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.

 

This summer will mark 25 years of monthly Hollywood Salons, and in all that time we’ve never missed a month. April’s Salon was our first-ever to be held as a Virtual Salon on Zoom. It was great to see all the faces of our NCCers and hear how everyone is getting along during the crazy days of this global pandemic. It wasn’t the same as being together in person, but until we can do that safely, it’s all we got!

And we were thrilled to have some folks attending from Nebraska and far-flung parts of the planet — the technology now allows our world to be even smaller, and we plan to keep offering ways for people to join us from wherever they are even when we return to the Culver Hotel. Hope you can make time to join us for the next Virtual Salon this month and keep our connection going. We are here for you!   
-Todd 
 
Monday, May 11th, 2020
Hollywood Salon…on Zoom!
Our Special Guest: CRYSTAL CARSON, Acting Coach
 
Ever wanted to work with LA’s TOP acting coach? Our special guest will be sharing her knowledge and her tried and true audition technique with YOU at our next Salon. You might even get to work with her live! (See below for details…)
 
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. Not a stranger to the life of a working actress, she was a series regular for five years on GENERAL HOSPITAL, had recurring roles on JAG and DALLAS, and starred in films like WHO’S THAT GIRL with Madonna.

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 over our Zoom call!
 
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.
 

Crystal is one of very few elite acting coaches who has devoted her primary career to perfecting the coaching of professional actors. Her outstanding reputation is testimony to her unique ability to inspire others to rise to their potential. A sampling of her clients include: 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.

To work with Crystal, please download the sides and follow instructions to submit your self-tape by THIS FRIDAY, May 8th. (Use password: NCC ) Submit your self-tape early and you just might get to work with her live! A handful of actors will be selected & coached by the talented Crystal Carson. 


To attend the Salon, please RSVP via the link below. You’ll get the Zoom meeting info after you RSVP. You will have an option to make a donation, which helps us keep bringing the Salons to you. 

Check in with your worldwide NCC Family. Let’s have some fun together!

 

In almost 25 years of Salons, we’ve never missed a monthly gathering – and now in the global pandemic we need our group more than ever. Join us for the First Ever Virtual Hollywood Salon! – Todd
 
Monday, April 13th, 2020 
Hollywood Salon: 
Special Guest: NATE JOHNSON, Leadership and Mindset Coach
 
While embracing social distancing, we want to check in with you – hear how you are doing and what you need. Our guest is an NCCer and expert who will empower us through this crazy time. RSVP below for this month’s FREE Salon!

Nate Johnson is a coach, writer, speaker, and actor from Nebraska. As a professional he has guided his peers as a business development manager at Inc. Magazine, as the founder of a digital marketing company, and as a coach and counselor. 

Nate has also combined travel with leading others. While living in New Zealand he became a whitewater rafting guide, and a cattle rancher in the Australian Outback. Having survived a boating accident in the Philippines, started several businesses, and confronted stage fright to take improv classes, he is no stranger to the emotional highs and lows of pushing yourself to experience your fullest potential. Nate has a lovingly no BS approach to helping his clients wake up to what’s really possible in their lives and then making that a reality.
 
To attend, please email howdy@nebraskacoast.com. We will send you the link to register. This month’s Salon is FREE, but we need your RSVP to get you the info and to be sure we have the right-sized Zoom room!

Give us an update on YOU and check in with your NCC Family.
We’re all in this together, so let’s help each other make the best of it!
 
Monday, March 9th, 2020 
Hollywood Salon: 
BLAISE HOSSAIN – Visual Effects Artist
 
 
Has an image ever told you an entire story, making you feel excited or thrilled because you just can’t wait to see it played out? You’re invited to next Monday’s Salon to meet the VFX artist responsible for creating those images for film and more!

 

Blaise Hossain is an award winning motion designer and visual effects artist based in Los Angeles who creates content for feature film, television, streaming and live event projects under his brand Saffron Ember. Originally coming from a small town in Connecticut, Blaise moved to Los Angeles over 20 years ago to study film production at the Univ. of Southern California. 

After graduating he began his career working as a motion designer at a number of trailer companies producing logo reveals and visual effects for trailers and tv spots on national and international campaigns for theatrical movie releases. At times he has art directed small teams of artists on a trailer campaign and independently creates original work for both live action and fully CG projects.


He also became specialized designing and animating User Interface (UI) for feature films including J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, the ROBOCOP reboot, and TIME FREAK.

In addition to working on studio films, Blaise visual effects supervised the indie Sci-Fi drama AFTER WE LEAVE, creating various UI sequences, animated matte paintings and other world building VFX for the film which won Best Film at Sci Fi London 2019. See the trailer and stream by following the link above! Currently, Blaise is freelancing at a number of motion design studios collaborating on a number of main title sequences and show opens for film and streaming content.

Come ask your questions and
learn from the incredibly talented artist, Blaise Hossain!

Monday, February 10th, 2020 
Hollywood Salon: 
JIM HANNA, TV, Film, & Commercial Actor

You may recognize this long-time NCCer who has graced the silver and small screen with hundreds of credits to his name. Hollywood hasn’t fazed this great guy, who isready to share his experience as a REAL working actor in Los Angeles with YOU. 

Jim Hanna was born and raised in Lincoln and graduated from UNL in 1991. After, he moved to LA to get an MFA at USC and has been here ever since. After years of the “starving actor” routine, he began working and has carved out a steady career in TV, film, and commercials.

He’s appeared in 100+ commercials and has dozens of film and TV credits, including roles in FRIENDS, WILL & GRACE, THE X-FILES, WAR OF THE WORLDS, RAY DONOVAN, PARKS AND REC, MOM, BATTLE OF THE SEXES, JANE THE VIRGIN and LA’S FINEST. Most recently he has appeared in ABC’s STATION 19 HBO’s upcoming PERRY MASON, and the Nebraska-set ABC comedy BLESS THIS MESS where he plays…a New Yorker visiting Nebraska.

He’s also appeared often in LA’s small theaterswith award winning roles in OTHELLO and EQUUS, among others. He’s a regular contributor to The Hollywood Fringe Festival as an actor, writer, and producer. His most recent effort, THE MAYOR’S DEBATE OF TRANQUILITY, NEBRASKA, was nominated for 7 awards including Best Comedy, and won the Theatre Unleashed Award for Top Ensemble Production. Even after nearly 29 years in LA, his Nebraska upbringing continues to influence his life and work.


Ask questions and gain insights from
the experienced, excellent actor Jim Hanna on February 10th!

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Be sure to catch some of our talented NCCers in their upcoming shows on stage!
You’ll want to get a group together to see these highly anticipated shows…

EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON
Starring MARI WEISS
8PM, Friday-Sunday to March 1, Not Feb. 21

Come see veteran actress Mari Weiss on stage! In a story that careens through decades, three sisters—a politician, a first-time pregnant mother and a uni drop-out— struggle to find any sliver of hope amidst a crush of familial fractures, societal disconnect and corporate greed. Pay what you can night is THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, $20 minimum.

To find out more information about the production and for additional dates check out the Venice-based Rogue Machine Theatre here.

A BODY OF WATER
Starring TREVA TEGTMEIER
The Actors Co-Op, Hollywood, February 7 – March 15, 2020
Mark your calendars to see actress Treva Tegtmeier in her latest stage production! From Tony/Pulitzer-nominated playwright Lee Blessing comes the story of three people searching for lifelong answers to fundamental questions about our purpose, our past and our future. For tickets and more information on show dates, find the Actors Co-Op website here.
See you at the theatre!
Monday, January 13, 2020
Hollywood Salon
Our Annual Three Minute Film Fest: SalonFest 2020!

Happy New Year from the NCC! A whole new decade is here and it’s time to show us what YOU got…

Returning once again is 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!

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 a bit of what you’ve been up to.

Cue up your latest short, 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. Docs. Kickstarter promos. All kinds of YOUR 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, develop collaborations, 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.

HERE THEY ARE! Photos from the Holiday Salon can be found by following the links.  View and download until January 14th. Check them out, organized by photographer so can give em a shoutout! JD Mata – Shaun Cleeton – Tim Woodward

Happy New Year!
See you Monday, January 13th 2020!
Monday, December 9th, 2019
Hollywood Salon Holiday Party
Celebrating the Creative Artists of the NCC

It’s time to make merry with your Nebraska Coast Connection Family! This month only we’re traveling away from the Culver – over the hill and through the woods to celebrate the holidays with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the charming restaurant, Sloane’s Valley Village. Santa will be there with gifts for all attendees!

Our special guest this month? YOU. We are celebrating you and the connections you’ve created with your Home Sweet Home in Hollywood. Come and have a holiday toast all your NCC friends on Monday, December 9th. RSVP below!

The Nebraska Coast Connection has been going strong for over 27 years – but what that truly means is that you have been coming on out month after month to connect with like-minded trailblazers in order to grow and thrive as artists in Los Angeles. Whether you hail from Holdrege or Houston, we welcome you and your path to the Hollywood Salon. This Holiday Season we honor where we come from and celebrate where we are headed together in 2020!


Don your festive attire and meet us at the restaurant, Sloane’s Valley Village on Monday, December 9th, from 7:30PM – 10:30PM. We need an accurate headcount!

RSVP in advance here and pay only 10 bucks at the door. (It’ll be $15 at the door with no RSVP.) 
You are cordially invited to the
27th Annual Holiday Salon!
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
Usually at The Culver Hotel
THIS MONTH ONLY at Sloane’s Restaurant, Valley Village 
5338 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607

Follow us on Instagram: @nebraskacoastconnect 

Become a fan and follow us on Facebook!
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!