her kid in a wagon. They went by, the lady said, “Hi!” and she tells her kid to say, “Hi.” And then she says, “Thanks for being here!” You know what I mean? Easy as that. It’s very, very hospitable and relaxing down here.
Q: And you work regularly with John Chaney, who’s based in Zachary, Louisiana, right? We’ve been working together for sixteen years. I usually make a drive to his place to see him and his family at least once a year. But this five weeks [shooting Killer Joe]…my whole family has enjoyed it. The zoo is badass. The Audubon Zoo is the best zoo I’ve ever been to. The most interactive. For one, the animals are happier than any other zoo I’ve ever been to. They’re spry. Two, they’ve designed it in a way where you’re walking a path with a little twolog fence there, and there’s the zebras or whatever and you’re like, “What’s keeping them in?” But they’ve built a little mound to keep them away from you and you don’t see it. It’s just cool. That’s a great zoo. Tomorrow, I’m going back. Insectarium’s cool, the Aquarium’s cool, but that zoo is really cool. And then we’ve spent time on this street a lot. It’s been great
A:
| FILM walking it. We’ve been here a few times to Sake Café. You know what my favorite restaurant is that we’ve been frequenting? Coquette. I forget the kid’s name…maybe Matt? A young chef, a young blonde guy. He’s doing some good stuff in there, man. All local stuff, they change the menu daily. We’ve eaten there probably six times. We can bring the kids there. They’ve got a nice wine list.
the people…like that lady who walked past me and said thanks for being here. Someone might say, “Hey, can I get a picture with you?” Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, I’m sitting here talking with a friend at the moment. [But the answer is always,] “Cool, thanks man, good to see you.” Do you know how relaxing that is for a person in my position? No ulterior motives. It’s always been hospitable down here, Q: How has working on Killer Joe partially because it has such an identity. been? It’s different than say, Los Angeles, where A: The film’s been excellent. We’re no one’s from there, so its identities working with Bill Friedkin. He’s great, are sort of shotgun spread. And it’s an man! Wild, but super smart. Really industry town, so everyone is not here to focused. Two takes max. Get it and eat, they are here to see who’s coming to move on. A lot of young directors could eat. Not most people are living the story, learn some stuff from this guy. He sees it they are there to see the story. Here you before he shoots it. So, he has that ability get real characters, people that are going from the history of all the work he’s somewhere. In New York City, people done, but he sees it, so he doesn’t need are going somewhere. They are going Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves at a New Orleans someplace to do what they want to do. It’s to cover everything. A lot of directors will shoot everything, and then take it to Hornets game relaxing that way and it’s cool. the editing room and try to find the picture in the editing room. He’s Here’s a great little story. My lady, Camila, was going down to get already going, “No, we don’t need that: it cuts right there. Got it.” Christmas cards at this little card shop down towards Whole Foods. She’s a designer. She starts working with the lady on ‘em, figuring it all Q: How does that affect you as an actor? out, happened to know the girl, they were having a Christmas party, my A: I love it. Because you don’t go back and hang in the frickin’ trailer: lady and her mother make purses. She asks if she can piggyback on the you’re shooting film! The thing I dislike the most on a film is waiting party [and the answer is] “Yes!” She’s sold thirteen purses! It’s just that around. Show up and then go hang in the trailer. What am I going to communal sort of thing. do in the trailer? I’m not gonna read something because I’ve got to stay We’ve had some great walks with the kids at night. We’ve had some in the zone of going back to work. With him, you rarely go back to the great nights at Commander’s Palace, where they know we’re right up trailer. the street and they say, “Come by any time, we’ll give you whatever, even if it’s just dessert.” We’d go on by and drink wine, look around Q: Killer Joe’s a dark comedy. What’s been challenging or and, “Hey, there go the kids across the dining room!” different for you? When I was here for Failure to Launch down here, I was on my own. A: The story’s just twisted. It’s outrageous stuff, man. This is a play. When I work it’s usually work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep. And I didn’t This writer writes small segments, with people interrupting, so there’s a go out that much. But now, in this area with the family, it’s been great. lot of back and forth, back and forth. And it’s a whole different rhythm than most scripts. So, to get in and find that rhythm when you’re Q: We’ve had such great success attracting the film industry looking at it on the page is kind of intimidating. We had our rehearsal to Louisiana and I’ve wondered why they paparazzi have not time, though. I think one of my challenges was trying not to naturalize come down here yet, but it’s been great that they haven’t. That my characters speech. [The way he speaks is] kind of dodgy, but very is such a negative part of the entertainment business. frank and blunt and it was fun. The challenge for me was not trying to A: I’m wondering why they are not, too. It’s the same way in Austin. naturalize that. Number one, that sort of intruding on people is just not in your frequency down here. It’s not in your DNA. It’s actually bad manners. Q: What else have you enjoyed about returning to Louisiana? You know what I mean? And it’s that way in Texas, too. Now, there’s A: One, that Coquette’s really good. I’ve been to two Saints games, gonna be people who are like, “I’m gonna make some money.” But if went to a Hornets game the other night. Again, everything’s ten the public’s like, “What the hell are you doing, man?” And it makes minutes away. Met [ Jeremy] Shockey the other day, he came around. It them feel too uncomfortable, then it just won’t happen. It’s part of the reminds me of Austin a lot. Austin’s really got an identity and this area society in L.A. where they are just everywhere. right here reminds me of South Austin a lot. “Hey, it’s eight o’clock on When I got here, there was a guy who was following me the first a Friday night. Kids, you wanna come? Oh, gelato! Oh, there’s some day we went out. Once you spot them, you say, “OK, this guy isn’t music. Oh, let’s get something to eat.” You know? It’s all a walk away. really going anywhere, he’s watching us.” So I went up to him and I We’ve been out of the house walking more here than we’ve done at said, “Look, I’m here for five weeks and I’m here with my family. We home in Malibu in a long time and we’ve really enjoyed it. And again, ain’t gonna have you sitting outside the house. That just isn’t gonna www.scenelouisiana.com | 43
FILM | work for five weeks. I’m not gonna worry about coming on the porch. I just ain’t gonna worry about that, so what do you want?” He says, “I just need a shot of you and the family.” I said, “Look, we’re going to the zoo. Don’t come in the zoo. But we’re going in the zoo. We’re going to leave and we’re going to come back out of the zoo and walk back to the parking lot. It’s legal for you to take that picture. I don’t want you to take it, but if you gotta get it, get the shot of the family and then get on.” We haven’t seen him in four weeks.
Q: Do you think he was a local? A: No, I went up and talked to him and he was not local. He was sent
here by three big agencies.
Q: This is the first time I’ve heard a story like this. Well, it’s not hard for them. They know a movie’s going where, and they know a movie’s coming when. It’s easy to find somebody. Q: I guess at some point, you’ve got to say, “Well, it comes with the job.”
A: Well, it’s legal for them to do it in public. Don’t pop off to my lady.
Don’t chastise my kids. Don’t chase us around. You wanna take a shot in public? You can take a shot in public, but get it in focus, will you? And then get it, and get on outta here! They don’t always listen, but y’know…
Q: One thing I definitely want to chat about is Just Keep
Livin’. I love it! Congratulations on all of the success you’ve built around it. A: Yeah, man! Well, it came from when my dad passed away and just learning how to deal with his death. It kind of came to me - I didn’t find it, it came to me- and that’s what you do, you keep the spirit alive and that’s where it started. And then I just started using it, kind of as a mantra and a compass for myself. How to navigate, how to make decisions with my own life and that fine, fun line between hedonism and delayed gratification! You know? Right there between responsibility and fate. You know what I’m talking about? And then I just started to brand it on whatever I could. My foundation, we’ve got an after school curriculum with kids. We’re gettin’ some exercise gear. We’ve got brands, we’ve got productions, we’ve got record companies.
Q: How’s your record company? I love your first find, Mischka. His music’s great. How’s he doing? A: He’s doing good! He’s about to play with Uncle Kracker and then Kenny Chesney and Zack Brown are heading off to do stadium tours next year. He’s not opening for them, but he’s going to do some stuff in Vegas for them. Kenny’s management team just took him on. So, record company. I don’t know if I want to take on more bands. I don’t really want to hire the infrastructure to have a big rolling record label company. I don’t know enough about where the business is going; no one knows where the business is going right now.
We’re looking in to working with a charter school down here. I’d love to see that be all over in ten years, in many different spots across America. It’s working, the fundraisers are working. Everything we’re putting out, we’re getting back with fundraising, so the capital is there to keep putting it out there to pay the teachers. And the classes are growing. The kids are going, the kids are graduating and they are coming back! So that’s startin’ to stick. You can smell it and it’s starting to stick.
Q: Where are the current schools you’re partnering with? A: There’s two in L.A., we just opened a third in L.A. and there’s one
in Texas. We’re looking at a place here, we’re looking at a place in D.C. and we’re looking at a place in Florida.
Q: I know you’re a football fan. A buddy of mine is like, “When you talk to Matthew, you gotta bust him on how LSU’s in a better bowl.” A: Well, hell yeah they are, [Texas] didn’t even make a bowl! Number one, tell your buddy, remind your buddy what state most of your players are from! My state! You guys love Houston and Beaumont. Well, not most of them but a lot of them! Although, Louisiana per capita has more players than any other state in the NFL. Not the most, but per capita. LSU. I went to a game last year. I went into the locker room before the game with Les Miles and those players. They tried to get me to wear that LSU shirt and I had on a Texas shirt. I said, “No, guys. I walk out this door and I’m getting my picture taken, and I’ll never hear the end of it if I’m caught in an LSU shirt.” I said, “At least I’m not wearing your opponent’s jersey.” Q: So you wouldn’t do it, huh? A: No, no, no. I’ve got my team. I like LSU, though. I like y’all against
Texas A&M! You guys have had a very interesting year. First you want to fire Les and now he’s up for coach of the year. But y’all always do that. Y’all always do that, man! He’s done some questionable actions in a couple of games, but everything came out on the winning side. If you get the “W” then you’ve got a job, and he’s been there and SEC’s the toughest conference: I agree with that. I like LSU. I always root for LSU. But y’all are seldom playing Texas so it’s easy for me to root for y’all. I’m always rootin’ for y’all. LSU’s easy to root for though, too. It’s always fun to watch. And the Saints are lookin’ good again, man. You’re offense looks real good right now. Let’s talk about this, right here! The Superdome. How fun is it when all of the sudden [BRRRM, BRRRM, BRRRM, BRRRM] C’mon, Saints fans get crunk! [BRRRM, BRRRM, BRRRM, BRRRM] WHOOO! I mean everybody in that place! I’m mean…
Q: [Laughing] Is that your first time experiencing a game in the Dome?
A: It’s been awhile. I’ve been to the Dome before, but this new…I’m
talkin’ about everybody, if they’re holding a plate of food or a cocktail drink, I mean they ‘bout practically drop it and get, I’m talkin’ fourlegged dancin’! Ooooh man! Even the players on the kickoff team!
Q: What are future goals you want to accomplish with that? A: One of the things that’s really getting some traction is the foundation Q: It has become like an anthem! and these after school programs in Title 1 schools where it’s giving them A: It is your anthem! I mean you’re always going to have, “Who Dat? a safe place for these kids to go. A lot of them are in gangs and they are getting out of that and coming to get some exercise and nutrition and stuff. That’s starting to really work, meaning we’re in four schools now. 44 | March/April 2011
Who Dat? Who Dat say dey gon’ beat dem Saints?!” But that song, I’m talking about hits a full nerve and that whole place…I was at the Seahawks game and I was at the Rams game. At the Seahawks game
| FILM
Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy and Bob Gunton in The Lincoln Lawyer
photo by Saeed Adyani
y’all were a little more pumped, the crowd and everything. But aww, man that hit a nerve! It’s a hoot watching it. A hoot! I took my son the other day. And he liked the game but what he really liked was when that came on, watchin’ everybody.
A: I’ve gotten out more here with my family than I have with my last ten films put together, easy.
Q: That’s good stuff. You’re going to have to try really hard to come down here every few years. A: I would love to come work down here [again]. The easiest way to get down here for me is jobs and what y’all are doing makes it easier to do jobs down here and look, what can I do, man? I go back [to L.A.] and just speak highly of it. Talk about crews, talk about locations, talk about ease of work. When it comes down to dollars is where they make the decision, but if it’s not substantial dollars, people in my position can go, “Oh, you’re thinking about New Orleans or this other place? Hey, this is where you want to go.”
older brother Rooster. When I do The Grackle, we’ll do that down here. The Grackle is a bar room brawler for hire. He’s just the folk hero of the French Quarter. The story is that the bad guys from across the tracks are coming in trying to take it over, but not on the Grackle’s watch, baby! He’s the friend to every underdog!
Q: It’s great to hear support like that coming from someone like you.
A: We shot New Orleans for Dallas in Killer Joe. Easy. I’m from Texas
so I’d love to shoot in our home state, but we don’t have the tax breaks right now. But I have quite enjoyed it here, man. It’s a great place to be. It’s very easy for me to get creatively in mind and turned on and remain there the entire time. Part of it is, when I was off work, it’s a very creative place to walk around, engage people. You’re just meetin’ characters everywhere. You are meeting people who are who they are, not trying to be something different. That’s the real strength to it, a place with identity. That’s also, as an artist, to engage in that, it’s not exhausting. There’s color and smells and tastes that everywhere you’re going, “Ah, look, originality.” So, you don’t feel that you hop out of work and you jump into the mendacity. So, it’s good.
Q: I’m sure it’s a good feeling when you end a hard week of work and you know you have a good living environment to relax.
Q: What are a few of the things you’ve got coming up? A: We’ve got an animated show called The Rooster Tales, based on my
Q: Well, Matthew, I want honestly thank you for being so proactive about making this interview happen. A: I didn’t know if I was gonna have time, and then I was like, y’know what, I’ve just had too good of a time. I’d like to share that and I’d gotten your card from set [at Second Line Stages]. You’ve got a real good opportunity. Do it y’all’s style. Do it your way. Don’t go lowbrow and become, “Oh, we wanna find the disease instead of the cure.” You know what I mean? That can sell quick, and then it just won’t last. The style y’all’ve got and the hospitality y’all have, the professionalism. It’s specific. It’s not just an open column. Keep digging in it deep, man, to give it the reason to give it the feeling of legitimacy. Because you’re the posture. You’re the magazine. You’re the guy at the front door. You’re there for the people who ain’t come here yet to read it and go, “Huh.” They ain’t here yet. They don’t have the experience of coming here with my family for a month. You’re the greeter. There’s so much you’ve got to tell the truth on. It’s beautiful. It’s not all easy. It’s not sugarcoated. It’s not like this place isn’t hard. It ain’t like it hasn’t had its disasters, you know what I mean? But it’s what gives it its color. You’ve got a good opportunity with your magazine. I saw it’s been out for a year. You have so many original things that can give it a real weight, yet still be pro-local. S www.scenelouisiana.com | 45
TODAY’S SCENE
Steve Zahn, Lucia Micarelli, Eric Overmyer and Paul Schiraldi on the set of Treme
photos courtesy of HBO
WON’T BOW. DON’T KNOW HOW. TREME: SEASON 2 by Ben Adams
L
ast year, Treme’s premiere season on HBO gave its viewers a glimpse into the city of New Orleans and the many characters who call it home. Series creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer brought together a team of writers and producers to develop a television series that shows the world the beauty and the drama of living in the Big Easy. At the end of the first season, Treme left us wondering what’s next for the post-Katrina city that lost so much, but survived and was focused on rebirth. Treme’s second season premieres April 24 on HBO. Actor Clarke Peters plays one of the central characters in the series, Big Chief Albert Lambreaux. Peters brought deep passion to his role as Big Chief, who fought to continue the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians after Hurricane Katrina. “We strived to protect the integrity of the Mardi Gras Indian culture,” said Peters. “My time in New Orleans has changed my experience and allowed me to settle in and find out what is really important to my character. Going to functions, talking 48 | March/April 2011
to kids in schools and interacting in the community has galvanized my spirit to continue to understand Lambreaux’s role.” Peters has been living in the city since October 2010 while working on Treme. He admires the people in New Orleans and how they express their love for the television series. “It’s great to walk down the street now,” said Peters, “and have people such as Glen Andrews shout out ‘Yo big chief ’, and there are others, such as real local Mardi Gras Indians who give me respect and thanks for representing. Those attitudes clarify things for me and show where this Indian culture fits in the city, historically and politically.” “Each year I learn more about the city and see how it functions,” said Peters. “My work on Treme has opened more facets to acting and I feel I’m new to the scene in America since I have been acting on stage in Europe for many years. I have been spoiled working with HBO, and as my career continues, I just hope for longevity.” Besides the main cast of Treme, the series has spotlighted
TODAY’S SCENE
Khandi Alexander, Lance E. Nichols, Venida Evans and director Tim Robbins on the set of Treme
My time in New Orleans has changed my experience and allowed me to settle in and find out what is really important to my character. –Clarke Peters, Actor, Treme
several local actors and musicians to play themselves in leading roles, such as Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, Allen Toussaint, John Boutte, Big Sam Williams, Deacon John Moore, Lance Nichols, Rio Hackford and Gary Grubbs, to name a few. “Unfortunately I don’t get a whole lot of time working with the main cast,” concluded Peters, “but mostly with local non-actors who are still critical to the story. If you were to tell David Simon anything, tell him to write me a love interest in the series. Because right about now, I think Lambreaux needs to be seen in the arms of a very beautiful woman that is very dear and loving to him. We need to see that side of Lambreaux where he is allowing himself to surrender to that, showing a willingness to allow himself to breath. [Laughing] If you have David near, put that one in his ear!” S 50 | March/April 2011
Clarke Peters
MUSIC |
JAZZ FEST 2011
T
he New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is Louisiana’s most storied music festival, drawing worldwide attention to New Orleans and the hospitality of the city. The 2011 Festival, scheduled for April 29 through May 1 and May 5 through 8, will host twelve stages of virtually every style of roots music. Jazz Fest presents one of the entertainment world’s most diverse music lineups, including its unparalleled showcase of Louisiana’s unique culture. Hundreds of thousands of fans annually flock to the seven-day event that has been called America’s best festival. This year, Jazz Fest’s line up includes: Arcade Fire, Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett, Kid Rock, John Mellencamp, Wilco, Willie Nelson, The Strokes, Robert Plant, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Sonny Rollins, John Legend & The Roots, The Avett Brothers, Cyndi Lauper, Wyclef Jean, Mumford & Sons, Alejandro Sanz, Jason Mraz, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Lupe Fiasco, Arlo Guthrie, Jamey Johnson, Fantasia, Kenny G, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Decemberists, Gregg Allman Blues Band, Vickie Winans, Lucinda Williams, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and more. “This lineup reminds us that the artists we grew up with are now the icons of today,” said Quint Davis, producer/director of Jazz Fest, “Today’s new heroes are tomorrow’s heritage. We’re honored to be able to once again celebrate the soul of America as only New Orleans and the Jazz Fest can.” Tickets are available at www.nojazzfest. com, www.ticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets and by calling 800.745.3000. S
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(L to R): Top: Bon Jovi; Arcade Fire. Middle: The Roots; Cyndi Lauper. Bottom: Robert Plant; Kid Rock.
MUSIC |
RANDY
Newman by Kevin Barraco
Randy Newman performing with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre
A
rare opportunity, I was privileged to see Randy Newman perform with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre. With a sold-out audience and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu in attendance, Newman gave the performance everyone wished for. A few classics were performed, such as “Short People” and moving motion picture scores from films including The Natural, which brought him a Grammy and a nomination for an Oscar. Most familiar are his scores for Disney’s Toy Story and its two sequels, which brought him more Grammy wins, but it was “If I Didn’t Have You” from the film Monsters, Inc. that earned him an Oscar win. A few days after the New Orleans concert, I spoke to Newman about his career and love for New Orleans. “I have a lot of family in New Orleans,” said Newman, “and I have a deep affection for the place. There is no city like it in the world. I think if I could live happily in another place, it would be there. My mother is from New Orleans and Louisiana has certainly affected my music. I lived there till I was three and I would come back every summer for a few weeks or months at a time. I’m a tremendous fan of Fats Domino, and outside of the family, my main friend there is Dr. John. He is not
only a great artist but a great guy and I love it every time I see him.” Newman has performed at a few Jazz Fests past and hopes to always return to Louisiana when possible. “I don’t get back to New Orleans as much as I would like,” said Newman. “I realize how much I like it there. Then, I go away and forget it. I’ll try and go down more often, but there is always a possibility you’ll end up weighing 400 pounds if you spend too much time in New Orleans, but I think I can handle it.” Recently, Newman won another Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture from Toy Story 3 and was nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture with “Down in New Orleans,” from the soundtrack of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. “It always feels good to be noticed for the work,” he says. “It’s exciting.” During his performance tour, Newman came back to Louisiana last February and was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame during his performance at the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge. “I love performing in front of an audience better than anything else I do. I find writing difficult. It’s difficult enough to where I have to make myself do it, unless I have a deadline. There’s nobody
My mother is from New Orleans and Louisiana has certainly affected my music .
54 | March/April 2011
photo by Erika Goldring
–Randy Newman
The first independent green film studio in the United States is right here in New Orleans, with three stages built for industry standards.
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MUSIC |
Randy Newman with personal friends and New Orleans music legends Fats Domino and Dr. John
applauding in there when you’re writing. What you realize is that old cliché about, ‘It’s the journey that counts.’ You think that the work is, ‘Oh man this is the worst. I’ll be glad when this is over. Everything will be done and that will be great.’ But what you find is that what is great is the difficulty you had; you got three minutes to write and you don’t know what to do, but it’s got to be done. It’s scary, but somehow you do it. I look back on stuff I did but I don’t know how I did it!” Newman was born into a musical family of award-winning composers, so his career was always there in front of him. “On my father’s side, we had three composers in the family. It looked like a possible job because I grew up around those 56 | March/April 2011
recording sessions. My uncle [Alfred Newman] did The King and I and All about Eve and The Greatest Story Ever Told, to name a few. I studied music and thought that’s what I would be, then the singer/songwriter thing came up and I did that first. Now that I am winding down I do a little of both.” Newman has The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 2 coming out soon and says he is also starting a new album. However, he doesn’t know what it will be about. “Maybe I’ll write about Medicare,” he notes. Again Oscar-nominated, this time for the song “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3, Scene Magazine congratulates Randy Newman for his Oscar win, and for one of the best acceptance speeches delivered this year. S
photo by Erika Goldring
I’ll try and go down more often, but there is always a possibility you’ll end up weighing 400 pounds if you spend too much time in New Orleans, but I think I can handle it. –Randy Newman
the
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FASHION |
KAYLA MORGAN by Brittney Franklin
Kayla Morgan
A
self-described “sucker for packaging,” designer Kayla Morgan calls a fabulous handbag “the ultimate package.” Since age five, she’s been drawn to handbags and “all things girly,” and is primarily self-taught in the world of fashion design. “I was an art major for three years in college with a degree in marketing but I have always been a fashionista.” Morgan says that she finds inspiration in “colors, texture and great-looking fabrics” but she’s greatly influenced by the tastes of her large circle of friends. “I listen to what they want and need in a handbag and then I add my flair to it.” Founding Kay-la Handbags in March 2006, she has since found success both in and outside of Louisiana. Morgan’s handbags have been featured in magazines such as Us Weekly, Inside Northside and In Touch Weekly. For her 2011 collection, she is taking a different approach, focusing on designs with a deeper meaning. “I want my handbags to not only add to the style of woman but I want it to have meaning and relate to causes that I’m passionate about this year.” “Everything is about connections and reaching out to those you know. If you think about it really hard, all of us know someone that is connected to a celebrity or works in the entertainment industry. I have participated in the Emmy gifting suites and reached celebrities that way and then with my local connections have reached celebrities that are from the area.” The “Natalie” wristlet was offered in the gift suite for the 2008 Emmys and picked up by a handful of celebrities, including Days of Our Lives star Diedre Hall and Imagine That’s Vanessa Williams. “A clever fashionista never reveals her sources. My best advice is to work the connections you have and practice savvy PR.” “It can be difficult at times connecting with industry-related representatives but I started my business shortly after Katrina and kept most of my production local because it was important to me to keep the spirit of design alive here. I do a lot of travel to keep my
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Hellride’s Cassandra Hepburn
Days of Our Lives’ Diedre Hall
inspiration fresh,” she says. “Having the opportunity to be a part of Fashion Week has been the highlight of my year. I know the exposure will be great for the growth of my business.” Morgan is one of fourteen designers featured in this year’s New Orleans Fashion Week, which takes place March 21-26 at the Ogden Museum. S
STYLE LAB for men
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FASHION |
Jolie & Elizabeth Spring 2011 Styles
JOLIE & ELIZABETH by Brittney Franklin
N
ew Orleans is already known for its food, fun and the French Quarter, but fashion is quickly working its way up the chain. Jolie Bensen and Sarah Elizabeth Dewey, two southerners who left the fashion world of the Big Apple to create a niche of their own in the Big Easy, founded Jolie & Elizabeth in September 2009. “We were lucky enough to meet while Sarah was Jolie’s intern at BCBGMAXAZRIA corporate offices in New York City. The experiences and knowledge we gained working for such a successful international company is priceless. From design and merchandising to production and branding, we learned from the best of the best,” they say. “Without these experiences we would not have the proper foundation to start a business in a city with a smaller fashion industry.” In a time when fashion is focused on originality, Jolie & Elizabeth
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photo by Rush Jagoe
credit technology for the ease of exploring and learning from the styles of people all over the world. Fashion-based blogs and social networking sites are scattered across the Web, but they also find inspiration within the city they love. “Both of us are deeply rooted in this city; we live by its traditions, climate, people and style and we design to these elements as well. There is something about living in the heart of the Deep South that makes you appreciate timeless classic beauty.” With that aesthetic in mind, they create fashion-forward clothing that remains stylish yearly and show their dedication to the state by sewing a “Made in Louisiana” tag into every dress. “It’s one of our greatest accomplishments to say that no matter where we sell a dress, the money stays here and benefits our local economy.” Jolie & Elizabeth say the many opportunities to “dress up, dress down or dress however you feel at that moment” is one of their favorite things about New Orleans. “We rarely turn down an opportunity to grab a meal and a drink at Jacques-Imo’s then catch a show at Maple Leaf,” they say. “Obviously Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest are two events we wouldn’t miss for the world. New Orleans may not be known to the rest of the country for having a fashion forward sense of style but we see that as a good thing. We have a different way of doing things down here and couldn’t be more proud of that. Why not dress accordingly?” S
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FASHION |
VARELA & BROOKS by Brittney Franklin
F
ashion designers Isabel Varela and Ashlee Brooks Patton came together to form Varela and Brooks in January. Inspired by art, architecture and music, the Dallas-based Varela and Brooks line focuses on contemporary women’s wear. Varela, a Southwest Louisiana native, graduated from LSU with a degree in apparel design. She interned at BCBGMAXAZRIA in Los Angeles as an assistant designer and went on to study in China and France. “I had a wonderful experience at LSU. I feel that I was able to learn a lot from the curriculum and was also exposed to other creative outlets such as taking master classes at Miami International University as well as taking an extensive study in Paris,” says Varela. “At LSU, we were able to learn both the technical side, marketing to the masses, as well as thinking outside of the box. It created a strong foundation to go out in the industry and tackle any tasks given.” “Some key experiences that I have learned from working around the world is not only learning about the different ways people do business around the world,” Varela says, “but also getting a whole new perspective in fashion and style to just the way people live, which has been a huge influence in designing. I’ve also been [able] 62 | March/April 2011
to explore new creative ways of thinking about designing and thinking about new concepts and going beyond what is expected.” In addition to studying fashion around the world, Varela has also worked in wardrobe for a number of film, television and print spots. “I had an opportunity to work with a well-known stylist named Michelle Richie. I worked on the movie Father of Lies featuring Vivica Fox, DMX and Clifton Powell. I also worked on a horror film called No Exit [and] I’m assisting in styling all web, print and commercials for Sandals Resort,” she says. “It was a great experience to be able to see that side of the fashion industry and how important the way the clothes are styled makes the mood of the scene.” Varela manages to visit home at least twice a month. She says, “Some of my favorite things to do are to eat at Cancun’s Mexican Restaurant in Lake Charles, Louisiana and go vintage shopping on Magazine Street!” Varela and Brooks is the newest line on the list of featured designers presenting at New Orleans Fashion Week. The creative duo has their sights set on the future, viewing this appearance as a sign of great things to come. S
Fashion
FASHION | top local picks
Spring
Étoile by Isabel Marant “Rileya” Skirt $480 at T.
Jerome Dreyfuss “Twee Mini” bag Dominique’s delicate feather Triple necklace:$1100 Triple Bracelet:$425 Long Earrings:$125 Short earrings with garnet: $110
$600 at T.
Étoile by Isabel Marant “Lilly” Shoe
Anchors Away A-line Dress Strapless cotton summer dress with button front and tie, great for sailing or fun festivals like Jazz Fest! $52 at Armoire
$620 at T.
Available at Dominique Giordano
John Humphries Remanent Bracelets
Gold & Teal Peacock Scarf
Double Bracelet: 71/2”. Sterling. Patented magnetic clasp. Triple Bracelet: 71/2”. Stainless steel with sterling. Patented magnetic clasp.
John Humphries Unbound Earrings Sterling.
Lightweight gauze scarf with peacock print in gold, beige, teal & green.
$1,150 at Mignon Faget Galleries
$525 at Mignon Faget Galleries
$18 at Armoire
64 | March/April 2011
Cognac Messenger Tote Tan Prada-inspired structured messenger bag. $45 at Armoire
a tee for all seasons.
CITIZEN
NOLA @citizen_nola
IN THE MIX
NETFLIX CIRCA 1912 by Greg Milneck
N
ot too long ago, most of us got our DVDs in the mail. We opened the envelope, slipped out the DVD and enjoyed two hours of entertainment before dropping it back in the mailbox. Tomorrow, or the next day perhaps, we’d get another movie. It’s a process that is almost as familiar to most of us as microwaving popcorn. Now, many of us stream our movies via Netflix on our televisions, Apple TV or any number of other streaming devices. But the concept of movies delivered to the home is nothing new. In fact, the idea is probably a lot older than you think. In 1912, Thomas Edison offered a film projector for the home called the Edison Home Kinetoscope. Keep in mind, the first time anyone, anywhere had ever seen projected film was in 1895. The first theater in the US dedicated exclusively to showing motion pictures was Vitascope Hall, opened on Canal Street in New Orleans on June 26, 1896. Just fourteen short years later, Edison’s company was able to produce a machine small enough and, in theory, easy enough to operate for users to show film in the comfort of their own home. Edison also offered a 250-page catalogue of movies on noninflammable acetate film (a breakthrough in its own right) for rent to home viewers. Just like Netflix, you checked off what movies you wanted and they would show up in the mail. Obviously, they weren’t DVDs, but you’d be surprised at how small the films really were – a different shape, but no bigger than a DVD, really. Once you were finished, you simply returned it in the mail. Again, this was in 1912! Thomas Edison was a genius: there’s little doubt of that. But
68 | March/April 2011
his innovation was just as much in business as inventing. Most of his inventions, including the Kinetoscope, were really invented by someone else. Edison put his name on them, marketed them and then sold them worldwide. Edison was a visionary. He was the first inventor to apply principles of mass production to the process of innovation. Edison drove his large team of inventors unmercifully. They were salaried inventors, a new concept to be sure. And many were left feeling disillusioned when “their” inventions were stamped with the Edison logo, patented under Edison’s control and sold worldwide. Edison applied similar control to the movie industry. Until very late in his career, Edison ruled the world of filmmaking with an iron fist. To make a movie in America, you had to lease his cameras, his studio lots, his actors and ultimately his projectors. Even the film stock itself, produced by Eastman Kodak, could only be sold to Edison’s producers. Eastman essentially acted as a toll collector for Edison. They would sell only to members of Edison’s Motion Pictures Patent Company. On top of the sale price, they charged a half-cent fee, which went to the Patent Company. Even further, movie producers could only sell their films to theaters that were members of the Patent Company. They then had to pay a $2 weekly fee for each Edison projector they operated. Edison even went so far as to create his own enforcement agency, charged with spying on filmmakers to ensure they were using his equipment only. If they were not, he’d stop them at any cost. There are stories of Edison snipers in the hills shooting unapproved cameras and equipment on the sets of those who dared work outside
IN THE MIX his rules. Producers would try to get around this by covering their imported European cameras with blankets between shots so Edison’s thugs couldn’t identify them. So, it’s not really a surprise that Edison would also figure out a way to ensure only his movies made their way into the American home (played, of course, on his projectors). Unfortunately, the idea flopped. Only a few hundred home projectors were ever sold in the U.S. Every machine shipped to Europe was returned unsold. The machine cost nearly $100 at a time when the average factory worker made $2 a day. They were prone to breaking and almost no one knew how to fix them, a problem that found its origins in Edison’s controlling nature. Eastman Kodak wanted to distribute the new home device through its dealers across the country. Edison, however, chose instead to rely on his own existing network of phonograph dealers. That presented a problem as his phonograph dealers had no training in motion picture devices nor any knowledge of how to service them. Complaints of tangled film, locked gears and hosts of other problems went unresolved, that is for the very few who bought a Kinetoscope. Any hope of redemption for the home Kinetoscope went up in flames in 1914. Nearly 75% of Edison’s West Orange, New Jersey facility burned to the ground in a devastating fire. It was a sign of things to come. It was around this time when filmmakers and studios on the East Coast found out that Southern California offered incredible opportunities for filmmaking. Among many other reasons for this was the reality that California was as far away as you could get from Edison and his patent enforcers. The migration of movie making from East to West had officially begun. Some of these filmmakers who were moving west joined forces to fight Edison and his control of the industry. In 1917, the Supreme Court of the United States finally broke up Edison’s oligopoly over American cinema. Interestingly enough, these independent filmmakers who fought to get out from under Edison’s control of the industry eventually found themselves doing many of the same things in the name of corporate control. Until very recently, it was these Southern California studios that dominated American cinema with total control of the industry, much like Edison before them. Thomas Edison’s heavy-handed approach was not only his undoing in the film industry: it also helped to establish the Hollywood we know today. But, Edison’s idea for home movie delivery never died. From his headquarters in West Orange in the early 1900s, Edison had revolutionized home entertainment and the movie industry. He realized way back then, that entertainment in the home was the wave of the future. There would be a time when Americans wouldn’t need to get dressed up, go into town and spend a lot of money on dinner and a movie. In Edison’s mind, they could do it in the comfort of their own home. Unfortunately, Edison couldn’t allow anyone else to be a part of his dream. His overly complex and expensive machines, untrained service and sales network and heavy-handed control of the film industry conspired to nearly destroy an idea that we take for granted today. Whether it was ego, or just an idea that was way ahead of its time, it amazingly took another eighty-seven years for Edison’s idea to truly become reality. The DVD player, the Internet and a company called Netflix came together to change the way we watch movies at home. They are revolutionizing the movie rental industry, but they most certainly did not invent the idea of movies in the mail. We can thank Thomas Edison for that. Mr. Edison, I appreciate the light bulb, but I’m most thankful for the original Netflix. Way back in 1912. S www.scenelouisiana.com | 69
Louisiana’s long tradition of creativity is swiftly emerging as an economic force. Brain drain is ceasing as young professionals find the opportunities of their dreams are here. Some have never had to leave. Some are our sons and daughters come home. And some are calling Louisiana their new home. These are the entertainment professionals that are Creating the Scene.
ZACK GODSHALL FILMMAKER
by Brittney Franklin
Zack Godshall near the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge
B
orn in Arkansas but raised in Lafayette, Zack Godshall has always found Louisiana a lush environment to cultivate creativity nestled deep within. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from LSU, Godshall attended film school at UCLA. However, the Golden Coast couldn’t keep him for long. “I lived in Los Angeles for three years while going to film school,” he says. “As soon as I finished my classes, I moved back to Louisiana to make my thesis film. I intended to stay here indefinitely to make more independent films.” A veteran director of three feature-length films, Godshall currently teaches screenwriting courses at LSU that quickly fill with eager students soon after registration begins. “I came into teaching because I’ve always been interested in it,” he says. “The job at LSU came about when I was jobless. They had a position for me to teach one class one semester. That turned into two years of teaching part-time. And now, I’m currently in the middle of my second year as the full-time screenwriter-in-residence.” Godshall made his directorial debut with the drama Low and Behold, “a story of unlikely friendship forged in post-Katrina New Orleans.” It was selected for the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. “Low and Behold was the first fictional film, or show for that matter, about life in postKatrina New Orleans to come out, and only the third film by a Louisianabased filmmaker to go to Sundance,” says Godshall. It was preceded by Glen Pitre’s Belizaire the Cajun and Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies and Videotape. Low and Behold garnered “best film” awards and other accolades at festivals around the country. His success continued with his 70 | March/April 2011
photo by Ryan Gibbs
subsequent films, including recognition for God’s Architects as the New Orleans Film Festival’s 2009 Louisiana Filmmaker of the Year and his current film, Lord Byron, was the first film with an allLouisiana cast and crew to be selected for Sundance. “I made Lord Byron without a budget, with a crew of three, and a cast of unknown and mostly untrained actors from around Lafayette and Baton Rouge.” Close friend and collaborator Ross Brupbacher was the only other crewmember on Lord Byron, which Godshall describes as an “organic” filmmaking process. “Together, we were just this two-man band and we could kind of write and collaborate and brainstorm on the spot and just shoot things really fast. And if we had an idea, we almost never said no, we just did it. So many things that we would have never ever written, a lot of those were totally cut. But the energy that came out of that was so great.” Preferring to continue to work on his own indigenous films, a documentary set in the Louisiana wetlands is currently in the works. “Unlike the mass of documentaries set in this region, I think this one will offer a different kind of perspective,” says Godshall, who also plans to reteam with Brupbacher for another fictional piece. Should anyone question his decision to keep producing films in Louisiana, he has the perfect reason to stay: “It is home. My parents are here. My closest friends are here. And beyond those close to me, all the people and the places in this state are continually inspiring. I cannot think of a more interesting and diverse place than South Louisiana, and as a storyteller, there’s no place I’d rather be.” S
MARI
KORNHAUSER SCREENWRITER
by Micah Haley
B
efore Nicolas Cage shot Drive Angry 3-D in Shreveport and Mickey Rourke starred in The Courier in New Orleans, both worked with Mari Kornhauser in the early 1990s. Along with Steve Buscemi, Marisa Tomei and Judge Reinhold, Cage starred in 1991’s Zandalee, a thriller scripted by Kornhauser and shot in New Orleans before the advent of Louisiana’s film incentive program. The veteran screenwriter also scripted 1994’s F.T.W., which is based on an idea of Rourke’s, who also starred as the titular Frank T. Wells. “I have worked as a screenwriter on assignment and on spec,” she says. “I have had three produced films from scripts I’ve written as well as producer credits, and have directed one of the films I wrote.” “I am most fond of Kitchen Privileges,” says Kornhauser, “because all the mistakes I made were mine and that ownership felt good. It did well on the festival circuit, received some awards and was picked up for distribution.” Also known as Housebound and released in the year 2000, the film starred Peter Sarsgaard, who recently resided in New Orleans while stepping into the skin of the villainous Hector Hammond in Green Lantern. “Of the three produced films, Zandalee is the most infamous. And the one I receive the most residuals for,” she laughs. “It was my first career,” says Kornhauser of her now well-whetted craft. “I started working in development on the Warner Brothers lot for a producer when I was in film school, where I also had procured an agent. When my thesis script was optioned, my writing career started.” At the time, she was studying film at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. A long time resident of Louisiana, Kornhauser was drawn to the state at an early age by “New Orleans, the Mississippi River and its great literary tradition. It’s a great place for a writer to live,” she says. “Lots of atmosphere, characters, culture, great food, drink, storytelling, music; the muses invited me to their house for dinner and I never left. It’s home, physically, spiritually and artistically.” After working for years as a screenwriter, 72 | March/April 2011
Mari Kornhauser
Kornhauser took a position as a “professor at Louisiana State University’s English Department, where I teach (surprise, surprise) screenwriting,” she jokes. While LSU currently does not have a full film curriculum, Kornhauser’s work there has provided many eager students an entrée into the entertainment industry. In the summer of 2010, feature film screenwriting veteran Mari Kornhauser was asked to join the writer’s room of HBO’s Treme for the show’s sophomore season. The New Orleans-set critically acclaimed drama was created by television veterans Eric Overmyer and David Simon. The job is one coveted by every writer in Louisiana. “An amazing show,”
photo by Julia Pretus
she says. “It doesn’t get any better than this.” In addition to currently working on Treme, she also has a reality pilot currently being considered by A&E, all while researching a new spec script. “I’m also debating directing another little indie script that I wrote,” she adds. Nearly twenty years removed from the release of her first produced script, Kornhauser is confident in her sustained career in Louisiana. “I am proud of the fact I earned a living from my screenwriting doing primarily independent films,” she says. “That I have had films produced. That I continue working and residing here in the home that I love.” She now lives in the Treme neighborhood, the namesake of the HBO show that employs her. S
ON THE SCENE
S
SCENE MAGAZINE PRESENTS A PREVIEW OF
RESTAURANT STE. MARIE
Hosted by Nicholas Landry Events. Photos by Chad West and Amee Sorensen | Lux Photographie Guest enjoyed specialty cocktails and previewed Ste. Marie’s full menu. While taking a break from filming Looper, actors Paul Dano and Noah Segan stopped by for dinner and drinks with Scene.
76 | March/April 2011
Know about every film, every week. Scene Weekly’s Production Updates are Louisiana’s best source for finding your next job in film.
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Second Line
80 | March/April 2011
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FRAMES PER SECOND |
82 | March/April 2011
www.scenelouisiana.com | 83
THE UNSCENE Film School Ties While the nation reels from sustained unemployment at an unusually high rate, Louisiana’s ever-expanding entertainment industry is demanding an everexpanding workforce. A thirty-five percent incentive on locally hired labor continues to draw even native-born Los Angelinos to live near the pelicanos. And while the added tax revenue of the newly local is certainly welcomed with arms open wide, keeping locals in state is of equal importance. From New Orleans to Houma, Baton Rouge to Lafayette, Alexandria and Shreveport, the greatest hallmark of film incentive success is that Louisianans statewide have benefitted greatly. But only one university in state currently houses a film school. Local non-profits have valiantly stepped up with shortterm offerings to bridge the training gap, but are far from meeting the need. For years, orphan classes in film have been housed in odd departments, students at LSU unable to graduate with a degree in film, but not for lack of support. Educators, students and politicians alike have decried the lack of a substantive film program at Louisiana’s flagship state university. The roadblock is state law that prevents competing academic programs at publicly funded universities within close geographic proximity. Though well intended as a costcontrolling provision, it’s an obstacle that ought to be lifted. The debate is separate from the recent political controversy surrounding the proposed merger of the University of New Orleans and Southern University of New Orleans. Cost reductions in that stratagem would combine duplicate public resources in the same city. Allowing a film program at LSU would only entice more talent across the state to stay in-state, many of who would otherwise go to well-established film schools at larger universities, such as the one at the University of Southern California. Detractors might rebut the proposal by merely suggesting that creating a new film program would cost. But they have under-budgeted the greatest cost: the loss of talent and tuition to another out of state school. - The UnScene Writer
84 | March/April 2011