Film Studio in N.O. East to break ground in the fall

Fall 2013 is the projected start date for construction on a new film studio in New Orleans East, across from the Michoud Assembly Facility. The studio will have 96,000 feet of space- so it's a pretty big deal. What this will mean to the indie movie scene in Nola remains to be seen, but it bodes well for the industry as a whole. For more info- check out this article.

Filmmaking Videos

Here is a series of filmmaking videos from Sheri Candler that might be of interest to local indie filmmakers. Good advice is always a good thing to have in your filmmaking toolkit. Enjoy!

Louisiana Film Prize Short Film Contest

The Louisiana Film Prize is going big-time... winners will now get not only the $50,000 grand prize, but also a distribution deal through Shorts International, which includes distribution on iTunes.
The only real requirement for the short film is that it has to be shot in the Shreveport-Bossier area, so if you can take the time to make the trip up there before the July 9, 2013 deadline, it's well worth the effort!

Lighting 101 Course at NOVAC

NOVAC is sponsoring a Lighting 101 course on March 23, 2013, at 9th Ward Studios.

This is a hands-on workshop and costs $150 for members and $205 for nonmembers (price includes a basic membership- so you get a discount on future classes)

Need to Know: NOVAC

If you're involved in the New Orleans film community, you need to know about NOVAC.

NOVAC- the New Orleans Video access Center- is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and supporting a sustainable film community in the area.

They put on seminars, rent equipment, run training courses, and offer a job referral service to members. Whether you're looking for a place to meet with other local filmmakers or want to learn how to run a particular piece of equipment, this is a great place to look.

Their main office is out in the Bywater, but they host events and activities all around town.

Check out the NOVAC website for more details on upcoming programs and classes.

Also Tonight: Open House for Info on Editing Courses

Also tonight, Jan 30, from 5-7, Southeastern Louisiana University is having an open house so people can learn more about two upcoming extension classes: “Introduction to Videography” and “Basic Video Editing: An Introduction to Post-Production Film”

The Videography course will be 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, Feb. 25 through March 6

The Video Editing course will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from March 12 through March 21,and you can choose from classes from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. or another class from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Find out more at the Advocate or SLU's Website.

Free Screenwriting Class

NOVAC is offering a series of free screenwriting classes- the first one is tonight at Algiers Library from 5:30-7:30 pm. Tonight's class is Fade In/Fade Out: Screenwriting Fundamentals.

Future classes in the series will be on March 26, May 21, and July 9.

On January 15, 2013, Millennium’s Diego Martinez gave a talk at at NOVAC. If you missed it, here is a recap of what he talked about: Millennium’s Diego Martinez at NOVAC

Inspiration and Ideas

Check out this set of short films appearing at Sundance for inspiration and ideas... The Screening Room

Louisiana at the Oscars

Louisiana films have made a big showing in the Oscar nominations for this year, and everyone is talking about it.

The Louisiana-made indie Beasts of the Southern Wild is the biggie- it's garnered nominations for best picture, best director, best actress, and best adapted screenplay.

Other notable Louisiana ties to movies in this year's Oscar lineup include Django Unchained, which was filmed in New Orleans and is also competing for best picture (the first time two local movies are in the running for that honor- which just may indicate how big Louisiana is getting with regard to movie production) and Tony Kushner, a native of Lake Charles, is up for best adapted screenplay for Lincoln.