Some good advice

What am I doing with my life?
by Leslie Becker
Author of The Organized Actor®
Have you ever felt like you're on a treadmill that just keeps going, and even though you want to get off you just don't seem to know how to?

If you're human, I know that you've felt it. Everyone has. And let's be honest, "what am I doing with my life?" is a valid and scary question. But you know me, I'm never shy about asking tough questions, especially if they
will lead you to the answers you are looking for.

So what ARE you doing with your life?

Are you fulfilled? Are you happy? Are you living the life you've always dreamed of?

If so, congratulations!

If you are not, congratulations for admitting it! Knowing that your life is not really going in the direction you want it to can actually be an incredibly powerful motivation. The challenge with actors and artists is that often we want A LOT of things to be different. But through all my years of coaching, what I usually find is that all of those "not so great parts of your life" stem back to one key ingredient that if altered, will change everything. I'll bet you already know what yours is. It's usually pretty obvious even if you don't want to speak it out loud. And I'm not talking about outside factors like "if I were just in a Broadway show everything would be great." No, I'm talking about things you have complete control over.

Is it your self-image? Do you need to lose weight? Are you in a relationship you need to get out of? Do you need to get back to voice lessons? Do you need to get a job? Do you need to quit smoking? What is it? What is that one thing that would change everything if you took the step today?

Well guess what? All you have to do to change it is to take the first step. Whatever it is. Take it right now. Go on, do it. Be brave. Your life is waiting for you on the other side!

Here are 8 fabulous ways to take back your life!

1. "BE" WITH YOURSELF. As artists we are pulled in so many directions as we run to auditions, balance our day-jobs, families and friends. Before you can blink an eye, a year has gone by and you'll still running around like a chicken with your head cut of. Make a point to "be" with yourself everyday. Just you. The real you. You can do this by taking time daily to journal, meditate or walk with nature. Stop "doing" and start "being."

2. STOP THAT ONE BAD HABIT. You know which one I mean. It's that habit that is affecting every aspect of your life. It might be smoking, procrastinating, sleeping till noon, being late, jumping from relationship to relationship, complaining about the business, gossiping. Whatever. Stop it right now. Think highly enough of yourself to treat your mind and body with great respect and your life will transform almost immediately.

3. TACKLE THE BIG ISSUE. Yes, THAT big issue! Everyone has one. Many times we skirt around the issue and look for other "excuses" as to why something isn't going our way instead of really addressing the biggest thing holding us back. And quite honestly, usually the thing holding you back is YOU. Only you. You can pretend it is someone or something else, but it is only you.

4. STOP DOING WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE TO DO. I've written this one for myself because I am the queen of doing things I don't really like to do, simply because I CAN do them. But being good at something doesn't necessary mean that you LIKE doing it. So cut out at least one thing that you really don't like doing and give it to someone else. Even if you have to pay the person, find someone else or some other way to have that thing done for you.

5. TAKE A BREAK. Human beings always feel the need to push themselves so hard.especially goal-driven people (hello!). But taking a break and allowing yourself to breathe and get perspective will catapult you forward quicker than hard-nosing your way through whatever you are working on.

6. DO THAT THING YOU'VE BEEN TERRIFIED TO DO. If you're terrified to leave your agency, do it. If you're terrified to do a solo concert, do it. If you're terrified to break up with your spouse, do it. Trust me, the fear you've created "about" doing it is far greater than actually doing it. (Let me be clear, I am not instructing you to take these specific actions, but rather using these as examples to spark your own "do-it" actions)

7. STOP MAKING EXCUSES. There's nothing less empowering than blaming everything and everyone else for your own mistakes. Oh yes, it is much easier to say "the accompanist really screwed up" than it is to say "gosh, I really didn't prepare properly for that audition." Everyone can have a rough day, at an audition or otherwise, but as soon as you take responsibility for it, your world becomes an easier place to navigate.

8.  ACCEPT THE TRUTH. Regardless of how difficult the truth might be, it IS the truth, and accepting it will truly set you free. I can't promise you that accepting the truth will be easy, but I can promise you that when you do, a new world awaits!

Apply even just ONE of these ideas above and your life will transform with ease.

Leslie Becker is an actress and author of The Organized Actor®, the #1 selling organizational tool for actors for 15 years. To subscribe to her free newsletter Work IT! Tips for Workin' Your Acting Career and Your Life, please visit http://www.OrganizedActor.com

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Leslie Becker
The Organized Actor®
www.OrganizedActor.com

Live Painting for your next Party

Duke Ellington Live Painting in Tampa.wmv

This is a video of a live painting I did this past April in Tampa. It was for a fundraiser for a school jazz program. Hopefully you'll recognize Duke Ellington when it's done!

A native Atlantan, Jean Alexander has a background in painting, portraiture, architectural illustration, and, oddly enough, theatre.  These two worlds collided in the form of live painting when Jean did her first live performance painting,  along with six other artists, at North Point Community Church in front of an audience of 12,000 people. That was in 2002, and since  then, Jean has painted for various fund raisers, at conventions, and even as the entertainment in a club. For more information, you can contact Jean at jeanvalexander@gmail.com.

Georgia shoots take off

Georgia shoots take off
Aggressive incentives draw high-profile pics
By Jack Egan

When it comes to deciding where to shoot these days, many producers will tell you they have Georgia on their mind.

Recent high-profile film releases lensed in the Peach State include "The Blind Side," starring Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock, "The Last Song" with Miley Cyrus and Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?" Set for the cine-plexes later in 2010: "The Conspirator," directed by Robert Redford; "Lottery Ticket," starring Ice Cube and Bow Wow; "The Killers," with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigel; and "Due Date," starring Robert Downey Jr.

Productions have come flocking to Georgia ever since it boosted its film incentives to 30% in 2008. The hike made Georgia competitive with Louisiana, New Mexico and a handful of other states that have effectively used hefty tax breaks to lure shoots from Hollywood. More than 26 features were shot in Georgia in fiscal 2009, compared with only a couple two years earlier.

"We're definitely in the top five states when it comes to film and television production and No. 1 in our region," says Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of Georgia's Film, Music & Digital Entertainment office. Production spending has increased by more than 150% since the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act was signed two years ago, according to Thompson, who projects that total outlays could approach $1 billion in 2010.

Georgia provides a basic 20% incentive tax credit for film, television and videogame productions that spend at least $500,000 in a single year. An additional 10% is available if a production includes an animated State of Georgia logo in the titles or credits or some similar product placement within a film. On top of that, there is a sales tax exemption, worth up to 8%, on spending within the state for equipment or services.

"Our incentives are the easiest to use in the country," Thompson says. "There is no sunset clause on the legislation, no limits or caps on Georgia spend, no limits or caps on the amount of tax credits that may be earned, and both residents and non-residents working in Georgia are treated the same," he observes.

Because the financial incentives come in the form of credits, they have to be sold to a company or an individual that has Georgia taxable income, which usually is done through a broker intermediary.

"The value generally ranges between 85 and 90 cents on the dollar but can go up to 92 cents on premium credits, usually from large studios," says Denise Elsbree, head of Georgia Film Credit Consultants. Since 2008 the business "has exploded," she notes. "We feel we've become the go-to state, under consideration for just about any location that we even remotely resemble."

Georgia's tax benefits are leveraged against the state's other attractions to filmmakers, from generally mild weather to a diverse topography that includes mountains, forests, swamps and 100 miles of seashore. Locations range from teeming urban environments to rural hamlets. Georgia also has a number of historic towns boasting unique period architecture.

Coastal Savannah, with its well-preserved streets and planned squares that hark back to its 18th-century founding, is where Forrest Gump sat on his bench and recently served as the period setting for "The Conspirator." Disney's "The Last Song" was shot at nearby Tybee Island.

"Making a movie in some of the neighborhoods can involve a lot friction," says Jay Self, the long-time tourism and film services director for Savannah. "My job is to find a way to accommodate a production that is also good for the city."

Atlanta is already a major media and entertainment complex with a music sector that registers annual revenues of about $2 billion. The city has become a center for hip-hop recordings, spawning stars such as Outkast and Ludacris. It is also the headquarters for Turner Broadcasting with its many cable networks.

It's estimated that more than 25,000 Georgians owe their livelihood to some entertainment-related enterprise. Most important to production companies, Georgia has a deep and experienced film and television crew base that tops 6,000. "We can handle up to 10 film and television productions simultaneously," Thompson says.

Broderick Johnson, one of the producers of Alcon Entertainment's "The Blind Side," says the positive experience of shooting in Georgia drew the company back to do "The Lottery Ticket," which hits theaters in August. In addition to offering creatively appealing locations for both films, "The magnitude of Georgia's tax break is one of the best, if not the best, in the country," he says. Georgia trumps other states with attractive breaks because "it has such a mature crew base you can hire almost everyone locally, so the value of the credit is bigger."

A strong testament to Georgia's incentives appeal to filmmakers is, indeed, repeat business. "Everything about shooting here was tremendous," says Marc Fischer, executive producer of "Hall Pass," directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. The pic recently finished shooting in and around Atlanta.

Georgia served as a substitute for New England, and it was both more economical and easier to shoot the film in Atlanta instead of Boston, Fischer notes. He also praises the city's amenities. "There's a Morton's, a Palm and amazing shops," he says. "Our wardrobe people from Los Angeles were able to find everything here."

Because of the positive experience with "Hall Pass," the next two films Marc Fischer is working on are also set to be filmed in Georgia. "Walter the Farting Dog," based on a children's book of the same name, will begin filming in August. And the much-anticipated "Three Stooges" project -- tentatively starring Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and "very possibly Jim Carrey," according to Fischer -- starts prepping in Atlanta in January. "We've really found a home here," he says.

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com.

TV producers find a lot to like in Georgia

TV producers find a lot to like in Georgia
Savings can be high enough to allow a new studio to be built
By Karen Idelson

Georgia television production has long been known for "In the Heat of the Night," but a crop of popular newcomers -- "Drop Dead Diva" and "Vampire Diaries" -- have focused the small screen spotlight back on the Peach State.

The producers of "Drop Dead Diva," which shoots in Peachtree City, about an hour south of Atlanta, initially came for the tax rebates. They soon found a lot more in the area that they could use to get the look they wanted -- even places doubling for Los Angeles. And since labor costs and property costs were right, the show was able to build its own backlot. "There's a lot of space here, there are a lot of looks available and the ability to do things quickly and easily," says executive producer Josh Berman. "People really appreciate us in Georgia, too. When we brought Paula Abdul in to shot an episode at a local high school there was a lot of excitement about it, while in L.A. people are sometimes too used to seeing celebrities everywhere."

"Diva" is not the only TV skein making use of the state's varied scenery. "Vampire Diaries" uses soundstages in Decatur, and the city of Covington doubles for its "Mystic Falls" location. Additional shooting takes place in Monroe. The new ABC pilot "187 Detroit" is also shooting in Georgia.

Mark Henderson, owner of Get-a-Grip Atlanta, has seen production come back in quickly since 2008, when Georgia brought back solid incentives for film and television production. "We've always had the infrastructure," says Henderson, whose company has helped put together crews and equipment for "American Idol," "Nanny 911," and a variety of CBS specials. "But I would say in recent years Atlanta has really grown up, and we're starting to be known as a place where you can find mountains and a variety of exteriors and locations for different productions."

Wilbur Fitzgerald, an actor and founding partner in Georgia Film Tax Consultants, began to see an influx of crew about two years ago when Georgia lawmakers began to consider bringing back tax credits. "Crews seem to find out things before anyone, so we began to see people who'd moved away or just new people come into the state for the work," Fitzgerald says. "So right now our crews are very deep, and we have a lot of resources for incoming production." Georgia grants a tax credit of 20% to qualified productions. Qualified companies can also save through a tax exemption that gives companies an immediate point-of-purchase exemption that will save up to 8% on many below-the-line materials and rentals. An additional 10% tax credit can be earned by including an embedded Georgia logo within the completed project.

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com.

Screen Gems Studio Report on WSB

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/23532642/detail.html

Multimillion-Dollar Movie Studio Planned For Atlanta Posted: 5:14 pm EDT May 12, 2010 Updated: 6:45 pm EDT May 12, 2010 ATLANTA -

A multimillion-dollar soundstage could soon call southeast Atlantahome. Channel 2 Action News reporter Jovita Moore got an exclusive firstlook at plans to turn the Lakewood Fairgrounds into a soundstage for Screen Gems, a New York-based subsidiary of Sony's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. The development would mean about 1,000 new jobs and many opportunities for new development in and around the Lakewood Fairgrounds. "To have a major company come in like Screen Gems and want to do something is exhilarating," said John Lavelle who handles Atlanta's real estate. The Lakewood Fairgrounds is a property the city has wanted to do something with. "The new soundstage, which will enable film production to take off in Atlanta, will be put where former sheds are," said Lavelle. A LOOK BACK: Lakewood Antiques Market Georgia competed with Tennessee and Louisiana for the development project.

Screen Gems currently has a studio in based in Wilmington, N.C. The Atlanta City Council finance committee approved the deal Wednesday. It now goes to the full city council for a vote on Monday. Among the benefits, the city would get rental income from the deal and millions would be invested into the old fairgrounds. It would also help put Atlanta on the map for moviemakers. Channel 2 has learned that Screen Gems has agreed to terms of an offer. It's ready to lease the fairgrounds for $250,000 a year to start, and make an initial $6 million investment -- replacing old metal sheds that are currently on the property with a Hollywood-type soundstage to make movies and rebuilding much of the infrastructure on 30 acres of land. "We think it's a very favorable deal ... we think it's important for the city of Atlanta to have these new economic development opportunities," said Luz Borrero, Atlanta's deputy COO. Borrero said the city worked for nearly three years to make this happen. "We are competing for this type of industry and it is not a given that they just simply choose us," said Borrero. During Moore's sneak peek at the plans, a Screen Gems executive and a landscape architect were also there reviewing site plans for the fairgrounds. The production company said it is ready to move in as soon as the ink is dry. The four buildings at the fairgrounds site will not be torn down, but instead get much-needed face-lifts. Infrastructure all around the property would also be improved. The city would get $250,000 a year to start, but that rent could get as high as $600,000 after the first 10 years.

The Lakewood Fairgrounds property is very marketable because there is plenty of parking and it is about four miles from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and downtown Atlanta. Visitors also have easy access to Interstates 75/85.

Copyright 2010 by WSBTV.com.

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NEW SAG franchised talent agency

THE JANA VANDYKE AGENCY recently became SAG franchised.

Their contact information is:
3655 James Rd.
Suite 114
Acworth, GA 30102
(770) 529-0655
--
Alison D. Wise
Assistant Executive Director
AFTRA Atlanta Local
SAG Georgia Branch
awise@aftra.com
(404) 239-0131 ext. 12

XXI CENTURY TALENT SEARCH

ACTORS * DANCERS * SINGERS

LOOKING FOR AN AGENT IN ATLANTA OR LOS ANGELES???

XXI CENTURY ENTERTAINMENT

TALENT SEARCH

XXI Century talent discoveries have appeared on:

“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”, “Everybody Hates Chris”, “Meet The Browns”, “According to Jim”, “That’s So Raven”, Nickelodeon’s “All That”, “One Tree Hill”, “Lost”, HBO’s “True Blood”, “The Unit”, “Days of Our Lives”, CSI, “8 Simple Rules”, “Without a Trace”, “Arrested Development”, “The Price is Right”, “Deal or No Deal”, “The Wronged Man”, Oliver Stone’s “W”, “Dr. Doolittle 3”, “Reign Over Me”, “Freedom Writers”, “Coach Carter”, “Soul Plane” and “Bring It on All or Nothing”!!!

OPEN CALL AUDITIONS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

For Appointment Call: (770) 271-8060

For more information visit our website at: www.xxicenturyent.com

HIGH RISE nominated for 9 Indie Soap Awards - VOTE NOW!

HIGH RISE up for 9 Indie Soap Awards--we need your vote!!

Hello High Rise Fans,
As we get prepared to go into production for Season 2, we have just learned that HIGH RISE has
been nominated for 9 Indie Soap Awards. We are thrilled and hope you will click on the link below and VOTE for us as the 2009 Fan Favorite. Winners will be announced on Feb 1 and you can also see the individual nominees by clicking on the image above.

We have some great stuff coming in Season 2! Soon you will be able to SEE casting sessions LIVE
on our site, we'll have a LIVE feed from the set during the shoot and some more surprises in store.

Stay tuned for the DRAMA!!!
http://www.highrisetheseries.com/blog/

Elite Atlanta Lifestyle becomes Stewart Talent Atlanta!

yourACT Gwinnett branch now open!

yourACT Acting Studios has a NEW location in Sugar Hill! Classes for Kids, Teens, and Adults. Classes began September 8th.

The Gwinnett Branch is a subsidiary location of our main school in Decatur.

Realizing that kids & teens need a well-rounded acting program, yourACT has tailored its classes to give them a taste of what it's really like to work on-camera and onstage, plus the thrill of improvisation. Taught by instructor Koko Chalfant.

They learn how to:

*Unlock their imagination and emotions
*Be honest, truthful, and natural
*Gain discipline and focus
*Become the character

This ongoing course focuses on using imagination, creativity, concentration, and focus to create strong, believable characters, whether in front of a camera or on stage.

*Fun and fast-paced with expert guidance
*Scripts and improv games geared to excite and challenge
*Great training for the real world of TV, film, and theatre
*Builds confidence, improves reading skills, and enhances self-esteem
*Visits by top Atlanta talent agents and casting directors!

Kids & Teens have fun while learning to perform on-camera! Each child or teen learns the fundamentals of acting in a supportive environment.

Developing at their own pace, they explore the art and craft of acting!

Kids & Teens meet after school weekdays. Adult classes are also forming, to be held 7-10pm weekdays.

All Stars Performing Academy offers a full program of dance for ages 3 - 93 - ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, ballroom, folkloric - and body sculpting as well.

Visit their website for their schedule and tuition. For more information on the acting classes, schedules and costs at our new affiliate studio, please contact:

All Stars Performing Arts Academy "Where Your Star Shines Bright"
5700 Cumming Hwy, Suite E
Sugar Hill, Georgia 30518 (view map)
Click for more information or call 678-400-0091