Saturday, May 13, 2006 
On Thursday night, I had the honor of attending a private screening of Don Glut's latest project, "I Was a Teenage Movie Maker." The screening took place at the beautiful estate of Mr. Randal Kleiser ("Grease", "Blue Lagoon" and dozens more -- Bio Here -- Credits Here). What a great evening. I knew Randal's home was on the crest of a mountain road near Mulholland. I expected to find a gated driveway; instead I found a private gated road surrounded by parkland. I noticed the "Caution: Rattlesnakes" sign on the road in. "Wow," I thought. "Two miles from the APS Hollywood office and I'm in a wilderness area. This is cool." I saw his two white horses before I caught sight of the beautiful, sprawling home. "Ah, yes," I thought, "To be successful in the entertainment industry -- excellent!" It was great to see that our good friend, Donald F. Glut, had actually invited eight or nine of our APS members -- and even a couple of actors whom he had met at a seminar event. I addressed a couple of them, "Well, I guess attending an APS seminar really paid off for you, didn't it? This is about as exclusive an event as you can find." They were quite pleased. There were some major producers and directors present. They included the legendary Forrest J. Ackerman (Bio Here, Credits Here), producer/director/writer/actor Dan Golden (Credits Here), multiple-award-winning producer/director Joel Colman (1,200+ TV commercials and six feature films), our host Randal Kleiser (Bio Here -- Credits Here), Paul Davids (Credits Here), director/writer/actor Courtney Joyner (Credits Here), producer Naofumi Okamoto (Partial Credits Here), and producer Jim Harmon. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the screening. I have known Don Glut for about 20 years, and I learned an amazing amount of information about him (that I did not know) from that screening. His story is an inspirational and motivational one. The major people he was able to meet -- and who helped open doors for him in this industry -- is amazing. I don't think the DVD will be available until August, but I strongly recommend you buy it when it does become available. I understand that there will be approximately 8 hours worth of DVD and an audio CD bundled together for the release. Seeing the one hour and forty-seven minutes that Don showed Thursday night was more than enough for me to recommend the set. If you have the opportunity to hear Don speak at one of our seminar events (like tomorrow, for example), the DVD will reinforce his talk with actual experiences documenting each suggestion. I'm looking forward to the release of the complete "I Was A Teenage Movie Maker" package. I intend to buy two -- one for me and one for my 11-year-old son. Yes, everything I saw Thursday night was rated "G."
It was great to
see my friend Paul Davids at Thursday
One of Paul's upcoming feature films (now in active development, and already the recipient of tons of publicity) is "The Face on Mars." He's a great person to know, and he's very well-connected and respected in the industry. Paul has volunteered to do a 2 to 3 hour seminar for APS members. However, he wants only active APS members at the seminar -- no non-members; "only those who have made the commitment to achieving success in the industry." We are so happy that Paul Davids equates APS membership with success. He did, after all, hire 17 APS members for principal to starring roles in his "Starry Night" feature. (Yes, one of our actors starred along with Sally Kirkland!) Please send us an email if you are interested in attending a Paul Davids seminar. It will be "by donation" to help us (APS) pay the room rental and to cover the food and beverage costs. Paul Davids will donate his time. We must have a full house, however, so it's important to let us know right away. Thank you!
There are tons of networking opportunities here in the "Film Capital of the World." Above and below are just a few of the people our members were able to meet at a few of the Rocket Video events in Hollywood. And, of course, Rocket Video is only one of many, many networking opportunities available to you in the greater Los Angeles area.
As promised, reserved
seating for the "True companion" play featuring
Matt Way as
Elvis narrator can be made by calling Charlie Brown at
818-448-8535.It will be at 29295 Aguora Hills
Rd in Aguora 91301. Hwy
101 north to Kanan, turn left
(pass over hwy, go to light and
turn right on Aguora Hills Rd. Theatre
is 400ft on the right hand side. It is free, use Matt's
name, they do pass the hat at the end.-Matt
Glad I was
online when this email came! I am
available that evening and would be more than happy to help
out. (And, since I was introduced by Don to Randall at the
screening of his new "Red Riding Hood" movie, it would be a
great "follow up" networking opportunity for me, as well.) Please let
Don know that I would love the opportunity, and am
available. On another
note, I'm shooting a second day this coming Monday as a
"forensic technician" in Producer Jess Mancilla and
Director/Producer Henri Charr's new movie ... starring
Brad Sergi (also Producing) and Annie Wood, currently entitled
"Heart of Fear". Yet another gig I got through the APS
Network, as our own Cori Haisler was helping with the
casting! (I did my first day on the film last Tuesday.)
There have been MANY APS members who have gotten some work
through this film. (Way to go Cori and our talented APS
members!!!) Okay ...
hope things are well with you, too. I continue
to heal more each day. All the
best, Paul
Hey Rock,
Editor's note:
Michele Blood and I (Rock Riddle) co-wrote this book last year.
It went to #41 on Amazon.com, and actually outsold the new
Harry
Potter book for just over an hour. (Yes, we briefly
outsold the bestselling book of all time!) We were
shooting for #1 (out of a few million titles), but we only went
to #41. Now, according to Michele's email (and according
to Amazon.com) we did become a #1 Best Seller in our category.
And, that's pretty
cool! If you do not already have the book, try buying it
on Amazon.com. The last time I checked, they were
discounting it by 38%. More information on the book and our DVD
Training System is available at
www.BeAMagnetToHollywoodSuccess.com
,
www.mpowertv.com
(you can watch a
17-minute video on the DVD System there), and
www.HollywoodSuccessBook.com .
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Happy Mother's
Day! This afternoon, we are delighted to be able to
provide you and your actor friends with an opportunity to spend
"An
Afternoon With Donald F. Glut" 2:00 PM
until 5:00 PM Sunday, May 14, 2006 at the Jeremiah Comey
Studios, 1648 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028.
We hope you can join us. As you know, Don is an
extraordinary person to know in the "biz."
A major e-zine
(internet magazine) will be launching next month. I have
been asked to write a regular entertainment column for them.
I'm not at liberty to give any additional information at this
point. As soon as the launch officially takes place, I
will notify everyone. This appears to be an additional way
to promote our wonderful APS actor members!
Next Major APS
Networking Event Set -- Private Estate -- June 4, 2006
Briefing/Empowerment
Luncheon AND APS Estate Networking Event Set!
Both events have
been set and confirmed. The Briefing and Empowerment
Luncheon Event takes place at the Old Spaghetti Factory, 5939
Sunset Blvd., Hollywood at 11:45 AM on Friday, June 2, 2006.
HERE IS YOUR
INVITATION! Please R.S.V.P. right away and
let us know if you will be eating with us. (If 30 or more
APS members eat, the restaurant does not charge us a rental fee
for the room; if less than 30 eat, we have to pay the
difference). There are usually at least three of four
producers who attend and briefly take the microphone to offer
suggestions for the following Sunday's big event.
The actual
networking event takes place officially from 4:00 PM until 7:00
PM on Sunday, June 4th, at a beautiful private estate.
Information and actual personalized printed invitations will be
given to current and active APS members at the briefing meeting
described in the previous paragraph. Please plan on
attending the briefing luncheon if you are able to attend the
actual event on the 4th. A 30 to 50+ page booklet will be
given to members at the briefing luncheon. It is very
important to have advance information on the event and the
expected 50 to 100+ producers whom you will be meeting.
The June 2 Briefing
and Empowerment Luncheon will be the next to the last one we do
at the Old Spaghetti Factory -- the building has been sold, and
it is being converted to high-end apartments. The Old
Spaghetti Factory will serve its last meal in late August of
this year. Enjoy the Hollywood history while you can ...
I had the opportunity to watch much
of the DVD, "The Sci-Fi Boys," yesterday. What a
fascinating DVD. I haven't been able to watch the bonus
features yet, but the main DVD is really good. I strongly
encourage you to watch it. What a great way to get to know
many of the producer stars in the Sci-Fi film business. Click
on the image here and read the names on the box -- those are just
some of the producers featured on the DVD.
I received this
DVD as a gift from producer/director/writer Paul Davids last
Thursday night. Paul was one of several name producers who
attended the private screening of Donald F. Glut's "I
Was a Teenage Movie Maker." This took place at the estate
of producer/director Randal Kleiser (full information in May
13 section above). It's even more amazing when you have the
opportunity of viewing both DVDs. Again, Don Glut's DVD
package is not expected to be available until August, but you can
purchase the Paul Davids project now. Just go to
www.PaulDavids.com.
We received
confirmation yesterday that producer and casting director Linda
Burden-Williams will be a featured guest speaker this Sunday at
the APS-produced Accelerated Success/Business of Acting Seminar
and Luncheon Event. Linda is casting and producing a
five-picture deal. Budgets range from $350,000.00 to $1
million plus. She is looking forward to seeing APS members she
already knows (a number of you have already auditioned) and those
whom she has not yet met.
Linda is a lovely lady who
understands the industry from both sides of the camera. An
extremely talented actress who teaches acting when her schedule
allows, you'll find her to be very knowledgeable, approachable, and
helpful. Be sure to invite your actor friends, and remind them
that Linda welcomes their photos and resumes.
The event begins
at 2:00 PM and will end around 5:00 PM. Jeremiah Comey
Studios, 1648 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028. Linda
has a previous commitment later in the afternoon, so she will be
speaking early. Hint: If you suggest that your guests
arrive early, we should be able to start on time -- right at 2:00
PM. Thanks. Hope to see you there! Here's complete
information: http://www.hollywoodsuccess.com/special_event.htm
Are you an
early riser? How about a special screening at 6:00 AM
Friday morning?
Dear Rock,
Congratulations to Liam
Stone and crew -- The feature film, "Venice
Knights," a 2006 release, has finally shown up on IMDB.com.
While not complete in its listing, there is some basic good
information there. And, it is another credit for APS
President, Rock Riddle ... and the first producer credit for
APS member Liam Stone ... and more. So far, IMDB has about
one/fifth of my credits listed -- not that they're slow or anything
:-)
Runtime:
USA:82 min
I
received an email from our award-winning producer/director friend,
Philippe Mora, this morning. He and his producer
The people in
this show all deserve to be working all the time! I have a
suggestion that may be of help. Please accept these
insights gained through long experience...
Agents are
valuable but they are only part of the picture. I have done
25 films, 40 plays and a few TV projects, almost all without
an agent... I have had agents before, but even then I
found most of my work myself. If I were your age and knew
what I know now, I'd be unstoppable!
My
recommendation:
Go to a $15
seminar at APS and meet some PRODUCERS. I am cast in
several upcoming films thru this organization, have been a
member for two years and have met literally hundreds of
industry people. You may not meet Spielberg and Coppola,
but these are working movie-makers, and some of them do know
Spielberg, Coppola and their peers quite well. I have
become first-name acquaintances with some very connected
people, and connections are everything ("It's whom you
know...").
There are two
secrets that I have learned:
1) Agents don't
feel that their job is to get you work. If they are willing
to tell you the truth, they will tell you that their job is
to negotiate your price and billing when you get work.
2) Agents get
you to casting directors, and casting directors cast the
roles that the producers haven't already cast. If you meet
the producers, you can get in on the ground floor.
This doesn't
mean instant work. Projects can take years to put
together. I was cast in a leading role by a producer five
years ago. In the interim, the budget went from $3 million
to $60 million, and various stars have been brought in. It
continues to evolve, but in its current shape, I will be
playing against Johnny Depp next Spring, filming in Paris...
APS is a networking organization that
puts actors and producers together. Check out their website
at www.hollywoodsuccess.com
and their calendar of events. The seminars are practically
free, you meet several producers at each seminar, they give
you great advice that you don't get elsewhere, and they even
feed you pizza and sodas, so you can't lose! They also
alert members to networking opportunities, and every two
months they have a big event at a gorgeous home in the hills
overlooking Studio City (pic attached). Thru this
organization I've met some incredibly connected people in
the industry, including several Oscar winners. Two days ago
I met Paul Haggis (pic attached), Oscar-winning
writer-director-producer of 2005 Best Picture "Crash;"
writer of 2004 Best Picture "Million Dollar Baby".
If you call APS,
please tell them I referred you. I have referred people who
became members, and have brought others along to their
seminars. With your youth, looks, talent and credentials,
the connections you could make thru APS could open lots of
doors for you. And no, I don't get a sales commission - LOL
- I just believe in the potential of what they offer.
Good luck (break
a leg) and God bless.
Janét Vincent Lee
I received an email this
morning from producer, casting director, and "Alien Actor" Bill
Blair. He is very busy, but will make himself available to
speak at an APS seminar on the weekend of June 17/18.
Bill Blair
A
professional working actor who has made a good living in the industry for many
years, Bill has now moved into the production side of the
I
just received an email from producer/writer Jim Donzella, a partner
in Three Brad Productions. Jim will be donating his time to
speak at next Saturday afternoon's seminar event. He will need
to leave early (around 4:30 PM), so he will be speaking shortly
after we begin at 3:30. We'll add this to our Calendar of
Events soon. In the meantime, you might want to set aside that
afternoon to attend our special event. Jim
Donzella
(confirmed for
May 27):
An actor turned producer/writer, Jim knows the
industry from both sides of the camera. He
produced the
TV pilot "We'll Be Right Back" starring
Erin
Gray. Jim is also producing an upcoming untitled TV show with FOX-TV.
And, he will be producing the feature film "Mr. Inappropriate". His
production company is Three Brad Productions and his TOPICS will include: Your Career
as a Professional Actor - What Works, What Doesn't and Why. Creating
Your Own Destiny (Thereby Preventing Others From Doing It For You) Acquiring
the Skills You Need to Land More Acting Work
Come see my award-winning performance:
I'd like to invite you to come to the
DAMAH FILM FESTIVAL this weekend, May 20-22, in Culver City and see
my work in By Means of Natural Selection, which I won the Best
Actress Award for the 168 film festival 2004. I hope to see you
there. toni
You
can read it here before it hits the stands:
http://www.hollywoodsuccess.com/may_25,_2006.htm.
I
just received a call from our producer, director, and casting
director friend, Bill Hooey. Bill has just closed a
deal to cast a SAG commercial for an upcoming political
proposition. Early indications are that the pay could be as
much as triple scale for the right person. Bill will be
signing the contract for this casting job in the early afternoon
today. After the contract is signed, he will share the
details with us. So, check back with us tomorrow for updated
information. Maybe you'll be right for the commercial.
And, if you're not, you may know someone who is. In either
case, you can make Bill's casting job easier ... UPDATE:
The pay IS triple scale.
Bill
will be a speaker for
Sunday afternoon's APS Success Seminar.
He will invite anyone who fits the roles to feel free to hand him
their photos and resumes at the event.
Just checking in with
an update for you. I am gearing up for three things in the
next few months. First, I will be playing Victor Velasco in
a professional stage production of Neil Simon's comedy
Barefoot in the Park. It opens June 16 and runs on the
weekends through July 9. I will also be acting in David
Heavener's upcoming film, Costa Chica, a
connection I made through APS. Thank you!
Finally, I'm in pre-production as both crew and actor for a
comedic multi-million dollar feature called Actorz;
cameras will roll in the fall, either August or September
... Many thanks for many considerations, and I'll see
you on Sunday! Tad
Atkinson
Shortly after 7:00 PM, I
received a call from producer A.J. Roberts (Ghost Films,
LLC). I had not heard from him for years. He
reminded me that he had attended APS
It was great
to talk to you again. Here is the link to the
productions I talked about. There
are negotiations with some big talent going on
already, and I would love to
see if we could help any of your people. Always loved
the APS concept as i got my first start through you. http://www.ghostfilmsllc.com/ ...
Looking forward to seeing you
again.
AJ Roberts
Notice
From Casting Director
Bill Hooey We are seeking one actor, can be a
male or female, age range is 30 to 45 years. Must speak
excellent Spanish. This is a talking head type spot where
the actor must be able to convey the message with a sense of
emotion, logic, charisma and credibility to vote "no' on
prop 82. Prop 82 is the pre-school proposition which will be
coming up to be voted on by the
public. Prefer SAG member.
You must be able to read
Spanish. We are looking for premium talent;
that is why the pay is three times scale. We are looking for
someone who looks and sounds great on camera. You do not
have to be extremely pretty or
handsome. But,
we are looking for someone who projects the on-camera
smooth style and confidence of a seasoned TV news reporter.
Auditions will be held this coming
Monday, May 22, 2006 This is not an open call.
You must make an appointment by calling Bill Hooey You can arrive
early for your audition so that you have time to practice
the script in order to do your best audition possible
I just
received a phone call from Matt Way (see the top of this
page). His "scoop" for APS members: Producer Marv
Silverman has scheduled his highly anticipated Producers'
Party for June 15th. Producers, celebrities,
several of the principal actors from his upcoming feature film, "From
Memphis to Graceland: The Return of the King", investors,
and APS Members will be invited. We will list the
particulars in this section as soon as they are available.
One Week
Anniversary: This new Industry Insider News is
one week old today. Please let us know how you like it.:
It was great
to see producer and casting director Linda Burden-Williams at
the seminar event today. Wow, has she and her company been
busy. When she and I had last talked a few months ago, she was
producing and casting five feature films, budgeted from $350,000.00
to $1,000,000.00-plus each. Lots has changed over the past few
months. She and her company now have twelve upcoming
feature films, and all have budgets between $1 million and $1.5
million. At least three of the features are expected to shoot
this year, with the next five expected to shoot in 2007. Those
of you who missed the event today missed an amazing opportunity.
Linda is extraordinarily busy, but we do expect to have her as a
guest speaker again within the next month or two. As soon as
we announce the date, rearrange your schedule around it so you won't
miss out. What a wonderful, kind, and helpful lady (who can
hire you for at least a dozen SAG features!)
Monday, May 22, 2006
I wanted to come this weekend but I got
invited to the wrap party for Al Pacino's latest film. I knew
the first AD and one of the actors that was in the movie. It was a
great time. Hope to see you again soon.
Editor's note: Well,
fine, Hollie. If you'd rather spend time with Al Pacino
than us (big smile), then go right ahead. Good for you.
Networking is the key to success in this industry!
Congratulations to APS member Diantha for her latest
principal acting role in "The Elephant Couch" feature for HD
Pictures and Post. Diantha has become very pro-active and is
now auditioning several times per week -- it seems like every week.
Also, thanks to Diantha for helping in the APS offices. She
did such a good job on one of the recent projects that the producer
paid her four times what they had originally offered. Not only
is that cool, it's virtually unheard of in the industry.
Tuesday, May
23
Tony
Tarantino just contacted us to let us know that he will be able
to speak this Saturday at the APS Seminar and Dinner Event.
Tony, of course, is an award-winning
producer/director/actor/celebrity who has several feature films
upcoming. He has already hired APS actors, and he will
certainly do so again. Please come join him this Saturday
afternoon at 3:30 PM. Also confirmed is producer Jim
Donzella, casting director Bill Hooey, and me (Rock Riddle)
Wedneday, May
24
Welcome back
to our producer/director/writer friend, Donald F. Glut -- after a
successful series of meetings in Las Vegas (He knows; it's a tough
place to have meetings, but somebody has to do it)
Congratulations to APS member Todd Nasca. Not only is
he shooting two days on a new cooking show, but he also landed a
series regular role on "The Project," a new potential NBC-TV
series. Good for you, Todd. That's what we want --
Another APS member starring on another TV series! Yes!
So ...
We just
received the following email. We haven't "checked out" the
organization, but it seems interesting. If you attend this
Friday, please let us know your thoughts as to whether we should
recommend it next month. Thanks. THE SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
Where: Theatre Hub Highlights:
Networking, Speaker of the Month
Join
us every Last Friday of the month for
extraordinary cinema
by Emerging Filmmakers From Around the World.
Festival Office:
I received
another phone call today from the editor of a major new
about-to-be-launched e-zine. I can't give details until it
officially launches. Suffice it to say that it may launch as
early as next week. I have been asked to write the "Success
in Hollywood" column for the publication. The purpose of
today's phone call was to let me know my deadline for the premiere
issue -- Wednesday, one week from today. I expect it to be a
valuable tool for Southern California, the industry, and for our
wonderful APS members. There will be a link to the premiere
edition as soon as it launches.
You
can read it here before it hits the stands:
Thursday, May
25
The film was nominated for a Golden Gate
Award as Best Narrative Short at the San Francisco International
Film Festival in April, and as Best Short Film and for Best
Actor at the International Black Film Festival in Atlanta in
March. Upcoming screenings include the CineVegas Film Festival
in Las Vegas and the Urbanworld / Vibe Film Festival in New York
City. Locally, it will be screened at the Hollywood Black Film
Festival on June 15 at 9 pm, at the Fine Arts Theatre, 8556
Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. Tickets are available at
www.inticketing.com.
Janét
Janét Vincent Lee
Friday, May
26
IMPORTANT
REMINDER:
FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2006 is the Briefing/Empowerment Luncheon prior to
the Big Estate Networking Event two days later.
PLEASE R.S.V.P. NOW
if you have
not already done so.
At
7:00 PM on Monday, June 5, stars of the old 1960's TV series "Time
Tunnel" will be appearing at Rocket Video (including Lee
Meriwether). It's free. Be sure to check with Rocket
Video that afternoon to make sure the event and all of the speakers
are confirmed.
We
use GroupMail Professional Business Edition software to send
your weekly reports and invitations. There was a little glitch
in the software when we sent your invitation today. We're
pretty sure all of our members received their invitation and many of
you received more than one. If you did not receive your
invitation,
Here it is
again
. If you received
multiples, just delete the duplicates. Thank you.
I
just received a phone call from producer and writer Paul Dawson
(Vistar Pictures). He was "invited" to meet producer
Gregory Hatanaka (Pathfinder Films) at our big estate
networking event on June 4th. He has been added to our
confirmed producer guest list for the upcoming event.
I
also suggested to Jennifer that she might want to join us at a
future APS seminar/dinner event to share the "trials and
tribulations" of producing with you (and, of course, to consider her
fellow APS actors for her feature film.) Her story is a
fascinating one -- and involves several contacts she has made
through APS.
I
just received an email from APS member Chris Spinelli letting
us know that he landed a role in a feature film that goes into
production in June. We'll share the details when we have them.
Congratulations, Chris.
Wow,
have we been busy during the past several days. And, today the
RSVPs are coming in at a fairly consistent
I
just spoke with producer Jim Bernet who called to confirm for
Sunday. He says he wants to help the APS members. That's
the idea, Jim! Hire them all! And, tell your producer
friends to hire them as well. Actually, Jim has introduced us
to a number of film producers who have attended our events and hired
several of our actors.
Melody is a fascinating speaker. She will be joining us next
month as a special guest at our "Accelerated Success -- The
Business of Acting" seminar. Watch this page and our "Calendar
of Events" section for updates.
For
those who were out of town and unable to meet award-winning
producer, director, writer, and actor/celebrity Tony Tarantino
last week (the Memorial Day weekend), he has consented to make a
return appearance this Saturday. He has a lot going on now,
and he will be bringing you up to date at 3:30 PM this Saturday,
June 3. "Color of the Prism" looks as though it will be
shooting before Tony's big-budget "New Horizons" film.
Tony will be meeting with me for an hour on Friday to bring me up to
date and to see how we can be of mutual benefit on all of his
upcoming projects. He has already hired several APS actors.
This is a great opportunity to spend an afternoon with Tony.
He will be also be joining us at Friday's Briefing/Empowerment
Luncheon and at Sunday's Estate Networking Event.
With someone as busy as Tony Tarantino, this is quite extraordinary:
The opportunity to meet him three days in a row! Please let
your actor friends know about Saturday. Here's the link:
Saturday's
Seminar Event
It's
amazing to see how much interest there is in professional wrestling
and in these columns. This column has turned into another
networking opportunity -- film producers, directors and writers
are contacting me because they like the column. And, of
course, the column makes note of the HollywoodSuccess website.
I just had a major talent agent call me. "Can you get
me into the big wrestling event in Vegas?" he asked. "Money is
no object." It's so nice to hear the "money is no object"
statement. If I can get him in, he will simply pay for his
tickets ... and we'll have another fairly high up person wanting to
know what he can do to help us. That's always a good
situation.
It
seems that the producers have chosen today to RSVP. I expect
to be working most of the night (very likely all night long) in
order to have the briefing booklets ready for you tomorrow morning.
IMPORTANT:
PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP for tomorrow's luncheon meeting if you have
not already done so.
Once again,
HERE IS YOUR
INVITATION. Thanks. See you tomorrow.
Wouldst I to thy
party not goeth???? Gary
Hello Rock.
Just confirming I have managed to " wrestle " a few hours
away from a busy schedule just to be there. Thanks for the
invitation and I look forward to the event. As I mentioned
before, I got my first break from one of the events back in
the 90's and it will be a pleasure to see everyone again.
It's been a while.
PS: As per our discussion the other week, please send an
invite for my assistant, producer
Manuela Schoesser - who is also involved in Foreign
Distribution.
It looks like an
absolutely beautiful day is in store for Sunday afternoon's
special Estate Networking Event. The high is
predicted to be 89 degrees and sunny! We planned the event
to begin at 4:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM. It should be warm,
but not too hot, during those hours. Hope to see you
there!
4:30 PM -- The number of producer RSVP's for Sunday's Big APS
Networking Estate Event has now topped 60. That's a very
good number ... and there will be more RSVP's over the next few
days.
best,
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We just received the
following via email.
A
reminder: We continue to update the list of producer RSVPs for
tomorrow's big Estate Networking Event:
Today's special Estate Networking Event (Myron Estate, 4:00 PM until
7:00 PM) is expected to be a great one. Over 60 producers have
confirmed (see the link above), and here's the weather forecast:
THANK
YOU to all of the members and producers who told us they had a great
time and experienced wonderful results from Sunday's Estate Event.
At least six actors were hired (!) for upcoming film projects -- and
these are just the ones I witnessed personally. Overall, it
was an excellent event! If you have not already dropped us an
email with your thoughts, critique, results, and suggestions for the
next one, please do so today. We'd like to know who you met
who most impressed you, what interviews were set -- or what
interviews you expect to be set as a result of Sunday. And, of
course, we want to know if you were hired/offered work and/or if you
expect to be auditioned/hired for a project as a result. Also,
for those of you who took photos and/or video, we'd love to get
copies as soon as possible. Again, thank you!
More
Great News! -- CASTING SESSION SUNDAY!
We
are wrapping our three day Las Vegas shoot early Sunday morning so I
can get back in time to open the Jeremiah Comey Studios by
3:00 PM. From 3:30 PM until 6:30 PM we are doing a special
FEATURE FILM CASTING SESSION and Seminar. 1648 N. Vine
Street, Hollywood, CA 90028. I received the following
information via email this morning. Please join us if you can
and let all of your actor friends know.
DETAILS HERE
Rock, hello! I ...
wanted to let you know, at the last event at Jim Myron's estate, one
of the producers I met there invited me to join her in producing a 6
picture deal. We've not signed any contracts yet, but I look
forward to getting to know her better and I'll let you know if we
can come to terms. So far it looks very likely. Wishing you every
success, toni deaver
6/7/6
Hi
Rock,
I
finally got a moment to tell you the story of my
experience as a Producer in the last six months. In
December after meeting a Producer at an APS seminar and
later giving them my Female Drama script I had written,
I was contacted by that Producer and made an offer. They
would produce my script if I could get two name actors
attached and/or distribution attached. Well, was I
motivated or what? I went to my office and started the
big scary ball rolling. First thing I did was the
paperwork for my LLC, then I was calling and emailing
everyone I ever met. One of those people was Deborah
Gilels, whom I’d met at David Heavener’s Producers
seminar. That was the smartest call I ever made. She
gave me notes on the script so I could re-write a better
draft to get out to agents and managers. Two weeks later
I had our final script ready. I got a director on board,
a cinematographer, a UPM, a set designer, prop master,
music composer, and an editor. I contacted a casting
director and we started calling actors for their avails.
Patty Duke had performed in the original stage play
production of my story, so I thought she might be
interested in the film version. She was, and she was
available, so we needed that letter of intent for the
financiers. Well, just to let you know how long that
takes, that was in January and I just received the
letter in May.
In
the mean time after meetings and several emails back and
forth and getting the run-around, I was told if I spent
100.000 of my own money on development, that would
further impress the financiers and show that I was
serious about the project. Well, I was already spending
my own money on development. How much I spent was none
of their business.
Mean time back in casting, we had made offers to three
major actors and were waiting for their answer.
I
then did some research and found out the proper way to
put an investors package together. Our UPM did a
breakdown of the script with a shooting schedule and a
budget. I printed out the info on my targeted actors
from IMDB Pro, wrote a bio for my production co.,
myself, my director, other producers, and all the other
key people on board. I had to add a synopsis, a
distribution plan and list the projected rating of the
film. We also scouted locations and included pictures of
our choice.
I
was ready to put my package together. I needed a catchy
theme for the front and some kind of picture to go with
it, so I got on the net and chose a photo from a stock
footage website that worked very well. Off to Kinko’s I
went to put the whole thing together with one of their
graphics specialist. Two hours later I had six
beautiful, professional, packages to show the financiers
what I had to offer.
Meanwhile, my casting person was not giving me any news.
She had been at it for five weeks and we still had no
letters from any actors. It was then she announced to me
that I owed her 5000.00 for what she’d done so far.
WHAT! I was in shock. Money was never discussed. Because
she loved the script and was a friend she had told me in
the beginning that she would gladly help me get some
names attached for the financiers because she wasn’t
working on anything anyway and needed to keep busy. When
she found out we had 12000 listed in the budget for
casting, she wanted half of it now. Well, that
relationship came to an end real fast.
Now I had agents out there, and actors out there and no
rep. I called Deborah and she called her casting friend
who, because he loved the script, came on board
immediately with much more enthusiasm then I had seen
previous. In a week I had the signed letter from Patty
Duke, with scripts and offers out to two more major
stars.
Meanwhile back at a Producers meeting, I was informed
that the funding had fallen through. The financiers had
decided to buy a television station and stop doing
movies.
Great! Now what? I got on the phone again. Thank
goodness I had those packages done. Through a friend of
a friend of a friend I sent one package off. Deborah
made two more contacts and we sent two more off.
This last Sunday at an APS event, I made two more
contacts and have sent a script off to one of them, and
am corresponding with the second.
The “catch 22” is a real problem. You can’t get money
without names, and you can’t get names without money.
Most agents want “Pay or Play offers” for their clients
before they’ll even pass the script along. And some
agents don’t even tell their clients about an offer if
they don’t like the script. I understand it, but that
doesn’t mean I have to like it.
We
were hoping to shoot at the end of July this year, but
without the funding in place, everyone is on hold,
waiting. If we don’t get the funding soon we will have
to find a new location, because the television people
will be back shooting and our location choice is used by
several of the TV shows. And by that time we may lose
the actors attached because of other commitments.
I’ve been an actress for over 20 years and I’ve never
encountered anything as stressful as Producing a film.
In my humble opinion it is one of the biggest, most
difficult games I have ever encountered, and not being a
big game player or a schmoozer, or anyone who knows
anyone, I have found it to be extremely challenging for
me. Every five minutes or with every new prospect, or
set back, my mood changes to match what is happening to
my “baby”. But it’s the passion that keeps me going each
day. It’s the prospect of seeing these beautiful,
important, intelligent, and uplifting characters on the
screen. It’s my belief that these characters will launch
the careers of some unknown talented women, and afford
others Academy Award nominations.
In
2002 a very special friend and mentor, the man who wrote
the stage version of this script, died and left me the
rights to this story. Since then it has been my mission
to see this story live on the big screen. If there is
anyone out there who can help me in any way, or who just
wants to be involved in something extraordinary, please
contact me and lets do lunch!
Blessings to all,
Please remember: We are shooting in Vegas today through
Sunday, and may not be available to check email or return phone
calls.
We're back from
Las Vegas and a wonderful 3-day shoot/event. We'll bring you
up to date shortly.
Tony
Tarantino will be reading actors this Sunday afternoon for his
upcoming feature film "Prism." Please check our
Calendar of
Events for information. We hope to see you there.
Rock's latest two wrestling columns are
now available
here. Story #18 centers around last weekend's
international wrestling convention and reunion in Las Vegas.
There are several photos accompanying the article. Part II,
which will describe the actual awards ceremony (which we are using
for the opening of our feature film, "When Wrestling Was Real,"
will be published on June 29th -- but available for you to read on
the website a week earlier. Pictured here are "Killer" Brooks on the
left and wrestler-martial artist-feature film producer Mimi Lesseos
on the right. I teamed with Brooks for a while when I wrestled
in Los Angeles. Mimi and I have been friends for many years.
She is a former International Full Contact Martial Arts Champion, a
former professional wrestler, and, of course, a feature film
producer. Here's her info on IMDB.com:
Mimi Lesseos We hope to have Mimi as a special
guest seminar speaker as soon as her next feature film moves into
pre-production. A number of film and television producers
attend these yearly events. Current and past CAC "celebrity" members
include:
Scott Schwartz,
Alan Koss,
Roddy Piper,
Mimi Lesseos (who has attended several of our networking
events),
Don Stroud,
Stan Shaw,
Tommy "Butch" Bond,
Joe Don Baker,
Marion Ross,
Robert Forster,
Elliot Gould,
Tommy Sands,
Terry Moore (who is in one of the photos towards the top
of this page),
Lawrence Tierney,
Fred Williamson,
Denver Pyle,
Beverly Garland,
Norm Crosby,
Binnie Barnes,
Marie Windsor,
Jan Merlin,
John Saxton,
Harry Carey Jr.,
John Agar,
Guy Madison,
John Phillip Law (who attends our networking events
regularly),
Will Hutchins,
Woody Strode,
Charles Bronson,
Pat Buttram,
Jimmy Cagney,
Rory Calhoun,
David Carradine,
Anthony Caruso,
Robert Conrad,
Billy Curtis,
Royal Dano,
Michael Dante,
John Doucette,
Kirk Douglas,
Richard Egan,
Abel Fernandez,
Harry Guardino,
The Great
John L,
Will Hutchins,
Alex Karras,
Gene LeBell,
Karl Malden,
Harvey Parry,
George Raft,
Aldo Ray,
Charles (Buddy) Rogers,
Cesar Romero,
Mickey Rooney,
Robert Sacchi,
Sylvester Stallone,
Roy Thinnes,
Richard Webb, and others.
Welcome to the first day of Summer! Part Two of the wrestling
convention story is ready for it's June 29 publishing
date. But,
you can read it here now.
Just click on "Column
#19." This will be a 3-part story. Part 3
will be available next week.
FOR OUR ACTIVE AND
CURRENT APS MEMBERS:
We just
received the following e-mail from our good friend Bryan Michael
Stoller. Bryan has hired dozens of APS members for at
least seven separate feature films. This is a great
opportunity for about a dozen APS members who want to be a part of
this amazing World Premiere Event with 700 producers &
industry people expected! Contact me via e-mail right
away. I will forward the emails to Bryan. Good luck!
Hope to see you there!
I'm gearing up for the world
premiere of my new film, "Light Years Away." It's been
almost a year in post, with over 300 special effects. I'd
like to involve APS with the premiere up at Universal Studios if
this is of interest to you. The
premiere will be at Universal Theatres (City Walk) where I had the "Miss
Castaway" premiere. It will be a star-studded event, and we're
expecting about 700 industry people. I would like to talk to you
about recruiting ten (10) to of your most reliable APS actors to
help with the event. I need volunteers to help give out gift bags to
the studio executives, producers, agents and casting directors that
will be attending. I also need several people to check people in at
the door, and to help with the red carpet. This is going to be a
high exposure event, as my investor/executive producer is putting
full page ads in The Hollywood Reporter and Variety the day before
the event, and we have several major entertainment and news shows
scheduled to attend. The movie is called "Light
Years Away" and stars Christopher Knight (Peter Brady of
The Brady Bunch, and VH1's "My
Fair Brady"), Adrianne Curry (America's
Next Top Model & My Fair Brady), Eric Roberts
(Academy nominated actor and brother of Julia Roberts),
Hal Linden (Barney Miller), Barry Van Dyke (Diagnosis
Murder, Dick Van Dykes son). Zachary Kennedy (APS
member) plays the young Christopher
Knight in the film, and he'll be flying out from Texas to attend the
premiere. I will also need people to
help me put together the 700 gift bags (I'll make sure each person
who helps, gets a free gift bag for themselves -- I'll save one for
you too!). I also need one or two people to wear the space suits
(without helmet) from the movie, and sit in the space lunar rover
from the film while the press is there in the theatre lobby. This
will be an excellent networking event for your members. The date is Wednesday, July
19th at 8:00pm. I will start needing help putting the gift bags
together about a week or two before the event. I will also need some
help in the next week or two with the invitations. Please let me
know ASAP if you have ten reliable people
that would be excited to help out with this event. I'm also looking
for someone who's very organized to help me get the invitations
ready for mailing. Bryan
At the end of the day today, I will be forwarding email to Bryan Michael Stoller. So far, about 25 of our members have let us know that they are available. Bryan will probably choose about a dozen of you. It will be an amazing event, and I hope to see you there.
I received an email today from AJ Robertson of Ghost Films. He told me that he was seriously considering one of our members for their next film and that he will be interviewing more of you over the next several weeks.
Tanya Lemani George reconfirmed that she will be one of our featured producer speakers this Sunday at 2:00 PM -- The Jeremiah Comey Studios, 1648 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028. Tanya is seeking talent for four upcoming (I think all are funded!) feature films. Click here for complete details. Hope to see you there.
Aaron Spelling suffered a stroke on June 18th. He died today (Friday, June 23). He was 83.
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night's
screening. I had casting director credit on his feature film,
"Starry Night" (a Universal Pictures release) a few years back.
He has invited me to two private screenings of his just-released
project, "The Sci-Fi Boys." Both screenings took place at
Universal Studios Screening Room 1 and both had major producers and
directors in attendance. Unfortunately, I had scheduling
conflicts and I was not able to attend either of the events.
Paul gave me the gift of a new "The Sci-Fi Boys" DVD before we left
Randal Kleiser's
home. I'm certainly hoping there will be a third screening.
If there is, I will get as many APS members added to the guest list
as possible. Here's the link for more information on Paul Davids and the project: 
from Producer/Director
Marv Silverman
wife,
Pamela Mora, are, of course, in Cannes at the moment (Cannes
Film Festival). Afterwards, they're heading to London, and
they expect to be back in the good old USA by June 5th. They
will be speaking at an APS Seminar Event shortly after they return.
We will announce the exact date here and on our
We
also received an email this morning from producer/director and CEO
of Celtic FilmWorks, Jim Goddard. Jim also has a pretty
hectic schedule, but he also plans to speak again for us soon.
Likewise, we received an email from producer/director Marv
Silverman today. His schedule is crazy for the next month
or so, but he also will put aside time to speak at an event over the
next several weeks. 
Fri
