News | UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

Awesome! Gervasi's "Anvil!" is IDA "Best Documentary Feature" nominee

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0800

Fri Nov 13, 2009 -- The "Los Angeles Times" reports that "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," TFT alum and faculty member Sacha Gervasi's labor-of-love rock doc about the band he worshipped as a teenaged headbanger in the UK, is a "Best Feature" nominee in the International Documentary Association's 2009 IDA Awards.

Gervasi worked as an Anvil roadie during three of the groundbreaking Canadian band's North American tours in the 1980s---then watched his heroes fade into obscurity as many lesser imitators ruled MTV in the 1980s. "Anvil!" earned raves at Sundance in 2008 and the audience award as Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It has been described as the most heart-warming movie ever made about heavy metal music

Gervasi went on to write the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal" and has scripts in the works for Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman and Keanu Reaves. He is also planning his feature directorial debut: a bio-pic about actor Herve Villechaize ("Fantasy Island"), to star Peter Dinklage.

Gervasi was the 2008-2009 holder of the Lew and Pamela Hunter/Jonathan and Janice Zakin Chair in Screenwriting at TFT.

Other IDA feature nominees are "Afghan Star," "Diary of a Times Square Thief," "Food, Inc." and "Mugabe and the White African." The award will be handed out at a ceremony at the Directors Guild of America on Dec. 4 hosted by Ira Glass of "This American Life."

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/680-sacha-gervasi_anvil-ida/

TFT is knee-deep in Ovation nominations

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0800

Fri Nov 13, 2009 -- Bruins have been nominated for several of the top prizes in contention at the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, the only peer-judged theater awards in Los Angeles. Labeled the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the "Los Angeles Times," the Ovation Awards are presented by members of the local theater community who join the trade organization LA Stage.

Bruins nominated for Ovation Awards in this 20th anniversary year:

Director of a Play:
Alumna Shirley Jo Finney
"Stick Fly"
The Matrix Theater Company

Playwrighting for an Original Play:
Alumnus Matt Almos, "Land of the Tigers."

Lead Actor in a Musical
Will Collyer '01 as Josh
"BIG: The Musical"
West Coast Ensemble

Scenic Design - Intimate Theatre
Will Pellegrini ' 96
"Who Lives?"
Renal Support Network

Production of a Musical - Intimate Theatre:
Troubadour Theater Company: "Life Could Be a Dream"
Bruins in the cast include current students Doug Carpenter and Jessica Antony, Ray Bolger Musical Theater alumnus Ryan Castellino and alums Jessica Keenan Wynn '09 and James Blashaw.

TFT also salute its creative poartners at the Geffen Playhouse for their many nominations:

Playwrighting for an Original Play
Donald Margulies
"Time Stands Still"
Geffen Playhouse

Lead Actor in a Musical
Hershey Felder as Ludwig van Beethoven, etc.
"Beethoven As I Knew Him"
Geffen Playhouse

Lead Actor in a Musica
Jake Broder as Louis Prima
"Louis & Keely, Live at the Sahara"
Geffen Playhouse

Lead Actor in a Play
Chris Pine as Stephen Bellamy
"Farragut North"
Geffen Playhouse

Lead Actress in a Musical
Vanessa Claire Smith as Keely Smith
"Louis & Keely, Live at the Sahara"
Geffen Playhouse

Lighting Design - Large Theatre
Paul Gallo
"Farragut North"
Geffen Playhouse

Lighting Design - Large Theatre
Anne Militello
"Louis & Keely, Live at the Sahara"
Geffen Playhouse

Scenic Design - Large Theatre
Michael Ganio
"By the Waters of Babylon"
Geffen Playhouse

Scenic Design - Large Theatre
John Lee Beatty
"Time Stands Still"
Geffen Playhouse

Sound Design - Large Theatre
Erik Carstensen
"Beethoven as I Knew Him"
Geffen Playhouse

Sound Design - Large Theatre
Lindsay Jones
"Louis & Keely, Live at the Sahara"
Geffen Playhouse

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/accolade/681-2009-ovation-nominations/

UCLA theater group Act III presents "Backwards Broadway"

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0800

Mon Nov 9, 2009 -- "The Daily Bruin" reports on an on-going series of theatrical events on campus, founded by two TFT theater majors (event coordinator Rachel Lee and artistic director Hunter Bird) but casting a campus-wide net in search of talent, seeking a diverse array of performers and performance styles.

When you imagine a song being sung from the musical "Billy Elliot," you usually don't imagine it being performed by a fully grown 22-year-old woman.

This, however, is exactly the sort of vision that the UCLA theater group Act III will be providing. At 8 p.m. tonight [November 9, 2009] in Kerckhoff Grand Salon, Act III will be performing a cabaret titled "Backwards Broadway," which is part of a six-show cabaret series that will be taking place throughout the school year. This will be the last cabaret show of the fall quarter, with four more performances following in the winter and spring (two per quarter).

Act III is a student group on campus that seeks to provide new and innovative ways to perform theater with students outside the theater major. The group took the idea of a cabaret, a review of different kinds of songs from various musicals and centered around a unifying theme. Tonight's theme, "Backwards Broadway," allows students to perform roles they've always wanted to do but were unable to perform because of ethnic, age or gender-related differences from the character.

The event coordinator of the cabaret series, Rachel Lee, a fourth-year theater student, said she was very excited for the performance.

"Some of it is really serious, some of it is hilarious. It's all across the board - girls singing big manly songs and guys singing and dancing to these frilly girly songs, and really everything in between," Lee said.

Other performances include three girls rapping and three grown men singing a girly ballad titled, "Turkey Lurkey Time" from "Promises Promises."

Striving to attract a wide diversity of actors for the performance, Act III opened its doors to anyone who wanted to be in the cabaret series, regardless of their year or major.

"The great thing about 'Cabaret' is that there's no audition process, it's just a sign-up." said Hunter Bird, a second-year theater student and artistic director of Act III. "Students have come out of the woodwork, and the talent level is extraordinary. Audiences can expect a really great show."

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/678-diversity-caberet/

TFT screenwriting student Joseph Tremba tops Goldwyn Awards

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0800

Thu Nov 5, 2009 -- UCLA students have taken the top three honors in the 54th annual Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards competition, which recognizes excellence in dramatic writing. The winners were announced Monday, November 2, by Samuel Goldwyn Jr., president of the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation, during a ceremony at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

"The Shoeshine Girl," by UCLA screenwriting student Joseph Tremba, won first place.

There was a tie for second between UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television students Rob Kotecki, for "Blowback," and Eli Mael, for "Oaktown."

Jennifer Barclay, an alumnus of UC San Diego's graduate playwriting program, won the first honorable mention, for "Prank," and UCLA undergraduate film program alumnus Bradford Schmidt won the second honorable mention, for "The Landsailor."

The awards were founded by Samuel Goldwyn Sr. in 1955 to encourage young writers. The competition is open to University of California students. In his opening remarks before the awards were handed out, Goldwyn, Jr, recited some impressive statistics. Since the inception of the Awards in 1955 recipeints have gone on to win 27 Oscars (with 101 nominations), 35 Golden Globes (189 nominations) and 87 Emmys (488 nominations), and to publish 60 books -- 31 of which are by bestselling 1971 winner Jonathan Kellerman.

This year's winners were selected from a field of more than 150 feature-length scripts submitted by students from eight UC campuses. Judges included film producer Colin Callender, actress and producer Hilary Swank, and Catherine Tarr, a story editor at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) who attended the event.

The awards carry prizes of $15,000 for first place, $7,500 for the two second-place winners, $2,000 for the first honorable mention and $1,000 for the second honorable mention.

The winning scripts: FIRST PLACE:

"The Shoeshine Girl" by Joseph Tremba (San Jose, Calif.) An African American Civil War veteran and a lost immigrant girl begrudgingly bond as they search for the child's estranged father in 1886 New York, only to discover that the fate of the girl's reunion relies on the completion of a statue no one in America wants to finance -- the Statue of Liberty.

SECOND PLACE (tie):

"Blowback" by Rob Kotecki (Detroit, MC). In Iraq's Green Zone, Sgt. Mitch Darrow can play the system for any perk, except a one-way ticket home. After his unit is ambushed, Mitch goes AWOL to escape Iraq. But to survive, he'll need more than his smooth talk -- he'll need to become the soldier he never was in the Army.

"Oaktown" by Eli Mael (Oakland, CA.).In a hopeless city infested with drugs, violence and agony, two promising teenage brothers find themselves falling victims to the inescapable trouble of their neighborhood.

FIRST HONORABLE MENTION:

"Prank" by Jennifer Barclay (born in Rochester, N.Y.; resides in San Diego, CA). A pair of ferocious female twins and their gang of Vigilante Sisters rule their college prep boarding school with renegade justice, but when one of the twins launches an attack on her teacher, their innocent debauchery spirals into an all-out war of flesh and blood.

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION:

"The Landsailor" by Bradford Schmidt (Pagosa Springs, CO). Five-hundred years after an unknown cataclysmic event, a leprous sickness is driving the sparse human population to extinction. Escaping their family cult, a deformed yet clever twin and his unblemished, simpleton brother journey on a wheeled sailboat across a savage desert to chase down whispered rumors of an all-powerful, healing scientist.

Previous winners of the Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards have included such outstanding film directors and writers as Allison Anders, Francis Ford Coppola, Pamela Gray and Eric Roth.

PHOTO: L to R: Teri Schwartz, dean, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television; Second Place Winner (tie) Rob Kotecki (UCLA); First Place Winner Joseph Tremba (UCLA); First Honorable Mention Jennifer Barclay (UCSD); Second Honorable Mention Bradford Schmidt (UCLA); Second Place Winner (tie) Eli Mael; Samuel Goldwyn, Jr.; Catherine Tarr, story editor, CAA. Photo: Todd Cheney, UCLA Photography.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/accolade/677-2009-goldwyn-winners/

10 Bruins contribute to Ensemble/Powerhouse premiere

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Thu Oct 29, 2009 -- The "Daily Bruin's" Erica Zhang Rui-ling reports on an LA Theater Ensemble production, opening October 29 at the Powerhouse Theater in Santa Monica, that employs 10 Bruins, both onstage and behind the scenes:

In addition to playwright Myles Nye '03 their ranks include: director Andrea Goldbaltt '02 and actor Catherine Talton '04, along with Mike Kindle MFA '97, Jim Merson '03 and Matthew Schueller MFA '03.

"I just envisioned as a lifelong Californian my fantasy of what a New Orleans 'Wizard of Oz' would be like," said Nye, a UCLA theater alumnus. "It would be very dark. Lots of alcohol, lots of trouble, good shoes, a brass band, some clowns (and) masks."

A great number of UCLA alumni are part of the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble, with 10 involved onstage and offstage in this production.

"It's really fun and exciting to be working with people I went to school with ... and have that same foundation," said Catherine Talton, UCLA theater alumna. Talton plays [the tile character's] love interest, Purdue, a sophisticated woman who can talk smut and may or may not be a ghost.

The show features a live band and cast members who also play instruments onstage, which, in addition to the usual piano, guitar and bass, includes the musical saw (used in traditional folk music), the melodica (also known as the blow-organ) and the accordion.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/675-powerhouse_beau-fib/

Grad Richardson screens ambitious historical film

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tue Oct 27, 2009 -- "The Daily Bruin" reports on an upcoming screening (information below) for an ambitious post-graduate film by alum Walter Richardson MFA '08

"I thought it was amazing that there were people alive today that had witnessed public lynching. When we talk about slavery, when we talk about civil rights, we seem to think that those things are so far in our past that nothing exists of it and that there's no remnants of it, but there are," Richardson said.

Richardson wrote and directed "Forgive Us Our Transgressions," which will screen on Oct. 29 at the Kodak Theatre, as his thesis film for the graduate directorial program at UCLA. His story features a young black man who must come to terms with the discovery that his elderly white friend took part in his grandfather's lynching 60 years ago.

During filming, Richardson attempted to make sure the racial tensions and controversial subject matter of lynching were portrayed in an appropriately nuanced way.

"When you're dealing with subject matter this serious, there's a chance that it could become melodrama. And once it becomes melodrama, then you lose the impact," Richardson said.

In order to bring his vision to life, Richardson relied on the support of several UCLA classmates and professors. The film is co-produced by UCLA theater alumnae Alexandra Creswick MFA '09 and Kathy Cabrera MFA '08, who also helped Richardson develop the story. UCLA theater professor Gary Gardner plays a starring role, and the film's cinematographer, Donald Morgan, has also taught classes in UCLA's theater department.

...

Richardson and Cabrera have since collaborated on a feature-length screenplay inspired by the story of "Forgive Us Our Transgressions." The two have completed the script, titled "Secrets of the South," and hope to begin shooting in summer 2010, according to Cabrera.

BRUIN PHOTO: Actor Derek Shaun, cinematographer Donald Morgan, director Walter Richardson, actor/professor Gary Gardner.

SCREENING INFORMATION:

You are cordially invited to attend the screening of "Forgive Us Our Trangressions"

Thursday October 29, 2009 at 7:00pm

The Eastman Kodak Company
6700 Santa Monica Blvd
Hollywood

Wine mixer at 7:00 p.m
Screening at 7:30 p.m.
Q&A with filmmakers.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/674-forgive-us-our-transgressions/

Save the Date! - Sundance/Slamdance 2010

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Mon Oct 26, 2009 -- The annual TFT Sundance and Slamdance celbratory soireé will occur during the festival season at Café Terigo at 424 Main Street in Park City, on Monday, January 25, at 4 p.m. Please join us to celebrate the work of your colleagues and classmates at the 2010 Festivals -- and watch this space for updates and very special announcements!

If your work will be on view in Park City please contact Dagmar Spira with information. We want to make sure to mention every Bruin who makes the climb.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/673-2010-sundance/

Exclusive Visit to Walt Disney Imagineering

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Fri Oct 23, 2009 -- More event photos on our Flickr page.

Last month about 150 alumni gathered at Walt Disney Imagineering's headquarters in Burbank, CA, for a lively evening filled with stories from the talented team of Imagineers, where banter among classmates was capped off by an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the closely guarded facility.

Slideshow photos by Jess Allen

After a cocktail reception, our co-host, Peter McGrath, vice president, creative division, welcomed the Bruins and opened the program by introducing the legendary Martin Sklar '56, who has been with the company for more than 50 years.

Sklar credited his close friend Johnny Jackson who worked with him as a student reporter at the "Daily Bruin" for helping him get an interview with Walt Disney. The job offer required a writer to create the very first newspaper at Disneyland. Even though he was "scared as hell," he aced the interview and thus began his long career with the Mouse House.

Sklar delighted the crowd with colorful stories about the challenges of translating the Disney magic for other cultures. He admitted that the educational attraction about World War II for Tokyo Disney was a disaster and was later replaced with a Monsters, Inc. ride. The narration for the Jungle Cruise is filled with witty repartee however direct translations can make for jokes that fall flat he said. The solution was a total rewrite in the native tongue.

The day of our visit just happened to be the 99th birthday of legendary UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden noted Sklar. The two were friendly when Sklar was a sports reporter before moving to the editor position at the student paper. Sklar acknowledged that the Wizard of Westwood taught him many valuable leadership skills that he has used throughout his career.

More than 150 disciplines are incorporated in the day to day work of sculptors, model makers, artists, writers, architects, sound editors, music composers, special effects managers, animators and many more. More than 1,000 Imagineers are hard at work around the world, Sklar explained.

After a brief Q&A, the guests left in small groups for an exclusive look at the new attractions being developed. Alumni toured the model shop and sculpture studio while hearing about the techniques used to make the magic millions of fans know and love.

At one stop on the tour, guests were photographed with Lucky, a life-like animatronic Dinosaur recently introduced to park visitors.

Due to the extremely positive response from attendees, the School plans to offer more excursions exploring the worlds of moving image and performing arts. To hear about the details and make sure you are on the mailing list for the next exciting mixer, stay in touch with our Director of Alumni Relations, Dagmar Spira,

Disney Class at TFT

Since 2001, Bruce Vaughn, UCLA adjunct professor and chief creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering has been teaching "The Art and Process of Entertainment Design" at the School of Theater, Film and Television. Students learn the art of telling stories in three dimensions. Vaughn emphasizes teamwork and how to effectively pitch an idea while also scouting for future Imagineers.

While taking the class, Asa Kalama '04, theater alumnus, landed an internship that eventually led to full-time employment with Disney R&D. Today, several students have gone on to join the Imagineering team.

Special thanks to Vaughn, who made this networking event possible.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/671-disney-imagineering-event/

Hugh Grauel 1918-2009

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Thu Oct 22, 2009 -- Hugh Grauel MA '66, who taught in the department from 1966 to 1987, and with John Cauble founded the joint Producers Program in theater and film, died in September in Pasadena. Grauel was responsible for bringing industry luminaries such as Peter Guber and Robert Silberling into the School. A warm, personable teacher, he was loved and respected by both students and colleagues.

"He was a warm and inspiring teacher, said Sheila Roberts '76, MA '85, MFA '89. "His encouragement and support meant so much to all of us who were lucky enough to be part of the Producers Program during the early years when he was at the helm."

"I'm terribly sorry to learn of Hugh's passing," said Professor Richard Walter. "We were colleagues for a decade, and I found him to be a generous friend and affirmative influence in the School."

"Hugh was a great guy and someone who always thought outside the divisions of Theater and Film in the creation of the Producers Program," said Bill Ward, chair, Department of Theater.

"I remember as a new lecturer in 1965 being welcomed as a colleague by Hugh, Ward continued. "Through his good work, he created a legacy that outlives him. May we all aspire to be as collaborative, kind, and generous."

"Please accept my most heartfelt condolences for Hugh's passing," said Dean Teri Schwartz. "I'm sure he was a very beloved colleague and will be missed by everyone."

Following his instructions, no public ceremony is scheduled. His last remaining survivor is a relative, Henry F. Pedersen, Jr. You can reach Pedersen on e-mail at hsped@cox.net.

PHOTO: Hugh Grauel in Solvang, CA, summer of 1984, three years before he retired from UCLA. Photo by Henry F. Pedersen, Jr.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/669-hugh-grauel_obit/

Anna Thomas serves "Love Soup"

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Wed Oct 21, 2009 -- TFT alumna Anna Thomas '71, whose credits as a writer and producer include "A Time of Destiny" (1988),"My Family" (1995) and "Frida" (2002), is better known in some circles as one of the pioneer popularizers of vegetarianism in America.

Thomas's 1972 cookbook "The Vegetarian Epicure" was one of the first to proclaim that meatless meals could be succulant as well as healthful. Now, reports the "Los Angeles Times," Thomas has published a follow-up, the already-bestselling "Love Soup."

A UCLA film student without much money [in 1971], she took the advice of friends who appreciated her cooking and wrote a book, and she has since balanced careers in film and food. At the moment, Thomas is working on a film dramatizing the life of Israeli poet Rachel Blaustein.

Thomas and her then-husband, director Gregory Nava, left Los Angeles for Ojai in 1985 with their two young sons. The previous year their film "El Norte" came out. Thomas and Nava wrote it; she produced, he directed, and they earned an Oscar nomination. They lived in a big ranch house, with a kitchen roomy enough for a couch.

After a divorce, and once her younger son finished high school, Thomas moved to a smaller house that snuggled up to the Topa Topa Mountains. But it needed renovation, and for three years she was left with a kitchen just 81 inches across, tucked into one part of the house. She put most of her kitchen equipment in storage.

But she kept cooking. Soup was a natural for the tiny space.

And she kept inviting friends, ringing the dinner bell with e-mails announcing, "The soup kitchen is open."

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/668-anna-thomas_love-soup/

Bruin-filled doo-wop musical extended

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tue Oct 20, 2009 -- Website BroadwayWorld.com reports that the world premier engagement of the doo-wop musical "Life Could Be a Dream," written and directed by Roger Bean ("The Marvellous Wonderettes"), has been extended at the Hudson Mainstage Theater in Santa Monica.

Bruins in the cast include current music student Doug Carpenter (third from left in poster image), who has performed leading roles for several regional opera companies, Ryan Castellino (second from left), who attended the Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program, and Jessica Keenan Wynn '09. Caitlin Beitel '09 and James Blashaw '07 are undertstudies who have had several performances.

From the "marvelous" mind of creator Roger Bean, comes another trip to Springfield where we meet the "Crooning Crabcakes," the boy group banned from the Springfield High School prom which made it possible for "The Marvelous Wonderettes" to perform there. Now in an era before "American Idol," and "Star Search," the guys get one more chance at fame and fortune as Denny and his friend Eugene form a singing group so they can enter and win the local radio contest on Big Whopper Radio and realize their dreams of making it to the big time!

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/667-life-could-be-a-dream/

Jump into comics with screenwriting alum Felicia Henderson

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Fri Oct 9, 2009 -- The prolific film and television writer-producer Felicia D. Henderson MA '04, PhD '08, TFT alumna turned UCLA Producers Program lecturer, has found a new frontier of popular culture to explore.

Following the debut in August, 2009, of her first play, "WWJD -- What Would Jimi Do?", Henderson began work on a long term dream project: becoming a professional comic book writer with her work the landmark 75th issue (November, 2009) of DC Comics "Teen Titans."

As Henderson told the fan website "Comic Book Resorces," her experience as a television writer-producer came in handy when she was juggling the book's large cast of adolescent super beings:

My television experience has almost always been writing for all types of ensembles, so it's what I do best. That doesn't mean that everyone gets equal screen time in each story. In my opinion, that's when stories can get into trouble, trying to service every character equally in every issue means that no one gets serviced adequately in any issue...

...

Are you a long-time fan of the "Teen Titans" and comics in general?

I am a long time comic book fan. I was a sickly child, which meant lots of time on the Asthma inhaler and lots of time in the house while my brothers and sisters played outside. So I created my own alternate universe and comic books helped me do that. My sisters were reading Archies and I was reading "Batman" and coming up with ways the villains could take out my younger brother. Yes, I was dark even at ten years old.

Getting a chance to write "Teen Titans" is so cool because it combines my strengths in writing teens, my love of comics, my science background, and my sci-fi sensibilities. And I've always loved the idea of creating stories about where this realm meets the spiritual/mystical one. In other words, I'm in heaven.

Have you signed on for an unlimited run or do you know your end date?

It all happened so fast and with little time to think about or talk about it much. So I don't know how long my run will be. As long as DC's happy and I'm having fun, I'll probably be around - unless you know something I don't know.

...

On the television/movie front, I'm developing a couple of new television series ideas and one of them is based on a DC book. That's all I can say about it for now. I'm also developing a feature film based on "Girl Genius," an independent comic that I love and can't wait to turn into a movie.

What are the major differences between writing for comics and television?

The biggest difference between the two is that you can rely on dialogue in television and you have to rely on visual story telling in comics. In that way, comics are more like film -- even more like silent film, which I love.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/665-henderson_teen-titans/

Eco-friendly producers

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Fri Oct 9, 2009 -- Amanda Scarano Carter '91 has recently been named co-chair of the Producers Guild of America's Green Committee West.

"We are working with the studios and independents," Carter says, "to help make film and TV production more environmentally friendly.

"As producers," Carter continues, "I believe we are uniquely placed to make a significant and far-reaching impact in the area of sustainability, affecting both workers inside the entertainment industry, and even more importantly, audience members who hear and see the message of sustainability and are moved to action in their own lives.

"That being said, I know all too well the challenges faced in the frantic production world, where time and money are often in short supply. Coupled with the overwhelming amount of eco-information available, much of it conflicting and confusing, even the most well intentioned 'Greenie' can lose the motivation to act conscientiously.

Scarano Carter has worked for 13 years for Pierce Brosnan's production company, Irish DreamTime, and is credited as an associate producer or co-producer on "The Matador" (2005) and "The Greatest" (2009), among others. According to the organization's website (see link below) PGA Green was created...

...as a direct response to the increasing desire voiced by producers over the last few years to be more environmentally conscious in film, television and new media productions. Given the current climate crisis and the significance of the environmental impacts of film production, a movement is growing to support sustainable production practices. The goal of the PGAGreen Committee and its
website, PGAgreen.org, is to create a place for producers and production professionals to learn, exchange ideas, make suggestions and expand the conversation. PGA green.org will be a place to get information on some of the latest innovations and trends, as well as to share your stories from the trenches.

Via their website, The PGA Committee plans to provide tools and tips - from eco-factoids to use on Call Sheets, to profiles of green producers and their methods, vendor testimonials and links to current environmental news and notes. Eventually, we hope to provide the tools for every production to be able to comprehend, measure, track and offset their environmental impacts. This will include refining carbon calculators for different types of productions, as well as creating an eco-scorecard specifically designed for producers and their colleagues to track their non-greenhouse-gas-based impacts.

"I am passionate about PGA Green's mission to make changes within our Guild," Carter says, "and to help to make a systemic change that industry professionals can carry with them from job to job and back home as well. We want to not only provide the information, but the tools necessary to implement real change."

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/announcement/666-pgagreen_carter/

Mina Olivera Laughs Last

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Mon Oct 5, 2009 -- Established actress and TFT theater graduate Mina Olivera '99 has a one-woman show underway at the Los Angeles Theater Center, "LOL! Latina on the Loose," which follows her life from Brazil to Switzerland to El Salvador and finally to America -- a show that evolved, reports the "Daily Bruin's" Jennifer Bastien, from a playwriting class assignment at TFT.

After working as an actress in Los Angeles after graduating in 1999, frustrations with roles in the industry led her to focus on her own writing, and last year she presented her idea for a one-woman show to her good friend, fellow Theater, Film and Television alumnus Miguel Angel Caballero, the producer of "LOL!" It was after a dinner one night during which Olivera came out as one of the characters, that Caballero decided to help produce it.

"It was the funniest thing that I had ever seen. So she kind of pulled a fast one on me because she knew I was going to love it, and then I just got completely involved," Caballero said.

Now there's a whole host of UCLA alumni involved, foremost of which is Alberto Barboza MFA '04, the director, who first worked with Olivera at the Latino Theater Company. Working along with them are recent alumni Francois-Pierre Couture MFA '06, set designer; Marika Stephens '09, associate set designer; Emarie Kohlmoos '09, the costume designer; and current student Sohail Najafi, the lighting designer.

...

Barboza said he believes that it is the type of self-sufficient graduate that UCLA sends out into the world that creates such a strong community of alumni.

"It's the independent spirit of UCLA that has set us out on our own journey; knowing that we have other alumni artists that are supporting each other," he said.

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/664-mina-olivera_lol/

Sanders's honored for "Outstanding Achievement" at CamerImage

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Wed Sep 30, 2009 -- TFT alumnus Terry Sanders '54, MFA '67 is no stranger to national awards. He won his first Oscar in 1954, when the the film he made at UCLA with his late brother Denis Sanders '52, MA '55, "A Time Out of War," became the first student short to win an Academy Award.

He shared his second in 1994 as the producer of the documentary "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," which was directed by his wife, Freida Lee Mock.

Now Sanders can add to his trophy case one of the most prestigious international kudos in the documentary field, the Award for Outstanding Achievement conferred by The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, Plus CamerImage, in Lodz;, Poland.

Here's the CamerImage citation naming Sanders:

Terry Sanders (born New York, 1931) is a director, producer and writer who was granted the Academy Award® twice. [He] has directed and/or produced more than 70 award-winning dramatic features, theatrical documentaries, television specials and a large body of portrait films of major American artists, writers and musicians. He is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary documentary filmmakers. His documentary filmography includes: "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," the Academy Award®-winning documentary about the artist famous for Vietnam Memorial Wall and the Civil Rights Fountain Memorial, "Fighting for Life," about military doctors, nurses and medics on the front lines of the Iraq war,"Return with Honor," which tells a story of U.S. fighter pilots shot down over North Vietnam who became POWs for up to 8 years, "The Legend of Marilyn Monroe" and "Slow Fires: On the Preservation of the Human Record."

--
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/news/press/676-terry-sanders_cameraimage/