James Bond Turns 50, also, American Film Market, Billboard FutureSound, Siggraph Asia, are highlights in November’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Bond through the years: (From left) Sean Connery as James Bond in “From Russia With Love” (1963). David Niven as James Bond in Bond spoof based loosely on Ian Flemming’s story, “Casino Royale” (1967). Roger Moore as James Bond in “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977). George Lazenby as James Bond in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969). Timothy Dalton as James bond in “Licence to Kill” (1989). Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in “Golden Eye” (1995). Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Casino Royale.” (2006). Photo credits: United Artists; MGM; Sony

At 50: Bond… James Bond

In 1952, an English author, journalist and former naval intelligence officer named Ian Lancaster Fleming sat down at his Jamaican retreat which he was vacationing at and started to pen a story that would become ‘Casino Royale’, the first of 14 novels and short stories featuring the fictional commander in the Royal Naval Reserve and British secret agent of secret intelligence service MI6, James Bond. The resulting work was a success with three print runs to answer demand and marked the start of a series that has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children’s story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction and received acknowledgement from London based The Times as one of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”. In 1954 CBS commissioned Ian Fleming to adapt his novel ‘Casino Royale’ into a one-hour television adventure as part of its Climax! series. The episode aired live in October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as “Card Sense” James ‘Jimmy’ Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre.

The first Bond film (set in Jamaica, W.I.), ‘Dr No’, would be released in 1962 with Sean Connery (a Scotsman) setting the standard for the Bond character, and marking the start of one of the most successful franchises in movie making history. EON Productions has produced the majority of the Bond series. The 1967 Bond spoof, ‘Casino Royale’, starring David Niven and the 1983 ‘Never Say Never Again’, with Sean Connery in a return performance after leaving the series, were not made by EON who produce the official Bond movies. Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of the late Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the producer who brought Bond to the screen in 1962, maintains active control along with half-brother, Michael Wilson, in the productions of all Bond films right up to Skyfall, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Incidentally, David Niven was the only James Bond actor mentioned by name in the text of Fleming’s novels. In ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, Bond visits an exclusive ski resort in Switzerland where he is told that David Niven is a frequent visitor and in ‘You Only Live Twice’, David Niven is referred to as the only real gentleman in Hollywood.

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American Film Market, the annual, anticipated film event that’s not quite festival, not quite conference, but mostly business opportunity — the business of independent motion picture production and distribution — set oceanside against Santa Monica beach. Generally 8,000 industry professionals converge in Santa Monica for the deal-making, screenings, seminars, networking and parties that continue through November 7. Participants come from over 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. Separate from the conference schedule, the AFM Industry Conversations are interactive and informative discussions led by Hollywood thought leaders, decision makers, trendsetters and experts, and are free to anyone with an AFM Badge. This year AFM and AFI FEST that normally runs concurrent to AFM in Hollywood will join forces and introduce a new AFI FEST screening program. Three AFI FEST films seeking international sales representation will be screened at AFM on Tuesday, November 6. A total of 27 films screening at AFI FEST will also be represented at this year’s AFM. AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance®, the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television industry and the voice and advocate for the Independents worldwide.

The Hollywood based American Film Institute Festival holds a well regarded FIAPF accreditation assuring a high standard for the films it screens in its festival. ‘Hitchcock’, with Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, will have its World Premiere on the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2012. Tickets will be released the day before each screening at AFI.com and the day of each screening at the AT&T Box Office at Hollywood and Highland Center. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is the official host hotel where you can find the Cinema Lounge, Audi Sky Lounge, Media Center and other various reception/event spaces. The Festival closes November 8.

Starz Denver Film Festival showcases more than 200 new films from around the world with over 175 international filmmakers, directors, actors and other film artists participating. The annual celebration of film running through November 11 provides a prominent showcase for world cinema, a platform for international film artists, and promotes dialogue between participating filmmakers and the public. Panels slated for discussion include: “The Talent You Don’t See”, “Women + Film”, “Zombie Town Hall Meeting”. During the Argonaut Wine and Film Series, seven films have been specially paired with wines from the respective countries of production and tastings will either precede or follow the screenings. Another festival special event, Animation Station, will feature an Animation Station Competition at Open Media Foundation, Animation Station workshop, and Animation Station Screening.

Leeds International Film Festival, founded in 1987 and hosted in the main city of the UK’s Yorkshire region, features programme sections including: the competitions of the Official Selection; Fanomenon, the UK’s largest genre event; Short Film City; documentary strand Cinema Versa; Cherry Kino for artist film and video; and the Thought Bubble Comic Convention. LIFF is organised by Leeds Film, part of Leeds City Council, a local authority in the Yorkshire region of the UK. There are a number of free films and events at this year’s festival which runs until November 18, including ‘Unchosen Presents Ghosts’ with Nick Broomfield and The Golem + Live Organ Accompaniment.

Createasphere’s Entertainment Technology Expo in Burbank is a two-day gathering beginning November 7 for content creator professionals involved in production, post and delivery. Co-located with the Entertainment Technology Expo is Gear Alley where attendees can get to handle the production gear and participate in shoulder-to-shoulder demonstrations with active professionals. On the second day of ETE is the Post Production Master Class. This is an session focused on the trends, technologies, and the business of post production. Soon to be announced, Createasphere will launch the DPW Lab at the Entertainment Technology Expo 2012 featuring cutting edge digital process workflow. In one special Gear Alley session, attendees an handle and improve their technique with floating, camera boom, crane and jib shots during an info seminar led by Eddie Barber,  Emmy Award-winner and cameraman with an extensive list of music video credits that include Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Beach Boys, among others.

Salon De La Photo is an international exhibition of photography in Paris put together by La Compagnie Du Nouvel Art De Vivre, a subsidiary of Comexposium. Credit: lesalondelaphoto.com

Salon De La Photo is an international exhibition of photography in Paris put together by La Compagnie Du Nouvel Art De Vivre, a subsidiary of Comexposium. On display from November 8-12 will be the latest technological innovations, from cameras to printers to digital imaging techniques. It offers a range of demonstrations, hands-on workshops, classes, film sessions and public discussions. One particular interactive experience, “Grandes Rencontres du Salon de la Photo”, gives visitors the opportunity to meet photography professionals in an event that will be organized and broadcast by Photographie.com. Salon de la Photo will also be an innovative trade show and conference for creative professionals looking to update or enhance their studio and location equipment, pick up new tips and techniques, network with industry mentors and imaging gurus. Salon de la Photo will be giving the ZOOM awards for the third year running where ten photo magazines editors each choose their favourite up-and-coming professional photographer (French or living in France) who has real but as yet unrecognized talent and whose work deserves to be brought to the attention of the general public.

This year at the Oaxaca FilmFest in Oaxaca, independent filmmakers and screenwriters from each continent will be competing for six original hand crafted Agave Statues created by international artist Alejandro Santiago. The categories include: Screen Writing Competition Award, Audience Choice Award, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Narrative Short Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Narrative Feature Film. And of course Oaxaca FilmFest will honor Excellence in Cinema, including: acting, editing, musical score, directing, and Mexican film. There will be a three day “Pitch It” event that includes two workshops on how to properly pitch a film script to industry professionals followed by the opportunity to pitch to and interact with industry executives from various regions around the globe in real time via live video streaming. “Meet the Directors”, a part of the festival format since its start, will be in La Choperia, a local bar, on a night when a handful of directors screen their short films and lead a discussion on the making their film. There will be a late night “Insominia” midnight outdoor screening overlooking the city of Oaxaca. Cocktails and After Parties are scheduled for every day of the festival which goes November 8-17, and are included on a schedule at this link.

Opening November 14-25, Brisbane International Film Festival in Fortitude Valley take place at what is for them the beginning of the Australian summer, as well as for anyone else in that region of the world. BIFF is a showcase for International cinema while also serving as a platform for local Australian and Queensland productions. The Opening Night film will be British crime drama ‘The Sweeney’ followed with a gala after party on the Barracks bridge. Closing night film is Tolstoy’s classic tale of obsessive love, ‘Anna Karenina’ (Keira Knightley), from Universal Pictures, then followed by the Closing Night Gala.

In San Francisco, the Billboard FutureSound Conference’s format includes a series of 15-minute presentations from digital music thought leaders outlining their visions for both existing and future opportunities in the music industry. Fred Wilson, Principal, Union Square Ventures, delivers the conference Keynote along the intersecting lines of music, digital and social trends and investments. Don Was, President of Blue Note Records, delivers a Keynote Q&A shares his insights on how apps can function as a music format, and other issues related to the intersection of music, tech and fans as it relates to music distribution and artists development. New at this year’s two-day conference starting on November 15 is the Innovators Showcase competition where digital music startups get the opportunity to pitch a company or product to a panel of judges on stage during the conference. Eligible startups must be pre-revenue, with a working demo or prototype to present that is directed at the music industry —- be that fans, artists, or insiders. Cocktail receptions close the evenings for both days of the conference.

Bath Film Festival was originally established in 1991, in Bath, by members of the Bath Film Society and the three cinemas in the city at the time. An expanding program over the years now includes workshops for festival goers, live music accompaniments to silent cinema, open-air cinema. On November 21 screenwriter Bob Baker, who has been writing scripts for over 40 years from television dramas to children’s programs, gives advice on writing for film and television and talks in detail about his screenwriting while showing clips. On November 23, BAFTA-winning, and Oscar-nominated producer, Stephen Woolley, shares insights from his 30 year career. Bath Film Festival in conjunction with the Internet Movie Database – IMDb – have instituted two new film awards in 2012, IMDb New Filmmaker Award aims to discover new directorial talent and the IMDb Script to Screen Award. On the evening of November 25, Screen Award winner titled Pussy Cat, by Simon Wharf, will get its world premiere, and five finalists and the winner of the £1,000 prize of the New Filmmaker Award will also be screened. The festival in its entirety runs from November 15-25.

According to festival organizers, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography selects films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values. The Bydgoszcz based Festival strives to be a forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking. Apart from the Main Competition the Festival also contains other events such as Student Etudes Competition, Documentary Films Competition, Music Videos Competition, Feature Debutes Competition, Plus Camerimage Market, Plus Camerimage Forum, Polish Films Competition, special screenings and premieres, various reviews, retrospectives, meetings and accompanying events such as art exhibitions and music performances. During the Festival, which has its run November 24 to December 1, the gymnasium of the University of Economy is turned into a functioning film studio, where  filmmakers lead film workshops for accredited guests of the festival. This 20th edition of the festival will present Latvian Cinema Review, a program that will provide festival participants with a selection of films displaying the variety and the value of Latvian cinema. Latvian Cinema Review will not only be a chance to learn more about the country’s history, mentality, and current situation, but also explore the Latvian sense of humor and the unique atmosphere of Latvia’s cinema.

Siggraph Asia 2012 happening in Singapore November 28 through December 1 is put on by The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. The convention’s trade exhibition will offer participants from hardware and software vendors to studios and educational institutions a platform to market their products and services to computer graphics and interactive techniques professionals and enthusiasts. This year the conference will introduce a new program – “Technical Briefs”. Other featured events include Art Gallery, Computer Animation Festival, courses, Emerging Technologies, Symposium on Apps, and Technical Papers. The Symposium on Apps program aims to cover the development, technology, and marketing of mobile applications, and this year’s program will put more emphasis on graphics and replace “motion tracking” with categories like hardware, games, augmented reality, location-based services, animation, and social networking.

“Birds of a Feather” events are proposed by SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 attendees and are informal presentations, discussions, and demonstrations for people who share interests, goals, technologies, environments, or backgrounds. These events will be free of charge, related to computer graphics or interactive techniques, and open to all SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 conference attendees. Blender, the free/open source 3D creation software developed by a worldwide community of 3D artists and developers, holds a November 30 session for users (open to Siggraph attendees) of Blender to showcase their work, ranging from technology demos to animation and VFX for film. The official SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 Networking Reception will be at |MAX Atria Foyer, Level 1, on November 29. Stroll through the Art Gallery and Emerging Technologies demonstrations with live entertaining music in the background. A standing dinner buffet including a free flow of refreshments will be provided. Wine and beer will be available as well.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html which now has pages translated into 10 of the most widely used international languages that can be accessed from the blog page. This month’s photo composite celebrates the 50 years since the world’s best known secret agent — James Bond — came unto the cinematic screen as Agent 007. If the composite does not appear in this post please click this link. Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that December will be a slow month with most activities reserved for holiday celebration, but there will still be… Burleighfest in Perth, All Things Hollywood; International Festival opens in Burbank, Future of Film Summit in Los Angeles, European Conference on Visual Media Production opens in London, The Bahamas International Film Festival opens in Nassau, DocMiami International Film Festival will be in Miami, the International fest of experimental film and digital art will be in Bratislava, NewFilmmakers New York comes to New York City.

NYFA guest article on actor training, also, MIPCOM, Ghent Fest, CMJ Music Marathon, NYTVF, are highlights in October’s Global Media and Entertainment Industry

Training for Now: What Degree of Acting School is Right for You?

By Glenn Kalison, Chair of Acting for Film Program, New York Film Academy

Actor training might include learning to play comedy for performers who otherwise consider themselves to be dramatic performers. Developing range never hurts and makes the actor more employable.

Ultimately, people come wired with different degrees of natural talent. This is true in every pursuit, from anything involving math or science to the arts, athletics and everything in between. This certainly is true of performers, be they actors, dancers, singers, comics or musicians. Natural talent is only a part of what’s required to be a success.

For everyone who likes to cite Bryan Cranston (the talented multi-Emmy winner for his work in Breaking Bad), who holds an associate degree in political science, we should also consider how many others devoted their life to studying drama. Meryl Streep studied as an undergraduate as Vassar College and earned her masters in fine arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. Talent provides a good foundation, but education doesn’t hurt.

A very good exercise in actor training involves improvisational work. Classes that introduce actors to this craft often evolve into performing ensembles.

On a practical business point, the actor who has invested years of his or her life to training may be more attractive to managers, agents, and casting professionals at the very beginning. On the resume, solid training represents a commitment. This is a meaningful signal to send in a field such as acting, which has a very high attrition rate. If industry professionals are considering a new relationship with an entry-level actor, they will want to know that you are not going anywhere. Additionally, there is a confidence associated with those individuals who are trained to perform to the technical and artistic needs of productions. This does not replace the importance of talent, but may increase the number of opportunities to apply that talent.

Of course, not everyone has the time or wherewithal to follow Meryl Streep’s path. The programs at the New York Film Academy (http://www.nyfa.edu/) range from one week acting school workshops through summer camps, one-year conservatory, associate (two-year), bachelor (eight-semester) and masters (eight-semester) degree programs.

It might seem attractive to take several years off from life to get another degree, but that may not be realistic for many people. But a concentrated one-week intensive program can be a smart way for a working person to spend a week off from a regular job. This program (offered at the school’s Manhattan, Los Angeles, Orlando, Harvard/Boston, Queensland/Australia, Florence/Italy and Paris/France campuses) is completely immersive, including an intensive introduction to relaxation (tension alleviation), “method” (acting truthfully), scene study (dramatic beats, needs of the characters), movement (expression without words), voice (as it reveals character) and acting for the camera. A single week of training has its limitations, of course, but anyone who takes it emerges far more skilled than before.

A summer camp is another means by which younger people – teens and kids – get a taste for acting and consider where they might focus their career aspirations. In a similar vein for adults, 4-, 8- and 12-week acting and comedy programs provide technical training for the skills required of actors. Longer programs convey an understanding of film craft, the language and grammar of filmmaking. The actor is far preferred by directors if he or she understands shot language, screen direction, camera movement, eye lines and lighting.

In a multi-year degree program, the student is clearly committed to this profession and what it takes to be a solid performer on stage and screen. The course of study includes literature (vocabulary, history and industry writing trends), production, kinesthetic expression (the expression of movement, the voice and gestures), synthesis (becoming a unique artistic product) and business (the practical nature of identifying one’s marketing niche and the creation of a business plan to meet career objectives).

Some training beats no training. Training is available for different level performers, time commitments and locations so all students of performance, young and not so young, should be able to find something from which they can benefit.

Glenn Kalison received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Irvine and has since worked as an actor, director and producer on films that include Clutter (with Carol Kane and Natasha Lyonne), The Good Shepherd (with Matt Damon and John Turturro) and Mystery Team (with Aubry Plaza and Donald Glover), a Sundance Film Festival selection; and on television productions that include Law and Order: SVU, Law and Order: CI, Lights Out, As the World Turns; and many off-Broadway and regional stage productions. He is Chair, Acting for Film Program at the New York Film Academy.

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MIPCOM at Cannes is the yearly anticipated film, TV and digital market for

Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in ‘Skyfall’, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. ‘Skyfall’ opens in UK Cinemas, October 26 and in US theaters, November 9.

co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content. It provides the people involved in the TV, film, digital and audiovisual content, production and distribution industry a market and networking forum to discover future trends and trade content rights on a global level. Increasingly present are new media players such as Facebook, and MIPWORLD is the event’s online matchmaking community used before, during and after the main event in Cannes. MIPJunior, a two-day screening and conference event for kids’ TV and multiplatform content, normally is held right before the MIPCOM event which this year runs October 8-11. This year, Canada will be in the MIPCOM spotlight, as the festival collaborates with Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) to present Canada Country of Honour, an immersive celebration of the best of Canadian TV, film and digital entertainment.

MIPCOM schedules a special workshop addressed to creators and producers to learn more on how to launch and grow a channel on YouTube, web broadcasting powerhouse, with more than 4 billion video views per day, on October 11. The MIPCOM 2012 World Premiere TV Screening of new period drama, ‘The Americans’, will have gala screening and MIPCOM’s red carpet Opening Night Party on Octobern 8, attended by the series’ leading couple actress Keri Russell and Welsh actor Matthew Rhys. BBC Worldwide is bringing actors Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg to Cannes to present the British period crime drama produced by Tiger Aspect and Lookout Point, ‘Ripper Street’. Palme d’Or and Oscar-winning writer/director Jane Campion will be at MIPCOM to present her new series, Top of the Lake, executive produced by See-Saw Films and internationally distributed by BBC Worldwide.

The Ghent Film Festival in the province of East Flanders was first established in 1974 as a student’s film festival, but has since evolved into a broader film event with its focus on film music. As this year’s nearly month-long festival gets underway October 9 the opening gala screening will be melodramatic love tale: ‘The Broken Circle Breakdown’ directed by Felix van Groeningen. Every year along with screenings the festival organises film music concerts providing composers of film scores a showcase of their own. And each year since 2001 the best soundtrack composers are honoured with the World Soundtrack Awards. In addition to the screenings, the Ghent Film Festival also organises film-related exhibitions. For instance, the Stanley Kubrick exhibition, which was previously shown in Berlin, Melbourne and Frankfurt-am-Main, was brought to Ghent before other world cities such as Rome, Paris and London.

On October 18, the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the very first James Bond film and the Belgium release of the new James Bond film ‘Skyfall’, Ghent Film Festival presents “007 in Concert: Flemish Talents Sing James Bond”. This program of famous Bond songs will performed with Flemish artists and the Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Dirk Brossé. Guest artists will share their personal interpretation of legendary Bond songs including pop and rock artists like Natalia, Koen Wauters and Eva Jacobs, Jasper Steverlinck, Noémie Wolfs (Hooverphonic), Pieter Embrechts, Lady Linn, Barbara Dex, Marie Daulne (Zap Mama), Lola (AKS) and Stryrofoam who are confirmed for attendance and other to be added. Another 007 themed concert is scheduled for October 21.

The music of award-winning composer James Newton Howard will be celebrated in concert at the Ghent’s 12th World Soundtrack Awards on October 20. Howard — who has received eight Oscar® nominations — most recently scored the blockbuster film ‘The Hunger Games’ and other credits include ‘King Kong’, ‘The Sixth Sense’, ‘The Fugitive’ and ‘Pretty Woman’. VIP tickets are available for most all special concerts. In the “Artists On Film” festival showcase, October 10, Director Dheeraj Akoilkar examines the fruitful artistic collaborations between Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman in 2012 documentary ‘Liv & Ingmar’ before, during and after their romantic connection. The official closing program is “Passion” an erotic thriller in the tradition of ‘Dressed To Kill’ and ‘Basic Instinct’ directed by Brian De Palma.

At a time when all players in the TV and entertainment ecosystem face numerous challenges in keeping pace with quick paced technological innovation, introduction and adoption of new devices, platforms and evolving consumer demands, the Social TV ecosystem drives “what’s on”, and PayTV services are increasingly virtualized and seamless across multiple connected devices. That’s where the Sixth Annual TVNext 2012 Conference in Santa Clara brings together the hundreds of media, technology and entertainment companies starting to chart a course for the Future of TV and Multi-Platform Entertainment Services and Platforms. The two-day convention starting October 10 has an agenda format that offers resources to help key decision-makers adapt their products, services and content to most effectively follow the paradigm shift happening right now. Jesse Redniss, Senior Vice President Digital – USA Network, delivers the conference keynote: “The Perfect Pixel – Portable, Shareable, Social”. The Diffusion Group will lead a pre-conference workshop on October 9 titled: “TV’s Great Migration” which looks into how the existing TV experience is migrating online, new OTT services, how broadcast and VOD TV services are adapting to the connected world and how they are transitioning online with TV.

The Tyrolean Independent Film Festival set to open for a run from October 12-15 curates quality films that are between art house and Hollywood block buster movies. It selects entertaining movies that have the potential to reach a great international audience. The Metropol Kino — which will house most of the screenings — is a movie theater with a long tradition that is situated at the Riverwalk near the old town of Innsbruck in the heart of the European Alps — the alpine-urban city of Innsbruck. The Festival will screen films in cinema halls 3 and 4, as well as in the lobby. All festival parties start at 10 pm, or after the last screenings.

The Visual Effects Society (VES) is an organization representing visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of more than 2,500 members in 29 countries, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a various domestic and international events, screenings and programs. Their upcoming VES Summit in Marina del Rey on October 13 will be used to examines the intersection between creative content and the business bottom line emphasizing how social media impacts decision making on all levels. Back by popular demand are the Breakfast Round Tables. Albert Cheng, EVP and Chief Product Officer, Digital Media, Disney/ABC Television Group, follows George Whitesides, CEO and President, Virgin Galactic at the morning speaker sessions. The Visual Effects Society (VES) as a non-profit professional, honorary society is dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and uses of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition. The Summit closes with a cocktail and mixer reception for all to attend.

Now in its 32nd year, CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival functions as a platform for the discovery of new music with showcases that are held in over 80 venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. In addition to keynote speakers and an exhibition area with a live performance stage running October 16-20, it features dozens of panels covering topics of universal importance to the music industry. Attendees have access to over 80 panels, seminars, Q&As, nighttime parties, meet and greets, mixers, special events and exclusive areas like the Exhibitors’ Loft and Artist Lounge. In conjunction with CMJ’s commitment to educating as well as entertaining, registrants can sign up to have one-on-one sessions with professionals in a variety of capacities across the music world for insight and advice on thriving in the industry. On opening day a panel with Elias Roman, CEO and Co-Founder of Songza, Sami Valkonen, Esq., Head of International Music Licensing, Google Play, Larry Kanusher, Esq., Greenberg Traurig, Matthew DeFilippis, Vice President New Media and Technology, ASCAP discuss some of the open issues facing streaming media, including copyright and licensing concerns, and later that day in another panel, Mark Piibe, Esq., Executive Vice President, Global Business Development, EMI Music, Tyler Lenane, Esq., Senior Vice President and General Counsel, MOG, Gene Rhough, Esq., Independent Media Consultant, Larry Miller, Managing Partner, Miller and Company address financing innovation in entertainment.

With an emphasis on learning, talent assessment and job placement, the MIA Animation Conference and Festival conference at Miami Beach that focuses on Computer Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, Film, Web Design and Visual Arts. It will offer master classes along with software demos and multiple panels focusing on new technologies. There will be a job fair onsite bringing employers from major animation and gaming studios, Post-Houses, TV Networks, to interview and hire students onsite. Interested applicants should check job postings on the Job Fair Page (http://www.miaanimation.com/Job%20Fair.htm) on a regular basis. The Festival will be holding a Pitching Contest onsite, and all content creators are encouraged to submit their projects for consideration. The top submissions in both categories will be invited to pitch their ideas in person to a panel of animation industry experts and professionals. The top pitch overall will be set up with three meetings with relevant buyers and/or talent representatives, enabling a start to getting the pitch sold. For planned competitive event, “Animation Wars,” four competing teams of computer graphics artists will be chosen to participate in the competition to be held at Miami International University of Art & Design. The competition starts at 12 pm on October 19 and ends at 12 pm on October 20 — a day before the conference officially begins and a day before it ends. During this time the four teams will compete against each other to create the best animation sequence through creative use of technology to tell a story, based on a theme to be revealed at the day of the competition.

Each year the New York Television Festival showcases the work of artists around the world bringing its audiences the creations of independently produced television. The NYTVF has hosted these independent initiatives leading to opportunities for guaranteed development deals with a number of networks, studios and brands including FOX, ION Media, Microsoft’s Bing, Sony Pictures Television, Lifetime and Procter & Gamble Productions. In addition to those stand-alone initiatives, Independent Pilot Competition partners have included FX, IFC, MTV, USA and FOX Television Studios. Festival artists have also gone on to sell Festival-premiered content and  projects to a number of outlets including NBC, Sundance, A&E, Versus, IFC, Comedy Central, truTV and Spike. The Festival which opens October 22-27 this year in downtown Tribeca is supported by William Morris Endeavor (WME), Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and the United Talent Agency (UTA).

In West Hollywood the Hollywood Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Film and TV Music Conference will address the connection to, and music’s role in, film and television amid an assemblage of composers, directors, key studio, network, record label and publishing professionals, VIPs from the advertising, gaming and commercial fields as well as music supervisors in the business. Five-time Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera headlines the conference with the Keynote address. Aguilera will discuss her musical journey — beginning with “The Mickey Mouse Club,” up to her present stint as a coach on NBC’s “The Voice.” — an upcoming album, and the role television has played and continues to play in her life and career. Then there will be a Keynote Q&A with Epic Records Chairman, “X Factor” judge and three time Grammy winner Antonio “L.A.” Reid who will discuss his career as a producer, songwriter and label executive at Epic. Other conference highlights will include a Q&A with two-time Academy Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla who will talk about his award-winning work on ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ ‘Motorcycle Diaries’ and ‘Babel,’ as well as his latest score, ‘On the Road,’ and a panel session titled Breaking Bad: Storytelling Through Music Supervision and Composing where the creator of the hit series on AMC, Vince Gilligan, will discuss the increasing importance of music on the show with composer Dave Porter and music supervisor Thomas Golubic. Evening one (October 24) ends with a cocktail reception and the closing night on October 25 finishes with a Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter Conference Closing Party hosted by John Anderson and PJ Bloom at VANGUARD located at 6021 Hollywood Boulevard.

Casual Connect is produced by the Casual Games Association and is an industry event for the casual games industry — which are largely played on digital and/or mobile devices. Casual Connect brings together the experts of the casual gaming field to further the casual games industry through networking and learning and convention events held in both North America, Asia and Europe. On day one of the conference, Paul Thelen, Founder and CEO, Big Fish Games delivers a talk on “Making Money with Games – What’s Real Today”. Casual games are often found on a variety of platforms including personal computers, video game consoles, mobile phones and handheld devises. Because of their ease of distribution, varied monetization methods and mass appeal, casual games are distributed in a wide variety of locations including retail stores, major online portals such as Yahoo! and MSN, social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, and specialty online retailers such as Big Fish Games and GameHouse.

Aside from the conference and other learning agendas, Casual Connect will feature an Innovation Showcase that will take place near the entrance to Elite and Azure hall, and will showcase new entries such as: Botanicula, a point’n’click exploration game created by the makers of award-winning Machinarium, studio Amanita Design and Czech band DVA; Mad Acorn, a music rhythm game that gets you to pay attention to and interact with the rhythm; Nihilumbra, a videogame that panders to the existential dread within the player and that utilizes five different colors which give the player various abilities to change the physics of the world. Just one of the official Casual Connect parties to be announced is the Big Fish Games Presents Disco Stars! at venue D*Lux. The theme of the party for this year is 80’s Disco. Check the convention agenda for more engagements which are sure to come.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page at: http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html which now has a language translation button to convert page contents into most widely used international languages. A special guest article sidebar from New York Film Academy weighs in on selecting the right program for actor training By Glenn Kalison, Chair of Acting for Film Program, NYFA. This month’s photo composite heralds the upcoming Bond, 007 flick ‘Skyfall’, the 23rd adventure and the 50th anniversary of the series, opening in UK Cinemas October 26 and in US theaters November 9. Looking ahead into the next month, be aware that… American Film Market will run along the beach in Santa Monica, AFI Fest opens in Hollywood, the ALTER-NATIVE International Short Film Festival opens in Mures, the Oaxaca FilmFest will be in Oaxaca, Brisbane International Film Festival will be in Brisbane, Content and Communication World will be in New York City, The Billboard FutureSound Conference will be in San Francisco.