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WF APPROVES FOUR NEW PROJECTS 

 

Washington Filmworks is thrilled to announce we have approved four projects for funding assistance, including three feature films and one commercial.  These productions will put Washington cast and crew to work throughout our state this summer.  Be on the lookout for a film set in your area.

If you have a project that qualifies, please contact our office at (206) 264-0667, or find out more at www.WashingtonFilmworks.org.  

Don’t delay. Applications are coming in quickly.  

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WF BOARD OF DIRECTORS NEWS  

 

There are lots of announcements from the Washington Filmworks Board of Directors.  We’d like to take the opportunity to thank outgoing Board Chair Becky Bogard for her service to the state film industry. Becky was instrumental in the recent renewal of legislation that supports our incentive program.  She will remain on the Board in the position that represents Convention and Visitors Bureaus throughout Washington. Thank you, Becky. 

 

WF is pleased to announce Craig Schafer will become our new Board Chair on July 1, 2012.  Craig becomes Chair after several years of service to the WF Board in the position that represents Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Congratulations, Craig!

 

WF Board member, Abby Dylan, who represents Labor (SAG/AFTRA), was recently appointed to the union’s national committee for independent films.  This committee works with independent productions to negotiate SAG/AFTRA contracts.  Congratulations, Abby!

 

WF is working with the Office of Governor Chris Gregoire to identify candidates for a new Board position representing interactive media, or emerging forms of motion picture production.  In the meantime, the Governor has reappointed Board Members Becky Bogard, Don Jensen, Abby Dylan and Harry Sladich for new four year terms. 

 

A huge “thank you” to our Board for all that they do.

 

WELCOME OUR NEW PRODUCTION SERVICES COORDINATOR 

  

Washington Filmworks is thrilled to announce we have hired a full-time Production Services Coordinator (PSC). The PSC is primarily responsible for responding to location and production resource inquiries from motion picture productions.  Krys Karns recently relocated to Seattle from Los Angeles and has been working part-time with WF since early April. We’re excited to officially have her onboard.  

Krys has worked for several years in the film industry, in the areas of production and locations on such television series as “Touched By An Angel” and “Promised Land.” In 2004 she joined the staff of Cast & Crew Entertainment Services as their Marketing Coordinator, where she assisted with the development of marketing materials, coordinated events and trade shows, and continued to support clients in the entertainment industry. This past year she returned to the film industry working on the films “J. Edgar” and “Gangster Squad.” Krys is a graduate of Cal State University Northridge and holds a degree in Radio, Television & Film.

Krys can be reached by calling our main office line at (206) 264-0667.

 

 

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MAY FMI HAPPY HOUR 

  

Already need a cocktail to recover from the Memorial Day weekend? Wish granted.  The May FMI Happy Hour event is tomorrow!  FMI Happy Hour events are held on the last Wednesday of every month in Seattle, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Spitfire in Belltown. 

 

The May Guest Speaker is musician Trey Gunn, who has performed and recorded with the likes of TOOL, King Crimson, and a slew of other talented bands and musicians. Trey will detail his personal and professional experience finding his “original voice.”  He’ll share how he uses this, and his creativity, to his advantage.

 

The event is open to everyone 21 and over. Find out more information on the FMI Happy Hour page. Please help spread the word about this fun and informative monthly mixer. Cheers!

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SEEKING PARTICIPANTS – FILM & FASHION SURVEY 

  

Washington Filmworks is committed to tracking the needs our local film community.  We are pleased to support one of our Alumi, Line Sandsmark, in her endeavors to assess the challenges and opportunities that Washington offers professionals and students in the film and fashion industries. 

Washington’s creative sector seems torn between a unified spirit of collaboration and a series of independent artists operating on their own terms.  Sarah Butler and Line Sandsmark, two Masters of Fine Arts candidates at Seattle University, need your help to discover where this schism lies.  Sandsmark, Managing Director at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery, has a film production background from Scandinavia and is currently board president of Northwest Film Forum in Seattle. Butler is in charge of all Fashion Events and Editorials for The Bellevue Collection, and coordinates Bellevue Fashion Week. 

Taking this survey will help bring to light the challenges and opportunities Washington State offers professionals and students in the film and fashion industries.  Some of the survey questions mention Seattle/Puget Sound area specifically.  If you live outside of this region, be sure to note that in the appropriate fields.  

The deadline for completing the survey is June 4th. Ten questions – all brief! 

Here’s the direct link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&formkey=dHM1cDNEYXlNcTlSWXpKZTNhRTl0eWc6MQ#gid=0

 

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APRIL FMI HAPPY HOUR

It’s already here… the April Film + Music + Interactive Happy Hour, will happen tomorrow evening, April 25th. FMI Happy Hour events are held on the last Wednesday of every month in Seattle, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Spitfire in Belltown.

The April Guest Speaker is Beth Barrett, Director of Programming at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Beth will offer a glimpse into the mysterious and wonderful world of film festival programming. Find out what it takes to get your project seen on the festival circuit, both in the U.S. and abroad. As an added bonus, at 7 p.m. Beth will announce the local film lineup for the 2012 SIFF Northwest Connections program.

This event is open to everyone 21 and over. Find out more information on the FMI Happy Hour page. Please help spread the word about this fun and informative monthly mixer. Cheers!

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WASHINGTON FILMWORKS’ LOCATION OF THE MONTH

 

Washington may be nicknamed the Evergreen State, but we’ve got a little bit of everything when it comes to locations.  Perhaps you need Washington to look like the arid U.S. Southwest. In 2011 the feature film “Eden,” directed by Megan Griffiths, faced this exact challenge. The production successfully used rural areas in Eastern Washington to double for New Mexico and Nevada.

 

Our May location of the month is the City of Moses Lake – one of the settings used for the Southwest scenes in “Eden.”  Moses Lake is located in Grant County, WA. The city is on a lake that features more than 120 miles of freshwater shoreline (also known as Moses Lake). The area is home to 3,000 acres of sand dunes as well.

Photo Credit: Craig Sweat

If you’re interested in finding out more about the locations the Moses Lake area has to offer, please contact Spencer Grigg, Director of the City of Moses Lake Parks & Recreation Department.  You may email him directly at sgrigg@ci.moses-lake.wa.us or call (509) 764-3805.

 

You may also contact Washington Filmworks directly for more information about filming in the Moses Lake area. (206) 264-0667.