Scene Magazine- Summer 2016

HEALTHSCENE:

ROMNEY PILATES BEFORE THE SCENE WITH

BRAD DOURIF Q+A WITH

STAND-UP COMIC

MATT OWENS

FREE STATE OF JONES’

DONALD WATKINS PIANO PRINCE OF NEW ORLEANS

DAVELL CRAWFORD

WILLIAM

BALDWIN PLUS: Beyoncé in Houston

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SUPPORT LOUISIANA FILM sceneent.com | 1

2 | SUMMER 2016

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S

VOL. 7, ISSUE 3 • Summer 2016

PUBLISHER Andre Champagne ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Nicole Cronley CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erin Theriot PRODUCTION DESIGNER Gretchen Erickson

EDITOR’S LETTER

T

he amount of film production in Louisiana has slowed this year, largely due to bad publicity. But there are still great things happening. The State of Louisiana created its entertainment incentives with the goal of developing an indigenous industry. The film that we focus on in this issue, Cut Off, is an example of that intended industry.

Cut Off is an independent film that is set in Louisiana. It was written and directed by Jowan Carbin, and produced

by Carol Bidault de L’Isle.

Though they are not from Louisiana, they are exemplars of the best efforts of economic development in that they came to Louisiana to work.

In the process of making Cut Off in Louisiana, they relied upon the local film

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industry that has grown so much in the last decade. They recruited post production supervisor Jon Vogl, who is also an associate producer on the film, who relocated his company Apex Post to Louisiana in 2010. They also recruited Sandy Parker, who has worked in the local industry for years after moving here to work. They cast great actors like William Baldwin and Brad Dourif, a necessary part of packaging a film that will be financially successful.

While film is an art form, it is also a financial opportunity for employees, investors and Louisiana as a state. You can follow Cut Off’s journey at cutoff-movie.com.

MICAH HALEY EDITOR editor@sceneent.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Erin Arledge, Sara Essex Bradley, Murray Close, Steve Dietel, Elizabeth Dondis Photography, Gemma LaMana,Vicki Miller, Braden Piper, Maddy Rose, Michele K. Short, Hopper Stone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AJ Buckley, Nicole Cronley, Gretchen Erickson, Elizabeth Glauser, Micah Haley, Meghan McGee Scene Magazine 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 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. ©2016 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

William Baldwin 26

ABOVE THE LINE

8

BEFORE THE SCENE

20

TODAY’S SCENE

10

COMING SOON

16

SCENE IN GEORGIA

18

SCENE IN TEXAS

34

MUSIC/SOUND SPEED

38

HEALTH SCENE

42

SCENE EXTRAS

46

jobSCENE

52

THE UNSCENE

William Baldwin

Q+A with with Brad Dourif

Donald Watkins of Free State of Jones

The Founder

Beyoncé: Formation World Tour in Houston Davell Crawford: The Piano Prince of New Orleans Q+A with Erin Romney of Romney Pilates NFP: Insurance for the Film Industry Stand-Up Comic Matt Owen

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by AJ Buckley

BRAD DOURIF Brad Dourif is an Academy Award and Emmy Award-nominated actor.

His many acclaimed film performances include roles in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Mississippi Burning, Ragtime, David Lynch’s Dune and The Lord of the Rings. On television, he was Emmy-nominated for his portrayal of Doc Cochran in HBO’s Deadwood. He’s also wellknown as the anchor of the horror franchise Child’s Play, in which he both physically portrayed the serial killer Charles Lee Ray and performed the voiceover for the evil doll Chucky, who is possessed

by Ray. He can next be seen in the independent thriller Cut Off.

What made you become an actor?

My mother was an actress. I got sent off to boarding school and when I came home, she was doing Anastasia. I was watching her rehearse on stage and she did this scene about how she’s not Anastasia, she’s someone else. She started talking about a butterfly. And it was so vivid that I could see the butterfly on the stage. That’s something I never thought anybody could do. That’s when I wanted to be an actor.

What was your biggest fear?

Being bad! Not knowing my lines. Not being good enough. It still is.

That one never goes away.

What was the audition that changed your life?

Normally, anything I audition for, I don’t get. If I do a really, really great audition – everyone’s crying when I leave the room – I know I’m not getting that part! But I guess my answer would have to be One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. That audition changed my life.

What are the words that kept you going?

Not words, but I remember when I was raising my children, I used to think about the Garden of Eden. I thought about this idea that God puts this apple on a tree and then says to his kids, “Don’t eat the apple,” knowing that they are going to eat the apple. It reminded me that part of growing up is eating the apple. I have to pay attention to that.

How have you changed?

Got old. I’m still just as stupid as I ever was, but just a little older.

What words do you have to inspire others?

Nah, everyone already knows everything. This business is hard. I would never encourage anybody to get into it. But if you have to, you really need to follow what you believe in and pursue with great tenacity anything that you want.

What was your lowest point?

I’ve been pretty lucky. I started out and got in a really good place. I went on a set one time and I had beat up my wife in the movie. I was looking at her, and she had makeup on of me beating her up. I got really depressed from that for about two or three years. Somehow it hit me, “What am I doing with my life? I’m this person that causes harm all over the place, killing people.” I’ve lived a life and I’ve brought up children. My life is not about killing! It’s about family and other things.

That’s what I want to express as a human being and as an artist. What it’s really like to be alive! It’s not about shooting people and hating people. And then I got past it. That movie was Mississippi Burning.

Tell me about your character in Cut Off. I’m playing the patriarch of a family. His name’s Diggs. He’s a guy that’s trying to keep the traditions of his family alive. That kind of thing.

What kept you from walking away?

I have walked away! I don’t know what I’m doing here [on set].

I’m retired. That’s the way I look at it. I’m done with doing bad guys. I did a play about three years ago and took out my pension. I left L.A. and moved to New York. So, I don’t have to act to make money, so I’m only doing what I want to for fun.

That’s what I’m hoping for!

I think it’s going to be a continuation of Curse.

What did you walk away from?

Once you’re there, you really can’t walk away. The answer is no. There’s nothing I’ve walked away from. There’s things I’ve wished I’ve walked away from!

Who was your closest ally?

My girlfriend and my daughter. I have a daughter who is an actress and so is my girlfriend’s daughter. We all help each other out with auditions and stuff like that.

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There are rumors that Child’s Play will be rebooted.

There’s another Child’s Play coming up. My daughter’s playing in it. That’s happening. My daughter’s going to do it again.

Are you involved with that film?

Of course! I’m Chucky!

Curse was great.

Well, thank you. My pleasure.

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. After appearing in Steven Bochco’s Murder in the First, he can now be seen in the Netflix series Narcos. Find out more on Twitter @AJohnBuckley and at www.ajbuckley.net.

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BRAD DOURIF

BEFORE THE SCENE

COMING SOON

by Meghan McGee

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

photo by Gemma LaMana

THE BFG JULY 1 Steven Spielberg brings to life a big friendly giant in this new fantasy film. The Disney flick follows Sophie, a girl who meets the BFG and discovers he has a kind heart underneath his giant exterior. She learns that he is an outcast and the other giants around him cast him off because, unlike the other giants, he does not partake in eating little boys and girls. Starring Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance and Bill Hader. Rated PG. 115 min.

a game of tennis. Dima is a long-time servant of the mafia and the new mafia boss, The Prince, wants Dima and his family murdered.

Dima hopes Perry will help him with security and sanctuary if he exposes the mafia to the British intelligence service in London. The three take a journey through Paris to the Swiss Alps running from the Russian mafia in hopes of staying alive. Rating and runtime TBA.

MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES JULY 8

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR JULY 1 Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from revenge on Purge Night two years ago.

Now, he serves as head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) who is running for president and vows to end the tradition of Purge. He has to protect her as well as try to survive the ritual that the nation now is accustomed to. Betrayal lands them on the streets of DC on that one gruesome night, and with no help, they have to stay alive or be silenced forever. Mykelti Williamson also stars. Rated R.

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN JULY 1 Tarzan is living his life in London, acclimated to his life and the ways of the world. He is called back to the jungle, his former 10 | SUMMER 2016

home, to see that a mining encampment is up to suspicious activities and he must investigate. Alexander Skarsgard stars as Tarzan alongside Margot Robbie as Jane.

Samuel L. Jackson also stars. Rated PG-13.

OUR KIND OF TRAITOR JULY 1 A couple on a vacation in Morocco minds their business but is secretly lured into the plans of the Russian mafia. Perry (Ewan McGregor) and his girlfriend Gail (Naomie Harris) meet Dima, who challenges Perry to

Mike (Adam DeVine) and Dave (Zac Efron) star in this comedy about two partying brothers who need dates for their sister’s Hawaiian wedding.

They place an ad online that goes viral. They find Alice (Anna Kendrick) and Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) who play nice girls to convince Mike and Dave to pick them as their dates. Hoping for a fun getaway, the boys find themselves outsmarted, lied to, and out-partied by the girls who soon become uncontrollable. Rated R.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC JULY 8 A father in the Pacific Northwest, played by Viggo Mortensen, is devoted to raising his six children. He has a rigorous routine of physical and intellectual activities and education that he instills on his children. He is forced to leave his paradise of raising his children and must enter

COMING SOON

Ghostbusters

photo by Hopper Stone

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE

the real world, which challenges his idea of what it actually means to be a parent. George MacKay and Kathryn Hahn also star. Rated R. 118 min.

JULY 22 Scrat is still pursuing his acorn and this time, it sends him outside of Earth. He accidentally sets off a series of events that put the planet in danger. To save themselves, the rest of the crew including Manny, Sid, and Diego embark on an epic journey full of adventure while traveling to new lands and meeting a lot of new characters along the way. Rating TBA. 100 min.

GHOSTBUSTERS JULY 15 Thirty years after the popular franchise took flight, Ghostbusters returns to the big screen but with a big change – female Ghostbusters.

Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon star in the reboot of the supernatural comedy. This summer, the girls will save the world. Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth also star. Rating and runtime TBA.

JASON BOURNE JULY 29 Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) returns in this action-packed thriller. Still trying to uncover his past life, he’s again on the run, picking up shards of truth along the way. Tommy Lee Jones and Julia Stiles also star. Rated PG-13.

THE INFILTRATOR JULY 15 A US Customs official, Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston), discovers a money laundering scheme in the midst of his job.

The scheme involves the Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Rating and runtime TBA.

STAR TREK BEYOND JULY 22 The crew of the USS Enterprise embarks on a five-year mission, but the first leg takes them into the uncharted. The Enterprise almost destroyed, Kirk and his crew find themselves on a remote planet with no form of communication

or help. Kirk has to work with the elements to get his crew together and find their way back to Earth. Starring Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine. Rating and runtime TBA.

BAD MOMS JULY 29 These mothers are overworked, underappreciated and haven’t had a day to themselves in forever. These women have great lives, great children and great marriages, but they’re exhausted. After being pushed beyond their limits, they give up their motherly responsibilities and indulge in freedom, fun and party-filled self-indulgence. They

MORE COMING SOON sceneent.com | 11

COMING SOON go head-to-head with the Stepford-esque wife Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) and her group of perfect wives who never ditch their responsibilities as mothers. Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn star. Shot in New Orleans. Rating and runtime TBA.

GENIUS JULY 29 The story of Max Perkins (Colin Firth) is brought to life. He served as the book editor at Scribner, where he worked with authors such as Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law), Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West), F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce) and other historical authors of our time.

Nicole Kidman also stars. Rated PG-13. 104 min.

EQUITY JULY 29 Director Amy Fox brings the first femaledriven Wall Street film to the big screen. Naomi Bishop (Anna Gunn) is an investment banker who becomes threatened by a financial scandal but starts to unravel a huge web of corruption on Wall Street. Rating TBA. 100 min.

INDIGNATION JULY 29 Taking place in 1951, the story follows Marcus (Logan Lerman) who is a workingclass Jewish student from New Jersey.

Attending a small Ohio college, he has a hard time dealing with sexual representation and cultural disaffection in these times, especially while in the time of the Korean War. Sarah Gadon also stars. Rating TBA. 110 min.

SUICIDE SQUAD AUGUST 5 An elite squad of imprisoned supervillains comes forth, recruited by a secret government agency, to carry out and execute dangerous black ops missions to have mercy in exchange for their services. Margot Robbie. Cara Delevigne and Ben Affleck star. Rating and runtime TBA. NINE LIVES AUGUST 5 Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a billionaire whose company is about to finish the tallest skyscraper in the nation. His workaholic lifestyle has made him rich but also distant from his beautiful wife Lara (Jennifer Garner) and family, who he tends to neglect because of his great career. This year, his daughter Rebecca (Malina Weissman) wants a cat, even though

Bad Moms

Tom hates cats. When Tom finds himself in a time crunch and with no gift, his GPS takes him to a mystical and exotic pet store run by Felix Perkins (Christopher Walken). Felix presents an exotic tomcat named Mr. Fuzzypants. Tom, on the way to the party with Mr. Fuzzypants, suffers a car accident and finds himself trapped inside the body of the cat. Adopted by his family, he experiences what life is like. Rated PG.

CAFÉ SOCIETY AUGUST 12 Woody Allen’s latest film is set in the 1930s, following a Bronx native to Hollywood.

Once in the famous city, he falls in love with his powerful uncle’s secretary. After he returns to New York, he is swept up in the nightlife and vibrancy of the city and the high society he is so often surrounded by.

Blake Lively, Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg and Steve Carell star. Rated PG-13. 96 min.

PETE’S DRAGON AUGUST 12 Pete (Oakes Fegley) is an orphan boy who has a best friend named Elliot. Elliot just so happens to be a dragon. The story follows their adventures and their friendship. Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford star. Rated PG. FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS

AUGUST 12 Meryl Streep brings Florence Foster Jenkins to life in this story about a New York heiress

photo by Michele K. Short

who always had dreams of being a famous opera singer, even though she has a terrible singing voice. Simon Helberg and Hugh Grant also star. Rating TBA. 110 min.

SAUSAGE PARTY AUGUST 12 From the comedy masterminds comes another knee-slapper, except it’s animated. And it’s not a children’s movie. Frank (Seth Rogen) is a sausage who wants to discover the truth behind food’s purpose. After being chosen from the supermarket to be taken home, Frank finds out that blissful eternity for food does not exist.

Quite the opposite. Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig, James Franco, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera also star in this comedy-studded cast of sausages, buns and vegetables. Rating TBA. 83 min.

THE HOLLARS AUGUST 12 Jon Hollar (John Krasinski) is a New York artist who suddenly has to leave his creative life in the city to come back to his middle class hometown and dysfunctional family because his mother is about to undergo brain surgery. He brings along his pregnant girlfriend, Rebecca (Anna Kendrick), and runs into old high-school pals and his crazy ex-girlfriend all amid his mother’s surgery. Directed by John Krasinski. Rated PG-13. 105 min.

MORE COMING SOON 12 | SUMMER 2016

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chillers delivery & pick up power washing & debris removal misters & fans layout board & stair protection flooring

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tents generators climate control make up stations directors chairs tables & chairs

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COMING SOON KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

by the “watchers,” the anonymous community involved in the game. Dave Franco and Juliette Lewis also star. Rating and runtime TBA.

AUGUST 19 A new animated adventure movie brought to the screens by director Travis Knight; Kubo is a boy who lives a normal life. One day, a spirit from the past visits him and brings about an ancient vendetta, which causes all sorts of chaos involving monsters and gods chasing Kubo. In order to survive this, Kubo must find the magical suit made of armor that his father, a legendary Samurai warrior, once wore.

Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey and Rooney Mara star. Rating and runtime TBA.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

SEPTEMBER 23 In this action-packed western, seven gunmen come together to help a village against thieves. Chris Pratt, Matt Bomer and Denzel Washington star. Rating and runtime TBA.

WAR DOGS AUGUST 19 A new comedy starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, who play David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, two young men who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon – to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan.

Bradley Cooper also stars. Rated R.

MECHANIC: RESURRECTION

gliding his plane along the Hudson River, landing his plane of 155 passengers and saving them all. Sam Huntington and Laura Linney also star. Rating and runtime TBA.

AUGUST 26 Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is back in this action-packed thriller. Bishop thought he was done with his murderous past but a foe kidnaps the love of his life. This forces him to travel the globe carrying out and completing three impossible assassination missions, and making them look like accidents. Rated R.

BEFORE I WAKE SEPTEMBER 9

HANDS OF STONE AUGUST 26 A story of the legendary fighter Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez) and his trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) have lasting impacts on each other’s lives. Rating and runtime TBA.

BRIDGET JONES’S BABY

PATIENT ZERO SEPTEMBER 2 A global pandemic turns the majority of humans into the “infected.” A man with the ability to speak the infected’s language lead the last survivors in hopes of finding a cure. Natalie Dormer, Clive Standen and Stanley Tucci star. Rating and runtime TBA.

SOLACE SEPTEMBER 2 The FBI works with a psychic to hunt down a serial killer. Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell star. Rated R. 101 min.

SULLY SEPTEMBER 9 Sully is the story of Chesley Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), who was dubbed a hero after 14 | SUMMER 2016

From the director of Oculus, this fantasy thriller follows Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) as a couple who adopt an orphaned child, Cody (Jacob Tremblay), not realizing that his dreams and nightmares manifest physically in the world while he sleeps. Rated PG-13. 97 min.

SEPTEMBER 16 The story of Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) continues. We saw her fail at her publishing job, fall in love, and now she’s having a baby in her 40s. Will Bridget finally get her happy ever after? Patrick Dempsey and Colin Firth also star. Rating and runtime TBA.

SNOWDEN SEPTEMBER 16 Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings to life Edward Snowden in this biographical movie about the NSA employee who leaked thousands of classified documents to the public. Shailene Woodley and Nicolas Cage also star. Rating and runtime TBA. NERVE SEPTEMBER 16 A high school senior named Vee (Emma Roberts) finds herself obsessed and immersed in an online game of truth or dare. Her every move on the game starts to become manipulated

STORKS SEPTEMBER 23 In this new animated comedy, storks deliver packages for Cornerstore.com.

But when an order for a baby appears, the best stork, Junior (Andy Samberg), has to fix this order by delivering the baby before his boss finds out. Kelsey Grammer also stars. Rating and runtime TBA. QUEEN OF KATWE SEPTEMBER 23 A young Ugandan girl trains to become a chess champion. Lupita Nyong’o stars. Rated PG.

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

SEPTEMBER 30 From director Tim Burton comes this adventurous fantasy. Jacob (Asa Butterfield) finds clues to a mystery that crosses through different worlds and times. He gets deeper into danger as he stumbles upon the home and learns about the special powers the guests have. Eva Green and Samuel L. Jackson also star. Rating and runtime TBA.

DEEPWATER HORIZON

SEPTEMBER 30 Set on an offshore drilling rig, this story tells the true tale of the men aboard the Deepwater Horizon, which exploded in 2010 and resulted in the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Mark Wahlberg, Dylan O’Brien and Kate Hudson star. Rating and runtime TBA.

MASTERMINDS SEPTEMBER 30 From the directors of Napoleon Dynamite, Jared Hess brings this action-filled comedy to the big screen. The story follows a night guard at an armored car company who just so happens to organize one of the biggest bank heists in America’s history. Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis star. Rated PG-13. 94 min.

THE END OF ALZHEIMER’S STARTS WITH YOU

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SCENE in

GEORGIA

by Elizabeth Glauser

THE FOUNDER

photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

B

efore the Dollar Menu, the McFlurry, all-day breakfast, and even basic chicken nuggets, McDonald’s was a simple SoCal burger restaurant. Enter milkshake maker salesman Ray Kroc and that simple story becomes the premise of the bigbuzz summer movie The Founder.

Michael Keaton continues his recent run of award-worthy roles playing Ray Kroc, the man responsible for supersizing the small-town chain from its simple beginnings. Joining Keaton onscreen are Parks and Recreation fan favorite Nick Offerman and American Horror Story’s John Carroll Lynch playing brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald.

The story centers on Kroc as he attempts to get the brothers to franchise

16 | SUMMER 2016

their small hamburger stand known for its fast food service, a novel idea for the 1940s. The ensuing feud between Kroc and the brothers over the expansion of their restaurant is the main focus of the film.

Kroc discovered McDonald’s when he learned the restaurant had purchased a number of his milkshake machines.

After visiting the California location, he saw the potential of the fledgling burger business and its then one-of-akind high-speed format. The film follows him as he maneuvers his way into the top position, eventually taking control of the multi-million dollar company.

Bringing the story to the big screen is director John Lee Hancock, whose most current films included critical and commercial hits like Saving Mr.

Banks and The Blind Side. Those two, like The Founder, take stories from real life, proving the director’s prowess in biopics. The script has been lauded as one of the best of the last few years, prompting Hancock to sign off after originally refusing the project twice.

Though the original McDonald’s location was in Southern California, much of the production took place in Georgia with a replica of the original McDonald’s restaurant being constructed from scratch. Vintage Golden arches went up around the state to replicate the original designs of the chain.

Catch the dramatic story behind the happiest fast-food chain on the globe when The Founder premieres in theaters on Friday, August 5.

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SCENE in

TEXAS

by Elizabeth Glauser

BEYONCÉ’S LATEST: LEMONADE

photo courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment

M

ay 6 brought Beyoncé back home as her Formation World Tour made its stop in Houston for a sold-out show at NRG Stadium. The hometown hero will bring the tour back to her old stomping grounds for a second showing on September 22. Members of the Beyhive that had to miss the first show can now catch the belated encore.

The April debut of Beyoncé’s latest album, Lemonade, marked another critical and commercial success for the songstress.

Described by the artist as a visual album, HBO aired the accompanying short film on the same day as the album’s release.

Even before the release of Lemonade, Beyoncé created headlines with the surprise debut of her song “Formation” with an accompanying music video that caused controversy. Her performance of the song during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show also served as the announcement of the Formation World Tour before the release of her now infamous album.

Lemonade dropped less than a week before the Miami 18 | SUMMER 2016

start of the tour, but fans were quick to memorize every line and even brought the singer to tears when they were already singing along to her most recent debut. The devotion of her fan base has even caused social media stirrings, as the personal nature of her lyrics led to rumors of infidelity and strife in her marriage. But all is well in the Knowles-Carter household, as she closes her show with her ballad, “Halo,” with a dedication to her longtime husband, rapper and music mogul Jay-Z. Opening for Queen Bey is rapper and Snapchat allstar DJ Khaled. Fans will be treated to the social media maven’s words of wisdom as well as a sampling of some of his biggest songs including the club favorite, “All I Do Is Win.” Even for a stadium tour the show seems to rival her pop star peers with a stunning combination of fashion, LED lights, a specially-designed and -engineered stage, and a largerthan-life opening act. For more information about Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour or to get tickets, visit beyonce.com.

sceneent.com | 19

TODAY’S SCENE

Q+A WITH

FREE STATE OF JONES’

DONALD WATKINS

by Nicole Cronley

What made you want to become an actor?

When I was kid, I used to watch a ton of movies. It didn’t really matter if they were good or not, I just used to love the stories.

We would also take trips in school to see shows or there would be a touring show that would come and perform. I was so interested in these characters and their journeys and the people behind them. I fell in love with it all before I ever knew it.

Who are your inspirations?

My parents are definitely my biggest inspiration. I was fifteen when my mom married my stepfather. Before then, I watched my mom make countless sacrifices and work so hard to take care of my sister and me. By the time my stepdad came, the foundation was set, but he really molded me and taught me what it means to be a young man. I always say, “I get my fire from my mom and my ice from my dad.” They’re both extremely dedicated, but my mom’s very passionate while my dad’s more calm and collected. If I possess half of what they have, then I’m going to be in good shape.

Where are you from? And what made you choose to start your career in Louisiana?

I am from Greensboro, North Carolina. I was in LSU’s MFA program from 2010-2013 — that’s what brought me to the state. One of the reasons I chose LSU because of its ties to the film industry. I remember thinking, “Man, they’re shooting everything down there.” I came for a visit, they fed me and I stayed! The culture is so strong here and it’s very different from L.A. and New York. That’s what I needed to grow — not only as an artist — but as an individual. To this day, I’ve never second guessed it. I’ve always felt like I made the right decision.

What was your formal education like?

My undergrad courses were vital. From Voice and Movement to Dance to Acting for the Camera and Acting Techniques, they really 20 | SUMMER 2016

preached the essentials. Who are you? What do you want? Why are you saying what you’re saying? Then, you build. Also, theatre forces you to be prepared. There is no, “Cut. What’s my line?” If something goes wrong, you find a way to justify it and make it work. It also teaches you how to truly connect with your acting partner. It’s a giveand-take relationship. I always try and give as much as I can to my scene partners but at the end of the day, it’s all acting. The muscles may be different but it’s all a part of the same body, working towards a common goal: to live truthfully in imaginary circumstances.

How long have you performed professionally?

I’ve done film professionally for five years now. I signed with my agent Brenda Netzberger of Open Range Management in May of 2011, so we have an anniversary coming up. Theatre’s a little longer.

I had my first professional contract with the Barter Theatre in 2007.

After starting in the theatre, why did you shift to film?

Yeah, theatre will always be my first love. That’s where I started. And there’s no substitution for a live audience going through a journey with you from start to finish. But I always knew I wanted to do both in a way to affect change. Film is so widespread and you could reach so many off of one project. I’ve never met Viola Davis or Dustin Hoffman or Denzel, but they’ve changed my life. These artists have made me laugh, cry, contemplate, question, they’ve given me hope. And I think that’s the power and beauty of film that attracted me. It still does.

When you decided to shift into the film market, how did you choose a local agent? How has your agent helped guide your career?

I knew I needed an agent if I wanted to do anything. My buddy Alex was a third year at LSU at the time. I just remember it seemed like he was always auditioning for something. I asked him who he was with and he said Brenda. He actually sent her an email that night

TODAY’S SCENE

photo by Vicki Miller

sceneent.com | 21

TODAY’S SCENE about me and I immediately followed it with one of my own to set up a meeting. And it worked out! You know how they say God puts people in your life for a reason? Well that’s how I feel about Brenda.

She’s always been there for me and had my best interest at heart. It doesn’t feel like actor-agent these days. It honestly feels like a family.

We work so well together and I love it because she never tells me what she thinks I want to hear. She always gives me the facts. She is the one person who I’ve trusted with my career and she’s never let me down.

Things are different these days but up until now, save my friends and family, no one knew I acted cinematically. Not like now. But since day one, she’s fought for me with vigor and passion and I completely respect that. I always told her the word I want synonymous with my career is longevity. I remember her telling me that if I were truly serious about this business, not the celebrity but the business, and if I were diligent, then I would go far and she’d always be there. Five years later, we’ve come a long way, but still have a lot to prove. All we ever need is the opportunity, and neither one of us will disappoint the other.

What have been the fruits of your education and hard work?

My first film was Pitch Perfect. I was in the Treble group, but I was an Opening Treble which meant that I was a senior when the movie started. That kicked everything off. I had no idea that it was going to take off the way it did. Then, 22 Jump Street was next, I was on the team and in the frat. 22 actually taught me to wait for the cut. It came out the day before my birthday, and my girlfriend at the time surprised me for my birthday and took me to see it in New Orleans.

We’re having dinner and drinks in the theatre and, as an actor, you know where you might appear on screen. Those scenes came and went and she’s smiling and I’m like, “Oh no!” Haha. So I had to lean in and break the news. It’s funny now but I was bummed for a few days. I was an infantryman in Get On Up. I was Silverman in a Popeye’s commercial. But I think my most notable performance was the first thing I ever did. I was in the fourth grade and we performed a live commercial at our winter concert for a fictional toothpaste called Mud Mouth Be Gone. There was some grade A acting happening. That’s the performance I’m still trying to live up to! Haha.

What are some of the big names you have worked with?

Well with Mud Mouth Be Gone, it was the infamous Michelle Hardy.

After that, Matthew McConaughey, Mahershala Ali, Gugu MbathaRaw, Keri Russell, Erica Tazel, Anna Paquin, T.I. and many others.

What else do you have coming up that hasn’t been released yet?

Roots just premiered on Memorial Day, Free State of Jones, which hits theaters on June 24, and a film called Bolden, with the release date currently TBD. Let’s talk more about Roots, where you booked a lead role.

What was it like working on such a high profile project?

It was amazing. Still such an honor. I often look back at the projects I’ve been able to do and I realize how fortunate and downright blessed I am. I saw the original Roots a few times when I was younger, but as kid, you just don’t grasp the magnitude of what you’re watching. You just can’t. The first time I saw it fully as an adult was after I was cast and I watched them all the way through. I couldn’t stop. The cast navigated the story beautifully 22 | SUMMER 2016

Members of the cast of Roots

photo by Steve Dietel

and I’m hoping our reboot has a similar effect for our generation.

I play Virgil. Chicken George and Matilda’s oldest son, and great grandson to Kunta Kinte and Belle. The thing I enjoyed the most was that it actually felt like a family from the top down. Rege and Erica did a fantastic job as the pillars of our family. They set the precedent from day one and I believe that was key to our vibe and success. Every day, the level was raised, for myself, Sam, Frankie, Carlacia, Sedale, Brittany, Kesha. And no-one needed any extra motivation. This is Roots. That’s motivation enough. But everyday, every take, there was new energy from all of us that no one could explain. We came to the conclusion that our job was to get out of our own ways and let these characters tell their stories. I’m excited to see it all come together.

Though the time period is different, I believe the themes are still very much relevant to today. There are things we still struggle with as a community and society as a whole, but the ability to fight and love and persevere is central to the human spirit. I’m honored to be a part of it.

You booked a supporting lead role as Wilson in The Free State of Jones. What was it like working on that set and with the cast?

It’s funny because the first thing people say when they ask about Free State is, “How was it working with Matthew McConaughey?”

Then they’re like “I’m sorry I know you probably get that a lot.”

And I don’t mind it at all because I know he’s probably getting the same questions: “How was it working with Donald Watkins?

Were you nervous? Did you shake his hand or play it cool?” Haha!

But Free State was another blessing. I booked Free while I was still shooting Bolden so I had about a week between the two to shift gears and focus. I’m always nervous the first day, no matter the project. I may not look it but I’m like a little duck. It looks like I’m just gliding on the water but I’m actually kicking for my life underneath. Two things you can count on the first day is that I’m prepared and nervous. But the cast was phenomenal. It was like being in a master class for three months. Many times I would just catch myself watching and being in awe of my peers: Matthew,

sceneent.com | 23

TODAY’S SCENE

On set of Free State of Jones

Mahershala, Gugu, Chris, Sean, Troy, everyone. The mark of a great actor is to make it look easy, and they all made it look so easy.

I play Wilson, who I like to describe as second in command in the Maroon camp. Maroons were runaways who lived off the land and survived as free men by any means necessary. Wilson’s a strong young man and he really looks up to Moses (Mahershala Ali) for guidance, survival and how to conduct himself as a man in their circumstances.

From day one, Ali took me under his wing and I can’t thank him enough for that. He really was like my big brother on set. It got to the point where if Hersh wasn’t in my scene, I didn’t feel right. I think that speaks to the dynamic and I hope it comes across on screen.

He’s very genuine. The Maroons in general were all pretty tight: myself, Artrial, Charlie and Greg. I think my favorite part about the process would be our mini-rehearsals before we started filming. Gary Ross is definitely an actor’s director. He has such an appreciation for the process and really works with your choices and what you bring to the character. Before our calls, he’d have the Maroons and Rachel get together and discuss and build the world and our reality, and it opened up so much more for me and character choices that I hadn’t even thought of until that point. He was very collaborative and I loved that. I would be very excited to work with him again.

Bolden was a big project for you! I hear you had to learn to play the guitar. Tell me about that experience. Who did you study with? How long did it take to learn? Tell me about your role and who you worked with?

It was. That was actually my first big one. First time cracking top ten on the call sheet. I played Brock Mumford who was the guitarist in the Buddy Bolden band. I never played the guitar before so I was 24 | SUMMER 2016

photo by Murray Close

literally starting from scratch: this is the neck, these are frets, etc. We rehearsed for a month in New Orleans and I’m telling you, it felt like musical boot camp with cool instructors. When I tell you my fingers were killing me, oh man. Right after I was cast, I took a quick lesson with Brian Breen and he told me what to expect. But it’s difficult once you’re trying to apply it to the actual instrument. I would tell my fingers to do one thing and they’d completely do their own thing! But I had absolutely the best instructor, Mr. Anthony Brown. He’s really a solid dude and a family man and a beast musician. I got a chance to go to a few of his performances and, my God, effortless. I was thinking to myself, “I have to do that!?” He was so patient and giving. We worked out this sheet music system that really stuck and just started plowing through music. He’s a fantastic teacher. And if Brown couldn’t be there then Carl LeBlanc, another absolute beast on guitar, was right there with me. They had a lot of faith in me and I put a lot pressure on myself to get it right because I didn’t want to let Mr. Brown down, let Carl down, or my cast mates. I made it my mission to really be able to play all of the songs and I did it. Now that only pertains to Buddy Bolden songs. If you ask me for “Free Bird” it’s not happening. That’s another project I’m looking forward to. Another project where I grew immensely as a person. We had a solid cast and there’s a lot of good performances. Those band scenes are what I’m looking forward to the most. We all worked so hard on the music: myself, Breon, Korey, Justin, Ser’Darius, Calvin and Gary, so I’m excited to see how it translates. Plus, just to see Dan Pritzker’s work come alive. You read the script over and over but you’re not present when they shoot everything. To know how hard the cast and crew worked just makes it that much more special.

Free State of Jones is in theaters everywhere now.

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ABOVE THE LINE

WILLIAM

BALDWIN gets Cut Off

by Micah Haley

F

or more than a quarter century, William Baldwin has been a working actor. Along with his three brothers, Baldwin left New York and barnstormed Hollywood in the late 1980s, starring in blockbusters like Flatliners, Backdraft and Sliver. He appeared in Warren Beatty’s Bulworth, the thriller Virus, and in Noah Baumbach’s acclaimed film The Squid and the Whale.

As the entertainment industry entered the second Golden Age of Television, so did Baldwin, starring as Patrick Darling in Dirty Sexy

26 | SUMMER 2016

Money and as Dr. William van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. He also appeared in Parenthood, Hawaii Five-0, 30 Rock and Hot in Cleveland.

Recently, he trekked to New Orleans for a role in Cut Off, a new thriller from director Jowan Carbin.

His co-stars include Oscar nominee Brad Dourif, John Robinson, Lew Temple, Laura Cayouette and JeanMarc Barr. During a break from the independent film’s busy schedule, we met in New Orleans’ Central Business District to talk about his relationship with the city and his long list of upcoming projects.

ABOVE THE LINE

William Baldwin in Dirty Sexy Money sceneent.com | 27

ABOVE THE LINE You’ve been in town for what, two days?

Two days. I’ve been working in New York, here for a few days, and then I head back this weekend.

Have you enjoyed it? Good times?

Yeah, I’ve been here before. I’ve never made a film here before, but I’ve made a commercial here. Been down for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. I’ve been down for fun and culture and sightseeing. This is such a different, unique place. There’s nothing like it on Earth. I don’t mean to insult New Orleans, but it’s kind of like Vegas. When you’re in Vegas, there’s nothing else really like it. And when you’re in New Orleans, I can’t think of anywhere else – and I’ve never been anywhere else – that’s anything like this.

It’s kind of this hodge-podge of Vegas, somewhere in Mexico and Europe, all in one weird city.

It’s just got really great energy, food, people, culture, history – and it all collides. It’s awesome. It can be intense, too. And I’m from New York. A lot of people go to New York and say, “It’s very intense.” But I think there’s something about the Cajun/Creole flavor and all that stuff down here, but also just being in the South when you’re from the North. There are some towns in the South, like Austin or Nashville, that I’m a little bit more comfortable in. New Orleans is a place I love to visit, but it’s so culturally intense, I feel like I don’t fit in or something.

I think that’s the best way to experience New Orleans: to make a movie. Be here for two or three months and enjoy it. You can do so much in such a short period of time. It’s a small city with a lot going on.

Let’s talk about Cut Off. My friend Bruno brought me the script not long ago. I read it and loved it. I think Jowan [Carbin] is very talented. He’s very bright, very literate and very sensitive. He isn’t a lifer down here, which is amazing because he captures the spirit and the ghosts and the cultural gravitas of New Orleans and the region as if it’s in his DNA. It feels like he’s lived it. There’s stuff going on in the script, but there’s also stuff that’s going on specifically with my character. Some of the dialogue is beyond the dialogue. There’s almost a melodic, rhythmic quality to the dialogue.

But very specific to this New Orleans/Mississippi Delta, jazzy/bluesy sort of energy to some of the things I say, and the way I say them.

That’s interesting. Do you have musical training in your background?

Not really, but I’m married to a musician and songwriter.

My wife’s in a band and I’m around music a lot.

Tell me more about who your character in Cut Off is.

He’s a character named Haskell, who’s sort of a Southern transplant.

He settled down here and has been here for a while. He’s kind of a sheep in wolf ’s clothing, rather than the opposite. He looks kind of more menacing and intimidating than he is. On the outside, he’s judged and misunderstood. On the inside, he’s more of a gentle soul.

28 | SUMMER 2016

What other characters inspired you as you molded the character of Haskell?

The only character I thought of was Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver, who was not a gentle soul! There were some loose parallels there. And also De Niro’s character in Cape Fear. There’s a lot of tattoos on my character, so visually referenced the thought of those two characters. But I was more interested in the rhythm and the language and the objective of my character. What it is I’m trying to impart on the lead character, Clive, and also the audience. That was more emotionally important to me.

Tell me about the tattoos. Did you have any input on them?

A little bit. We talked about it, but we didn’t have a lot of time. It’s a low-budget film, and we were under the gun. We talked about it a little in advance. If we were shooting this for three months and I was working twice a week or something, playing the third or fourth lead, it would have been great to go all the way, wallto-wall with the tattoos. Like De Niro in Cape Fear. Hand-select each one based on the backstory of the character. We didn’t have that, unfortunately. But I had tattoos up my neck and behind my ears, a sleeve down my arms, and across the front of my body.

How much time did that require of you in the hair and makeup trailer?

We moved pretty quickly. The first day we did it in about three hours. I rolled the dice and risked sleeping in them so we wouldn’t have to take them off and do them all over again the next day, just to see what they would look like. And they held up. They just needed a minor touchup. They lasted. Some of the tattoos, just a few, had to be replaced. We re-did the scarring every day. Scars on my torso and my face. That won’t last overnight. Well, it could, but I wasn’t interested in having the glue stuck to my face every night! That’s a quick add-on…you can do that in ten minutes.

Where have you been shooting primarily?

The Irish Channel. We’ve been shooting in a very colorful neighborhood.

Home of some great parades! You just missed one.

I heard there was a great parade for David Bowie’s funeral. I wish I could have been here for that. I wish I could have marched in that parade to pay tribute to him.

What a loss.

Surprised I didn’t hear through the grapevine that that was coming.

Yeah, they kept it really quiet. Apparently it wasn’t something he wanted to go through publicly.

They did keep it quiet.

What else have you been busy with recently?

I just finished a film in Torino, Italy called The Broken Key with Michael Madsen. I just did a little film in South Carolina called Chronology. And I’m about to go up and produce and star in another cable movie up in Toronto. It’s my second or third cable movie up there. I’m a working actor, just scrambling around.

ABOVE THE LINE

William Baldwin in Cut Off sceneent.com | 29

ABOVE THE LINE

William Baldwin in Cut Off

Tell me about the movie in Toronto.

I’ve done a couple of Hallmark movies and I’ve developed a really strong relationship with them. I like it because it’s very different than this. Much more family content. I starred in one for them called Be My Valentine, and then I pitched an idea to them, one that I would star in and produce, which we did last year. And now we have the third one in the pipeline now. The script has to come in. We don’t have a script yet.

I’ve worked on some MOWs (movies of the week) and they were always fun. And now, the quality is incredible. There’s little difference in the production values of MOWs vs. theatrical films in the same genre.

Television is really better than films now. The best material – the best scripts – are in cable television now. The best project, long-form miniseries, original movies… the studios, from a substantive standpoint, most of the time can’t touch what HBO and Showtime and those guys are doing. The problem with television is this: the best stuff in television is going on right now, and the worst stuff in television is going on right now. When you have six hundred channels, and you have to fill all of that with content, you’re going to get a lot of great stuff and a lot of crap.

I agree. Thanks for the talk.

Enjoyed speaking with you, Micah.

30 | SUMMER 2016

ABOVE THE LINE

Q&A with Cut Off Co-Star

LEW TEMPLE

this recruit being part of the plan. And this new recruit is doubting, and maybe not drinking all of his Kool-Aid. That’s problematic.

This is very paramount to what’s happening in the real world. We experienced this in Brussels, in France and we experience it in our movie theaters and our schools. And with ISIS. By doing a very harmful, violent attack, we call attention to how we think the world should change.

My character Bobby might be akin to that guy Tex in the Manson group. He might be that essence: can-do, will-do type of guy. Gets his hands dirty. Follows orders. When you get an ensemble of artists together, discovery is great. It becomes the titillation, the thrill of what we do. It’s called fishing, not catching. We call it “Hide and Go Seek” not “Hide and Go Find.” We go hunting, we doing go killing.

We adore the discovery, and that’s what this is about: the discovery.

Lew Temple as Bobby in Cut Off

Let’s talk about Cut Off. It’s an interesting, complicated story. It is being told in a very psychological, dramatic way. There’s a lot of opportunities for us to fall into the traps of the story. Our task is to avoid those pitfalls. Cut Off is a small community in Southern Louisiana in Lafourche Parish.

And it’s aptly named.

Yes. And it’s a community of heritage and culture that I wouldn’t say is fading, but it’s not a culture that’s rising. That’s an old culture from the past. That “Cajun,” that French that was spoken, has maybe dissipated over a generation or two. As it relates to our story, that’s a place where a group of us have built our own community. Without judgment, we’ll call this community the Morning River group. It’s a group of people who have experienced some sort of despair. That might be a bit disenfranchised and be available to be brought into the fray of a charismatic leader.

Tell me about your character.

I am (maybe) his sidekick. I play a gentleman named Bobby who hails from Texas, comes from an abusive childhood, has some secrets of his own, and is drinking the Kool-Aid. Without judgement, the important thing is that we have to realize why people do things.

There’s a mission that our charismatic leader would like to have us go on, and he needs one more recruit. The story’s really built on

As an actor, how much discovery do you leave until you get to set? How much preparation do you do?

I do a lot of character preparation. I do a lot of research because it’s my favorite thing. The performance is actually my least favorite thing of what I do. I enjoy rehearsal. I enjoy conversation. I enjoy research. I enjoy the effort of building. I enjoy the build.

I do come in with preparation, but I’m also very available to someone else’s preparation. The magic that we hope to contain, to capture on film, happens with the unknown. I give a lot over to the wisdom of the unknown. So when William Baldwin or Jean-Marc Barr and I crash in the context of a scene, something’s gonna happen! Something fuzzy. Sparkly magic is going to happen. Didn’t see that coming but that’s cool. And that’s when our director Jowan will say, “Yeah! That’s what I was looking for!”

Do you have a background in theater?

I do! Just down the road in Houston, Texas. The Alley Theater.

It’s a good space. There’s so much to be learned on stage because of all the preparation you do to get up on stage. The rehearsal, the blocking, the lighting, the tech. All of these things are natural progressions to performance. In the medium of film and television, we take for granted those natural progressions.

Also as an audience, I think there’s a natural progression to experience something. Sometimes I think as we’ve moved into this technological age, we lose a little bit of that natural progression. If the grid goes down, we’re going right back to the camp fire, once upon a time. Around the story. It all gets back to that. It’s never changed. I think that’s important to understand it. It’s why I do it. I like telling a story, I like listening to a story! I can just as easy listen to a story, as I can to tell you one. We hold that as the essence and we do ok.

It’s puzzling to me why even on studio films, they are just cutting out pre-production. They are cutting down days of prep.

William Baldwin and I were just talking about that. sceneent.com | 31

ABOVE THE LINE We go far enough back that we remember rehearsal. We used to rehearse these things weeks ahead of shooting. And then shoot for a couple or three months on an independent movie.

And it’s ridiculous, because prep saves you money. Movies are made in prep.

It does, I feel like the quality control of the product has been diluted so much for the product’s sake. Quantity control is probably more important. We’ve got to get product out there for our various platforms.

Netflix, Hulu, cable, our networks. We’ve just got to get something and keep pumping it out there. I don’t think reality television did us any favors because it was a formula that took our quality meter and really dropped the bar. We swallowed a bunch of that and now we’re a little bit lost.

We started this conversation talking about generations in Lafourche Parish. As that dissipates, I think our quality of entertainment does as well.

So, producers are less inclined to say, “Let’s get a really good product and call it The Revenant and win an Oscar.” They are more likely to say, “Let’s just get it in the can so we can get it out there. Somebody will watch it.”

They are making a commodity of an art form, but to the detriment of the art form.

I have always said that I’m not sure that commerce and art ever find a common ground. I think they crash and fall by the wayside. But we do get to supply a lot of commerce.

But then we take heart in the idea that the independent film world has found a place on digital platforms. That we are telling really cool stories on television. That our storytellers are being invited to go do long format. Many movies, in the form of episodic: True Detectives and Breaking Bads and Walking Deads.

All these things that give us the capability to tell a story in a long format, as opposed to landing in the cutoff of ninety minutes.

John Robinson on set with Brad Dourif

John Robinson as Clive Stone

In the best cases, the market makes a space and gives artists the opportunity to fill it. It gives them a certain number of parameters and then you get to do your thing, and hopefully you make something that’s great.

I feel like we are in a good time continually to tell your story. I do think that because we’re in a good time, you have to be really good to tell your story. Just because you’re Jamaican and you have a bobsled team, you’re still in the Olympics. You still have to compete. You don’t get a waiver because, “We don’t have any snow.” If you’re making independent movies, you do get an opportunity, but you still have to make them good, because everyone else is doing them good. They’re better than they ever have been. The shot lists are dynamic. The sound designs, the scores, the technical aspects of camera moves...all of these are better than the skateboard dollies that we started with.

And it’s so cheap now, you can experiment without letting any of your crap see the light of day. And as the equipment keeps becoming cheaper, I’m hoping that it continues to throw the spotlight on the good stuff. I hope it gives an opportunity for content not to complete just on production value, but on the quality of the story.

This is the perfect example. Cut Off is a great script that is well crafted and it’s entirely an interesting story. And with Jowan Carbin, it’s in 32 | SUMMER 2016

Jean-Marc Barr as Trevor De Blanc

good hands. As it was birthed from the written page to executing it in moving pictures. For a filmmaker like him, it’s a great time to do this. This is why we come in and do this, avail ourselves to come to his party. We believe in this story that we’re going to tell. I think you still do have got to have a story. Again, it gets back to the camp fire.

Follow the cast and crew of Cut Off on the film’s website at cutoff-movie.com.

Director Jowan Corbin sceneent.com | 33

MUSIC |

Piano Man

DAVELL CRAWFORD

by Meghan McGee

photos by Braden Piper

W

ith a famous grandfather and talented godmother, it is hard for Davell Crawford to not be immersed in music. Dubbed the “Piano Prince of New Orleans,� he recently played an Allen Toussaint tribute at Jazz Fest, played a concert or two in Belgium for the victims of the Belgium Airport attack, and is about to release a new string of albums from Basin Street Records called Piano in the Vaults, recordings of past and present solo tracks Crawford has compiled for his fans to hear in one place.

Crawford has been recording music since his teenage years. With each album comes more soul and more history from New Orleans, all packed into piano notes. His influences come from other great musicians like Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Ray Charles, James Booker, Prince and even Liberace.

We spoke about how his music has changed throughout the years, advice he has for young musicians trying to make it, how his close relationship with Roberta Flack inspires him daily and what music he is excited to release this summer.

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| MUSIC

sceneent.com | 35

MUSIC |

You’ve got some important music coming out this summer.

Tell me what sparked the creation of Piano in the Vaults.

Several friends and fans wouldn’t let me rest until I started releasing these recordings; I’ve had the recordings for years. Some were lost in the hurricane, but I had most of them. I would say every now and then I was going to release it, then get busy with something else. But I just woke up one day and said, “It’s time for me to release it.” I formed the playlist and called the record company.

I sent the master playlist of the album and they were thrilled.

Piano in the Vaults is different from a lot of your past work.

It’s strictly piano solo music. Just the piano and your voice.

It sounds like people have been waiting a long time for you to release something like this.

The people who know about my music are excited about it. My first album I released, I could have been seventeen then and I’m forty years old now, so a lot has changed. Things change hopefully as you grow a little older, wiser and more experienced. I would have never released any music piano solo at the age that I started recording. But now that I am older and wiser, I know the value of this type of piano solo music. I know how important it is for New Orleans and even Louisiana as a whole, even worldwide, to preserve this type of music.

That’s part of my duty. I record for the people. I record for my fans.

This music needs to be heard and so we need to force feed this type of music on young people so they will understand it and keep it alive.

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New Orleans’ music scene is definitely something remarkable. What do you see that makes it different?

The thing about New Orleans music is, when people hear it, experience it, they can’t turn it loose. Once they hear it, they really enjoy it and they want to tell their friends about it. They want their friends to come experience it. I find it exciting to see fans, young and old, everywhere I go, all over the world. If it’s a new fan that’s never heard of me, I would like to think they go away being pleased and next time, bring a friend.

I know that you live in New York, which also has a huge music scene. How is New York’s music scene different from New Orleans?

The music in New Orleans lives. It breathes. It dances. It walks on its own. It has a life of its own, just like the people whom live there do.

The musicians live the songs, live the music and live the notes. New York is such a boring place to be a musician at this particular time.

Back when I was younger, New York was a different environment but now, I don’t find any inspiration there at all. I refuse to play there until I feel inspired. I’m from New Orleans. If you’re from New Orleans, not much else or anywhere else is going to get you going.

How would you describe your stage presence or hope a fan would describe your performances like?

Most people I would hope would be uplifted in some way once they leave my performance. They’re happy in some way and I’ve given them an hour or so of some joy, happiness and all kinds of emotions.

| MUSIC

I hope they leave a better person, coming to hear my little songs and what I have to offer. I believe that something is different about them, something has changed about them, and my fans have told me. Some fans come and want me to sing a particular song, “Everything Must Change.” I’ll never forget that a friend, who had been in the hospital the majority of his life. He came to see me in New York at the Apollo.

That particular night, I did that song and dedicated it to him. He hadn’t been back to the hospital for two years after that. His tears that night were pouring out his sickness. I believe those things happen.

With the recent passing of Prince, what comes to mind when you think about how much he influenced you and your music?

Seeing Prince on television all of the time when I was younger, seeing the way he performed, dressed, the way he played the guitar and piano was amazing. He was one hell of a piano player. Seeing him be himself all of the time, you can’t help but be influenced by that. He was such a disciplined and skilled musician. Prince was at a couple of my shows in Minneapolis and that was a humbling thing to find out about.

Prince influenced a lot of musicians during my time in some way, no matter the genre of music. Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Liberace were the performers I was influenced by as well.

Roberta Flack is your godmother. How great is it having such a close relationship with another amazing musician?

We go shopping at Whole Foods and we talk about Dr. John, Lady Gaga and other musicians. We sit and talk about music all of the

time and listen to music all of the time. We go to shows together, and even reflect on our shows. We enjoy each other and we get along so well. She’s my family and I really don’t see it any other way than that.

Finally, what advice do you have for young musicians?

Practice, practice, practice. Listen and absorb every sound. Dabble in every genre, understand as many genres and be as versatile as you can in your music. As a musician, I think the best musicians understand a hell of a lot more than what they are known for and they appreciate a lot more. Stick with it. People always say that you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone but that’s a bunch of bullsh*t.

I compared myself to greatness as a musician. When I saw my influences, even the unsung heroes in the churches of New Orleans, when I saw them I wanted to be somewhat like them. I would go home and practice the organ, the piano, even the movements of the choir directors. When Ray Charles played the piano, I would wiggle and practice like him, playing in the darkness in my bedroom. I even wore my grandmother’s jewelry, trying to be Liberace. I was doing the best as I could as a little kid to bring out the superstar, musician and artist in me. You must study people and things that have come before you. That’s what each person has to do. Find your inspirations, things you want to be like, and you will find your way. If you respect music and study your inspirations, your art will flourish.

Find out more about Davell Crawford at basinstreetrecords.com. sceneent.com | 37

ROMNEY PILATES Q&A WITH ERIN ROMNEY

by Gretchen Erickson Erin Romney of Romney Pilates recently spoke with Scene’s Gretchen Erickson about her approach to fitness at her studio, Romney Pilates, and her constant search to create a beautiful movement.

You studied with Pilates Physical Mind Institute in New York and your studio’s programs are based on traditional Pilates technique. What defines traditional Pilates for you?

Traditional pilates is based on Joseph Pilates’ original exercises, but modified to include the teachings of Physical Therapy. We have discovered a lot since Joseph Pilates first designed these moves. Physical Therapy has since been invented, and we have learned that certain moves he originally designed that are not so great on the body. Our training, Physical Mind, is from a physical therapist, so it is a physical therapy approach to Pilates. Our approach is as true to his original teachings as it possibly can be while being biomechanically sound.

What made you start taking Pilates, and how long have you been teaching it?

I have been teaching since my senior year of college. I was a college athlete (swimming) so on the off-season, you had to do something to keep you in shape. For me, I was always at the gym, and one day there was a Pilates class going on. I took it and fell in love with it. I thought it was a great way to cross-train from swimming.

How long have you had your studio?

In 2005, I opened my first studio on Magazine Street six months before Katrina. I have actually had three different locations on Magazine Street, but for the past four years we have been located at 5619 Magazine Street across from Whole Foods.

How does your competitive sports background influence your teaching practice?

I coach a different way than I think I would if I didn’t understand the value of getting into someone’s mind and motivating them to finish the exercise that they are doing. What we do here is not easy, and it can be very challenging. There is a great quote

by Joseph Pilates that states that it is the “mind that moves the body” and it is important because we are all about mind-body movement in Pilates. I have learned from swimming how to utilize visualization techniques, and I use them in my practice to help clients to feel the sensations they should be feeling in their body.

38 | SUMMER 2016

Students on the Megareformer

photo by Maddy Rose

Come as you are, and we will help you build your strongest self.

Erin Romney, Romney Pilates

Erin Romney

photo by Maddy Rose

Why do you think Pilates is so important to a fitness routine, and what makes it a good workout for everyone?

I think Pilates is an intelligent way to move. It is biomechanically sound, and it is something you can do throughout your entire life and at any fitness level. Professional athletes and dancers often use it as a way to enhance their sport or career to give them their balanced body. Even if you suffer from an injury or you are recovering from surgery you can still strengthen your body with Pilates. It was actually originally designed by Joseph Pilates as physical therapy practice for injured soldiers during WWII. Pilates can handle any injury including spinal injuries. Here at the studio we work with all injuries, pregnancy at all stages, and all different fitness levels and ages. We have a client who is 97 years old. So as long as it is done the right way, any age and any physical ability can do Pilates. You don’t have to be in shape to come, we are here to get you in shape.

Come as you are, and we will help you build your strongest self.

You are also a certified Gyrotonic teacher. How does that influence your teaching practice?

Gyrotonic is another love of mine. It is a system of exercises that are done fluidly and with constant resistance. Pilates can tend be very linear meaning your movements are forward, side, and back without much rotation; whereas, in Gyrotonic you are moving in a more three dimensional way through the exercises. Dancers tend to have an affinity for it. It allows for a broader range of motion than Pilates does.

They are both really great, but Gyrotonic takes it to the next level by taking your motion a little bigger. It is a combination of swimming, tai chi, Pilates and yoga. You get a full range of motion you can’t get on another apparatus. The resistance acts like water providing constant resistance pulling on you, no matter which direction you are moving. It is a full body workout, and it can be aerobic after you master the basics.

This is a Pilates studio, but you offer other fitness classes. What makes your approach unique and valuable?

We are revolutionizing boutique fitness! Instead of one type of great exercise, we offer four in one location with highly educated instructors. All of our programs here are designed with the Pilates attention to form, detail, and precision of the movement. I have looked at a bunch of different programs including cycling, barre, Megareformer and a lot of the exercises were done with poor form, sloppy, cut the range of motion short, were not done at the most challenging speed, and/or the speed was too quick that they couldn’t hold the form. So all of our programs here are designed around Pilates attention to detail and form. Our ride, barre, bosu and Megareformer classes all circle back to Pilates being our core focus.

What are all the different types of classes you offer?

Our number one focus is our Traditional Pilates Classes both Mat and Reformer classes. Our next big focus is RIDE cycling and Megaformer. We also offer Gyrotonic, Pulse Barre, Bosu, restorative classes, Power and TRX. It is very diverse. Fitness is not about one modality. You can’t expect to do one thing and be your strongest self, because then you just become strong in that one realm. You have to train a bunch of different ways, so we try to provide classes that take care of all the different ways to train muscle. We have collaborated with our physical therapist, Allison, to help come up with classes that meet the five different ways to train a muscle. We are like four boutique studios in one location. Our studio has this ying and yang factor. We offer the zen, healing restorative classes such as our foam roller roll and release class, but then we bring the fire with the high intensity classes such as: ride, Megareformer,

sceneent.com | 39

and barre. They bring more heat and are preformed to the beat of the music which is fun and brings the energy up.

What is a Megareformer? Can you explain it?

We are the only licensed facility to have the Lagree Fitness Method using the Megaformer here in New Orleans. It works wonders! We are excited to bring it to New Orleans. It is like Pilates on steroids. It still has the basic fundamentals of Pilates; however, the speed is done much slower and much more controlled. You are working your endurance muscles, which are different muscle fibers. You are holding form through slow exercises, and it is very intense. You stay in a fat burning zone the whole time, so your heart rate is elevated. It is high intensity, low impact. Some of the exercises are performed very light, and some of them are performed very heavy – not to be confused with easy - but they are all done slow with good form. It is a full body, cardiovascular, strength and endurance building program that burns a lot of fat and calories. In the last class one of our clients just burned 500 calories in a forty-five minute class. You see results quick, and it develops long, lean muscle verses the short bulky ones because you are training high rep and slow pace.

Has the film industry in New Orleans impacted your business?

The film industry in New Orleans has brought wonderful clients.

They are some of the most dedicated people to train, because they are doing it for their career for the most part. The film clients we have come in are very self-motivated and hard working. The only client I can divulge is the one who has posted on Instagram about coming here, which is Lea Michelle. She is probably the hardest working film client we have had. She was consistent and always tried to get the most out of her session. It was really impressive because on top of her long workdays, she would still show up and work very hard. All the film clients are fun, because they all come from different backgrounds with different styles of training so it is great to see how they have trained in the past and how we can add to it.

Do you adhere to any diet or food philosophy to stay in shape?

Recently, yes. This past year has really been my year to get on the ball with nutrition. I think nutrition is a huge part of fitness, and especially as you get older it becomes a larger percentage of the way you look and feel. I do a cleanse four times of year. It is a seasonal food-based cleanse. I eliminate all the allergens: dairy, gluten, soy, eggs, milk, sugar, caffeine, & meat. It is extreme, but it is only for ten days. You get it out of your system, and reset, recalibrate and then you slowly start to reincorporate them.

You become more sensitive to how food affects you. I eat greens as much as possible, vegetables, fruit, fish, and clean meats sparingly. I don’t eat any dairy, gluten, sugar, or caffeine, which is so tough. Giving up caffeine was really hard, because I use to have about four or five caffeinated beverages a day. It was a mental thing to get over, but now I have more sustainable energy throughout the day. Sugar has been the hardest to give up, though.

photo by Elizabeth Dondis Photography

photo by Elizabeth Dondis Photography

You also have a healthy living blog?

Yes. It encompasses not just physical exercise, but also healthy recipes and alternative healing therapies such as essential oils, sagging, crystal therapy and sound therapy. Health and wellness is not just about working out and diet, it also has a mental and spiritual component. In the blog, we incorporate meditation techniques.

Today’s world is so overly stimulated, over connected, stressed and over worked. The mind needs time to just chill out. It is important to care for your mind so your body can actually function and your adrenals can calm down. We have so many stress related illnesses out there that only get exacerbated through intense exercise or through more caffeine so it can sometimes be hard to get out of that cycle. We like to highlight different ways to bring your body back to a healthy balance. We also have had features on benefits of foam rolling and workout hairstyles. It’s a well-rounded blog.

Find Erin Romney’s blog at abeautifulmovement.com and learn more about Romney Pilates at romneypilates.com.

40 | SUMMER 2016

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NFP

INSURING THE FILM INDUSTRY

by Elizabeth Glauser

W

hen an average day at the office includes explosions, stunts, expensive equipment and millions of dollars in other costs, much can go wrong. Studios roll the dice on a film being a record-breaking hit or a box-office bust, so they need to take minimal risks during production. Accidents behind the scenes are not like regular office incidents, so specialized insurance coverage is necessary. This is where a company like NFP can offer its expertise.

“As long as there have been movies made, there has been insurance on movies,” says Ross Garner, an Insurance Broker at NFP Property and Casualty. “Especially today as the budgets go up and most of the studios are publicly held companies. They’re always having to look at the bottom line for shareholders. It gets harder for them to justify not having insurance on everything because you could have a $20 million or $50 million or $100 million loss on production.”

NFP, formerly known as Insurance West, has offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles and Atlanta – all highly active film territories. Garner and his two partners’ combined experience totals ninety years, and they’ve learned the ins and outs of the film industry and its specialized coverage needs.

“We can handle anything, whether it’s a production company or a rental house or post-production,” says Garner.

“We pretty much insure everything that you see on a film set.”

One of the most film-specific coverages the company deals with is protecting valuable footage. “Let’s say you shot for five days in a row in a remote location and you spent $20 million doing it. And on the way back to where you’re processing the movie, the footage gets damaged, destroyed, corrupted, we would pay to reshoot the project for you,” says Garner.

“When people started moving to digital about fifteen years or so ago, everyone thought that these footage claims would go away. What we’re starting to find out is that as the resolution of the film is higher from a digital standpoint. You’re putting so much data at such a high rate to get the footage from real time onto the camera onto the hard drive, any type of minor glitch can corrupt the data. It can ruin the entire hard drive,” says Garner.

“Where on film, you might have fifty cans of film that you shot and one or two of them get exposed. Now you could have easily an entire three, four days gone just because you had a power surge.”

Recently, Harrison Ford halted production on The Force Awakens due to injury. Scenarios like Ford’s are another unique situation that calls for insurance coverage. Cast members unable to work can cost the production money for every day they spend off set.

“If they get injured, ill, if they have a family issue come up like a death in the family, we can cover the cost the production incurs from being down,” says Garner. “The production company has already

42 | SUMMER 2016 || SPECIAL ADVERTISING

committed to pay the cast and crew for six weeks of filming. Well if you have to shut down for two weeks because your main cast member is out, you’re still having to pay the cast and crew for that time.”

Footage and cast members are some of the more film-specific coverages, but NFP also handles standard insurance fare like property, auto and liability. “We insure props and wardrobe, all of the equipment, cameras, lights, sound and those kinds of things,” says Garner. “We insure the liability, so if somebody gets injured by the production company. Say you’re filming in the Garden District and you’ve got cables going from a generator across the sidewalk to power equipment in a private house and somebody comes by and trips on those cables and gets hurt. They can end up suing the production company for it.”

NFP’s experience insuring the film industry has earned them exclusive coverage opportunities that are not afforded to their competitors. They are the sole broker for the Alliance of Special Effects & Pyrotechnic Operators – also known as the guys that blow things up. “I’m having to call insurance carriers to tell them why we’re going to jump a car off of a cliff or we’re going to blow up a house, things like that,” says Garner. “Dealing with that, day in and day out, gives us a much higher level of experience with filming.”

Garner, a Tulane graduate, considers New Orleans his home and is committed to seeing the film industry thrive. Though technically residing in Los Angeles, he owns a house in the Crescent City. “I’m interested in doing anything I can to help down there and keep the industry down there and keep it growing,” shares Garner, who will gladly make the trip South. To learn more about NFP’s services, contact Ross Garner at ross.garner@nfp.com.

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STAND-UP FOR

photo by Sara Essex Bradley

MATT OWENS Q+A by Nicole Cronley

New York, Chicago and L.A. are such big hubs for comedy.

Have you spent any time in one of the big three? And what led you to come to New Orleans and build your career?

I’ve spent some time in New York. Most recently in 2015, I skipped Mardi Gras to do five shows in five days: Brooklyn, Greenwich Village and Queens. I got to spend some time at the Comedy Cellar and see New Orleans native Mark Normand, who is currently on tour with Amy Schumer, perform twice. I was even lucky enough to spend a few minutes at the famous “comedian’s table” upstairs at the Olive Tree Cafe.

New Orleans isn’t a big hub for comedy, but there is a great underground scene. What has it been like building your career here?

New Orleans is unique. It’s true: there are no traditional comedy clubs in New Orleans. But just like we have music and art out in the streets 44 | SUMMER 2016

and on every street corner, we also have comedy in unexpected spaces scattered throughout the city: Uptown, the French Quarter, the CBD, the St. Claude Corridor, Mid-City and so on. There are comedy shows every night of the week, and on some nights you can find two or three shows. As a comic, there are opportunities to perform frequently and to different audiences even in the same night. One night you could perform to Midwestern tourists in the French Quarter, and then head Uptown to do a set for college kids. The next night you could perform upstairs at a dance club on Bourbon Street, and then hop over to St. Claude Avenue to do a set for local artists, musicians and fellow comedians.

For me, New Orleans is not a stepping stone to a bigger comedy market. This is my home, so I am invested in building a sustainable comedy community here. I work hard to create opportunities not just for local comics to perform in professional environments, but just as importantly to provide opportunities for local audiences to

| SCENE

Matt Owens at the Joy Theater

see professionally-produced comedy. I’ve performed all over. I think New Orleans has some of the best comics around, and I think people should know that.

In Los Angeles and New York, the comedy community is a great proving ground for performers. And comedy supports the film/TV industries there by developing talent. Have you seen something similar happen in New Orleans? What is the relationship between comedy and the film industry here?

For me there is a very direct connection between the film industry’s local presence and the comedy scene. Because of major film production here in New Orleans, some of the best stand-up comics from around the country have ended up working here. As a result, I have been able to share the stage with Bill Burr, Hannibal Buress and Darrell Hammond. Louis CK was in town during the filming of Trumbo and caught my set at the weekly Comedy Beast show at the Howlin’ Wolf. A few days later the phone rang, and I was booked to open for Louis on his show at the Joy Theater. For me, this was the beginning

of an artistic relationship with the Joy Theater.

After the show, the Joy’s management asked me back to produce and headline my own showcase. This showcase’s success led to a series titled “Matt Owens presents Stand-Up NOLA.” Eight shows now set for 2016. The next show is on Friday, June 24.

Has the growth of the film industry in New Orleans benefited your career?

I recently finished two films in New Orleans, Pensacola Prophet with local filmmakers FriendFilms and The Barehanded Bear Handlers, and Mercy with Lonely Eskimo Productions and filmmaker Dane Moreton.

Both of those are coming out in 2016.

How does the venue affect you as a performer?

Obviously every venue is different, which I think brings great opportunities to try new things. Because of my acting and stage training, I really enjoy a large formal theater setting. Performing at the Joy Theater with its state-of-the-art sound and lighting and its incredible staff has been a tremendous gift. It’s not an opportunity I take lightly.

photo by Erin Arledge

But, I also like smaller venues where the audience is packed in tight. Something really special happens between a comedian and an audience in those spaces. The energy and laughter in that kind of performance space cannot be duplicated. It is euphoric.

Do you like it when people you know attend your shows? How does that affect you as a performer?

Of course! I love it when anyone and everyone come to my shows. I wouldn’t say it affects me as a performer, but I definitely put pressure on myself to do well if I know someone is in the audience.

At your recent performance at the Joy Theater, you discussed the different ass types. What does your ass say about you?

That I am well-rounded?

“Matt Owens Presents Stand-Up NOLA“ is a monthly comedy showcase at New Orleans’ historic Joy Theater. The next show is on Friday, June 24. Tickets available at thejoytheater.com. sceneent.com | 45

If you are in the film industry and have information or corrections for jobScene, we welcome your emails at info@sceneent.com.

American Crime Story: Katrina

Series/ FX Stars: Sarah Paulson, John Travolta Producer/Director: Ryan Murphy Producer: Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto LP: Chip Vucelich Location: New Orleans, LA Status: January 2017

Gambit

Feature Stars: Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore, Bryan Cranston Director: Doug Liman Producer: Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, Reid Carolin Writer: Chris Claremont, Josh Zetumer Resumes: nolafilmresume@gmail.com LP: Ray Angelic PM: Haley Sweet Location: New Orleans, LA Status: September 2016

Girl Trip

Feature Stars: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith Director: Malcolm D. Producer: Will Packer, James Lopez Writer: Kenya Barris, Tracy Oliver Resumes: gtresumes2016@gmail.com Phone: 504-224-2254 LP: Preston Holmes Location: New Orleans, LA Status: June 30

46 | SUMMER 2016

Laveau

Feature Director: Charles Jolivette Producer: Kenetha Lanee Resumes: laveaumovie@yahoo.com Location: New Orleans, LA Status: April 2017

Untitled Wolverine 3

Feature Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart Director: James Mangold Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Hutch Parker, Stan Lee Writer: David James Kelly, Michael Green Phone: 504-708-2288 Resumes: juarezfox504@gmail.com LP: Joe Caracciolo PM: Dana Robin Location: New Orleans, LA, New Mexico Status: May 2

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Ain’t No Half Steppin’

Feature Director: Charles Stone III Producer: Matt Alvarez, Lena Waithe, Benjamin Cory Jones Writer: Chuck Hayward Resumes: bgpanhsresumes@gmail.com Phone: 404-618-1149 LP: Dominic Cancilla Location: Atlanta, GA Status: June 1

Light Wounds

Feature Stars: Brenda Vaccaro, Terry Serpico Producer: Lynn Givens Writer/Producer: Jonathan Looper, Vadim Dardagani Writer/Director: Max Leonida Resumes: info@lightwoundsmovie.com Location: Georgia Status: September 1

Macgyver

Feature Stars: Gerard Butler Director: Christian Gudegast Producer: Mark Canton, Chris Bender, J.C. Spink, Alan Siegel, Glenn Feig, Tucker Tooley Writer: Paul Scheuring, Christian Gudegast LP: D. Scott Lumpkin Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Fall 2016

Series/ CBS Stars: George Eads, Lucas Till, Justin Hires Director: James Wan Producer: Henry Winkler - Lee Zlotoff - Michael Clear Craig O’Neill Writer/Producer: Peter Lenkov Resumes: Phone: 404-662-4021 LP: Todd Coe PM: Cyrus Yavneh Location: Atlanta, GA Status: July 11

The Leisure Seeker

Ozark

Den of Thieves (aka “Outlaw Juice”)

Feature Stars: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland Director: Paolo Virzì Producer: Fabrizio Donvito, Benedetto Habib, Marco Cohen, Alessandro Mascheroni, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, Dov Mamann, David Grumbach, Mathieu Robinet Writer: Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Stephen Amidon Resumes: fd@indianaproduction.com Location: Atlanta, GA Status: July 2016

Life Of The Party

Feature Stars: Melissa McCarthy Director: Ben Falcone Producer: Chris Henchy, Michael Disco, Sam Brown Writer/Producer: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone PM: David Siegel Location: Atlanta, GA Status: August 24

48 | SUMMER 2016

Series/ Netflix Producer: Mark Williams, Jim Garavente, Chris Mundy Writer/ Producer: Bill Dubuque Producer/Director: Jason Bateman Resumes: ozarkresumes@gmail.com Phone: 404-939-9684 LP: Patrick Markey PM: Matthew Spiegel Location: Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL Status: July 18

Spider-Man: Homecoming (aka “Summer of George”)

Feature Stars: Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, Zendaya Coleman, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton, Michael Barbieri, Kenneth Choi, Donald Glover Director: Jon Watts Producer: Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Amy Pascal, Jeremy Latcham, Eric Carroll, Tom Rothman Writer: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein Resumes: sogresumes@gmail.com LP: Patty Whitcher PM: LeeAnn Stonebreaker Location: Atlanta, GA, New York Status: June 20

The making of ‘Rock Bottom and Back’

By: EARL B. HEARD Founder and CEO BIC Alliance

BIC Media Solutions

Bottom and Back—From Desperation to Inspiration” is a “R ock collaborative effort by many folks who are as devoted as I am to

co-founders of YASNY Entertainment in Los Angeles, soon became our West Coast media partners. YASNY Entertainment is developing a pilot pitch and sizzle reel to introduce and sell the “Rock Bottom and Back” television series to television networks. Recently, YASNY completed production on the celebrity talent segment of the sizzle reel and DVD, which features actor Danny Trejo as the narrator. YASNY is also creating our website to ensure this book and film reach the widest audience possible.

While this project was still underway, we also partnered with David Bottner and Steven Scaffidi at The New Orleans Mission to help produce our DVD and film interviews with some of the people featured in the book. The New Orleans Mission is a homeless shelter that offers its guests the opportunity to attain job skills, including media production. Already, “Rock Bottom and Back” is helping homeless people learn new skills that will enable them to become self-sufficient.

For more information about “Rock Bottom and Back,” visit www.rockbottomandback.com or call (800) 460-4242. •

inspiring others through books, magazines and films.

Throughout my life, I have experienced the most joy and personal fulfillment when I have helped other people. Along the way, I have learned that when people feel alone, abandoned and afraid, they are more vulnerable to making poor choices. Knowing that someone cares, help is available and others share their experiences can make a real difference to someone who is hitting rock bottom.

That knowledge led to the idea of creating “Rock Bottom and Back.” However, I knew I would need partners who shared my vision. Each person involved in this project dedicated tremendous effort toward helping me create something that has the potential to change many lives for the better.

For the writing of the book, I enlisted the help of Susan Mustafa, a New York Times bestselling author whom I met 15 years ago when she worked with me at BIC Alliance as an editor. I knew she would be the perfect partner on this project. She has a unique ability to help people express their pains as well as their triumphs, and this book reflects her talent for telling stories honestly and empathetically.

Rose Gladner, BIC Alliance’s media manager, has also been an invaluable asset to this project.

She helped orchestrate the development of both the book and its companion DVD by helping me choose people whose stories would be the most powerful.

She coordinated with everyone involved to ensure we produced From left, Devin Black and James Hulse From left, YASNY Entertainment’s Daniel something that would be mean- of The New Orleans Mission; Stanley Roberts, Balsz, Hollywood film actor Danny Trejo, former NBA star; and Steven Scaffidi of The New Digital Spatula’s Steve Taylor and YASNY ingful and impactful.

Orleans Mission visit during a filming session of Entertainment’s Tracy Balsz spend time together Tracy and Daniel Balsz, “Rock Bottom and Back.” on the set of “Rock Bottom and Back.”

For the writing of “Rock Bottom and Back,” BIC Alliance’s Earl Heard, right, brought on Susan Mustafa, a New York Times bestselling author.

BIC Media Solutions, a division of BIC Alliance, is proud to announce its latest project, Rock Bottom and Back–From Desperation to Inspiration, is now available for purchase.

Rock Bottom and Back is a collection of inspirational stories about people from all walks of life who have hit rock bottom in their personal lives and who came back to give back through helping others in extraordinary ways. There will not only be a book but also a promotional DVD.

FEATURING:

Dr. Bobby Smith Maurice “Termite” Watkins David Bottner Tonja Myles

Jerry Strickland Whitney Strickland Deena Burnett Bailey Stanley Roberts

Dr. Mark Laaser Bea Aikens Billy Rivers George Mills

Other Heroes Include:

Danny Trejo, Henry Tobias, Kristen Maddox, Karl Garcia, Michael “Iron Mike” Peterson, Theresa Westbrook, Jeremiah Fry, Ken Paxton, Mindy Crane and Bradley Blue.

BIC Media’s books are perfect for corporate gifts, fundraisers and community outreach programs. This inspirational collection and companion DVD are available by the case, if desired. To order individual copies, visit www.rockbottomandback.com. We can also help you create your custom book or film. For information, please contact Rose Gladner at 800-460-4242 or rose@bicalliance.com.

BICMediaSolutions.com • (800) 460.4242

ADVERTISEMENT | 49

Stan Against Evil

Series/ IFC Stars: John C. McGinley, Janet Varney Producer: Tom Lassally - Frank Scherma - Justin Wilkes Writer/Producer: Dana Gould Resumes: resumes4sae@gmail.com Phone: 404-344-9292 LP: Ed Tapia Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Mid-July 2016

Z: The Beginning of Everything (aka “Zelda”)

Series/ Amazon Stars: Christina Ricci, Holly Curran, David Strathairn, Kristine Nielsen, Sarah Schenkkan, Jamie Anne Allman Director: Mike Barker Producer: Pam Koffler, Christine Vachon Writer/Producer: Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin Resumes: zprodnyc@gmail.com, zepisode1@gmail.com LP: Kathy Ciric Location: Savannah, GA, New York Status: June 15

Star

Series/ FOX Stars: Queen Latifah, Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O’Grady, Benjamin Bratt, Nicholas Gonzalez, Lenny Kravitz Director: Lee Daniels Producer: Pamela Oas Williams, Effie Brown, Charles Murray Writer/Producer: Lee Daniels, Tom Donaghy Resumes: starinatlanta@gmail.com, starproduction@ gmail.com Phone: 404-900-7816 LP: Neal Ahern PM: Elise Graham Location: Atlanta, GA Status: July 2016

Undying

Feature Stars: Patrick Schwarzenegger, Liana Liberato Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner Producer: Basil Iwanyk, Sean Finegan, Gabriela Bacher, Roland Emmerich, Christian Angermayer, Klemens Hallmann, Erica Lee, Tara Moross Writer: O’Neil Sharma, Max Work Resumes: undyingsavannah@gmail.com Location: Savannah, GA Status: August 2016

50 | SUMMER 2016

The Super

Feature Director: Stephan Rick Producer: Brett Forbes, Patrick Rizzotti Writer: John J. McLaughlin Location: New York, Jackson, MS Status: June 23

Alita: Battle Angel

Feature Stars: Rosa Salazar Director: Robert Rodriguez Producer: James Cameron, Jon Landau Writer: Laeta Kalogridis Phone: 512-334-7777 Location: Austin, TX Status: October 2016

TOD AY

ENTERTAINMENT. EVERY DAY. An Inherited Life

Feature Director: Charlie Vaughn Producer: Stephanie Slack, Fernando Szew, Elizabeth Snoderly, Elizabeth Snoderly, Jake Helgren Writer: Julie Kristine Sullivan Resumes: info@marvista.net Phone: 424-274-3000 Location: South Carolina Status: July 7

Introducing Scene Today.

A daily email you'll actually want to read.

Logan Lucky

Feature Stars: Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Daniel Craig, Katherine Heigl, Hilary Swank, Katherine Waterston Producer: Mark Johnson, Reid Carolin, Gregory Jacobs, Glen Basner, Zane Stoddard, Matt Summers Producer/Director: Steven Soderbergh Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Fall 2016

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For full details on Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina productions, along with daily updates, visit jobs.sceneent.com.

TODAY! Sign up for free at scene-today.com.

THE UNSCENE SINKING SEQUELS For a decade, the studio system has been obsessed with sequels. As marketing budgets have ballooned, extending the life of a successful film seems like a no-brainer: why not build on existing audience awareness? There have been plenty of sequel success stories, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Harry Potter.

But this summer, there seems to be sand shifting underfoot.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Neighbors 2, Ride Along 2, X-Men: Apocalypse, The Huntsman, Alice Through The Looking Glass and even Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice all range from disappointments to outright bombs. Some are sequels to surprise hits. Some are entries in long-running and successful series. All are contributing to a disappointing summer of sequels, with even more scheduled to premiere soon.

All of these sinking sequels are being overshadowed by one titanic hit that has defied all box office prognosticators, professional or otherwise. It didn’t have a Batman budget. It wasn’t bloated by starpower. It wasn’t rated PG-13, that down-the-demographic-middle target that now tells parents nothing about the content of a film. And yet, it was everything it should have been. Everything it needed to be to bring in $780 million against its measly $58 million production budget. It was dumb. It was filled with dick jokes. It was Deadpool.

Why was it a titanic success? Because the filmmakers wanted to make the movie. Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller really loved the character of Deadpool and wanted to tell his story, even when there were no guarantees it wouldn’t hurt their careers. Because it was something audiences haven’t seen before. It had novelty. Yeah, it’s a comic book movie, but it was fresh and funny and Deadpool doesn’t take himself seriously. And how did audiences know that?

Because the marketing was incredible. Yes, marketing is essential to the success of every hit. But the marketing has to be good. It has to be tactical. It should both entice an audience to see the movie, and prepare them for a great experience. It should not reveal every plot point of the movie, stretching into the third act.

Sequels are here to stay, but the studio system needs to be smarter, and look for every opportunity to spice up their slate.

The UnScene Writer Submit tips to unscene@sceneent.com.

Anonymity guaranteed.

52 | SUMMER 2016

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