Northwest Production Blog

Opening May 15 and running through September 16, the Oregon History Museum will host a special exhibit entitled The Amazing World of Claymation. For the first time, visitors will be able to view the historic animation art collection of Claymation founder and Oregon native, Will Vinton.

The showcase exhibit will draw from Vinton’s personal animation art collection—including drawings, paintings, clay and cast sculptures, videos and storyboards. This one-of-a-kind show celebrates the quality and quantity of the artistry required to create the award-winning Claymation films. Museum visitors will get a glimpse of what went into making some of the world’s best-known animated characters, including the Domino’s Pizza “Noid,” the famous California Raisins, and Eddie Murphy’s “Thurgood Stubbs,” from the television show The PJs.

The Amazing World of Claymation will illustrate and demonstrate the different steps that comprise the production of an animated feature, including script, character design, production design and storyboards, voice recording, character construction, sets and props, animation, and post-production.

“Will Vinton’s influence on the animation industry is of international proportions,” said Oregon Historical Society Executive Director, George Vogt. “His contribution of sophistication and artistry provided the building blocks for the animated film world as we know it today.”

A special media and member exhibit preview to kick off the spring/summer run is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, from 5pm to 7:30pm.

Summer Documentary Film Intensive
Seattle’s 911media is hosting an intensive workshop where students will be introduced to the lineage of documentary filmmaking and guided through the steps taken to create successful documentary projects. The goal of the class is to give students a chance to explore different styles of documentary in a practical hands-on way, so they may develop a range of skills and a personal style. In addition, each student will finish the workshop with a story, treatment, pitch, budget, script and a short film. For more, visit www.911media.org.

Over 4,000 Attend NFFTY
The third annual National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) was a huge success! From a red carpet opening night at Cinerama and a rockin’ gala after-party to incredible film panels and extraordinary films, NFFTY ‘09 grew by leaps and bounds. Festival attendance grew to over 4,000 — more than double the 2008 attendance. Congratulations to all involved!

Gibran Perrone is the film coordinator for the Willamette Writers Conference, which takes place this August in Portland. WWC brings Hollywood executives, producers, agents and managers up to Portland to give attendees an opportunity to pitch their screenplays and teleplays. Gibran wrote a great article on the upcoming conference, and we have posted it here. Thanks, Gibran!

So you’ve got a wonderfully entertaining screenplay that just sizzles and pops off the page, but you live in the Pacific Northwest. How are you going to get your foot in the Hollywood door? First, you will need to be introduced. But, you are over nine hundred miles from Hollywood and let’s face it; a long distance blind date usually doesn’t lead to much. Luckily at the 2009 Willamette Writers Conference, we bring Hollywood to you!

You’ll get an opportunity to have one-on-one access to agents, managers, producers and creative executives. You’ll get a chance to charm them and breathe life into your story like no letter, e-mail or phone call can really do.

This year, we’ve got an excellent roster of hard working professionals who are hungry to find new talent in all genres. Some of the top managers and executives working in the industry will be flying up just to hear your script ideas and share their wisdom. You won’t be pitching to any assistants here!

We’ve got some exciting new faces, like Rima Greer, agent/owner of Above the Line Agency who will be teaching workshops and hearing pitches. Her client list includes screenwriters of such films as The Doors, Highlander, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Senior agent Dennis Kim from the Rothman-Brecher Agency, with clients who write for The Simpsons, Monk and Desperate Housewives, will be on hand to hear television pitches. From the production company side of things, we are excited to introduce Matt Skiena from Village Roadshow Picture Entertainment, a leading independent co-producer and co-financier of major Hollywood pictures like Yes Man, I Am Legend and Gran Torino.

We will have executives from New Line Cinema, MGM, Warner Brothers, Fox Atomic and Offspring Entertainment (production deal with Benderspink), managers from E-Squared, The Gotham Group and Principal Entertainment, as well as representatives from a host of other great companies available for pitch consults. Many will also be sharing their knowledge in the classroom.

Polish up your great film and television scripts, because the 40th Annual Willamette Writers Conference this August 7-9 promises to be the best ever. One-on-one pitches and group consults are first-come, first-served, so be sure to register early! Come to the conference and put yourself out there. You might just sell a script and in this economy, who couldn’t use some extra green?

Visit www.willamettewriters.com/wwc/3/ for more info.

This week Governor Gregoire signed new legislation raising the state film incentive from 20% to 30%, making Washington State exponentially more competitive as a filming location. Film projects coming into the region because of the increase will immediately create hundreds of high-wage local jobs and will help to bring significant economic development to Washington State in the form of immediate production spending in the local economy.

“The additional incentives provided in this legislation will make Washington State much more competitive in the film industry,” Gregoire said. “For every industry, Washington must do what it can to attract new business and create new jobs. Along with Washington’s beautiful locations, this legislation ensures our state is providing the right business environment that’s appealing to producers and directors.”

LAIKA Presents Stop Motion 101
Tomorrow at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, the animators who brought the hit film Coraline to life will present an interactive stop motion animation workshop geared toward youth ages 7 to 15. Admission is $10 with all proceeds benefiting Film Action Oregon’s Project Youth Doc program.
Update: Hope you have your tickets in-hand, because this workshop is now sold out.

World’s Greatest Dad Picked Up by Magnolia
Magnolia Pictures has picked up the Seattle-filmed and Bobcat Goldthwait-directed Robin Williams comedy World’s Greatest Dad, which screened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Goldthwait said that Magnolia will release the film on video on demand prior to a theatrical release in late August. Congratulations to all involved!

Extras Only Casting Company and casting director Danny Stoltz are currently casting all extras, featured, stand-ins and photo-doubles for the feature film The Untitled Crowley Project, which will begin filming in Oregon next month.

Extras Only will be casting approximately 2,000 extras of all ages and all types. Extras do not need to be completely available for the duration of filming, some people will work only 1 or 2 days and some will repeat in different scenes working multiple days. Extras will make a min of $68/day (8hrs), OT over 10.

Starring Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, and Keri Russell, The Untitled Crowley Project is an uplifting, inspirational drama inspired by the true story of John Crowley, a man who defied conventional wisdom and great odds, and risked his family’s future to pursue a cure for his children’s life-threatening disease.

CASTING CALL INFORMATION
This Sunday, March 29TH
Anytime Between 11a – 4p
@ The Doubletree (Lloyd Center)
(1000 NE Multnomah St – Portland. Enter at Banquet Entrance)

Los Angeles-based Global Vision Studio is looking for a director of photography/camera operator for a two-day shoot in Seattle next week. Ideal candidates will have working knowledge of the Canon Mark II camera, and will be available Monday, March 23rd through Wednesday, March 25th. Rate is $500. For more information and to apply, contact Nick Marks at 310-697-3655.

Celebrating its second year, POW Fest (Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival) showcases the work of today’s top women directors and co-directors, honoring the true pioneers, as well as providing support and recognition for the next generation of leading women filmmakers.

This year’s festival opens Thursday, March 19, with a screening of Rebecca Rodriguez’s Coming Up Easy at the Hollywood Theatre, followed by a gala reception at StudioBard in Portland. The reception is also sponsored by @Large Films.

A limited number of free passes are available for the 7pm opening night screening. To get yours and to RSVP to the free reception, contact StudioBard at michael@studiobard.com or 503-273-2273.

For more information on the film and the festival, go to POW Fest’s Web site, www.powfest.com.

As if winning the “Tamalewood” award at the Santa Fe Film Festival wasn’t enough of an unexpected surprise, first-time script writer and director Brandon Scott Schmid has a whole new reason to grin. His film Taos has been picked up for distribution by Gaiam!

Schmid, a 39-year-old attorney and independent filmmaker, scribbled the basic outline for the screenplay while marooned in a backpacking tent during a Taos, New Mexico, snowstorm and the storyline isn’t far off of Schmid’s own. Taos has an up-and-coming, big-city attorney marooned in Taos following a cross-country driving mishap. With minimal access to cellular phone service, high-speed Internet and a useless Blackberry, the young attorney is forced to reconsider his life priorities and, with some guidance from some new New Mexican and Native friends, finds a less turbulent path.

For film producer (Somewhere in Time, What Dreams May Come, Conversations with God) and Gaiam co-founder Stephen Simon, the decision to pick up Taos was an easy one.  “Taos is warm, funny, insightful, poignant, and very, very timely. In a world which has been dominated by a focus on how much money we make, first-time director Brandon Schmid has fashioned an important film about being who we really are. We need more films like Taos and many more films from Brandon Schmid whose directorial debut is nothing short of sensational. I loved this movie!”

Congratulations Brandon! Visit www.taosthemovie.com for more info.

Governor Ted Kulongoski recently announced that Electric Entertainment and TNT will relocate the hit television series Leverage to Oregon. The series represents a direct investment of millions of dollars and ensures that Oregon is in for a record year in film and television production.

“The decision to locate in Oregon is a clear indication that our incentive programs are working. State support for film and television creates jobs and brings a big return on investment for Oregon taxpayers,” said Governor Kulongoski.

Starring Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Leverage is a high-octane drama series about a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who join forces to take revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. The series is executive-produced by Dean Devlin, John Rogers and Chris Downey, and comes to the TNT network from Devlin’s Electric Entertainment.

Shooting will begin in late spring and locations will be used throughout Oregon.

WashingtonFilmWorks Welcomes New Finance Manager
Congratulations to Elizabeth Heile, who has been hired as WashingtonFilmWorks’ new finance manager! As finance manager, Heile will oversee the audit and review process for all approved productions and manage the organization’s internal fiscal operations. Heile has worked on a number of locally-shot films, including The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle and Dear Lemon Lima, for which she served as finance manager, as well as Traveling and True Adolescents, for which she provided accounting assistance.

Casting Call!
Seattle-based production company Flying Spot is casting hip, energetic, creative, happy looking men and women between the ages of 25-35 talent for a marketing video. All ethnicities and lifestyles welcome. Must be relatively comfortable speaking on camera and available during the first three weeks of March for potential shoot date (a 2-3 hour commitment). Pay for cast talent is $100 flat. Please e-mail your name, age, phone number, and headshot to casting@flyingspot.com as soon as possible.