November 2021 – Below the Line

Union Roundup: Building Solidarity Using Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Practices (Guest Column)

November 30, 2021 Tomee Sojourner-Campbell Comments Off

As 2021 near its end and 2022 draws closer, there are a few things to consider as it relates to building and strengthening union solidarity across diverse groups. This is particularly true when it comes to addressing systemic racism, discrimination, and other forms of exclusion faced by union members from racialized and historically underrepresented groups. The realities of racial inequities and injustice for Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, 2SLGBTQIA+, people living […]

Doc Spotlight: Torn Director Max Lowe Turns His Father’s Story into One about His Entire Family

November 30, 2021 Edward Douglas Comments Off

The death of a parent or other loved one can often throw an entire family into disarray. For filmmaker Max Lowe, the death of his father, renowned mountain climber Alex Lowe, in a 1999 avalanche at Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma, meant huge changes for his mother Jenny, as well as for him and his younger brothers, Sam and Isaac. Lowe was just 11 at the time of Alex’s death, while his […]

Set Decorators Society Announces David Schlesinger SDSA for Dec. 18 Guest

November 30, 2021 Staff Comments Off

The Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA) has announced its next “Day with the Set Decorator” to take place on Saturday, December 18th at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST with guest, Set Decorator David Schlesinger SDSA, who has worked on films such as John Wick 3 and Rian Johnson‘s Knives Out. You can register for the event here with a $25 registration fee. According to the press release: “If you’ve been curious about […]

IBC2021 Conference Cancelled, Reverts to Digital Until 2022

November 30, 2021 Staff Comments Off

IBC2021, the annual International Broadcasting Conference, was scheduled to be held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands starting this Friday, December 3, but then, quite quietly, and right before the Thanksgiving weekend in the States, it was cancelled via a notice on the website last Tuesday, Nov. 23, which stated: “IBC announces that the in person IBC2021 event has been cancelled. The move follows growing concerns about the COVID-19 situation in The Netherlands, which […]

Animation Spotlight: The Summit of the Gods Director Patrick Imbert

November 29, 2021 Edward Douglas Comments Off

While the United States has more than its fair share of animation studios making big-budget CG feature films, France has long had a rich history for animation that’s often as much or more about the art as it is about the commerce. Patrick Imbert’s The Summit of the Gods is one of those great examples of how animation can be used to tell stories not necessarily for kids, using animation […]

Over the Weekend 11/29/21: Stephen Sondheim Dies, Disney’s Encanto Wins Box Office, and More News

November 29, 2021 Edward Douglas Comments Off

Happy Monday and welcome back from hopefully a great long Thanksgiving weekend for those who celebrate. Unfortunately, we need to start today’s news wrap-up with a number of tragic passings. Probably saddest and the most significant news from the weekend was the death of Broadway icon, Stephen Sondheim, at the age of 91, in his Roxbury, Connecticut home on Friday morning. Apparently, his death was quite sudden to those who knew […]

Review: The Tender Bar Drowns in a Sea of Literary Tricks and Tips

November 29, 2021 J. Don Birnam Comments Off

I remember my “Intro to Literary Writing” course at Yale like it was yesterday. The coursebook had one tip and two tricks that all inexperienced authors should follow to create compelling stories during the time in which it took them to find their voice. The tip: write about what you know. The tricks: use repetition so that your readers remember something about your work and create a character that has […]

BB&S Lighting Introduces Compact Bicolor Fresnel (CFL) Light

November 29, 2021 Staff Comments Off

BB&S Lighting of Denmark has added the Compact Bicolor Fresnel (CFL) to its family of Compact Beamlight LED studio fixtures. The smallest footprint (5.5-in/14cm) Fresnel on the market, it draws just 38W and outputs over 2400 lumens at 96 TLCI (tunable from 2700 to 5600°K). New CFL features a genuine curved glass 90mm Fresnel lens that ensures even field distribution in addition to excellent shadow rendering. CFL outputs a hard-shadow beam that […]

The Accidental Turitz: Introduction to Creative Accounting 101

November 24, 2021 Neil Turitz Comments Off

Anthony McCarten filed suit last week against Graham King, the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, which won four Oscars and grossed close to a billion dollars at the global box office. It’s a movie that McCarten wrote, earning sole screenplay credit while sharing screen story credit with Peter Morgan. As part of McCarten’s deal with King’s GK Films, the production entity behind the movie, McCarten was to receive five percent of […]

For Your Consideration: Singer/Songwriter Rufus Wainwright on his Song “Secret Sister” for Rebel Hearts

November 24, 2021 Edward Douglas Comments Off

In the world of singer/songwriters, Rufus Wainwright is more than a bit of a legend, having made ten studio albums and three live records — receiving Grammy nominations for one of each — but also having worked with many other well-regarded songwriting legends, including Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Sting, and many more. After releasing his exceptional album, Unfollow the Rules, in 2020, Wainwright provided the song […]