Hollywood Trades in the City of Stars for the City of Roses

Posted by Carly Petrone, U of O Grad Student

Filmmakers begin to move film and television production up to the Pacific Northwest.

Portland, Ore. – Portland, Oregon is rapidly becoming the next production capital of the west thanks to the hit television show Portlandia, which debuted on the Independent Film Channel last January.

The wildly popular show, set to debut its second season in January 2012, stars comedians Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. Armisen, best known as a returning cast member of Saturday Night Live and Brownstein, a former band member of Portland-based Sleater Kinney, first grabbed viewers attention when the six-episode series aired earlier this year. Continue reading... “Hollywood Trades in the City of Stars for the City of Roses”

Film Production Accounting Workshop

Film Production Payroll and Accounting Workshop

January 21st, 8am – 5pm
PSU Campus, Lincoln Hall, Room 315
1620 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97201

 
Register for the event online: http://businessofentertainment-portland.eventbrite.com/

Early Registration Offer. Register before 1/18 and your name will be entered into drawings for free Showbiz Software. Plus, all attendees will receive a special 10% discount on production and software tools at Showbiz Software’s online store www.showbizsoftware.com. Don’t miss this opportunity, courtesy of Media Services and Showbiz Software.
Continue reading... “Film Production Accounting Workshop”

An New Way For Actors and Models To Promote Themselves.

Photo of Aris Juson by Levy Moroshan Photography

Do you have a reel?  Head shot?  Website?  I’m sure if you are, or want to be, a professional actor or model you’ve been asked these questions by filmmakers, casting directors, and agents.  Sometimes the answer can be long with explanations.  Other times you have everything you need but have a hard time getting them all tightly bundled for easy consumption.

So you might ask be asking yourself… “What is that strange looking black box on the picture above?”  Continue reading... “An New Way For Actors and Models To Promote Themselves.”

Grimm Doesn’t Just Look Green Because Of The Weather….

We could not have been happier when NBC Universal contacted us to collaborate on their greening efforts for the series, Grimm.  We immediately recognized this particular show as a good match and unique opportunity to put the foundation of our previous work in identifying green vendors and services to good use.

NBCUniversal’s Green Is Universal initiative has an admirable, on-going, corporate-wide environmental initiative that attempts to lessen their shows’ environmental impact by working with local resources and finding innovative ways to improve on their overall footprint. Continue reading... “Grimm Doesn’t Just Look Green Because Of The Weather….”

Success of Oregon’s Film and TV industry highlighted in Hollywood Reporter

Recently the media that covers the film and television industry has taken notice in all the work happening in the state.  In the web based trade “The Wrap”, a recent article about the state of the TV industry mentioned Portland as a city on the rise for TV production. We were also contacted by the Hollywood Reporter a month or so ago as they decided to do a feature on the TV work in the city.  Some of you may remember that they did a “Made in Oregon” feature a year and a half ago.  Continue reading... “Success of Oregon’s Film and TV industry highlighted in Hollywood Reporter”

Change in Mileage Rates

The Internal Revenue Service is revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated. This modification results from recent increases in the price of fuel.

The revised standard mileage rates are:

(1) Business 55.5 cents per mile

(2) Medical and moving 23.5 cents per mile

The mileage rate that applies to the deduction for charitable contributions is fixed under § 170(i) of the Internal Revenue Code at 14 cents per mile. Continue reading... “Change in Mileage Rates”

Commercial Production Brings Value to the Community, the Environment and the Local Economy at the Same Time

Not uncommonly, we just had a major US retailer shoot a commercial here in Oregon but this one was different, they did it with a sustainable mandate that came from the client’s corporate office.  The greening company, EcoSet was hired to oversee the process.  EcoSet operate as an  “environmental production resource committed to implementing customized, practical, and sustainable environmental solutions for commercial productions”.   A relatively new breed of environmentalists are finding a way to green commercial and feature productions in creative and resourceful ways by plugging into what communities already offer. Continue reading... “Commercial Production Brings Value to the Community, the Environment and the Local Economy at the Same Time”

Wait, That Was Done In Oregon?

If you’ve ever watched IFC then you’ve seen their signature quirky-cool ad campaign. But did you know that it was designed and created by Oregon-based Feel Good Anyway? Or that the 40+ special effects in the NBC movie “A Walk in My Shoes” were done by Portland’s visual effects company Hive-FX? Or if you’ve been to Canada lately and seen Koodo Mobile’s adorable spokesman El Tabador, that he was produced by Bent Image Labs based in – you guessed it – Oregon? Continue reading... “Wait, That Was Done In Oregon?”

“Commercially Speaking . . .”

Most of the attention of late has focused on feature films and the renewal of the production incentives. The press loves to write about the “Leverages,” the “Grimms,” the “Gones” and the “Portlandias’ because they bring recognizable star talent to Portland.  And because they have a mystique about them; they are, for all intents and purposes, “the movies,” “Hollywood.” But we don’t want to loose sight of that portion of the production world that has provided a reasonably steady stream of work for local crew and local vendors; the COMMERCIAL. Continue reading... ““Commercially Speaking . . .””

Oregon Animation: Call for Submissions

UPDATE: Deadline extended to 5 PM on Monday, May 23th 2011!

Following the successful effort to create a voice for the Oregon Film and Television community in this blog, we recently convened a group of Oregon animation and visual effects professionals that we know, and asked them how a site dedicated to their segment of the industry might be received. After lots of lively conversation and great ideas, it became clear that there was great interest, and that it would be very helpful for drawing attention to the fact that Oregon has more than just great locations, amazing acting and crew talent, and not to mention, a terrific film incentive program. Continue reading... “Oregon Animation: Call for Submissions”