Georgia film, video & music [Vol. 23, no. 1 (Winter 2007)]

Volume 23, Number 1

Winter 2007

Ken Stewart Tapped to Lead GDEcD

Stomp the Yard Tops Box Office

Photo by: Alfeo Dixon 2006 Screen Gems, Inc. All rights reserved.

On January 1, 2007 Governor Sonny Perdue tapped Ken

Stewart to serve as Commissioner

for the Georgia Department

of Economic Development.

As the state's chief marketing

officer, Commissioner Stewart

leads Georgia's efforts to recruit

new businesses and expand

existing ones; grow the state's

tourism, international trade and

entertainment industries; and

support the growth of small

businesses and entrepreneurs.

Stewart succeeds Craig Lesser

who returned to the private sector

Photo: Commissioner Stewart

on December 31, 2006 after a 30month tenure as commissioner.

Commissioner Stewart previously served as director of the

Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC), overseeing the agency's

leadership, service and education in the stewardship of Georgia's

Stewart... continued on page 3
We Are Marshall Opens Nationwide
Photo: Matthew McConaughey

Warner Bros. feature drama We Are Marshall opened nationwide on December 22, 2006. The Georgialensed film is based on the 1973 plane crash that took the lives of the almost all involved in Marshall University's football program.
We Are Marshall opens with the historic tragic

We Are Marshall... continued on page 7

Photo by: Frank Masi

Photo: (L-R) Columbus Short and Meagan Good
After opening nationwide on January 12, the Atlanta-lensed feature film Stomp the Yard was number one in box office sales for two consecutive weeks. Rainforest Films' producer Will Packer and executive producer Rob Hardy teamed with director Sylvain White to create a coming-of-age drama interwoven with elements of romance, class conflict and the rich tradition of African-American college fraternities.
Stomp the Yard centers around DJ (Columbus Short), a troubled youth from Los Angeles, who moves to Atlanta to attend Truth University where he discovers "stepping," the age-old style of dance traditionally done in African-American fraternities. The film's finale in which DJ's fraternity faces off against Mu Gamma Xi in the National Step Show Competition was filmed
Stomp the Yard... continued on page 8

1 The Georgia Film, Video & Music newsletter is a publication of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Articles can be mailed
to Brenda Brayton, Georgia Film, Video & Music, Post Office Box 1776, Atlanta, GA 30301, faxed to 404.962.4053 or sent electronically to bbrayton@georgia.org. Visit our website at www.georgia.org or call 877.746.6842.

Georgians Receive GRAMMY Nods
Thirty-three artists and music professionals with Georgia connections have been nominated by the Recording Academy for the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The nominations span 28 categories that include musical genres of rock, country, pop, hip-hop, operatic, rap and comedy, as well as producing, songwriting, engineering and graphic (package) design.
This year's GRAMMY Nominees with Georgia connections include: Bryan-Michael Cox, Gnarls Barkley, Ben H. Allen, Danger Mouse, Johnta Austin, Mastodon, India.Arie, Van Hunt, OutKast, Akon, Chadron Moore, Yung Joc, Jermaine Dupri, T.I., Ludacris, Field Mob, Gipp, Little Big Town, Jennifer Nettles, Kenny Rogers, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, Mac Powell, Third Day, Byron Cage,

Photo by: Marc Baptiste

Photo: Jennifer Nettles
John McCutcheon, Jeff Foxworthy, Ossie Davis, former President Jimmy Carter, Susan Archie, Henry Owings, Robert Spano and DJ Toomp.
The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, February 11, 2007.

Exercise For Video Progressions

Video Progressions has just completed production on the first in a series of exercise

videos for Alzheimer's patients. New research

shows that exercise helps forestall symptoms of

Alzheimer's disease. Working with YourXercise

(www.YourXercise.com), Video Progressions'

Adair Simon sought to create an informal and

user friendly instructional video for caregivers to

help their loved ones stay active.

"We designed this as a two camera shoot in a

real home using a regular straight-back chair to

show that exercise doesn't have to be an ordeal
Photo: (L-R) Caryl Johnson, Steve Panayioto and Adair Simon
for the caregiver or the patients," said Adair Simon.

"I'm very happy to be part of a project like this that

serves a real purpose and does so much to improve

Get-A-Grip Shoots Showdown

the lives of Alzheimer's patients."

Simon filmed on-camera instructor Lynn Dayley of YourXercise working with her 80-year-old client

Get-A-Grip Atlanta recently completed a 12day, multi-camera shoot for Microsoft. The

Mary to demonstrate exercises that patients can

television show Showdown is a reality based racing

reasonably do in the comfort and privacy of their

event which utilized five high definition Sony-F

homes. Also working with Video Progressions were

900 cameras. Lensed at Road Atlanta in Braselton,

Steve Panayioto and Caryn Johnson on cameras,

Georgia, Showdown is scheduled to premiere

Rhonda Barrymore with make-up and Robby

along side Microsoft's new racing game Forza.

Heisner on animation and graphics.

Get-A-Grip also completed a 35mm music video

Video Progressions is a full service production

for Pit & Crow, a show starring the legendary actor

company that specializes in digital video production

Burt Reynolds to introduce the new Pontiac Trans

and live event recording, with ancillary services that

AM for Year One and a television commercial for

include individual performance coaching through

Gladys Knights' Chicken and Wings restaurant.

"Strictly Speaking." For more information please call

For more information regarding Get-A-Grip

770.242.1953 or visit www.video-progressions.com.

projects visit: www.getagripatlanta.com.

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Photo by: Joseph McCannon

Photo: James Brown
In Memoriam: James Brown
James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," died on December 25, 2006. Raised in Augusta, Georgia, Brown leaves a musical legacy that spanned six decades. Brown was one of the first 10 musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1965 Brown's pop single "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" became his first Top 10 hit. Over a 39-year period, 98 of his recordings were listed on Billboard's top 40 R&B Charts, with 17 number one hits.
In 1983 Brown was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He has also been honored with the Kennedy Center Honors, a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award and the American Music Award of Merit.

Showdown in the Dome
With director Angel Traverso calling the shots, the Pogo Pictures production team took to the field at the Georgia Dome to shoot the promo spot for the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The spot portrays the after hours antics of the janitorial crew, who are as big of fans of Chick-fil-A sandwiches as they are of the game.
The participants agreed that the final outcome was a victory all around. David Epps, vice president of marketing/sales for Chick-fil-A, said, "Angel and the team at Pogo were more than up to the challenge of taking this spot from a good storyboard and making it into a great spot." Creative director, Patrick Scullin of Ames Scullin O'Haire, also praised Traverso saying, "He did an incredible job with his attention to detail, cinematic eye, ability to coax terrific performances and wizardry at making every frame work toward telling a wonderfully engaging story."
Pogo Pictures (www.pogopictures.com) is based in Midtown Atlanta.

Stewart... continued from page 1
24 million acres of forestland. Under Stewart, the GFC focused its efforts on marketing existing products, and on creating markets for new products such as biofuels and carbon credits. The GFC also enhanced delivery of its services to the state, including forest protection, reforestation, forest management and urban forestry to growing metropolitan areas in Georgia.
Prior to being named director of the GFC in 2004, Stewart was vice president of Unisource Worldwide, Inc., where he led the company's south-central sales and distribution division in addition to its retail and specialty manufacturing businesses. He held several management positions at Georgia-Pacific, including director of enterprise development, senior director of strategic planning and analysis of G-P's distribution division, and director of state and local taxes. Stewart has also held management positions at Weyerhaeuser Company and at Mississippi Power & Light.

Commissioner Stewart is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, holding a Juris Doctorate from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta. He earned a B.S. in Business and a B.S. in Forestry from Mississippi State University and he is a Registered Forester. Stewart also served as a company commander in the Army National Guard.
Present and previous affiliations include Board of Directors Chair for the Georgia Centers of Innovation, the Georgia Business Coalition, the Georgia Tourism Foundation and Governor Perdue's Growing Georgia Cluster group of state agency heads. Commissioner Stewart serves on the boards of the OneGeorgia Authority, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and the Georgia Development Authority. He is past Board Chair of the Georgia Justice Project and is also a member of the Georgia Land Conservation Council and the Governor's Energy Policy Council.

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The Signal... continued from page 8

Photo: (L-R) Andy Rusk, Gabe Wardell, Bill Thompson and Patrick Franklin
Banner Year Culminates with "Georgia Night in L.A."

Copyright 2006 MartinG

it "may very well be the best independently made horror film of the past 10 years. It was definitely the most entertaining film at Sundance this year." The movie was posted at Atlanta's own Lab 601, a creative editorial facility, that is a coproducer of the film.
Magnolia Pictures is owned by Mark Cuban who also owns HDNet, a national high definition television network available on major cable and satellite distributors.

On December 7, the Georgia Film, Video & Music Office, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, hosted the seventh annual "Georgia Night in L.A." Producers, prospective clients and Hollywood executives came together for this annual networking event that provides the state's film industry the opportunity to market Georgia as a preferred location for film, video and music projects. In 2006, more than 10 feature films were shot in Georgia.
`Georgia Night in L.A.' gives us a chance to showcase all of Georgia's assets to the Los Angeles film community," said Georgia Film, Video & Music director Bill Thompson. "Georgia has become a powerhouse within the entertainment industry due to

its outstanding tax incentives, diverse locations and abundance of production suppliers, experienced crew and talent base."
One highlight of "Georgia Night in L.A." was the introduction of the 2006 "Perfect Pitch" winner. Each year the Georgia Film, Video & Music Office hosts the "Perfect Pitch" competition that gives local screenwriters the chance to pitch their scripts to Hollywood executives. The winning script, "The Plaster Man" was chosen from more than 40 scripts by a panel of industry judges in June at the Atlanta Film Festival. The script writers, Andy Rusk and Patrick Franklin, traveled to Los Angeles where they pitched their script to Hollywood industry representatives.

Savannah Music Festival Flourishes

The annual Savannah Music Festival is one of the largest and most diverse music festivals in the southeastern United States and is truly "Southern, Soulful and Sophisticated." The 18-day musical feast will take place March 15 through April 1, 2007 in one of America's most historic cities, offering a number of one-time-only performances and world premieres.
"Almost 30,000 people have already committed to attending the 2007 Savannah Music Festival. This includes the largest enrollment to date for our education events as well as our strongest advance ticket sales ever. Many events are well on their way to selling out," reports Rob Gibson, executive and artistic director.
Featured at this year's festival are Shawn Mullins, Al Jarreau, the Jazz at Lincoln Center

Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves and Noche Flamenca, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Celtic band, Flook. The festival's distinctive line-up showcases indigenous music from the Deep South, originally conceived chamber music and numerous national and international musicians representing a variety of musical styles and genres.
The 18th annual springtime event is dedicated to presenting a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences at the largest music festival in Georgia. For the festival schedule of events, artist profiles and further information call 912. 234.3378 or visit www.savannahmusicfestival.org.

Photo: Shawn

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Photo: John Petersen
Cinefilm Tackles We Are Marshall
Georgia was recently host to the Warner Bros. film, We Are Marshall. Cinefilm was the first draft pick as the lab for this football story starring Matthew McConaughey with Cinefilm handling all the processing and HD dailies work.
Marshall is the emotional story of the Marshall University Football team that perished in a plane crash when returning from a football game in 1970. The team's new coach (McConaughey) and his

surviving players try to keep the football program alive. Director McG teamed with DP Shane Hurlbut on this heart-warming story of a town that moves from tragedy to triumph. Along with McConaughey, Oscar-nominated actor David Strathairn and Matthew Fox have lead roles. The movie is currently playing nationwide.
Most features shoot between 200-300,000 feet of 35mm, and recent Warner Bros. film, The ATL, topped about 400,000 feet. But the multiple camera work in the football stadium and crowd scenes of Marshall took the total to over 900,000 feet. "This was my first experience with Cinefilm," said DP Hurlbut, "and I have to say I was impressed. With a shoot our size, I wasn't sure how well a small lab, when compared to some in LA, would perform, but they were great."
Cinefilm recently opened a tape-less all digital suite for HD/Digital Intermediates and film outs.

n Mullins

BET Unveils Hip-Hop Awards

On November 12, Black Entertainment Television (BET) saluted hip-hop with the networks' first ever awards show dedicated to the genre. Taped at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, the show was hosted by comedian Katt Williams. The BET Hip-Hop Awards boasted appearances and performances by Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Chamillionaire, Yung Joc, Keyshia Cole, Remy Ma, Rick Ross as well as Atlanta's own Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, T.I., Young Jeezy and others. The show initially aired on BET on November 15 with encore replays.
Atlanta artist T.I. received top honors for Hip-Hop CD of the Year, Hip-Hop Video of the Year and Hip-Hop MVP of the Year. Jermaine Dupri won the Element Award: Producer of the Year, with Young Dro taking the title of Best BET Mobile Hot Ringtone. Warner Bros. feature film ATL was named Best Hip-Hop Movie.

Photo:Courtesy BET/WireImage

Photo: (L-R) Jermaine Dupri and daughter Shaniah
The inaugural BET salute devoted entirely to the hip-hop genre drew a 2.93 rating, or 3.64 million viewers (2.44 million households) according to Nielsen Media Research. The show was the number one primetime telecast in all of cable television.
The complete list of 2006 BET Hip-Hop Award winners is posted at www.bet.com.

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Association Announcements:
Atlanta Screenwriters Group was founded to assist local screenwriters develop their ideas, give support, swap industry stories and provide constructive feedback for their work. For meeting information, please visit www.atlscript.org.
Atlanta Urban MediaMakers Association, Inc. (AUMAi) mission is to empower people through cultural diversity in animation, film and video. For more information on AUMAi's monthly meetings, call 770.345.8048 or visit www.urbanmediamakers.com.
The Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) is a statewide organization of filmmakers and film industry executives committed to keeping Georgia a film-friendly and competitive force in the film and video community. For membership information email info@georgiaproduction.org or visit their website at www.georgiaproduction.org.
IMAGE Film & Video Center offers filmmaking workshops and screenings. For more information, contact IMAGE at 404.352.4225 or check the website at www.imagefv.org.
Media Communications AssociationInternational is a global community that provides opportunities for networking, members-only benefits, forums for education and the resources for information to media professionals. The local chapter website is www.mcaiatlanta.org.
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (The Recording Academy) is dedicated to providing educational opportunities and improving the cultural environment and quality of life for music and its makers. For information visit www.grammy.com/atlanta.
NATAS/Atlanta is the local chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. For information please call 770.414.8777.
Women in Film and Television/Atlanta (WIFT/A), is dedicated to the education, promotion, support and unification of women working in or studying film, video, television and related creative and business fields. Please check their website at www.wifta.org for meeting dates and information.
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Photo: (L-R) Jack English, Steve Leete, Herb Kossover and Steve Cassity
Panther Returns to the Atlanta Skies
Panther Library director Herb Kossover and producers Jack English, Steve Leete and Russ Jamieson, along with coordinator Jeff Jeffries have been shooting aerials in Atlanta and around the globe for over 15 years. They recently spent three days shooting high definition aerials of the Atlanta area to add to the Panther Library collection.
"We have now found price points that every type of client can afford by going high definition, we have been shooting film for years and the process, although spectacular, was quite expensive," Kossover said.
In this last shoot, the Panther Library added new buildings and areas not previously shot. English said, "Using the Cineflex system and shooting 1080i the scenes are rock steady and the wide format enable us to deliver to clients in either 4:3 center cut Standard Definition or true 16:9 High Definition."
Currently, the Panther Library has aerials in a number of national and regional commercial spots. Their aerials can be seen on Fox's Vanished and Sony's feature film Stomp The Yard. To view aerial footage visit www.georgiaaerials.com. For further information call Kossover at 404.840.5568 or English at 404.685.2807.
2nd Season for Savannah's Farmers' Almanac
Beginning its second season this month, the nationwide magazine show Farmers' Almanac TVTM will feature five stories from Georgia. Georgia's Bland Farms, Jimmy Carter, Lane Packing and other stories are part of the Farmers' Almanac TV 2007 story line up. The series, inspired by the Farmers' AlmanacTM, includes 39 stories about people who cherish the earth's resources. It also provides information about weather, gardening, natural cures and more.
"We are thoroughly excited about our Georgia stories," said Renee Bishop, executive producer of Farmers' Almanac TV, based in Savannah, Georgia. "They appear throughout the season, and showcase Georgia's beauty and rich history."
Almanac... continued on page 8

SESAC Opens Atlanta Office

SESAC, the nation's fastest growing

performing rights

Photo: Cappriccieo Scates

organization, has opened an office in Atlanta, Georgia.

Cappriccieo Scates has been named associate

director, writer publisher relations and will head

the Atlanta office. Scates will be responsible for

recruiting writers and publishers for SESAC.

"Everyone at SESAC is excited to open an office

in the amazing city of Atlanta," said Trevor Gale, vice

president, writer/publisher relations. "Atlanta has

become a mecca for some of the most dynamic and progressive music being made today and SESAC felt the time was perfect to serve our Atlanta affiliates by establishing an office in this great city."
Prior to joining SESAC, Scates was involved in artist management, promotions and publishing. He previously served as director operations for PM Music Group Inc. and authored the book "10 Steps To Successfully Managing Recording Artists."
Peniece Le Gall will serve as coordinator for the new Atlanta office. Le Gall will be the initial point person for the Atlanta affiliates.

AFF Moves to April

We Are Marshall... from page 1

The 31st Atlanta Film Festival (AFF), the longest-running event of its kind in the Southeast, is moving to April 19-28, 2007. The festival will kick off with an Opening Night Extravaganza on Thursday, April 19 at the Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Stadium 16, in Atlanta's Midtown district. In partnership with Landmark Theatres, the next nine-days of the Atlanta Film Festival will be located at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema.
"Our partnership with Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema has two tremendous benefits: it gives the festival a convenient place to call home, and it injects the event with a boost of new vitality," said IMAGE executive director, Gabriel Wardell. "Surrounded by cafes, restaurants and pubs, the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema will become a hub of film culture and discourse throughout the ten-day festival."
The line-up for the 31st Atlanta Film Festival will be announced on Friday, March 9, 2007. Tickets and passes will be available for sale online at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com. Advance tickets will also be sold at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema box office.

event and then focuses on Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey), a young coach determined to rebuild Marshall's football program and, in the process, he helps to heal the community. The movie also stars Matthew Fox, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, January Jones, Brian Photo: Governor Sonny Perdue Geraghty and David Strathairn.
The film was directed by McG, from a screenplay by Jamie Linden, story by Cory Helms and Jamie Linden. It was produced by Basil Iwanyk and McG, with Brent O'Connor, Jeanne Allgood, Thomas Tull and Scott Mednick served as executive producers.
The creative behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Shane Hurlbut, production designer Tom Meyer and editors Priscilla Nedd Friendly and Gregg London. Music is by Emmy Award winner Christophe Beck. Costumes designed by Danny Glicker.

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Almanac... continued from page 6

Photo: (L-R) (L-R) Dan Bush, Alexander Motlagh, Jacob Gentry, David Bruckner and Bill Thompson
The Signal Sells at Sundance
Immediately following the midnight world premiere of Atlanta-based POPfilms' The Signal at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, Magnolia Pictures paid more than $2 million dollars for the film's North American, United Kingdom and Australian distribution rights. The low budget high definition horror film, a collaborative effort of Jacob Gentry, Dave Bruckner, Dan Bush and Alexander Motlagh, was shot in Atlanta last summer.
The Signal is told in three separate stories concerning mysterious electronic transmissions which invade every cell phone, radio and TV in the city, driving people mad and turning its inhabitants into killers. Screenwriters Gentry, Bruckner and Bush each directed one of the segments. The film was executive produced by Morris Ruskin and Hilton Garrett, with Motlagh and Gentry serving as producers. The Signal takes place in the aptly name fictional city of Terminus which was Atlanta's original name. The cast features Atlanta actors including AJ Bowen, Anessa Ramsey and Justin Welborn. William Morris Independent repped the filmmakers.
Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool News movie Website gave The Signal rave reviews. One reviewer claimed that
The Signal... continued on page 4

Farmers' Almanac TV will feature a collection of stories off-the-beaten-path, including an interview in Savannah with the trio Nickel Creek and also with the help of former President Jimmy Carter, take a historical look at the peanut. In one episode the show will visit the largest grower of the Vidalia onion, Bland Farms, and in yet another it will spotlight the Lane family's Lane Packing which grows over 30 varieties of peaches and 10 varieties of pecans on over 4,000 acres. One episode will feature the Farmers' Almanac TV team on a shrimp boat with Captain Michael Sullivan to show how this way of life is in danger.
Farmers' Almanac TV is hosted by Jim Wann, leading man and co-author of Broadway's "Pump Boys and Dinettes." Wann lives in Tybee Island, Georgia.
Most of the video shown on Farmers' Almanac TV can be viewed on www.FarmersAlmanacTV.com.
Stomp the Yard... continued from page 1
at the Georgia Tech Coliseum in front of a 5,000 person audience. In addition to Short (Save the Last Dance 2), the film stars Meagan Good (You Got Served), Darrin Henson (Soul Food), Brian White (The Family Stone), Laz Alonzo (Jarhead) and chart topping artists, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown.
Stomp the Yard is presented by Screen Gems, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. To view the trailer please log onto the film's website at www.stomptheyard.com.

Disabled individuals requiring assistance with this information should contact: ADA Coordinator - GDEcD / P. O. Box 1776, Atlanta, GA 30301-1776 TL: (404) 962-4106 / FX: (404) 962-4098 / TDD: 1-800-255-0056

Georgia Department of Economic Development Georgia Film, Video & Music Post Office Box 1776 Atlanta, Georgia 30301-1776

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