Category Archives: Hollywood Salon

Hollywood Salon: Always the Second Monday of the month at the historic Culver Hotel, Culver City, Los Angeles. The Hollywood Salon is an educational program of events featuring guest lecturers working in film, television, entertainment and the arts, sponsored by the Nebraska Coast Connection.

Monday, November 11th, 2019
Hollywood Salon: See into the Future
TED SCHILOWITZ, Paramount Futurist in Residence
 
3-D, 4K – Do you ever wonder what’s NEXT in the future of film and TV? That is not only our November guest’s job, but he leads the way in the ever-emerging cinema  technology. Come with your questions, for he can see into the magic crystal ball!

Ted Schilowitz is Futurist in Residence at Paramount Studios where he is an expert on emerging technologies, focusing on virtual reality and augmented reality. He determines how entertainment can leverage these latest technologies to shape the next generation of film entertainment. Previously, Ted worked as a consulting futurist at 20th Century Fox where he combined art and science to create the film experience of the future.

Notably, he has been an essential contributor to emerging technology, altering the direction of cinema. As a founding member of RED Digital Cinema he developed the RED Camera which shifted the industry standard to a high-resolution technology. He also developed G-Tech, advanced hard drive storage used by professionals. Previously, he launched the Macintosh desktop video division of the AJA Video Systems.

While working with Barco Escape, he developed an immersive theater experience which added right and left screens to movie theaters. Barco Escape projects include STAR TREK BEYOND, THE MAZE RUNNER, and THE SCORCH TRIALS. 

You’re invited to see into the future with Ted Schilowitz on November 11th! We look forward to seeing you – in the future! 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
Monday, October 14th, 2019
Hollywood Salon: Art and Activism
ERICA LARSEN-DOCKRAY, Animator, Calibraska Arts Founder, Director, & Teaching Artist
MARY-LYN CHAMBERS, Award-Winning Director, TIJUANA 

Get FIRED UP! Our fall season continues with TWO October guests. Both are challenging the gender-specific status quo in the film industry, blazing the trail and shaping the landscape of the future. Come Monday, October 14th with your burning questions!  

Erica Larsen-Dockray is an Animation and Media Artist, Entrepreneur, Educator, and Activist. She is also adjunct faculty at her alma mater, CalArts, in the Film/Video School’s Experimental Animation program. Erica’s class,THE ANIMATED WOMAN, was featured in the Los Angeles & New York Times.

In 2013 she founded the CALIBRASKA ARTS INITIATIVE, a cross-cultural summer program bringing teaching artists from California to Nebraska. Erica also co-founded SCV ADVENTURE PLAY FOUNDATION with her husband Jeremiah, creating play spaces for children and adults. 

Her art practice includes hybrid installations which have been showcased in cultural institutions including the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery and at the Art Festival Kesenian Indonesia. In the fall of 2019, she is slated to create an installation at The New Children’s Museum in San Diego, CA.



Mary-Lyn Chambers was born in Fiji, raised in New Zealand, and is known for creating narratives about inequality in Spanish and English. She is a Fellow in the Sony Diverse Directors Program and Film Independent’s Project Involve. She is currently in the Alliance of Women Directors Career Advancement Program.
 
TIJUANA, her award-winning 1920’s film screened at Slamdance, Bentonville, Hollyshorts and is an IMAGEN AWARD nominee. THE PLURAL OF BLOOD won BEST TV PILOT at Downtown LA Festival and released on Amazon. DEBRIS ESCOMBROS, exploring child refugees in US Immigration Detention Centers screened during the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and won BEST SHORT from Manchester Film Festival and BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR from Hollyshorts.
 
Chambers is known for hiring women and minorities and is vocal about human rights and inclusion. She spent a decade working on the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival. Between 2010-2013, she worked in Qatar for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

Come and witness these change-makers in action. We look forward to seeing you on Monday, October 14th!
 
 
 

 

 

Monday, September 9th, 2019
Hollywood Salon Double-Header
JAMIE VESAY, Location Scout, Manager, and Producer &
DAVID RABINOWITZ, Oscar Award-Winning Screenwriter – BLACKKKLANSMAN

This month brings double the talented guests for your Salon pleasure. One is even FLYING IN special just for YOU. That’s TWO incredibly giving and talented September guests!


They both are leaders in the film industry, and both do the jobs that get the ball rolling on entertainment projects. Without their career fields, films don’t get off the ground. Catch our talented guests on Monday, ask all your questions, and watch them knock them out of the park!

Jamie Vesay is a Location Scout, Manager, and Producer for commercial photographers, filmmakers, and advertising creatives. Beginning in Special Effects he took his Hollywood-honed skills to Nebraska where he shifted to working in production as a manager and producer, and then additionally as a location scout. He collaborated with Alexander Payne on DOWNSIZING in Omaha and was the lead Location Scout and Key Assistant Location Manager on NEBRASKA. He is making a special trip from NE to share his knowledge!

David Rabinowitz is an Oscar-winning screenwriter and co-producer of  BLACKKKLANSMAN. He got his start working as a multimedia producer for the Wall Street Journal. Since, he’s worked as a freelance video editor, copywriter, and motion graphics artist. David is from East Brunswick, New Jersey, and a graduate of Quinnipiac University. David and his writing partner are currently penning an action-thriller called THATCHER ISLAND forBerlanti Productions, which is an adaptation of the book ANIMAL by NY Times bestselling author Casey Sherman.

It’s going to be an action-packed double header at this month’s Salon. We look forward to seeing you on Monday, September 9th!

 

 

                    

 

 

Monday, August 12th, 2019
Hollywood Salon
Our Special Guest: TERRENCE STONE, Voiceover Artist & Director

Our upcoming Salon invites you to hear from someone who has over 100 Hollywood credits to their name in a multitude of capacities, and who is still going strong. By definition, Terrence Stone is the epitome of a working Angeleno Artist! 

Terrence Stone is an Irish-American Voice Artist, Voice Director, Loop Group Director, and a Film/TV actor. He has created hundreds of voice roles in film, TV, anime, computer games, and documentaries. Known best for playing the Innkeeper in the game Hearthstone from Blizzard Entertainment, he also has four MPSE nominations. 

Currently living in the Los Angeles area, Terrence is a Voice Director with Dreamworks for WHERE’S WALDO and is also working on a new animated series for Marvel. Prior to this, he was Voice Director for the SPY KIDS animated series currently streaming on Netflix.
Most recently, he directed the well-received Nintendo Switch game Octopath Traveler, and has just completed the live action films, A PARIS ROMANCE for Hallmark, and JARHEAD 4 for UFO Productions.

You can occasionally catch Terry with on-screen Film and TV roles, and he also coordinates/directs Loop Groups for Films and TV, as well as voice replacement, and sound-alikes. He has also been a Stuntman, casting director, Talent Agent/Manager, and still does voice and acting coaching.

See you Monday, August 12th! 

Also, be sure to check out our incredible upcoming Salons, all summer long…

AUGUST:  Terrence Stone, Voice Director and Actor, with recent credits including SPY KIDS and WHERE’S WALDO
SEPTEMBER DOUBLE HEADER:  Jamie Vesay, Location Scout for UP IN THE AIR, DOWNSIZING, & NEBRASKA, and David Rabinowitz, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter for BLACKKKLANSMAN

 

You Saw Her First at the Hollywood Salon

Rachel Roth has been an avid 3-year NCC member and volunteer. She shared a proof-of-concept trailer for her project BAIT AND SWITCH at the NCC SalonFest in January, which is now becoming a comic book! Fellow NCCer Corinne Schipull is creating artwork with Erica Ostrowski coloring.

An Indiegogo has launched in order to pay the artists for their hard work, cover pitch and promotion costs, and get the first issue off the ground. Please donate and share! For more info, check out our Facebook post about BAIT AND SWITCH!

 

Monday, July 8th, 2019
Hollywood Salon
Welcomes AUDREY MOORE, Actress and Podcast Host of AUDREY HELPS ACTORS

 

Becoming a working actor in Los Angeles takes time, talent, and a whole lot of perseverance. Through firsthand experience, our July Salon guest Audrey Moore has not only solved much of the LA acting Rubik’s cube, but openly shares her findings so creatives can lift each other up with their wins!

Audrey Moore is a working actress in Los Angeles. Originally from New Mexico, Audrey trained and performed in Boston, London, and NYC before making LA her home. Her most notable acting credits include a series regular role on Netflix’s GODLESS, recurring on season 2-4 of AMC’s BETTER CALL SAUL, and several other guest and recurring roles on THE OA, FEUD!, CASTLE ROCK and many more!

Audrey is also host of the very popular podcast, AUDREY HELPS ACTORS, where she talks with working class actors about the nitty gritty stuff that falls somewhere in between getting your first headshots and winning awards.Meet Audrey who is looking forward to sharing her knowledge & expertise with YOU.

See you on Monday, JULY 8th!

Also, be sure to check out our incredible upcoming Salons, all summer long…

AUGUST:  Terrence Stone, Voice Director and Actor, with recent credits including SPY KIDS and WHERE’S WALDO
SEPTEMBER DOUBLE HEADER:  Jamie Vesay, Location Scout for UP IN THE AIR, DOWNSIZING, & NEBRASKA, and David Rabinowitz, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter for BLACKKKLANSMAN
Monday, May 13th, 2019
Hollywood Salon
Our Special Guest: ALEXIS DVORAK, 2nd Assistant Director, Directors Guild of America

Our May 13th guest has an incredible opportunity to share with the NCC! Alexis Dvorak is a 2nd Assistant Director and member of the Director’s Guild of America – and she is looking for Production Assistants to add to her roster. As a Nebraskan, she is looking forward to receiving the resumes of hard-working individuals like YOU that she can call on for projects RIGHT NOW! Bring your resume and come meet her at our next Salon!

Alexis was raised in Laurel, NE, a small farming community in the Northeast corner of the state. She attended Laurel-Concord Public High School and graduated Wayne State College in 2008 with a degree in Broadcasting and Advertising, and again in 2011 with a Master in Business Administration.

Upon graduation, she worked for the Norfolk Daily News as their first Staff Videographer and Graphic Artist. In 2012 she was hired as a Costume Production Assistant on set of NEBRASKA under designer Wendy Chuck.

In January of 2014, she left her Nebraska roots and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film/television. She was a production assistant on shows such as GLEE, FURIOUS 7, BABY DADDY, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, and HART OF DIXIE.

She was accepted into the highly competitive Directors Guild-Producer Assistant Director Training Program (ADTP) 2015 class, and over two years, was under the ADTP’s tutelage on shows such as AMERICAN CRIME STORY, BONES, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, KINGDOM, and SUPERSTORE.

In December of 2017, she graduated from the ADTP and became a member of the Directors Guild of America as a 2nd Assistant Director. Since then she has worked on a variety of shows such as 9-1-1, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND, KIDDING, DIRTY JOHN, STRANGE ANGEL, SAVING ALEX, and currently, TACOMA F.D. on TruTV.

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet a working AD with a burgeoning career. Find out all about the DGA Assistant Director’s Training from someone who’s been through it. You may even land a position as a PA…at the Salon on Monday, May 13th. See you there! 

Our next Salon guests have been making quite the name for themselves in edit bays around Hollywood, one after getting her start editing while still in Nebraska, the other in Santa Barbara. They are the first husband/wife editing duo we’ve ever hosted at a Salon! Come meet them and hear all about their careers on Monday, April 8th.

Josie Azzam grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and attended UNL’s Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. While at UNL, she worked on PBS-TV documentaries at NET Television. She moved to Los Angeles to attend USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she earned an MFA in Film Production with an emphasis in Editing in 2012.

 

She began her career as an assistant editor on ANNIE, GOOSEBUMPS, and HOW TO BE SINGLE. She also was Assistant Editor on Disney/Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER in 2017. As an editor, Josie has worked on a variety of projects including LEIMERT PARK, a web-series selected for Sundance 2018’s indie episodic program and SUMMER ’03, in competition at SXSW 2018.

Evan Schrodek grew up in Santa Barbara, California and has been working as an Editor in Los Angeles since 2006. He received his MFA in film and television production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he concentrated in Editing. He met Josie at USC, and they married in 2017.

Working primarily in feature films and dramatic scripted television, Evan’s credits include THE WALKING DEAD for AMC, FREQUENCY for the CW and AT ALL COSTS, a feature length high school basketball documentary. His first dramatic feature the Netflix Original film BURNING SANDS was selected for US Dramatic Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.


Don’t miss the opportunity to meet TWO highly respected editors as their careers are igniting. It’s an Editors-Twofer…at the Salon on Monday, April 8th. See you there! 

Salons are a great way to network, catch up with old friends and new ones, and have a taste of home in Hollywood.


Nebraska Coast Connection presents
The Hollywood Salon…
Where Glamorous Nebraska Meets Down-Home Hollywood.

Salons are always
on the 2nd Monday of every month
7:30pm to 10:30pm
The Culver Hotel, Culver City, California.

ARE YOU WITH THE NCC ON FACEBOOK?
Check it out and become a “Fan” here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nebraska-Coast-Connection/61348913197?ref=mf

Be Prepared. There’s so much luck that goes into landing any acting gig. But our Salon guest Monday will help you be as prepared as you possibly can be, and maybe a little bit more.Crystal Carson has been one of the top acting coaches in LA for 25 years, and is the creator of “The Actor’s Mind” visualization method, “ReActing by Heart” emotional connection exercise and “Auditioning by Heart” audition technique for film and television. She grew up in Nebraska and majored in theatre at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Crystal’s many clients in television, film, and stage learn from her the secrets to become masterful actors who book jobs. She began as a sought after teacher at the Margie Haber Studios for 12 years. Crystal now conducts workshops in Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Atlanta, Orlando, Omaha, NYC, and Vietnam.

ACTORS…Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and work with a top level coach! Crystal will be working scenes with a few lucky actors in person at the Salon.

DIRECTORS…Learn how to improve your game by watching Crystal’s actor communication.

Do YOU work with actors? Crystal will share her incredible insight into an actor’s process.

As an actor Crystal is best known for playing Julia Barrett for over five years on General Hospital. There she was voted “Best New Female” by Soap Opera Digest and put on their cover as one of “Television’s Most Beautiful Women”. In 2017 she received a “Best Ensemble” nomination for her lead role in the web-series 5150.

Crystal is one of very few elite acting coaches who has devoted her primary career to perfecting the coaching of professional actors. She understands the need for vulnerability, truth and the “flaws that come with being human” to live in every character in order to reach audiences in a deep and sometimes magical way. Her outstanding reputation is testimony to her remarkable expertise and unique ability to inspire others to rise to their potential.

Crystal’s coaching clients include some of the top actors working today: Jennifer Beals, David Boreanaz, Brian White, Rachel Nichols, Paula Abdul, Brenda Strong, Melissa Joan Hart, Catherine Bach, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, and she is recommended by Russell Crowe.

Hope you can make it to the Salon Monday night March 11th– it’s going to be a valuable evening that just might jumpstart your career.

Salons are a great way to network, catch up with old friends and new ones, and have a taste of home in Hollywood.


Nebraska Coast Connection presents
The Hollywood Salon…
Where Glamorous Nebraska Meets Down-Home Hollywood.

Salons are always
on the 2nd Monday of every month
7:30pm to 10:30pm
The Culver Hotel, Culver City, California.

It’s a bold new world for media geeks: video games, streaming, podcasts, subscription programming, immersive alternate reality gaming, webseries, interactive content. It ain’t a boring three channel world anymore. And our next Salon guest is on the front lines of the future of media. 

Omaha native Ryan Copple has worked over ten years in digital media with positions ranging from creative development, physical production and business management. He has produced over 200 hours of online content in the geek and gaming arena, including hits like Wil Wheaton’s TableTop, the breakout success Dungeons & Dragons show Critical Role, Microsoft’s live action adaptation of the popular Halo franchise Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, Con Man and a myriad of other scripted and non-scripted projects that have resulted in several Emmy nominations and other awards.

Ryan’s career began producing the hit digital series Riese: Kingdom Falling which was distributed worldwide on SyFy and NBC Universal. Following the series, Ryan developed an award-winning immersive alternate reality game to accompany the series, a prequel novel published by Simon & Schuster, and a tie-in iPhone game. After the success of this digital series, Ryan went on to write and produce titles for Anchor Bay, BBC America, E One, Muse Entertainment, Content Media and more.

Ryan also oversaw content development and business strategy for Geek & Sundry. Born from YouTube‘s funding, Ryan produced some of the webs biggest geek properties, working with talent like Wil Wheaton, Bryan Singer, Joss Whedon and more. He also launched one of the most subscribed Twitch channels for Geek & Sundry, offering 30 hours of live geek & gaming programming a week, including the multi-platform hit Critical Role, a live D&D stream that has spawned a successful merchandise, apparel and subscription business. Ryan also helped launch an international celebration of tabletop gaming called “International TableTop Day.”


In the studio world, Ryan developed and launched the subscription platform Alpha for Legendary Entertainment, the first live paywalled subscription service, that offered both premium and live geek programming. Ryan went on to oversee programming and content strategy for Lionsgate‘s subscription video division for the Comic-Con HQ Channel, where he worked with some of the top names in comedy and genre like Mark Hamill, Alan Tudyk, and Nathan Fillion.

Currently Ryan is producing Escape the Night for YouTube Red, an immersive escape room style series. Additionally, he is premiering a sci-fi improv comedy podcast entitled Voyage to the Stars as well as penning a new series for IFC called Due Process.

Don’t miss the Salon on Monday, February 11th — your chance to get a glimpse into the future of entertainment and gaming and interactive from one of the pioneering young creators.

Salons are a great way to network, catch up with old friends and new ones, and have a taste of home in Hollywood.


Nebraska Coast Connection presents
The Hollywood Salon…
Where Glamorous Nebraska Meets Down-Home Hollywood.

Salons are always
on the 2nd Monday of every month
7:30pm to 10:30pm
The Culver Hotel, Culver City, California.

 

 

ARE YOU WITH THE NCC ON FACEBOOK?
Check it out and become a “Fan” here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nebraska-Coast-Connection/61348913197?ref=mf

MONDAY will be the first Salon of 2019.  And it’s the one where YOU get to show us what you got…

Yep, it’s the return of SALONFEST: THE THREE MINUTE FILM FESTIVAL, our ever-popular NCC mini-film festival! This is where we will show three minutes of anything you want to showcase. Up on the Big Screen.

Salons are a great way to network, catch up with old friends and new ones, and have a taste of home in Hollywood.There’s a ton of talented folks in the NCC, and many of you have created some amazing work in the past year. This is our chance to see what you’ve been up to.

Cue up your latest short, or your reel, or anything you helped to create, and we’ll show three minutes of it at the January Salon. You’ll get a minute to tell us about it, before or after. (Got something longer? Barter with others to share your time…)  For format, we can screen from DVDs, thumbdrives or internet streams.

It will be an eclectic and fast-paced evening…no telling what surprises we will be seeing. Webisodes. New acting reels. Kickstarter promos. All kinds of latest masterpieces. Whatever you want to share with the group — this is your chance to show off.

If you know what you’ll be sharing, give us a heads up on our Facebook page — then we can update everyone here what to expect in the next email blast. Or just show up Monday and surprise us.

Come to share or come to see what your friends have been creating. It’s a great way to get to know all the talent in this group, and to participate by showing us what you got, in a safe and friendly environment. SALONFEST is always one of the most fun Salons of the year.

See you Monday, January 14th, 2019!

Nebraska Coast Connection presents
The Hollywood Salon…
Where Glamorous Nebraska Meets Down-Home Hollywood.

Salons are always
on the 2nd Monday of every month
7:30pm to 10:30pm
The Culver Hotel, Culver City, California.

 

SALON DETAILS, DIRECTIONS and much more on our website: www.nebraskacoast.com
ARE YOU WITH THE NCC ON FACEBOOK?
Check it out and become a “Fan” here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nebraska-Coast-Connection/61348913197?ref=mf