Best Feature, Kelly Reichardt (Director), Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani (Producers).
Best Screenplay, Jon Raymond, Kelly Reichardt.
Best Actor, John Magaro.
Best Breakthrough Actor, Orion Lee.
The IFP Gotham Awards are selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that IFP does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.
(If you have not yet seen “First Cow” you can find it now on Amazon Prime and Showtime.)
In our series of blog posts – the “New Normal” – we are looking at what creative options have been put in place to offset the disruption that Covid-19 has caused for production businesses here in Oregon. This month we caught up with Picture This, one of Portland’s leading provider of Camera Rentals, Projectors, and Picture This Production Services that have offered over 30 years of excellence in production and live events in the Pacific Northwest.
Oregon Film (OF): Assuming the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted your business, like so many others, what aspect would you say has been the most surprising? What are the main modifications you have had to make to accommodate this new normal? (Which ideas have worked/been successful, which ones not so much…)
Picture This (PT): Our main modifications have been to implement a change of practices to keep our employees and guests safe. It takes a lot of extra effort to flip equipment and studios in a safe methodology.
OF: Are there any surprising areas of growth in your business since the pandemic started?
PT: Event Streaming media has moved to the forefront of our clients’ needs. Although we have been streaming for over 10 years. It is almost 100% added for studio production and seen huge technology leaps for meetings and events.
OF: Have you had to implement new training for your staff?
PT: All our staff was asked to take and certify as Covid Safe Set qualified. Our biggest hurdle has been to help clients manage and implement these practices.
OF: If there has been any impact on staff morale, how have you successfully been able to mitigate this?
PT: You have to realize this is a marathon and not a sprint. Encouraging and supporting each other in both a professional and personal way is the best thing you can do as a human being and associate.
OF: What are you most proud of doing well during this challenging time?
PT: We were able to pivot and use our high-end video walls to implement an in-Camera VFX volume. Our staff spent 8 months perfecting the technology and we are rolling it out to a very enthusiastic audience. Small crews, 10 hours of Magic Hour, and infinite sets are now a reality.
Picture This Production Services has been servicing the Film, Video and Live Event Industry for over 30 years. Our experienced personnel and quality equipment are well known in the market for efficiency, creativity and excellence. Picture This services cable/satellite network channels, media communications companies, large and small corporations, and local businesses.
Oregon Film Trail Dedicates A New Sign In Toledo, Oregon!
The latest sign on the Oregon Film Trail is dedicated today on Main Street across from City Hall in downtown Toledo. The sign celebrates the town’s starring role in “Sometimes A Great Notion.”
The recently installed sign marks and celebrates locations in and around Toledo in the filming of “Sometimes A Great Notion” (1971), a motion picture based on the second novel by Oregon author Ken Kesey and published in 1964. The film was directed by Paul Newman, who also co-starred with Henry Fonda and Lee Remick.
The story revolves around the Stamper family that strives to keep their small logging business going despite opposition from the local union. Many local residents were used as extras in the film and those still living in the area fondly recall the small parts they played. Many residents were thrilled to spot the film’s stars on the sidewalk and in local shops as the movie was being made.
The Toledo History Center, 208 South Main Street, features a framed original poster from “Sometimes A Great Notion” that was donated by Bud Shoemake, a longtime local resident who serves as general manager of the Port of Toledo. The sign marks the spot across from Toledo City Hall where the Ross Theater screened the film upon its release (the theater was removed in 1991).
“Sometimes A Great Notion” also filmed in Kernville, Newport and the Columbia River Gorge. An Oregon Film Trail sign can be found at Gleneden State Beach, close to the Kernville location.
Kesey also wrote, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1962) that was adapted into a 1975 film that won multiple Academy Awards. (Signs dedicated to this film can be visited in Salem and Depoe Bay.)
The sign is the twenty-first one for the Oregon Film Trail and is a collaborative partnership between the Oregon Governor’s Office of Film & Television (a/k/a Oregon Film) and the Oregon Made Creative Foundation, the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the City of Toledo. It was paid for in part by a grant from Travel Oregon and by OCVA(Oregon Coast Visitor’s Association) and the Toledo Downtown Association.The Oregon Film Trail was created by Oregon Film, in partnership with the Oregon Made Creative Foundation and Astoria Warrenton Chamber of Commerce. It features signage located at strategic filming locations around the state. The trail aims to strengthen the correlation between the film/television industry, economic development, and tourism as well as celebrate unique Oregon locations that are iconic in their own right.
“There aren’t many films that showcase and speak to the Oregon Spirit as ‘Sometimes a Great Notion’, said Tim Williams, executive director of Oregon Film. “Being able to honor and celebrate that project’s direct connection to a quintessential Oregon town like Toledo gives us all great pride. We wish to thank the city and its people for helping us achieve this recognition.”
Kathy Crane, executive director of the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, has worked in partnership with Oregon Film and the Oregon Made Creative Foundation to bring this sign to Toledo “ as a means of encouraging tourists, as well as locals, to visit our town to see one of the filming locations of this movie and to take a walk down our historic Main Street. It’s like a walk through history with storefronts and building facades spanning every generation and genre of architectural style.”
Visitors and fans of other movies such as “Wild,” “The Goonies,” “Point Break,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “Twilight,” “Free Willy,” “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Stand By Me,” “City Girl,” “The General” and “Short Circuit” among many others, have been coming to Oregon since these films were first released. Some of these Trail signs can be seen in Astoria, Gleneden Beach, Athena, Ashland, Depoe Bay, Silver Falls State Park, Ecola State Beach, Hammond Marina/Warrenton, Brownsville and Salem among others. For a complete list visit, the Oregon Film Trail map.
When in Doubt
A new documentary about the importance of difficult conversations and the benefits of doubt.
The Signal Productions is making a documentary with the aim of helping improve dialogue across ideological divides and strengthening relationships. We are working with one of the authors of How to Have ImpossibleConversations, Peter Boghossian, who will be coaching our documentary subjects to improve their ability to communicate. The film will feature amazing people like Daryl Davis, self-described race reconciliator, who was able to get over 200 people to leave behind hateful organizations like the KKK just through dialogue and by befriending them.
Our goal is to help bridge our seemingly impossible divides by offering people practical ways of improving their dialogue with and understanding of those they disagree with.
We have filmed a small part of the documentary but are in need of help to finish it. We’ve raised over $15K in a little over two weeks and mostly from small donors. We believe that most people want to see solutions to our social and political polarization, and we’re asking for your help!
If you can share our GoFundMe or contribute anything, we’d very much appreciate it, and so will the people whose lives the film ultimately affects in a positive way!
OMPA is collecting follow-up data for ourCOVID-19 Media Production Impact Survey (initially conducted in March). Our data will be incorporated into a comprehensive Economic Development Report for Oregon legislators. We want to hear from every crew person and vendor!
💰 Which financial assistance programs did you apply for? Which did you receive?
🚫 Did you have to lay off employees? Were you laid off?
📊 What was the financial impact on your business? Positive or negative?
Thursday, October 22 | 5pm PT | RSVP for Zoom Info
Hang on to your ballots! 📮🇺🇸 We know it might feel like you can’t vote fast enough, but there’s more than one race (and ballot measure) to vote on! Join OMPA 🌟today at 5pm🌟 to hear our political strategist’s take on the candidates and ballot measures, and discuss over beers with your peers! 🍻
(Don’t worry, we’ll wrap by 6 for the Presidential debate!)
Why it matters on an industry level
Our positive relationships with city and state legislators have helped Oregon become a top location for all kinds of media production. Our local policymakers ensure our industry has access to filming permits, state incentives, workforce-development funding and more.
We will be making a series of blog posts on a variety of production businesses here in Oregon – we want to know what creative options have been put in place to offset the disruption that Covid-19 has caused.
Like so many other businesses, the Oregon production community has been hit hard by the havoc that Covid-19 has wreaked. Many community partners have come together to provide up-to-date information on safety procedures and new protocol guidelines that are being improved upon on all the time. (OMPA has the latest here.) As production has slowly begun to come back we wanted to check in with some of our production support businesses to ask how they have been adapting to this new normal. This month we checked in with Cast Iron Studios – the Northwest’s leading casting company.
Oregon Film (OF): Assuming the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted your business, like so many others, what aspect would you say has been the most surprising?
Cast Iron Studios (CI): Not surprising, but reaffirming, has been the resilience of our team, and that of the actors and talent agents we work closely with. Soon after the pandemic broke out, we shifted our annual Meals for Monologues food drive for the Oregon Food Bank to a virtual format, and we were overwhelmed by the level of participation. We blew past all previous fundraising efforts—even though everyone had just lost their jobs!—and raised enough funds to provide over 6000 meals for our community. It was a humbling moment. We were very moved.
OF: What are the main modifications you have had to make to accommodate this new normal? (Which ideas have worked/been successful, which ones not so much?)
CI: We’ve shifted all of our casting sessions to self-tapes, and all of our callbacks and chemistry reads to Zoom. We had already been using these tools pre-pandemic, so it was a relatively easy transition, although it definitely puts more of a burden on the actors for now. And there are always going to be technical issues that arise when you least need them, but we’re all powering through, and our clients have been more than understanding. Meanwhile, we’ve been on a lot of videoconferences with other casting directors around the country and the world, collaborating on the best ways to still provide excellent service.
OF: Are there any surprising areas of growth in your business since the pandemic started?
CI: The volume of work has been substantially lower than in a typical year, but the kinds of projects are still similar, albeit with COVID protocols in place. Mainly, it’s given us a chance to breathe and reevaluate how we do things. I’ve also been able to focus a bit more on my work for the ICDN (International Casting Directors Network), of which I serve on the board of directors. I’m currently helping to produce a star-studded virtual award ceremony at Sitges Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain for our 2020 Best Casting Award, so it’s very exciting!
OF: Have you had to implement new training for your staff?
CI: Overall, our department has been less impacted by COVID than those that work on set. We were already working virtually at times—with directors in Vancouver BC, producers in LA, ad agents in NYC and Chicago, etc.—so we’ve just expanded this to all sessions. That being said, our staff has been on a learning curve, testing out different virtual casting platforms and processes, just to make sure we have the best tools at our disposal for each unique project.
OF: If there has been any impact on staff morale, how have you successfully been able to mitigate this?
CI: I am more grateful than ever to have a team that has a positive, can-do attitude. It has made navigating this uncertain time so much more manageable, just to know that we all have each others’ backs.
OF: What are you most proud of doing well during this challenging time?
CI: After 20 years in business, we had already made it through the devastating SAG commercial strike of 2000, the months-long standstill after 9/11, the Great Recession, and a fire in our office building in 2016—not to mention the wild fluctuations of production in general—so we’ve been through crises before. And we’re grateful that those have prepared us to overcome pretty much anything. I am just proud to still be standing, still be fully available for work, with our entire core team intact. Once things return to normal, we anticipate a massive flood of production, and we’re ready for it!
Our community lost someone this week who has given us all laughter, entertainment, education, friendship and a deep connection to our history. Anne Richardson grew up in Portland and continued to give back to our community for all of her life.
Amongst so many other things, Anne started and directed the annual Oregon Film History Conference, presented by Oregon Cartoon Institute which she co-founded in 2007 with her husband, Dennis Nyback. This annual conference was an event we were not only happy to attend every year, but also sponsor in a small form. The Film History Conference was a place to gather, to learn, and to meet so many luminaries from Oregon’s animation and illustration community; a community that is deeper and more ingrained in our creative culture than many people realize. The next Conference will be held on November 20, 2020.
We are forever grateful to Anne for all of the new worlds she opened for us, her words and her work that she brought into our work, for reminding and teaching us so much of that rich history and for helping so many Oregon filmmakers connect to and thrive from that unique cultural connection.
Thank you, Anne, we will always remember you, we will miss you and we are better for all that you’ve brought into our lives.
The 18th and 19th signs on the Oregon Film Trail are now installed in the City of Ashland – they celebrate the town’s starring role in “Wild” and the historic Oregon Shakespeare Festival as inspiration for “Coraline”. The signs are now located in the Downtown Plaza, and at the intersection of Pioneer Street and East Main Street in front of OSF’s Black Swan Theatre and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.
Historic downtown Ashland featured prominently in “Wild”, the highly acclaimed 2014 film adaptation of the best-selling book, starring Reese Witherspoon as Oregon author Cheryl Strayed. The story chronicles Strayed’s transformative solo hike along a 1,100-mile stretch of the iconic Pacific Crest Trail, which spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. Nearly 60 Oregon locations were used in “Wild”, in addition to areas of Ashland. When Witherspoon’s character emerges from hiking following a particularly difficult section of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Downtown Plaza doubled as a community-gathering place to mourn the death of the Grateful Dead icon Jerry Garcia.
A fictionalized version of Ashland inspired the setting of the animated feature, Coraline, the first stop-motion film from Oregon-based Laika Studios, and adapted from Neil Gaiman’s novella of the same name. “Coraline” was written and directed by Henry Selick, who decided early on to move the film’s setting from England to the U.S. Having already visited Ashland, he was inspired by the small, desirable southern Oregon city and said it gave the story, “an authenticity that made this fantasy believable“. The film tells the story of Coraline, a young girl living in a small and charming town, complete with a Shakespeare Festival that permeates the culture and wonder of the community, who finds a door leading to a parallel reality.
The location of multiple productions, Ashland has been named a “best place to live and work as a moviemaker” by MovieMaker Magazine and boasts many additional credits, including Kelly Reichardt’s, “Night Moves”, and several films from the Oregon-based Director and Producer team, Gary and Anne Lundgren, most notably; “Redwood Highway”, “Black Road”, and “Calvin Marshall”. (They also produced “Phoenix, Oregon”, set in the town of the same name close to Ashland that was tragically burned in the recent Almeda Fire. The producers started a fundraiser for the town residents.) Ashland is also home to the world-class Ashland Independent Film Festival and AIFF Film Center, which offer year-round independent film programming and education, and Southern Oregon University’s Digital Cinema production program.
These signs are a collaborative partnership between the Governor’s Office of Film & Television (A.K.A. Oregon Film), partnered with the Oregon Made Creative Foundation and was paid for in part by a grant from Travel Oregon, a grant from the City of Ashland facilitated by Andrew Gay, Associate Professor & Program Coordinator Digital Cinema at Southern Oregon University, in partnership with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and with support from Film Southern Oregon. Oregon Film in partnership with the Oregon Made Creative Foundation and Astoria Warrenton
Chamber of Commerce created the Oregon Film Trail concept. It features signage located at strategic filming locations around the state. The Trail aims to strengthen the correlation between the film/television industry, economic development, and tourism, and to celebrate unique Oregon locations that are iconic in their own right.
“It’s with great pride that we are able to recognize even a small quotient of Ashland’s contribution to Oregon’s film and creative culture,” said Tim Williams, Executive Director of Oregon Film, “these signs will help us all mark the value Ashland’s unique creative community both here in Oregon and internationally.”
La Grande, Ore – Eastern Oregon Film Festival will be celebrating its eleventh year of independent film and music programming VIA La Grande, Oregon on October 22-24, 2020.This year EOFF joins a trend that we are all becoming more accustomed to – online delivery via a virtual cinema partner.
Working along with presentation platform EVENTIVE, Festival staff have labored to ensure that the delivery of the film program is as accessible as possible to all of our members and pass holders. Purchasing an All-Access Festival Pass from the festival’s website will grant the pass holder one-click access to all of the program offerings, including juicy independent cinema like the West Coast Premiere of Gillian Wallace Horvat’s I BLAME SOCIETY, face-melting Metal Music from La Grande’s own NOGERO and interactive virtual Q&A’s with many of this year’s Filmmakers — The festival pass is the way to go. A la carte ticketing per-film is also available.
Program highlights include live-streamed virtual Q&A’s with festival directors all weekend, special presentations by Jed Laurance of Ingenuity Studios (Glimpse through the veil. VFX, trends and the future), the collective creative team of Vanishing Angle (IMMORTAL) sharing insight into the spirit of their production process, and regional film production,Out of Character, captained by Jefferey Hill and Liberty O’Dell who will take us into a fun glimpse at Production in the Path of Covid.
Oregon Film Trail Dedicates A New Sign In Toledo, Oregon!
Why it matters on an industry level
