Scene Magazine - May/June 2015

MAY/JUNE 2015

sceneent.com

FILM AT THE

LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE FASHION:

SOUTHERN DESIGN WEEK

Celluloid Hero

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY BEFORE THE SCENE WITH

IAN ANTHONY DALE SOUND SPEED

BUKU PROJECT 2015

SEBASTIAN

ROCHÉ Original Gangster

S

VOL. 6, ISSUE 3 • May/June 2015

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Micah Haley CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erin Theriot ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Kelli Binnings STAFF WRITER Jordan McGuire GRAPHIC ART DIRECTOR Burton Chatelain, Jr.

EDITOR’S LETTER

L

ast summer, when we decided to do a Kickstarter campaign, there were no guarantees it would be funded. But after sixty days of spreading the good news about how the film and entertainment industry is positively affecting Louisiana, the Here’s My $2 campaign had raised $55,818 to fund an economic impact study. You can now read that study in its entirety at lfea.org.

We also got to make a movie. We just finished principle photography on Creatures of God, a new short film directed by Sandy Parker.

Over the course of a week, it was incredible to see the local film community come together to make this project, from experienced camera and sound professionals offering their time to vehicle and equipment rental donations.

One day was pouring rain and the next was brutal

8 | May/June 2015

heat, but everyone was in high spirits throughout.

Once finished, it will be a great example of indigenous filmmaking in Louisiana.

The legislative session continues through June.

For updates and info on how you can participate in LFEA’s efforts to inform state lawmakers of how the film industry is helping Louisiana’s economy, visit lfea.org. And if your business has been impacted by the film industry, consider becoming a member of LFEA. And thanks for your early support on another new venture. We’re eleven episodes and a month into producing our new podcast and The SceneCast is going great. Check it out at thescenecast.com.

MICAH HALEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@sceneent.com

SALES Beth Burvant, Lauren Fain, Charles Ravaglia CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Bobby Quillard, Gabriel Goldberg, Tracy Bennett, Hilary Bronwyn Gayle, Claudette Banus, Chuck Zlotnick, Frank Masi, Sam Lothridge, Kelli Binnings, Annette Brown, Charles Ravaglia, Chip Kennedy, Brandon T. Willis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AJ Buckley, Aaron Williamson, Jacob Peterman, Susan Ross, Elizabeth Glauser Scene Magazine At Celtic Studios Baton Rouge 10000 Celtic Drive • Suite 201 • Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-361-0701 At Second Line Stages 800 Richard St. • 4th Floor • New Orleans, LA 70130 504-224-2221 info@sceneent.com • www.sceneent.com Published By Scene Entertainment, LLC For Scene Entertainment, LLC CEO, Andre Champagne President, AJ Buckley Vice President, Micah Haley Display Advertising: Call Scene Magazine for a current rate card or visit www.sceneent.com All submitted materials become the property of Scene Entertainment, LLC. For subscriptions or more information visit our website at www.sceneent.com.

Copyright @ 2015 Scene Entertainment, LLC. 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.

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CONTENTS ON THE COVER

Sebastian Roché photo by Bobby Quillard

ABOVE THE LINE

30

Sebastian Roché

BEFORE THE SCENE

12

A Conversation with Ian Anthony Dale

COMING SOON 14 SCENE IN GEORGIA

18

Queen Latifah in Bessie

SCENE IN TEXAS

19

MUSIC/SOUND SPEED

38

BUKU Project 2015

FASHION/RED CARPET

42

Southern Design Week

HEALTH SCENE 52 Women’s Fitness

jobSCENE

56

ON THE SCENE 24 NOFS Gala with Matthew McConaughey

TODAY’S SCENE 20 The Here’s My $2 Short Film

THE UNSCENE 60

10 | May/June 2015

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by AJ Buckley

IAN ANTHONY DALE Ian Anthony Dale is a veteran actor from St. Paul, Minnesota. His recent work includes Hawaii Five-0, The Event, Tekken and Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. His next project is the Steven Bochco drama Murder in the First, where he’ll star as Jim Koto.

What made you want to become an actor?

I think in a way I’ve always been an actor and can remember as far back as high school playing the part of this quite confident guy when in fact I was actually just a painfully shy chubby kid. I guess you could say that long before I ever discovered acting, I was already trying to outwardly convey something very different from what was happening on the inside. I would always look enviously upon my friends, who were the most gregarious, wanting desperately to know what it felt like to be that free and uninhibited. It was right around that time that I discovered the theater. Here was this place where I could be whoever I wanted to be and no one would judge me. A place where I could confront my fears and start to define who I was and what turned me on. The theater provided a safe environment for me to ultimately discover the person I wanted to be both inside and out. I’m not sure what the hell I would be doing today had I not wandered into the theater all those years ago. Might just be the best dumb luck that’s ever happened to me.

Portabella. The second was at the local Red Lobster. Yup, that’s right. I wore those short-sleeved button downs emblazoned with little colorful fish, and served cheddar bay biscuits and all-you-can-eat crab legs to eager bib-wearing patrons. I would always be the one waiter who conveniently disappeared whenever it was time for us to embarrass one of our customers (and ourselves) with a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Needless to say, it wasn’t my favorite job, and at the end of that summer, I vowed never to work as a waiter ever again. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for people in the food and beverage service industry, I just didn’t love it myself. I remember feeling so defeated as I prepared to don an apron once again. Then the most amazing thing happened. Literally four hours before my shift was scheduled to begin, I get a call from my agent telling me that I booked a Disney film and would be on a plane to New Orleans in twenty-four hours. Amazing how quickly your luck can change in this business.

What was your biggest fear?

What kept you from walking away?

When I first started working consistently, even though I was training and learning as much as I could at the time, I still felt like I was doing a considerable amount of “faking it” and feared that at any moment, I would be labeled as a talentless hack and become unhireable. I think that fear, and never wanting to disappoint those who believe in me, has motivated me to work harder and place an emphasis on always trying to get better. Some people are just born with a God-given talent, while others have to work really hard at it. I’ve had to work really hard at it, but I believe that through hard work, anything is possible.

Before I left home and headed to LA in 2000 to pursue acting, my father told me, “Son, give it ten years.” He somehow understood just how challenging it could be and knew how long it might take. He wanted me to be able to really give it my very best effort. It was some of the greatest advice he could’ve given me. This helped me to learn patience, always take the time to prepare, never get ahead of myself, and develop a thick skin and become resilient. Too many people make the mistake of coming to town overly confident and end up dejected and discouraged when things don’t happen for them right away. With time on my side, I was able to take every small victory and trust that I was moving in the right direction. That ten-year benchmark came in 2010 while I was filming The Event for NBC. It’s now 2015 and I’m still here, still feeling extremely lucky to be part of this business and still loving what I do.

What was your lowest point?

I spent my first two years in LA working as a set builder. After saving a little bit of money, I hung up my tool belt and rededicated all my time to my acting pursuits. After booking a couple guest stars and a pilot, I was finally making just enough to live exclusively off of the money generated from acting. But before I knew it, that money had run dry and I was one charge away from being maxed out on all three of my credit cards. I needed a job, badly. And there was little room left in the world of construction for an actor/carpenter who hadn’t paid his union dues in over a year. I was desperate. A friend of mine told me of a new restaurant in Los Feliz called The Vermont that was hiring, so I swallowed my pride and went in for an interview. They were kind enough to offer me a job and my first shift was scheduled for a couple days later.

It made me remember my days as a waiter the summer before my senior year of college, working at two restaurants in Madison, Wisconsin. The first was at a mom and pop Italian restaurant called 12 | May/June 2015

What did you walk away from?

I once walked away from an opportunity to work with JJ Abrams.

It’s one of a few regrets I’ve had in my career. Back in 2004, I had the good fortune to get to choose between a pair of offers. One was for a guest star on Alias playing the bad guy of the week, and the other was for a potential recur on a short-lived UPM sitcom called Second Time Around playing a young father. I had just come off of playing a couple bad guys in a row and wanted to switch things up so I chose Second Time Around. Well, Second Time Around got canned after one season and we all know what amazing success JJ has gone on to have in his career. Hey, you win some, you lose some.

I’m hopeful I’ll get another opportunity to work with JJ someday.

Who was your closest ally?

When it comes to the business, my closest ally has been my manager Charlton Blackburne. This is a tough, tough business, and it’s ever so difficult to find people you can trust. Charlton is one of those rare gems. He’s intelligent, savvy, genuine, honest, generous and he’ll stop at nothing to see me reach my full potential. We’ve worked together for almost eight years now. He’s my closest confidant and friend. My only complaint is that I didn’t meet him earlier in my career. There have been a number of other people who have contributed greatly to my success that I would be remiss if I didn’t mention including friends and collaborators Jeffery Reiner, Steven Bochco, Peter Lenkov, Brian Spicer and Kyle Harimoto.

These guys are all studs and I owe them all a big thank you.

What were you doing the morning before the audition that changed your life?

There have been so many moments throughout my life when someone I’ve looked up to shared a kind word of encouragement with me. I remember one time I was working opposite Anthony LaPaglia on Without A Trace and after the scene, as we’re sharing a smoke, he says to me, “Ian, you should be working every day.”

That was the nicest complement he could’ve given me, and it definitely left an impression. It is amazing how powerful simple words of encouragement can be. They motivate you to believe in yourself and believe in the journey you are on. I try to pay it forward as much as I can, because I know what a positive impact it can have. In this business, you need as much of that as you can get.

How have you changed?

I’ve grown up. I’ve become less selfish, more responsible.

I’ve learned that it’s not enough just to chase after selfsatisfying endeavors. The richest sense of satisfaction comes from helping others. I realize now that there is a bigger picture for me to focus on, and I look forward to dedicating the next chapter of my life and career to being of service to those who are desperate to have a voice of their own.

photo by Gabriel Goldberg

What words do you have to inspire others?

Far too often in this business, we see people being rewarded for bad behavior. Don’t let that influence you.

The path to success can be a lonely one if you step on everyone else along the way. Be a good person, work hard, be patient, be honest, be genuine and treat others with kindness and respect. Make the most of the opportunities you are given and don’t take anything for granted.

A partner in Scene Magazine and the president of Scene Entertainment, AJ Buckley has starred for the last eight years on the hit CBS show CSI:NY. Originally from Dublin and raised in Vancouver, he has spent the last twelve years in Los Angeles acting, writing and directing. He starred in and produced the film Home Sweet Hell, which is now available on video-on-demand.

He can next be seen in Steven Bochco’s Murder in the First, which premieres on TNT on June . Find out more on Twitter @ AJohnBuckley and at www.ajbuckley.net.

BEFORE THE SCENE

What were the words that kept you going?

IAN ANTHONY DALE

I don’t recall what I did on the morning before my first big network pilot test but I definitely remember what happened afterwards. I had just finished with the test and hadn’t eaten in several hours, so I stopped at a café to grab a bite. There I am, sitting on the patio of this café eating my sandwich when all the sudden a bird decides to take a giant s*** all over me. I’m talking on my head, on my shoulders, even on my sandwich! I mean, I’m just covered! So as I’m cleaning myself up, I call my buddy and I’m like, “I’m definitely not getting this pilot.” He asks, “Why not?” I say, “Because a bird just s*** on my head, clearly it’s a bad omen!” After having a good laugh at my expense, he says to me, “Didn’t you know that when a bird s***s on you it’s good luck?” Before I even have a chance to respond, my agent rings in and tells me I got the job. Unbelievable! Who knew getting s*** on could feel so good.

sceneent.com | 13

COMING SOON

by Jordan McGuire

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON • MAY 1

The Avengers are back for another installment. Tony Stark tries to install a peacekeeping program, things get out of hand and the Avengers must stop Ultron before it’s too late. 142 min. Rated PG-13.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD MAY 1

Carey Mulligan stars as Bathsheba Everdene, not your average Victorian English woman. She attracts three vastly different suitors, creating much more than a love triangle. 119 min. PG-13.

THE D TRAIN • MAY 8

photo by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle

Shot in Louisiana, this comedy stars Jack Black and James Marsden.

Jack Black plays the president of the Reunion Committee as he tries his luck in pursuing the most popular guy from high school to attend.

97 min. Rated R.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD • MAY 15 photo by Tracy Bennett

MAGGIE • MAY 8

Shot in Louisiana, Maggie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin. This zombie film is like no other as Schwarzenegger watches as the disease slowly contaminates his own daughter. 95 min. Rated PG-13.

5 FLIGHTS UP • MAY 8

Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton star as a long-time married couple. They live in hipster-ridden Brooklyn and are looking to move on to another chapter in their lives. 92 min. Rated PG-13.

HOT PURSUIT • MAY 8

Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon star in this comedy. An incompetent police officer tries to protect the widow of a drug dealer from the harms of criminals and dirty cops. TBA. Rated PG-13.

BEFORE I WAKE • MAY 8

This horror film stars Kate Bosworth as the mother of an adopted child whose dreams and nightmares turn into reality. TBA. Rated PG-13.

In a post-apocalyptic world, Max is thrown into a society where people fight till the death. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron star as the two team up in their fight for survival. George Miller returns as director. 120 min. Rated R.

GOOD KILL • MAY 15

Ethan Hawke stars as a drone pilot that begins to question his own decision making skills when it comes to his job. 102 min. Rated R.

PITCH PERFECT 2 • MAY 15

Shot in Baton Rouge, the second installment of Pitch Perfect goes global. The Bellas are back in this comedy to rule the world of a cappella. 115 min. Rated PG-13.

SLOW WEST • MAY 15

Follows an adolescent boy on his journey to find the love of his life across the barren frontier. Ben Mendelsohn and Michael Fassbender star in this 19th century frontier excursion. 84 min. Rated R.

POLTERGEIST • MAY 22

This reboot of the 1982 classic is sure to keep you up at night. This horror film stars Sam Rockwell as his family’s home is disrupted by dark forces. TBA. Rated PG-13.

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COMING SOON TOMORROWLAND • MAY 22

George Clooney stars in this Disney film directed by Brad Bird. A former boy-genius inventor and a curious teen embark on a journey to find a place that only exists in their thoughts, dreams and memories.

TBA. Rated PG.

INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 • JUNE 5

The third installment of this horror trilogy will be a prequel to the first film. Elise Rainier agrees to contact the dead to help a teenage girl from supernatural beings. TBA. Rated PG-13.

SAN ANDREAS • MAY 29

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as a rescue-chopper pilot who traverses across the earthquake-torn state of California in search for his estranged daughter. TBA. Rated PG-13.

SURVIVOR • MAY 29

Milla Jovovich and Pierce Brosnan star in this action thriller. The two go head to head as a terrorist attack leaves a Foreign Service Officer running for her life across London. 96 min. Rated PG-13.

LOVE & MERCY • JUNE 5

John Cusack and Paul Dano star as Brian Wilson, songwriter and member of the infamous Beach Boys. The film follows his secluded life from his successes to his nervous breakdowns. 120 min. Rated PG-13.

photo by Chuck Zlotnick/Universal

JURASSIC WORLD • JUNE 12

Shot in New Orleans, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard star in this reboot. Isla Nublar is a fully functioning dinosaur theme park in which one of the attractions goes dreadfully wrong. This will likely be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer. TBA. Rated TBA.

INSIDE OUT • JUNE 19

This Pixar film has an amazing cast consisting of Diane Lane, Mindy Kailing, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black.

The little voices in Riley’s head are her emotions that begin to take control her life. 102 min. Rated PG.

TED 2 • JUNE 26 photo by Claudette Barius

ENTOURAGE • JUNE 5

The gang returns as Vinny Chase tries to reclaim his movie star status.

Ari Gold will play God of the movie industry in this comedic drama as Vince and his confidants climb their way to the top of Hollywood.

TBA. Rated R.

SPY • JUNE 5

Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy re-team for this comedy. McCarthy plays a book smart CIA analyst who volunteers for an undercover mission. 120 min. Rated R. 16 | May/June 2015

The sequel to Seth McFarlane’s teddy bear comedy is here. Mark Wahlberg returns as best bud for his newly married furry buddy. In order to be a parent, Ted must prove he’s a person in a court of law.

TBA. Rated TBA.

BIG GAME • JUNE 26

Samuel L. Jackson stars as the President of the United States. When the president’s plane is shot down over Finland, he must turn to a young hunter for his protection. 110 min. Rated PG-13.

MAX • JUNE 26

Post traumatic stress affects dogs too. This is a heart warming story about a US Marine dog returning home from the war in Afghanistan.

111 min. Rated PG.

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SCENE in

GEORGIA

BESSIE SMITH TV MOVIE

by Jordan McGuire

I

f there’s one woman who personifies Bessie Smith it’s Dana Elaine Owens, or as we like to call her, Queen Latifah.

The middle aged Latifah has fiery energy, booming vocals, spunk and screen presence.

She is the epitome of a renaissance woman.

She started her career as a female rapper turned model, then actress, then producer and finally hosted her own television show. She ushered in a new wave of female rappers and sort of blazed the trail for the Missy Elliots, Lil’ Kims and now the Nikki Minajs of the world. She has won a Golden Globe, a Grammy and has been nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award. She is also born on March 18, a date that we both will share for eternity. So, as Parks and Recreation’s Tom Haverford would say, “Hip-Hop’s First Lady is my boo.”

Latifah will play Bessie Smith in the upcoming TV movie Bessie from HBO. The Bessie biopic will also star Oscar winner Mo’Nique, the rugged Michael Kenneth Williams, Charles S. Dutton, Khandi Alexander and the long-time comedic vet Mike Epps make up the supporting cast. We know Latifah has the moxie, appearance, soul and the booming vocals to play the iconic jazz singer. The Queen picked up an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Big Mama Morton in Chicago.

In the 1920s and 1930s Bessie Smith was one of the most popular and authoritative voices of the blues and jazz genre. She was nicknamed The Empress of the Blues and led the way with the likes of Louis Armstrong as catalysts for jazz vocalists. The story of Bessie Smith is one of triumph, controversy, influence and tragedy.

18 | May/June 2015

Queen Latifah as Bessie

Spoiler alert, Smith was critically injured in a car accident in late September, 1937. Smith would be taken to the Thomas Afro-American Hospital after apparently being refused admission to a “whites only” hospital in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

It will be interesting to see Bessie Smith’s last moments on Earth played out on the screen.

Latifah and Smith’s similarities go much further than their physical appearances. Both icons performed with conviction and struggled with similar obstacles at the start of their music careers. The film is bound to be filled with drama, oppression and will hopefully shed light on a story that is unknown to most.

As mentioned before, Dee Rees will direct from her own script. After the successful

photo by Frank Masi

HBO TV movie The Normal Heart, HBO is back again with a cast that would very well break the box office. Latifah was seemingly born for the role of Bessie Smith, Mo’Nique will play Ma Rainey, Charles S. Dutton will play Pa Rainey, Michael Kenneth Williams will play Jack Gee and Mike Epps will play a bootlegger named Richard. Starring opposite Queen Latifah is Fargo’s Oliver Platt. Platt will play Carl Van Vechten, the infamous portrait photographer that was a big part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. Bessie was shot in Olde Town Conyers, Georgia. The blues film is produced by Ron Schmidt. The film has a U.S. release date of May 16, 2015.

SCENE in

TEXAS

SUMMER FEST 2015

by Elizabeth Glauser

H

ouston’s heat and humidity are no match for the faithful fans of Free Press Summer Fest. In its seventh year, FPSF will bring together the best of the genres with headliners like Weezer, Skrillex, Major Lazer and St. Vincent.

The Welcome to Houston set returns this year to pay homage to the city’s rap scene, featuring natives Bun-B, Slim Thug, Devin the Dude, Z-Ro, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Scarface, Lil Flip and Lil Keke. Joining the slew of rappers onstage will be The Suffers, an eclectic ten-piece band who recently made their debut on The Late Show with David Letterman. They will also have their own set to showcase their brand of Gulf Coast soul.

Some of this year’s break out artists like Charlie XCX, Tove Lo and ILoveMakonnen will be joined by performing veterans.

80s icons Tears for Fears will be on hand to perform their synthpop anthems “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and the oft-covered “Mad World.” Weezer brings the alt-rock of the 90s and beyond to the stage for their second appearance of FPSF. Indie darlings like The Decemberists, Belle and Sebastian, Band of Horses, Flogging Molly and Portugal. The Man all bringing their loyal fan bases out for festival fun. EDM fans can get charged with acts like Flume, RL Grime, Odesza and co-headliners Skrillex and Major Lazer.

Other acts include country crooner Robert Ellis, Mastodon, Chance the Rapper, Gary Clark Jr, Sturgill Simpson, Brandi Carlisle and more.

Free Press Summer Fest takes place June 5-6 at Eleanor Tinsley Park near downtown Houston. For more information visit FPSF.com or get a sneak peek with the FPSF 2015 official playlist on Spotify. sceneent.com | 19

TODAY’S SCENE

Actor Jake Wynne-Wilson

SUPPORT FILM KICKSTARTER, THE “HERE’S MY $2” CAMPAIGN AND WHY WE’RE MAKING THE SHORT FILM CREATURES OF GOD

by Micah Haley

photos by Sam Lothridge

I

n the fall of 2014, I chaired a Kickstarter campaign called “Here’s My Two Bucks” with the Louisiana Film & Entertainment Association. The goal was unusual: we wanted to raise $50,000 to fund an academic impact study of how the film industry impacts Louisiana’s economy. After sixty days, we not only met that lofty goal, but exceeded it. 589 backers donated a total of $55,818 to fund the study. The study was completed a few weeks ago and you can now read it in its entirety at sceneent.com.

Because of our combined efforts, the results of the study are now available for Louisiana lawmakers to review, just in time for the 2015 session of the Louisiana legislature. It’s a fiscal session, which means that legislators will be looking closely at all financial matters affecting the Louisiana state government’s budget. The Legislature is in session now and will conclude in mid-June.

The key to our successful Kickstarter was widespread 20 | May/June 2015

support, both inside and outside of the film industry. And one of the backers was especially important. With a little more than a week until the end of our campaign, Sandy Parker pledged $10,000 and selected the biggest reward: a short film.

“I scrolled down and saw that for $10,000, you’d get your short film produced basically from start to finish, all the way through editorial and help submitting to film festivals. That actually seems crazy low!” Sandy told me. That’s an observation only a filmmaker would make. And Sandy is indeed someone who has not only worked in the film industry as a script supervisor, but who has a great story of how Louisiana’s film incentive program helped influence her to relocate to Louisiana.

Only a few years ago, Sandy was in Portland, Oregon, where she first made her way into the film industry doing craft services.

She eventually made her way over to the script supervisor’s chair, right next to the actors and the director. After going back

TODAY’S SCENE

Actors Bart Elliot and Candi Brooks

and forth between Portland and Los Angeles, Sandy found herself at a crossroads. “When The Levees Broke, that Spike Lee movie was on HBO,” she remembers. Lee’s documentary is a four-hour opus chronicling the impact of Hurricane Katrina on South Louisiana. “About an hour in, it was like I had a revelation.

Why was I trying to move to Los Angeles when I could move to New Orleans? I would be two hours away from my parents in Mississippi and I could actually work in the film industry!”

“I sold my house in Portland and moved here,” Sandy says. “I came here in October of 2006, I joined the union and they were happy to have me.” After relocating to New Orleans, she worked on films including Killer Joe, Meeting Evil, Now You See Me, Jurassic World and American Horror Story.

Nearly ten years of employment in Louisiana’s film industry has allowed Sandy to lay down roots. In addition to purchasing her own home, she’s also a great example of how people that come to

Louisiana to work on film end up branching out into other areas of the economy. “I’ve bought two rental properties,” she says.

Sandy directed her short film Creatures of God from her own original script. During the process, she was aided by a team of professional filmmakers who brought their well-honed skillets to the table. Trey Burvant was the project’s lead producer.

He got development rolling by connecting Sandy with veteran screenwriter Chris Poché. Together, the two made some key changes that streamlined the story. Meanwhile, producer and production supervisor Will Greenfield prepared a budget for the film. Casting took place shortly after, drawing from Louisiana’s maturing talent pool.

After shooting over the course of two days in April, we’re now in post-production on Creatures of God. You can follow that process in more detail at heresmytwobucks.com. We also need your help during the next two months. Go to lfea.org for more information on how to contact your legislators and support film. sceneent.com | 21

TODAY’S SCENE Thanks to all of the people and companies that donated to LFEA’s “Here’s My $2” Kickstarter campaign.

Find out more at heresmytwobucks.com and lfea.org.

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24 | May/June 2015

ON THE SCENE

sceneent.com | 25

ON THE SCENE

NEW ORLEANS FILM SOCIETY GALA 2015 photos by Kelli Binnings

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ABOVE THE LINE

SEBASTIAN

ROCHÉ ORIGINAL GANGSTER

by Micah Haley

O

ne conversation with the veteran actor reveals Sebastian Roché to be a polished raconteur, a welcomed throwback to the transatlantic affectations that permeated film in the early twentieth century. Although still a young man, Roché is a member of the old guard. Classically trained, he has shared the stage with Al Pacino in Salome and worked with director Julie Taymor on The Green Bird and Titus Andronicus.

In film, he has collaborated with director Steven Spielberg on The Adventures of Tintin, Michael Mann on The Last of the Mohicans and Robert Zemeckis on Beowulf. And on television, Roché has cultivated a large fanbase on Fringe as Thomas Jerome Newton,

30 | May/June 2015

on the long-running Supernatural as Balthazar, on General Hospital as terrorist Jerry Jacks and on The Vampire Diaries as Mikael.

In 2013, a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries debuted set in the world of Mikael. Called The Originals, the new CW series focused on the original family of vampires that would eventually begat the biters at the center of the soapy Vampire Diaries. And Mikael is their patriarch, the powerful primogenitor of the world’s most beautiful brood.

Sebastian spoke with me over the phone from the set of The Originals, which is set in New Orleans and filmed on location in Georgia and Louisiana. The show’s second season finale aired on April 20.

photo by Bobby Quillard sceneent.com | 31

ABOVE THE LINE MH: Whether it’s politics or bad movies, your Twitter feed is very bold, sir.

SR: Haha. Yes, it is!

MH: Is that your stream of consciousness or do you take to Twitter with a purpose?

SR: I believe in being opinionated. I like to engage in a discussion with the people that actually follow and maybe look up to you and maybe are interested. I don’t only want to post selfies of me or photos of my chest when I’m working out. To me, politics is something that I’m passionate about. It started in my early childhood in France, and I continue to be involved in politics and the things that I care about.

The environment, women’s rights and how loathsome something like ISIS is. How dangerous ideologies are all over the world.

I like big ideas. And people can write me back and tell me that I’m an jerk and that’s fine. And actually, some of my followers get a bit of their news from my Twitter feed. Some people get their news from Jon Stewart. I’m not saying I’m Jon Stewart, but I like to have a little more consciousness in my little realm of social media.

MH: I think a lot of people in the entertainment industry stay away from politics for business purposes. But at the end of the day, I think most people who have a passion for politics really have a passion for people. That’s really their concern that is shining through.

SR: Yes, absolutely. And I just don’t believe in shutting your mouth. I can’t. It’s something that is just not in my DNA. I just don’t subscribe to that kind of thought. I’m not criticizing anyone for not doing it. I just think we love the art of debate. People hate to have an opinion, but I think that’s how we evolve as a human species. There’s nothing wrong with voicing your opinion. However bad it is!

MH: And how uninformed it is sometimes!

SR: Haha! And uninformed, yes!

MH: We’ve lost the ability to debate as gentlemen. Everybody goes for the jugular right from the beginning.

SR: I used to love that growing up as a child. The French loved to debate the Brits and there were really interesting conversation going on. People would sometimes scream at each other, and at the end of the night, they’d go, “Oh wonderful, that was a great discussion. Let’s go have a drink.” Now, it’s a much more divisive society, especially in American politics. I think Congress has contributed largely in doing that. The extreme sides of the parties contributed to a total lack of dialogue and a regressive mentality. Only eight percent of Americans like our elective body. We basically hate their guts and yet we continue to elect them. It’s a sad state of society, it really is.

MH: Well, we can’t give up what we enjoy complaining about everyday.

SR: Exactly! Ha! It would be nice to do a clean sweep and get the money out of politics. Then we’d start to see the people who actually do something, instead of worrying about

32 | May/June 2015

their re-election and who’s going to fund and support them.

MH: Plus, we also must have good characters to parody on Saturday Night Live. That’s the thing we really need as Americans.

SR: That’s true! You’re right. But that will always be there. From the days of Punch and Judy to the great caricatures from the 19th century to now. It’s always easy to parody someone. I can parody most of my fellow actors so easily. I’m sure there’s someone out there parodying me! In fact, I know there is! My best friend. He basically makes fun of me on a daily basis.

MH: On the television series The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, you play a vampire. And vampire’s are, of course, immortal.

SR: Yes, I play one of the oldest vampires that exists.

MH: In real life, you really take great care of yourself. What is the key to looking thirty years old forever?

SR: Hahaha! The key is diet and exercise. If I was responding seriously, without humor, I would say living a very active lifestyle. Eating responsibly. Seeing the benefits of eating fresh food and limiting animal fat (although that’s for different reasons). If you eat too much processed foods you will get sick. It’s very important to lead a healthy life and get enough of sleep. Meditation. It’s not that easy. I live a blessed lifestyle. It’s not an easy thing to do at times. When you’re working eight-to-six and you’ve got five kids and you’re not making enough money, it’s very hard.

Hopefully, we can bring consciousness to people and encourage them to live by these rules, and they’ll lead a much happier and healthier lifestyle.

MH: You’re in Georgia shooting The Originals right now. How was set today?

SR: It was really good. We finished doing this extremely intense episode.

It is very rewarding when the roles are so well written. Huge stakes.

There’s a lot of scenes with the stars, including Joseph Morgan. He’s a wonderful actor. He’s pretty fabulous.

MH: I can tell that you’re a very intellectually engaged actor.

SR: Yes, I am. I’m intellectually engaged. I’m also very passionately, emotionally engaged. Very much so. You fall in love with acting. You fall in love with it, and it’s a love story that will last until the day you die.

There are two types of actors: those who want to be famous and those who are passionately in love with the craft.

MH: I can tell that you are engaged with the character you are playing and the character that others are playing. But there are also some actors who I feel are really unconcerned with the particular character. The fun for them is engaging purely with the other actor or purely with the director.

SR: That is also a lot of fun! Acting is reacting. Whatever your partner in the scene does will affect your performance. And also, the director can make your performance better. He can freeze you up, but most of the time they can make your performance better. They can say, “It’s too much, bring it down a bit.” It’s a very collaborative art form. That’s what makes it so fascinating.

ABOVE THE LINE

photo by Bobby Quillard

sceneent.com | 33

ABOVE THE LINE MH: I love that The Vampire Diaries and now The Originals have come into this genre space that was already well trodden, and they have just done their own thing. They have their own mythology that’s really compelling.

SR: It really is. It really stands on its own. It’s very emotionally complex family dynamic. It’s a fascinating series. It takes place in New Orleans, actually, which is a really interesting place to set the series. With all its history and heritage with voodoo and magic. They are part of the cultural heritage.

MH: If vampires were real, they would definitely live in New Orleans.

SR: They would definitely live in New Orleans. I’m sure if it. But to tell you the truth, I have to admit I’ve never been to New Orleans. It’s a town that I’ve always wanted to go to, being of French origin. I’m a huge foodie. I’m half French. I should’ve gone to New Orleans, but I’ve still never been. I’m sure I’ll be there in the near future.

MH: It really is the only European city in America.

SR: I really would love to experience that. I know the amazing Jazz Festival that I might be coming to. I think I might be coming to Jazz Fest if my schedule can permit it.

MH: I’ve got some questions for the fans of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Mikael has a really messy history with his children. Klaus especially. Why has your hatred for him lasted so long?

SR: Knowing the history of the family, it started pretty early.

Even before Mikael found out that he was a bastard son, I think there was something about the boy that rubbed Mikael wrong.

There was maybe a degree of competition. Not with the other sons. There was something about Klaus that he instinctively knew that he was not of his own blood. And I think that was a very interesting point in the flashbacks. When he found out that he was a bastard son, then his suspicions were proven true.

He truly took on a new dimension in hating his bastard son.

The crazy thing is that he taught him everything he knew. He was not the son that he expected because he was not as much of a warrior. As soon as he grew of age, I think Mikael taught him how to become the monster that he was himself. It’s funny because he’s not Mikael’s son but he’s the most like Mikael. And the dynamic of the show is interesting. The hatred grew even more when Klaus decided to kill his wife and make Mikael take the blame for it.

Therefore, creating a thousand year old antagonistic relationship with the whole family. He lost basically everything. Not only did he lose his wife, he lost the rest of his brood, his bloodline.

For a thousand years, he was a hunter trying to hunt down Klaus.

Over that period of revenge and hatred, he turned it into a true art form. It’s a fascinating hypothesis: how do you live for a thousand years with the knowledge that you accumulate and hatred that grows?

You do not age and yet you “age.” You go through heartbreaks, you still have this vengeful hatred in your heart. Which comes from pain. I truly believe that Mikael’s bloodlust comes from pain. Deep within him.

34 | May/June 2015

MH: That reminds me of the saying, “Hate is injured love.”

SR: Absolutely. Before Klaus was born, Freya, the daughter that he loved before everything went awry, died at the age of three. And it created a true sadness within Mikael. She was the apple of his eye. His first daughter. His first child. He loved her and he felt responsible for her death. She was never found again. You’ll see what happens in the episodes to come. It’s really intense. It’s a pretty intense dynamic with what happens to her. He’s a wounded übermensch. He’s got a thousand years of experience within his tortured brain. A fascinating character, really.

MH: He’s a really unique guy. With some issues. Why do you think that Mikael drinks vampire blood?

SR: Mikael drinks from vampire blood because he has no respect for other vampires other than himself. I think that he considers himself above. I think it’s a way for him to gather the strength, experience and knowledge. Like warriors who would eat the brains of the enemy to gain their strength. There’s a bit of a medieval warrior, a Viking warrior, in Mikael. It’s a sense of domination. He is the alpha vampire. Therefore, anyone under him deserves to die. He’s a very ruthless character. A lot have died within his path.

MH: They’ve definitely got you doing some gruesome stuff on this show as Mikael!

SR: There’s more to come! It’s gruesome, but that’s his way of defending himself. It’s his life. That’s what he’s been living for a thousand years.

He’s a warrior. He’s the alpha warrior-vampire of all. Nobody should stand in his way.

MH: Is that how they pitched the character to you? If I was an actor, and somebody gave me a pitch like that, I’d be like, “Where do I sign??”

SR: Oh yeah, believe me! They told me he was a vampire hunter.

They did tell me that he was the father. And I thought, “What a great role to play!” We had gone into the Viking stuff. I knew about that.

I thought, “What an extraordinary character to play.” He’s really a truly exhausting character to play, and I mean that in a good way.

He carries with him so much energy. The fiery ruthlessness that he carries with him is exhausting to play. His potential is intensity. It’s like doing gymnastics for hours. Gymnastics of the mind. You feel that his eyes are on fire. He looks the part.

MH: He’s a really brutal guy. The rumors are that there will plenty of flashbacks with the family. In the near future, or maybe in the distant future, do you think we might get a glimpse of the softer side?

SR: You will! That’s all I can say, really. I don’t want to divulge too much.

There will be a softer side. In his own way, of course! It’s always got to be in his own way.

MH: Are we gonna see a softer side of Sebastian when you play King Stephen in Once Upon a Time?

SR: Maybe. Ha!

ABOVE THE LINE

Sebastian Roché as the original vampire Mikael

MH: I think anything is softer than Mikael.

SR:Yes, anything is softer than Mikael. This is a character that is still evolving. I’m interested to see what will happen in the coming weeks.

MH: Are you familiar with the novels that the show is based on?

SR: I’m not, actually. The show is based on the Vampire Diaries novels.

MH: You should put in a bid to read the audio books. I think you’d be a pretty good read. It also makes so much sense because Mikael is the patriarch.

SR: I would love that. You know, you’re right. That’s actually a really good idea! Cause they did release the books. An Originals book. That’d be a good idea!

MH: You’re on this other show, Supernatural. The fan base is absolutely crazy with enthusiasm.

SR: It’s unbelievable. It’s the most formidable fan base I’ve ever seen.

I’m sure Star Trek actors go through the same thing. But I think this is the closest to Trekkies there is. I think the fan base is actually even bigger now. I don’t know, exactly. But the Supernatural fan base is incredible, and it’s been such an amazing ride. And I was on season six or seven for six episodes. My character was actually one of these characters who they wrote so well. He was an angel who was sort of debonair and decadent. I think he left an indelible mark on the fandom.

MH: It’s huge! That show has legions and legions of fans. And

photo by Annette Brown/The CW

has been on the air for eleven or twelve years now?

SR: Yeah for twelve years. They’re amazing. We love our Supernatural fans. I love my Originals and Vampire Diaries fans as well but there’s a lot of crossover. It’s fabulous. And doing those Supernatural conventions is a way of seeing those fans again. Seeing them and thanking them for supporting us. That’s why I love doing those events. Most of the Supernatural actors and guest actors have become gracious friends. We love just having this wonderful travelling theatrical troupe. It’s truly like a brotherhood on Supernatural. All these actors are really interesting people. Good people. It’s a great group. It’s been amazing. We’ve travelled the world spreading the Supernatural love. It’s been really fabulous. I’m still amazed to this day.

MH: Is there any chance that Balthazar will make a comeback on Supernatural?

SR: Aww, man I would love to. I’m gonna have to call the producers and say, “Hey, guys how bout it?” That would be phenomenal. I would do it in a second.

MH: The fans are really what are holding the show together.

SR: Absolutely. The show is going into its twelfth season!

MH: Daytime dramas shoot incredibly fast and are very demanding on the actor. How did your work on General Hospital pay dividends into your skillset as an actor?

SR: First, I didn’t do it at the beginning of my career. I did it a little sceneent.com | 35

ABOVE THE LINE when I was younger, but I didn’t understand the process. I was too green at the time. When I had the second opportunity of doing it, I wasn’t sure about it. But I took the job and it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. It completely changed my life.

I was in New York and I was going through a difficult time. I went to do the job on General Hospital and they welcomed me with open arms and treated me so beautifully. They gave me basically carte blanche to play this pretty incredible character, who was a mastermind of evil. Because that’s what I do, it seems! Ha! But he was a great character who took the whole cast hostage. I did forty episodes and it went so well. I had so much fun on it.

It is extremely rigorous in the sense that you have to learn about thirty pages of dialogue. In this case, I had to shoot nearly all monologues. It was amazing in the sense that I felt very free. I thought to myself, I’m gonna use this to experiment.

To relax as an actor. It was like doing theater because it was going so fast. And it does go very, very fast. You have to be very well prepared! It was an absolute joy.

It didn’t last very long, but it completely regenerated me as an actor.

It’s funny and it’s really interesting: I had grown a little disillusioned and I started having so much fun again. They gave me so much license with my character. And they trusted me. I had so much fun and I explored. I overdid it at times. Then, I underdid it. I experimented and it was great!

So, I understand what Bryan Cranston says when you have to work fast, and you have to suss out a scene very quickly. You are basically working that acting muscle. Then you find something that shoots slower and it’s a luxury to you. It’s fantastic. It was a great experience. I couldn’t be more thankful. They’re so nice. Every year they bring me back for a tiny little stint and they’re so gracious to me. They’ve been really wonderful. I’m very thankful for that.

MH: There’s something good about the artistic mind being pushed to produce a great amount of volume. Who knows what Charles Dickens’ career would have looked like if he wasn’t pushed to stretch out his stories in the papers. If he had been too precious about his art form, he would have ended up only producing one or two books that weren’t as voluminous.

SR: It’s the same with Alexandre Dumas, the French author who wrote Three Musketeers and other truly wonderful masterpieces of literature. And they were not considered masterpieces at the time, but they are. He wrote volumes of books, too. It depends. I also think that in an actor’s career, there’s one defining role that will define you all your life. Well, maybe not always.

Meryl Streep is a total genius and everything she does is flabbergastingly good. Art in great volume can be wonderful. It can be amazing. I mean, look at Van Gogh. He produced a tremendous amount of volume as well.

Picasso, too.

MH: You had a role in one of my favorite movies of all time, The Last of the Mohicans. What are your memories of being on Michael Mann’s set?

SR: It was great. It was one of my first jobs. It was so amazing to me to be on such a massive movie set. I adored Michael Mann and I still adore him as a filmmaker. He’s one of these really honest, frank filmmakers and I think he’s a genius filmmaker. The Insider is one of my favorite films ever! For me, it’s one of the most perfect films ever made, along with Heat. It was an honor to be on that movie. I experienced it for six weeks but I was cut from the movie.

I loved the way he worked with us.

36 | May/June 2015

photo by Bobby Quillard

He loves actors. He trusts them. He was very gracious with me even during the audition process. I love the man. The Last of the Mohicans was a massive enterprise, shooting in Asheville, North Carolina.

MH: In many ways, it was one of the last films that would shoot on that scale until CG came in and really changed the way movies are made.

SR: I love that about it! There’s no CG. There are movies where CG is used beautifully and you need it. But I’m excited that I heard that the new Star Wars will not use as much CG. It’ll go back to the classic Star Wars and I’m so happy about that. I think that CG can de-nature a movie. It turns into cartoon. I’m more of an indie type of viewer. Anything that’s independent, foreign. Gimme subtitles galore. I love it. My favorite movies of this year were Whiplash, Leviathan, the Russian movie.

Ida, the Polish movie. There’s so much good stuff. I’m a huge movie buff. I’ve realized I’ve seen a lot of stuff. Some obscure stuff. But even Guardians of the Galaxy, I loved. One of the best superhero movies I’ve seen in a long time. It reminded me of the first time I saw Star Wars.

Sebastian Roché is a supporter of Room to Read, which works in collaboration with communities and local governments across Asia and Africa to develop literacy and other life skills. Find out more at roomtoread.org.

MUSIC |

photos by Kelli Binnings and Charles Ravaglia The power returned to the Market Street Power Plant on March 13-14 as the Buku Music & Art Project returned to New Orleans for its fourth year. Now, on to number five.

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SOUTHERN

DESIGN WEEK F/W 2015 Q&A with Founder Andi Eaton

by Micah Haley photos by Chip Kennedy Andi Eaton is the founder of Southern Design Week, the premier fashion event that takes place twice yearly in New Orleans. We spoke at Second Line Stages just after the conclusion of the Fall/Winter 2015 season. You can listen to our conversation in its entirety on The SceneCast at thescenecast.com.

Micah: Andi! Tell me about how this spring’s week of fashion kicked off.

Andi: We kicked off the week with a brunch celebration at Tivoli & Lee at the Hotel Modern. It was hosted by Flying Fox, which is a local New Orleans handbag line that designed the NFL-approved clear purses last year.

The founder’s name is Tiffany Napper: her brand really exploded after that product came out. Now she’s moved into really beautiful leather bags. She did an opening presentation during the brunch and had some amazing folks there.

There was some great food, a lot of Instagrams from bloggers going on. Just some really great folks getting to meet-and-greet with some of designers that were showing throughout the week.

M: Everything moved to Gravier Street Social next?

A: We had two shows there on Sunday night. The first was Megan Mitton, an emerging designer going to school in Alabama. She’s from Shreveport so she wanted to come home and show her senior collection. Her garments were absolutely beautiful and she is going to be a star. After Megan’s opening show, we had local songbird Robin Barnes perform. She just launched her own clothing line. It’s called Fit By You and it’s athletic wear. Robin created a line after having some pretty serious health issues about a year ago. She had Miss Louisiana as one of her models, some local on-air celebs as some of her models. It was a really fun, high energy close to that day.

M: Where were you at on Tuesday?

A: We were at the Transportation Revolution, which is the Ducati and Triumph Dealership. We really got excited about using that venue. Their showroom is just absolutely beautiful. The products they offer stand out.

We had two designers that evening. We opened with an emerging designer named Destani Hoffman. She did some wildly cool avant garde dresses. A lot of black and white conceptual pieces that really went well with the motorcycle showroom. And then, the headliner of that night was Stevie Boi. He was actually in all week long and he kicked off the first big runway show.

M: He’s kind of a big deal.

A: Stevie Boi is a big deal. He’s actually from Augusta, Georgia. He’s a Southern boy at heart. When he was sixteen, he was making custom sunglasses and he had a pair picked up by Italian Vogue. Not only did they run a photograph 42 | May/June 2015

K FRAME with the glasses, they ran them on the cover of the magazine. So he went from being a kid in Augusta, Georgia to being hired immediately by Lady Gaga to become one of her costume designers. He has been doing a lot of styling work for Madonna. He just styled the cover for Cosmopolitan featuring Madonna.

So he’s just had some really, really big successes. Stevie is a very hard worker.

He’s entrepreneurial, super smart and really down to Earth. He’s just a lovely gentleman doing really cool stuff.

M: What happened on Wednesday, March 18?

A: Wednesday was presented by Mignon Faget, who’s a local jewelry superstar.

Mignon has stores all around Louisiana and does beautiful work herself.

Mignon wanted to sponsor a night that was about local and up-and-coming artisans. So, Wednesday night was a mash up of sorts. There was a market, which featured three local makers: Beneath the Bark, Edge Studios and Hunt Collective. All are local jewelry or apparel designers. So those three presented their work in a market format. You could come in and shop, try things on, meet the designers and have some cocktails. with those folks and really just kind of have an experience of those brands.

Next was a the collection presentation by Krystal Frame. Her line is called K Frame. She’s been around Southern Design Week for quite a few years. She’s just a little superstar. She’s twenty-one years old and is really about to make it really big. She presented her collection and then the night closed with music from Ships of Fools, which is a collective of musicians from Baton Rouge.

M: Thursday’s up next. March 19th. Where were you?

| FASHION

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FASHION | A: We were at the Mallory Page Studio, which is Mallory Page Rodrigue’s gallery on Julia Street.

Mallory’s a painter who does absolutely beautiful work, and she launched a book called The Alchemy Never Starts or Stops.

It’s a collection of her paintings and writings, a beautiful coffee table book. The night closed with the collection presentation of Courtney Marse, who does engineered prints. So she’s got an MFA in textile design from LSU and she takes photographs or illustrations and deconstructs them, creates her own prints and then creates garments using those prints. Really cool stuff. This is her second collection and she’s hit the ground running, focusing on specific styles so that she can rotate in new prints every season.

M: And wrapped up the week on Friday, March 20th at the Joy Theater.

A: There were six designers that showed on Friday, paired with three local DJs. The energy was high and there was dancing in between each collection presentation. It opened with C-Major by Anne Cassidy and then went to the incubator group from a company called the Wild Life Reserve, which is run by Tabitha Bethune. Tabitha has four designers that she’s working with in the incubator program right now and those four designers all showed their collections in that show on Friday night. Those lines are Ottilie Broadmann by Elsa Broadmann. She does women’s wear that’s super sophisticated.

NOLA Grown, which is a t-shirt line that Tabitha’s consulting with through the incubator program.

And then, there’s a line called Lady Ann which is specifically absolutely gorgeous garments specifically designed for women that are taller. She started with 44 | May/June 2015

COURTNEY MARSE one product, which was leggings, and now she’s moved to denim, skirts, dresses and all sorts of beautiful things for taller gals. The fourth line is called Onyii & Co. What she’s done is taken indigenous textiles and created really cool women’s contemporary wear using more indigenous, tribal type textiles. Those four showed their collection together in the incubator group and then Tabitha’s line the Wild Life Reserve closed the night.

M: What’s next for Southern Design Week?

students are all fifteen to seventeen year old high school students that are electing this program because they have an interest in potentially going into either fashion design or styling or fashion production when they go to college. So that’ll be a lot of fun. We’re going to be doing some history of fashion with them and then also fashion production. They’re going to put on their own show.

We’re going to do fashion photoshoots. We’re going to take them and do an editorial shoot, get them to work that shoot and see where how that whole process works.

A: This summer, we’ve got a teen fashion camp with the Contemporary Art Center. I’ll be the lead instructor but I’ll be having all sorts of guest educators coming in. The

Find out more about Southern Design Week at southerndesignweek.com. And follow Andi Eaton on Twitter and Instagram at @Ouiwegirl.

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ERNST CAFÉ PUTS YOU TRACK-SIDE AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

by Jordan McGuire

I

It’s the fastest two minutes in sports. Not the two-minute warning in football, or the two-minute power play in hockey. We’re talking about two minutes on the track at the Kentucky Derby on May 2. And you can watch it at Ernst Cafe on Fulton Street.

Fulton Street has become a new mecca of entertainment in New Orleans. They will close the road, allowing patrons to walk freely and enjoy the cobblestone streets and a cool beverage.

Ernst Café will be the main caterer for Derby on Fulton, the best place in New Orleans to experience the Kentucky Derby.

Established in 1902, Ernst Café was founded by John, William and Charles Ernst. It’s been locally owned and operated for more than a century. I walked in one rainy day and still had a blast. As I strolled in through the bar area, I was greeted by a staff that is young and incredibly polite. I took a seat under one of seven flatscreen TVs. And I was immediately greeted with a smile, a menu and Jim Morrison singing “Love Me Two Times” in the background.

As I sat and looked over the menu, “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival sounded from the airwaves, and I knew that this was a great place. I ordered the Bayou Burger with caramelized onions, bacon, lettuce and cheese. I topped it off with an ice cold Fat Tire and settled in for a late lunch. I looked around. The restaurant stretches far and wraps around the back of the kitchen. There is plenty of comfortable seating and some great spots at the bar. As I was sitting at the table like Steven Glansberg, a smiling manager came and gently dropped off a shrimp creole. Just a nice gesture from the people at Ernst.

Then, my order came. A huge Bayou Burger with peppered fries and another ice cold Fat Tire to wash it down. As I ate, “Rocket Man” by Elton John, “Killer Queen” by Queen and “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel rang out. The only song that would have been a better fit for this hundred year old establishment is “Born on the Bayou.”

The burger and fries were demolished, the beer was finished and I was satisfied. I can’t even imagine how great it must be to add a first class event like the Derby to that experience.

The 141st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs will take place over seven hundred miles from Fulton Street but The Derby on Fulton will be in full effect and will act as an interactive festival

46 | May/June 2015

throughout the entire day. The Derby on Fulton will begin at 1pm on Saturday, May 2. Live music from Pocket Aces Jazz Band will fill the bustling streets, and there will be food from Ernst Café, treats from PJ’s and derby hats available for purchase from Fleur de Paris. Aprés Lounge and Fulton Alley are the organizers of the event.

“When considering how to make the most of Derby on Fulton, we recognized that the people of New Orleans don’t just like to have fun; they like to make a difference,” said Shane Songy of Aprés Lounge.

Admission is free to enter the festival. Yet, a portion of sales from local vendors and portions of winnings from the races will support Team Gleason. “Fulton Street is becoming as iconic a venue as Steve Gleason is a local hero,” said Gerald Duhon of Team Gleason.

The Derby on Fulton is sure to be packed with great drinks, great people, and one of the greatest sporting events of the year, all accompanied by delicious food from Ernst Café. The local staff members are a tight knit unit and it truly shows with their superb service.

Find out more about Ernst Cafe, Derby on Fulton and Team Gleason at ernstcafe.net.

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BIG FILMS BOOST BEST WESTERN PLUS RICHMOND INN & SUITES

by Jacob Peterman

A

favorite favorite of films shooting in Baton Rouge, the Best Western Plus Richmond Inn & Suites has catered to major productions since 2006. “We have continued to have productions stay with us,” says general manager Jennifer Holmes.

“We have housed twenty-three major projects. Two of those are currently in house with us, and will be until September of this year.”

The Best Western Plus Richmond Inn & Suites’ maturing relationship with the film industry has resulted in over $720,000 spent by four productions in the first five months of 2015. “That’s actual reservations booked, not anticipated,” says Holmes. “Most productions add more cast or crew than they originally account for, and both of these productions have guest at multiple hotels.” Since 2013, production revenue has increased by over 100%. Although current projects are kept closely under wraps, the hotel’s past projects include Fantastic Four, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I & II, The Maze Runner, Bonnie & Clyde and Oblivion.

Holmes has been working at the unique property for almost ten years. “I have witnessed the growth of the television and film industry in Baton Rouge from its infancy to where it is today,” she says. “It has become a large source of revenue that businesses in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport depend on and benefit from.”

“The film industry has made a major impact on our business at the Best Western Plus Richmond Inn & Suites,” says Holmes, whose property is well suited to cater to the needs and demands of those working in the film industry. “Productions not only spend money on hotel rooms, but revenue is added in many other ways, from our lobby bar, c-store, laundry facilities, rental equipment, pet fees, kitchen grocery stocking through Whole Foods, meeting space rentals and more.”

There are many reasons Holmes’ property has been a mainstay for the industry. “I want our long-term guests to feel as at home as I do,” says Holmes. “That’s why we offer a complimentary Southern-style hot breakfast buffet, and the same entertainment and productivity options you would expect at home and the office. That includes 200mbps high speed wireless internet, full cable television including forty HD channels ( with HBO and Starz –necessities for those in the industry ), and a business center with PC/Mac and printers thats open twenty-four hours.

There are laundry facilities in each building, daily dry cleaning services, pet friendly rooms and walking areas, as well as a thousand square foot meeting space and a fourteen person board room that’s available for rental.”

Of course, we are also able to offer all the perks that you’d expect from a regular hotel, plus a few more,” Holmes continues.

“That includes a fitness center that’s open twenty-four hours, an outdoor pool and hot tub, SportCourt® with basketball, volleyball, and tennis equipment, nightly hors d’oeuvres served in the Lobby Lounge, self-parking with space available for large trucks or trailers carrying production equipment, a twenty-four hour convenience store, BBQ pit rentals and a full service bar in the lobby lounge.”

“All productions that we have housed have specifically indicated that 50 | May/June 2015

they had not previously considered filming in Louisiana and that the tax credits weighed heavily in the choice of our city and state,” said Holmes.

“I have additionally witnessed the impact and revenue that has been brought to the city and state through retail purchases, grocery shopping, catering, equipment and office space rentals, and all of the money that the individual crew members spend on dining, entertainment, and special events, such as parades and festivals. We love having members of the film and television industry as not only guests of our property, but also as guests who have much to offer our city and state.”

To book your production or to have a property tour, please contact Jennifer Holmes at jennifer.holmes@smchotels.com, or Wilks Holmes at wilks.holms@smchotels.com, or please visit www.bestwestern.com/plusrichmondinnandsuites for more information.

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Q&A with

Aaron Williamson

Aaron Williamson is a health advisor and fitness trainer to the film industry. He has helped craft the physical transformations of Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained, Zac Efron in Neighbors and Josh Brolin in Oldboy. He recently finished molding Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke into legendary action heroine Sarah Connor for Terminator: Genisys. Find out more at aaronwilliamson.net.

What is one of the biggest mistakes women make at the gym?

One of the biggest mistakes I see and I hear about on a consistent basis is the fear women have of doing weights and resistance training. It’s the misconception that they’ll become bulky and put mass on. And that’s just not true. Women naturally have a lot less testosterone in their body. Therefore, for a woman to put on mass, they would have to eat an excessive amount of food. There’s no way they’re going to eat that much food unless they’re training extremely hard. And when I say food I’m referring to good, wholesome, clean food. Not junk that’s full of empty calories. Of course that would make anyone big & soft…and fat. The reality is, when a woman lifts weights, they’re actually going to strengthen the muscle, maintain the muscle mass they currently have and that’s going to help them burn more fat. Cardio is a good addition to weight training, too. I tell all my clients to alternate it because you get the benefit of both worlds: you get the lean, toned look and you get the fat burning effects of cardio. And don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice on the equipment at the gym!

The next question ties into the fear that women are going to bulk up.

How often should women train?

A good rule of thumb is thirty to forty-five minutes at a time, three to four times a week. Going forward, it ultimately depends on your lifestyle. Do you have five days a week to train or do you have three? Or is it better to try to fit in one or two days during the week and catch up on the weekends? What one person who works in an office all day would need to do for her health & fitness goals is going to be different from someone who is on their feet all day being active. Especially from a nutrition standpoint. The person who’s on their feet all day is going to need to eat more than somebody who is a little more sedentary behind a desk.

Another tip might be to alternate the intensity of each workout. You might go in the gym on some days and be wide open with energy. You’re going to have a better training session on those days. Then, there will be the days when you’re going to be a little tired so just do some low intensity cardio instead or something that still pushes you within the range of energy you have. Or do a little bit of abs or something that’s not going to be so taxing, but will still bring you heart rate up and help burn fat.

What if you are juggling kids, a significant other, a full time job and other responsibilities? What if you only have half the time needed and can only do twenty minutes?

If you have that amount of time, you’re probably not going to be able to get to a gym, so you’re going to have to do a workout at your house or somewhere convenient.

You have two types of training: you have high intensity interval training (HIIT), or you have low-intensity, steady state (LISS), which is a light jog or walking on the treadmill, or similar. Mix those two up. High intensity interval training has been proven to burn fat at a very fast pace and brings the body to the threshold very quickly. Alternate some jump ropes or burpees or mountain climbers. Try full body movements that are going to get your heart rate up quickly and do them in little increments. Jump rope for thirty seconds and go as fast as you can. Then rest for thirty seconds, and then do it again. You’re going to get a full body workout and get your heart rate up so high that you can’t even breathe. That’s going to make you feel better, maybe not at the time but more in the long run post workout. You’ll get the endorphin rush and you’re going to bring your metabolism naturally to a higher point. And you can do that at your home with minimal equipment and just your body weight. I thought I was in shape until I started jump roping and that was a reality check for me!

52 | May/June 2015

photo by Brandon T. Willis

What’s the best way to stay organized with your training each week?

If you can have a visual layout of what you’re doing, what you’ve done, what you need to do, it’s going to help a lot. You can see a blueprint. Hang a calendar on your fridge and start to write down what you’re doing for the week. You’ll know that on Monday you have twenty minutes before you pick up the kids.

On Tuesday, maybe you can make it to the gym for 45 minutes after you drop them off at school. You’ll know in advance that on Monday you’ll do jump rope, sprints and burpees. And on Tuesday at the gym, you’ll lift some weights.

It’s an accountability journal. From my experience, helping women get more creative and responsible with their planning helps them tremendously.

It’s allowed them to really build it into their lifestyle. Even with only short periods of time. The key to success is to build fitness into your schedule & lifestyle. Otherwise, there will always be an excuse why you can’t get it in.

What are some easy pre-workout and post-workout snacks that women might find appealing?

Pre- and post-workout snacks are very important. Proteins are good, whether in the form of protein powder or something else. Yogurt, mixed nuts or some grapefruit. Good proteins, good fats and even some good carbs from brown rice or a brown rice cake; something light. Going into the gym ravenously hungry is not a good thing & can make you feel off negatively affecting your training. Similarly, you can’t drive anywhere if you’ve got no gas in the tank – same concept. These things will prime your body for training and then also help your body recover after you train. Your body naturally just wants to eat better when you train. When you give it food that your body

‘

FITNESS MYTHS: Busted should have and should want, the cravings are going to get cut down. You’re going to slowly want to eat better because you feel better.

Eating (or drinking) greens post workout will also help put your body back into positive pH balance. That’s extremely important for people who have a very acidic body. I like to do the green smoothies or the green shakes with kale and spinach. Those are my main two that I mix together. And I eat a lot of broccoli.

Find a place that has cold pressed juices that you can quickly pull from the fridge if you’re rushed on time. All these little things will add up over time making you feel so much healthier while boosting energy so you’re able to train effectively without feeling so sluggish.

What are some of the best exercises to do after having a baby?

Depending on how your pregnancy went and how your recovery is going, I think a lot of doctors will recommend women be careful with physical activity for the first six weeks until they go back for a check-up. What you can do during that time is try to get your body back into the rhythm of movement.

Start going for walks. Just go at a pace that’s comfortable for you. When you begin to feel more comfortable, start to increase the pace a bit. Try to bring your heart rate up more. Yoga and pilates are both very good, too. Strengthening the core will be very important in getting back on track as quickly as possible; it’s the base of all movement.

Pregnancy is a tremendous physiological change to the body. And not everyone has a smooth pregnancy. Not everyone is able to go to the gym and train while being pregnant. A lot of women fall behind on their physical health because of that. Getting mobility, flexibility and stretching in will help realign your body post-pregnancy.

How do you recommend that women stay motivated?

I’m actually working with a client right now and she’s a little on the negative side.

Very concerned all the time about everything and she was extremely intimidated to get back into the gym. She got out of shape and then felt bad about herself. She was worried about everybody looking at her. When you go into the gym, you have to get rid of any negative thoughts. You are going in there for yourself.

You’re not going in there for anyone else. Go into the gym and think about your goal, why you’re there and what you want to accomplish.

That should allow you to keep your head on with confidence. Maybe somebody’s looking at you, but it doesn’t matter.

Put a photo of inspiration on your fridge or in your car. Somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Start to manifest positive thoughts about your goals. The more you can see it & think about it, the more likely you’ll be to succeed at making wise decisions when it comes to nutrition & pushing yourself. Fitness should be something that’s fun, not stressful. I look at the gym as a place of peace, a sanctuary. You can tune the whole world out & go into your own personal zone where nothing else exists but you & your thoughts. Now that’s motivation!

And the gym you choose should help your mindset, too, right?

Absolutely. Find the right gym that you feel comfortable in. Go gym shopping. Belong to a gym that’s a place where you can walk in and feel at home. If you’re not comfortable, chances are you’ll always find an excuse not to go. I love the feeling I get when I’m in the gym because it’s a release. You’re taking care of yourself and you’re making yourself feel better.

It’s a great place to be and there’s no reason why you should feel intimidated or stressed by it

For more health and fitness tips, visit Aaron’s personal website at aaronwilliamson.net.

“Eating more than three meals a day will make you fat.”

Everyone’s heard the phrase “eat smaller meals” throughout the day.

And it’s very true, because you want to constantly feed the muscles. You want to have a positive nitrogen balance which essentially means your muscles are happy because you’re feeding them. The better your muscles are fed, the better they’re going to recover.

The more fat you’re going to burn and that’s pretty much what I think everyone wants. Everyone woman wants to burn more fat. Every woman wants to look a little more lean and toned. By eating one meal a day or eating two meals a day, you’re starving your body. You’re not giving it what it needs. So it’s not going to matter how much cardio you’re doing, or how much training you’re doing because if your body can’t recover, you’re going to spin your wheels. Nothing anybody tells you is going to work. For a woman who’s on her feet all day and then goes to the gym to train, you might be burning 1800-2000 calories that day, which is very easy to do. If you’re only eating three times a day, and the meals are like 400 calories, that’s only 1200 calories. So you’re 800 calories in deficit every day, over and over. It’s going to be hard for your body to really repair and recover. Small meals throughout the day are great. They don’t have to be only chicken breast and broccoli. Have a snack. Have some nuts or maybe a protein shake or a smoothie. Clean and regular meals throughout the day is what you want. I say try to eat every three to four hours to keep your body’s metabolism rolling.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is intended to provide general information and does not constitute medical advice. The content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete or up-to-date. This information is not intended to create a client relationship between you and Aaron Williamson, Scene Magazine, or any associated companies, and you should not act or rely on any information in this publication without seeking the advice of medical doctor. In reading this article, please note that the information provided is not a substitute for consulting with an experienced medical professional and receiving counsel based on the facts and circumstances of a particular transaction. Many of the principles mentioned are subject to exceptions and qualifications, which may not be noted. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any health and exercise program.

54 | May/June 2015

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Keanu

Feature - New Line Cinema Starring: Jordan Peele & Keegan-Michael Key Director: Peter Atencio Status: May 18 Location: New Orleans

The Long Night (aka Deepwater Horizon)

Feature - Lionsgate Starring: Mark Wahlberg Director: Peter Berg Resumes: thelongnightresumes@gmail.com Phone: 504.682.7688 - Fax: 504.682.5119 Status: May 2015 LP: David Womark - UPM: Todd Lewis Location: New Orleans The story of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the resulting Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

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Scream Queens

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Hap and Leonard

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Rambo 5 (aka Rambo: Last Blood) Feature - Millennium Films Starring Sylvester Stallone Director: Sylvester Stallone Resumes: rambo5resumes@gmail.com Phone: 318.226.5585 LP: Ed Cathell Status: 2015? Active Development Location: Shreveport

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THE UNSCENE NOTHING IS UNSCENE With the fiscal session of the Louisiana Legislature in full bloom, all eyes are on the film industry. Although money leaving the state fisc in the name of the motion picture investor tax credit only accounts for circa 2% of the total subsidies paid by Louisiana, film is on trial.

Film is in the papers. Film is on the local news. Completely wiping out the program wouldn’t even come close to covering the budget deficit, but that hasn’t stopped film from being cast as the villain.

And yet, the film industry is still wildly popular. There isn’t a corner of Louisiana that doesn’t like the positive light that film shines on a state once known only for negatives. We could be known as the Katrina State. Or the Oil Spill State. Or our old moniker: the Corruption State.

Instead, Louisiana is known nationwide as the Film State. It’s an international attraction for tourists eager to see the filming locations of their favorite film and television shows. As more projects are shot on location in Louisiana, less and less of the state remains hidden. From Manchac to Monroe, tourists are finding reasons to come visit a state they’ve never experienced before, leaving no corner of the state unscene. And to those who will oppose the film industry, know that your shortsighted actions will be brought out into the light. All will be revealed and nothing will remain unscene.

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