“The Central Authority” Movie Wraps Production The much-awaited new comedy, “The Central Authority,” has wrapped production. The film which satirizes the current world situation, is now complete, according to producers. By: Matts Marketing 1 2 3 The Central Authority HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Oct. 1, 2020 – PRLog — Using the technology available, producers of the film, believe, “The Central Authority,” is the first full length completely socially distanced feature film. Written by Dana Olita and Kristin West, the film takes place in a dystopian future where a pandemic has caused the world-wide collapse of governments. A Central Authority has risen to maintain law and order and control the supply chain of goods and services. Because most people are stuck at home, entertainment has become a premium commodity. The Central Authority has created a channel for citizens to create their own content. The film depicts a normal day of programming. The shows range from parodies of talk shows, cooking, exercise, and reality shows, children’s programming and even a homemade music video complete with behind the scenes footage. Of course, there are fake news segments too. Interspersed throughout the day are reminders from the Central Authority, to “wash your hands,” “wear your masks,” and “keep a social distance.” In exchange for creating this programming, citizens are compensated and given higher places in line for goods in short supply. Compensation is based on ratings of each show. However, if you fail to meet The Central Authority’s minimum guideline, The Central Authority cancels your show, and your life. The Central Authority has been a brave undertaking in these hazardous times. “We knew this was a huge endeavor going in,” said West, who co-directed with Armin Nasseri. “We were forced to use the technology available, which meant doing some unusual things.” Those “unusual things” included dusting off some archaic film techniques and using brand new processes. “We gave ourselves permission to fail,” says West, “but things worked out fine in the end.” Those processes including having actors from all over the world come together on the screen. Actress Anna Elena Pepe, who plays Dr Zhivaga, a government sexologist, says it was an experience for her like no other, “I was in London, and my scene partner (LaChelle Allen) was in Los Angeles. ‘It was fantastic.'” “The actors were the key,” according to Olita, “We basically let them pick and choose characters and wrote around their choices.” West agrees, “We gave our actors a tremendous amount of freedom, there was a lot of improvisation. Everyone gave great performances and the chemistry the actors have with one and other is magical.” In addition to West, Olita and Nasseri, The Central Authority uses an ensemble cast of working actors, Tick Tock stars, comics and podcast hosts: LaChelle Allen, Brandy Bryant, April Monique Burrill, Jimmyo Burrill, Lilly Burrill, Candice Callins, Charles Chudabala, Rodney Damon Collins, Michael Coulombe, Lauren DeLeon, Vanessa Esparanza, Jonathan Freeman-Anderson, Sara Gaston, Katie Gordon, Nate Gordon, Joe Grisaffi, Josh Hutchinson, Betsy Johnson, Allison Michelle, Rory Ogden, Marco Antonio Parra, Anna Elena Pepe, Jake Red, Genoveva Rossi, Nailya Shakirova, Narlyia Sterling, Todd Stroik, and Cristina Vargas. Nasseri said he was “proud to work with such a strong group of diverse actors.” Inclusion has been a recurring theme in Nasseri’s films, with award winning shorts The Carting Call, and Seeking Valentina, already under his belt, Nasseri felt like this was the perfect vehicle for him as a director, editor and actor. The Central Authority is written by Dana Olita and Kristin West, directed by Armin Nasseri and Kristin West, and produced by Matt Chassin, Armin Nasseri, Dana Olita, Narlyia Sterling, Kristin West and Quarantini Productions. For more information go to https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12265464/ Visit us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheCentralAuthority/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CentralAuth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_central_authority/ View the trailer here :https://youtu.be/Jy-PizHOKAQ https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jy-PizHOKAQ Contact Matt Chassin Matt’s Marketing, PR & Management Services ***@mattsmarketing.com Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12840658/1 https://www.prlog.org/12840658/2 https://www.prlog.org/12840658/3End |
Tag: movies
the cost of covid for features
Most of you know me as an in-front-of-the-camera person. However, I also produce and line produce. Recently, I was tasked with working on two movie budgets. One was a completely new budget for a action-caper comedy. The other (which I am still working on) is a cost revision to reflect price increases for COVID-19 and adapt the movie to adhere to the guidelines.
Movie budgeting is part art and part science. In the Corona-scape, it’s also a bit of prognostication.
In the case of the action-caper comedy, as written, it’s nearly impossible to do it socially-distant according to the new guidelines with a crew of 80+, not including speaking roles, extras and stand-ins. I was specifically asked to project costs based on a post-Corona world, for filming some time in 2021 (or beyond, sadly).
If you’re considering a movie that fits into this category, consider inflation and scale-wage increases. I added an additional contingency for inflation, which is at 2.5% currently. Insurance rates now also have COVID riders as well. Insurance is up and I expect it to stay up for years after the pandemic. The memory of the pandemic is going to cost the media-making community for a long time.
I am also still working on converting a pre-Corona budget I prepped to reflect the changes necessitate by COVID. PPE cost and availability are concerns. Shoots are going to be longer and will need more space.. The need for more distance means more trailers and more support space in general. More space means more cost generally. If you have budgets prepared prior to the outbreak of the virus, you will probably need to adjust it by 25% or more to accommodate the new guidelines. Until we refine best-practices for the virus, get with your directors and AD-s about how many pages can be feasibly shot with the new guidelines as well. You may also incur re-write fees if scenes need to be re-written to reduce crowd scenes, extras, et al.
For me, budgeting is not coming in at the lowest price. It’s about coming in at the budget that best protects the investors’ risk and gets the project made. We’re in a period of high risk. Budget accordingly.
POST SCRIPT: After publishing this blog, I happened upon this NY Times article about travel restrictions between states. If you are planning a production, take these travel restrictions into account as you budget as our COVID-19 response evolves in each state. Many of the top filming destinations in the US are affected. The cost here would be to quarantine an actor or crew member you bring in from an affected state, which would be a hotel cost in all likelihood and per diems-s and possibly compensation as work days for the quarantine days. Trucking equipment across state lines seems okay, but check with your film commissions and contact film commissions regarding COVID quarantining.
The Moving Image
I’m in the midst of editing “The Central Authority“, which is my first feature collaboration with co-director Armin Nasseri and co-producers, Nasseri, Dana Olita and Matt Chassin. Shooting and editing during the pandemic has been challenging, even as we use existing technologies to make a fully-socially distanced feature film.
Yesterday, Armin and I were in the midst of editing a great scene starring horror queen Genoveva Rossi. Genoveva plays an artist of some renown in “The Central Authority”, sort of a female Bob Ross. We allowed the actors a great deal of freedom in this movie and much of the movie is improvised. Genoveva came up with a profound truth about her character and art itself. She said, as her character Gwen Ross, “Art is about getting a reaction out of people, good or bad.” That was just what I needed to hear yesterday.
I have come to the epiphany that a moving image, a movie, must move. It must move us through time and space, but more importantly, it must move us–emotionally, spiritually, philosophically. That, for me, is really what a moving image, a motion picture, is–something that moves us.
Armin and I continue to work on editing the movie, taking each challenge as it comes, editing virtually now. It cannot be glossed over that as we edit this movie, we are also witnessing the massive social movements against police brutality into account. We are moving as a society and as a consciousness.
I’ll continue to update you on The Central Authority as it moves forward. Thank you for your support of our work and we look forward to releasing “The Central Authority” soon.
the central authority wraps principal photography
Using groundbreaking techniques, the first socially distanced feature film was shot entirely during the pandemic
By: Matts Marketing
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – May 26, 2020 – PRLog — The Central Authority, the horror-comedy brainchild of Kristin West and Dana Olita, has been a brave undertaking in these hazardous times. “We knew this was a huge endeavor going in,” said West, who co-directed with Armin Nasseri. “We were forced to use the technology available, which meant doing some unusual things.” Those “unusual things” included dusting off some archaic film techniques and using brand new processes. “We gave ourselves permission to fail,” says West, “but things worked out fine in the end.”
Those processes including having actors from all over the world come together on the screen. Actress Anna Elena Pepe, who plays Dr Zhivaga, a quarantine sex therapist, says it was an experience for her like no other, “I was in London, and my scene partner (Lachelle Allen) was in Los Angeles. ‘It was fantastic.'”
“The actors were the key,” according to Olita, “We basically let them pick and choose characters and wrote around their choices.” West agrees, “We gave our actors a tremendous amount of freedom, there was a lot of improvisation. Everyone gave great performances and the chemistry the actors have with one and other is magical.”
The Central Authority, takes place in a dystopian future, where entertainment is king. There is no content, so the government (“The Central Authority”) creates a streaming channel where “performers” can submit their material, in order to obtain items in short supply. The film takes place over one day of programming.
In addition to West, Olita and Nasseri, The Central Authority uses an ensemble cast of working actors, Tick Tock stars, comics and podcast hosts: Lachelle Allen, Brandy Bryant, April Monique Burrill, Jimmyo Burrill, Lily Burrill, Candice Callins, Charles Chudabala, Rodney Damon Collins, Michael Coulombe, Lauren Deleon, Vanessa Esparanza, Jonathan Freeman-Anderson, Sara Gaston, Katie Gordon, Nate Gordon, Joe Grisaffi, Josh Hutchinson, Betsy Johnson, Allison Michelle, Rory Ogden, Marco Antonio Parra, Anna Elena Pepe, Jake Red, Genoveva Rossi, Nailya Sharakova, Narlyia Sterling, Todd Stroik, and Cristina Vargas. Nasseri said he was “proud to work with such a strong group of diverse actors.” Inclusion has been a recurring theme in Nasseri’s films, with award winning shorts The Carting Call, and Seeking Valentina, already under his belt, Nasseri felt like this was the perfect vehicle for him as a director, editor and actor.
The Central Authority is written by Dana Olita and Kristin West, directed by Armin Nasseri and Kristin West, and produced by Matt Chassin, Armin Nasseri, Dana Olita, Narlyia Sterling, Kristin West and Quarantini Productions.
For more information go to https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12265464/
Visit us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheCentralAuthority/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CentralAuth
Cleaning Up My Perspective & Purses During COVID-19
I work from home. I’m used to it. I’ve been busy, even as there’s a great deal of uncertainty in the entertainment industry. Today, I took a breather and set out to the task of cleaning. I cleaned my office and I emptied out my purses, which I hadn’t cleaned out since the lock down began . It was like going though a mini time-capsule.
What was in my purses:
promotional materials for a film festival screening I attended
breath mints
coin change for parking
assorted colored pencils, highlighters and post-it notes for marking scripts on-the-go when I chose to work at cafes
an extension cord for plugging my lap top into an electrical outlet at a cafe
a movie ticket
Cleaning out my purses hit me hard. As I cleaned, I felt like I had just been through a strange time warp. We don’t know what the future will bring, though we’ve been told there’s a “new normal” coming. What I want to emphasize here is that, yes, all of this made me blue today. However, I quickly pivoted to my gratitude for those experiences and the hope that I can have them again soon when it’s safe to do so.
The film festival promo materials reminded me that I love film festivals and seeing my work on the big screen. I am grateful to all the film festivals that have ever screened my work.
The breath mints were comic. Though we’ll be wearing masks for awhile, the mints reminded me that we need to keep a (minty) fresh perspective. Let’s not get stuck into to many ruts or bad thought grooves at this time.
They stopped enforcing most parking ordinances since the stay-at-home order in Los Angeles, so I haven’t needed to feed a meter. Admittedly, parking Los Angeles has been way easier. I am grateful for the days in Los Angeles when scoring a parking spot was the biggest of my worries. I now know there are far bigger things to have anxiety over. I’ve had to learn how to better manage my anxiety.
I love my home, but sometimes I need to get out of the house to work more efficiently. I get TOO comfortable. I am grateful for all the times I’ve had great coffee and a great work day and even run into old friends. I hope to enjoy this again soon.
The extension cord reminded me of how lucky I am to have basic utilities and that all of my utility services are still going, despite the pandemic. Those working to keep our water, power and sanitation going are essential workers too and we owe them much for their service at this time.
A movie ticket…There’s much discussion right now of how to move the industry forward during the pandemic. Fortunately, I am very diversified. Some are not and it’s been difficult to see how many friends and colleagues are anxious and suffering right now. The movie ticket is my reminder to rebuild. The movie ticket is my reminder to adapt as best I can. There will be no Dark Ages of Entertainment if I can help it.
Instead of yearning for the past, what can we do to bring our appreciation into the future?
Here. Now. Today.
Here. Now. Today.
It’s my new mantra.
Too often, we are not in the present. We’re mining the middens of the past trying to explain away our bad feelings or bad behavior or we’re floating into painful projections of a future more akin to a post-apocalyptic world.
Lately, I’ve been dealing with my anxiety. Part of my job as a movie producer is to prevent potential problems with production and minimize liabilities as much as possible. My job is to look at a script and ask myself, “What could go wrong here,” and “Where is there a waste of money or other resources?”
Therefore, as part of being in a leadership position, I do have to put some mind-space in the future and the what-ifs. People count on me to anticipate and solve problems. And if I solve a problem that never grows into a full-blown “issue”, all the better! However, once it makes my heart race or prevents me from moving forward, I’ve started to go to:
Here. Now. Today.
Here–where I am–the space–my office, the coffee shop, etc.
Now–what am I doing in the now–data entry, memorizing, budgeting
Today–the actual date and time
Here. Now. Today.
I also have to accept there’s enough entropy that I won’t be able to anticipate all the issues. I recently toured a movie ranch that lost 20 structures in the last California wildfire. There’s no way anyone could have predicted that specific facility would have lost all those structures–iconic ones. There are limits to what we can foresee and anticipate, even if we have keen minds and heightened intuition.
If you’re feeling anxious, or are tasked with trying to lead a group, especially projecting the future, know that you can’t project or prognosticate everything. You can only do the best you can do.
Here, now, today is our greatest point of power.
Losing My Shit over IP and Copyright Issues
I write 12 horoscopes a week, which takes me about two hours.
I publish a daily astro tidbit every night on Instagram, which takes 15 min.
I do a live radio interview weekly for 50 minutes. I prepare at least 10 questions. It takes me about an hour of prep per show, in addition to the 50 minutes LIVE on air. To take the live radio and make it ready for YouTube and IMDB, it usually takes an additional hour of my time editing. That’s not counting the time, money and effort my co-host Judy Goss puts in to produce the show.
A 12 episode season of my talk show “Horror Talk with Kristin West” usually involves at least 6 hours prep before the taping by multiple producers, plus the cost and expenses of the actual show. Sometimes, we tape under less-than-ideal conditions, which means hours of sitting in the rain, sitting outside, etc. We tape for at least three hours per taping. Our editing process takes us about a week per episode. That’s not counting the podcast version of show on iTunes, Spreaker, et al.
At least twice a month, I put out one 15 min or so episode of “Star Power: Celebrities & Astrology”, my astrology podcast. It takes me about an hour to write the show, 30 min to record it and 20 min to edit it and distribute it.
I write several guest columns and blogs.
All of this takes time. Some of this takes money.
Few things upset me more than to have my IP and my copyright violated. When I see my content or ideas appropriated, you might as well have stolen my time and money. The next time you feel like you can just appropriate someone’s work, someone’s video or part of someone’s blog without attribution, stop and consider how you would feel if you were stolen from. We are so used to having content bombard us, we forget the effort it takes to make the content in the first place. When someone who’s in the entertainment business does this, it makes me even more indignant, because it’s extremely disrespectful to a fellow creator.
Entertainers and content creators, please familiarize yourself with IP and copyright law. If you don’t know, ask. If you’re unsure, ask permission. Just don’t assume you can take something because you have the ability to rip something. Just because you’re in something or worked on something, doesn’t mean you OWN that footage. Respect your fellow creators and hopefully, they’ll respect you too.
Catching Up with Ace Michaels
My friend Ace Michaels has been slaying with his online talk show on Facebook. During my recent trip to Las Vegas, I got the chance to sit down and catch up with Ace.
Check it out!
Development Hell
If you’re an industry person, you may have heard this term or used it–development hell. Development hell refers to the often chaotic, messy, frustrating business of getting a script ready to go into pre-production. No script comes to a producer perfect and camera ready.
Draft 1
We like the script, but there are few things that we need to change. Here is what we want changed: add this character, expand another character, take away the annoying mom character–and can you get this down to 90 pages?
Draft 2
This wasn’t what we had in mind. You know, I had this really great idea for some comic relief at the beginning, since it’s a heavy drama…
Draft 3
This is a mess.
Draft 4
Why is the subplot so much more interesting than the main plot? Should we go a different direction?
Draft 5
We should go a different direction.
Draft 6
Is this too political?
Draft 7
It’s coming together, but we need to find a compelling role for (insert expensive actor’s name here).
Draft 8
Repeat process, starting above.
Churchill said,
“If you’re going through hell, keep on going.”
Hollywood’s Problem Starts in High School
The success of Wonder Woman and the live action Beauty and the Beast has generated a great deal of discussion about women in cinema and woman-centric narrative. A Variety article pointed out, though, that despite record box office, women, “made up only 7 percent of all directors working on the 250 highest-grossing domestic releases in 2016. That represented a decline of two percentage points from the year before.” Without getting too heady or too political, I need to point out that women’s narratological problems start off long before a screenplay gets optioned by the studios and directors are hired. It starts in high school, with the ways we are taught narrative structure.
Kristin West 