Our Classifieds are now FREE!!!

We've made a great change to our classified ads section, crewclassifieds.com. What's so great? Its now FREE! You can post your ad for anything from "room for rent" to "camera for sale," casting calls, help wanted and more. Our ad pages are film-industry specific, so any ad is going to be seen by a perfect target market. If you'd like to add photos to your classified, or make it a featured listing or have it renew automatically -- that's a few cents to a few bucks, but you're welcome to keep your ad free and easy.

crewclassifieds.com is searched daily by film professionals in New Mexico, and around the country too. Its a great way to see what people are doing, buying, selling, needing, around the industry, and an excellent way to get the word out on something of your own. Find jobs in film. Buy camera equipment. Advertise your services. Its quick, easy, and targets your market right on the nose.

Special Offer to IATSE 480 Members!

We're offering a 50% discount on membership to all members of IATSE Local 480! IATSE Local 480 is the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees branch in New Mexico, and they provide most of the talented crew for Union productions in New Mexico. With a roster over 1,000 strong, and growing fast, they are the backbone of the New Mexico Film Industry, and are a large part of why productions choose New Mexico as their filming location. Union members provide services to almost every nook of production. They provide jobs in film. These are the people on the ground, making the movies in New Mexico. To thank them for being the core of the industry and giving New Mexico such an excellent reputation in the film world, and helping build the industry that makes crewnewmexico.com possible, we're inviting members of 480 to promote their skills, or side businesses or support services, all at 50% off.

To qualify for the discount, you need to be a member of the Local 480, and you'll see the discount code in the classifieds section of their website, or it will be in the upcoming newsletter in a letter I wrote introducing crew to the Union. If you're not in the 480, your account will be billed the full rate within 7 days, and/or your account will be terminated like Terminator 4. Offer Expires July 4, 2008. Can not be combined with any other offer.

You can learn more about the Union, and how to become a member of the IATSE Local 480 by checking out their website: www.iatselocal480.com

Welcome New Member - Starlight Celebrity Concierge

We're super excited to welcome New Mexico film concierge Lainie S. Quirk to crewnewmexico.com. She is the owner of Starlight Celebrity Concierge and Starlight Event Design, and has over 20 years of providing Concierge Services to Celebrities, including Hollywood's A-list. Starlight works with industry professionals filming in New Mexico, as well as Celebrity Personal Assistants who may have remained home, and need a temporary resource to work their their employers. Services include but are not even limited to the following:

Event Planning - All aspects, from intimate gatherings to full scale productions

Errands, Phone calls/Appointment setups

Reservations, Internet research

Concert Tickets/Theatre/Symphony/Sporting Events

Set up all needs for housing while in NM at private home or hotel suite

Transportation - car, public flying and private jet travel

Travel arrangements - hotels, destinations. Airport check in and logistics.

Security

To learn more about Starlight, you can check out their crewnewmexico.com page here
or their concierge website here.

Welcome New Member - Mitch Hanna Photo/Graphic Arts

Photographer and Graphic/Visual Artist Mitch Hanna has 10 years experience in graphic design, photo retouching/manipulation & photography in Los Angeles, Santa Fe & Denver. He has a B.A. in Moving Image Arts (Film) w/ an emphasis on writing & a minor in Studio Art. His photos/design work have appeared in such publications as: The Santa Fean, The Los Angeles Times, TREND, The New York Times, The Collector's Guide, Doggie Aficionado, The Santa Fe Catalogue, THE, Pasatiempo, The New Mexican, etc. -Clients include: URSA, Thornburg Companies, Goldie Hawn, Virgil Ortiz Fashion, Emilia Poochie, Los Angeles AIA, The Santa Fe Opera, The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bill Richardson, and more. He's highly skilled in Large Format reproduction printing & custom collateral printing, and an excellent problem solver & willing to accompany almost any budget. A great find for the New Mexico Film Industry.

See his crewnewmexico.com profile page here

Welcome New Member -- Retro Props!

Johnnie Meier and his Museum of Classical Gas is a goldmine of vintage movie props for the New Mexico Film Industry. It is a living museum of retro commercial signs, gas station items (pumps, signs, oil cans, display racks), diner/cafe items, vintage shelf stocking. curios, wagons, classic/vintage cars. Over 1000 film props. Specializing in obsolete brand names. Inventory includes vintage restored items and distressed items . Props for interior/exterior set designers. Their props have appeared in many major motion pictures including No Country For Old Men, Believe in Me, and, currently, Legions. The museum is located just off Hwy 84/286, 18 miles north of Espanola. You can' t miss it!

See their Retro Props crewnewmexico.com profile page here!

Coming Soon to a Town Near You!

crewnewmexico.com will be coming soon to a town near you! Our mobile business platform allows us to take crewnewmexico.com out in the field so that we can explore New Mexico on behalf of the New Mexico film industry, seek out new members from across the state, and provide you with information and photographs about the people and places that make New Mexico such a great place for filming. It allows us to meet our members, and to find little known people and places that should be on film-industry radar. If you've got a special New Mexico film location or great New Mexico furnished rental, a business, even a town, restaurant, mountain or famous molehill you'd like to show us, simply drop us a line and we'll come out and see. Our goal is to link individuals, businesses and places to the professionals of the New Mexico film industry. We give you the ability to network, advertise, and become a part of the fastest growing industry in the State.

You can contact us lots of different ways:
Phone (866) 986-8884
Fax (866) 986-8884
Skype (Internet Phone) (505) 908-9309
Skype name: crewnewmexico.com
email: info@crewnewmexico.com

Drop us a line anytime. We want to know about your New Mexico Cast, New Mexico Film Crew, New Mexico Production Support Services, New Mexico Film Locations, New Mexico Furnished Rentals, New Mexico Lodging, New Mexico Real Estate, and, of course, New Mexico dining!

Where in the World is crewnewmexico.com today?

We've built crewnewmexico.com on a mobile platform so that we can be out in the field or back in the office and have all the same business capacity. So, where are we today? Today we're out in beautiful Dixon, New Mexico looking for new locations for an upcoming photo shoot, taking photographs for our film locations database, and visiting Dixon furnished rentals. Dixon is a lush agricultural town tucked in the Embudo Valley, just east of 84/285, about 20 miles south of Taos. There's a community-owned grocery store, the Dixon Market, a rushing river, and birds in full migration. The Western Tanagers are in full swing and eating every bee in sight. The Picuris Pueblo is a short drive away. Picuris is one of the smallest Tiwa pueblo, known for its Bison herd, beautiful landscape, and enduring culture. Yesterday we hiked to the top of a mesa, and found petroglyphs and had a beautiful view of the snowcapped Sangre de Cristo mountains.

New Member! 1931 Ford Model A Picture Car

Beautiful classic car. 1931 Ford Model A Motion Picture Car, located in Santa Fe! Customization ready. Runs perfectly. A rare find for the New Mexico Film Industry!

Check out the car here!

New Member! 42 Acre Film Location in Pecos with River Frontage

42 acres with river frontage, just east of Santa Fe. Brand new filming location - never used before.
We'll be filling in the details over the weekend, but get a sneak preview now -- click here!

Introducing New Mexico Actor Ross Nederhoff

New Mexico actor Ross Nederhoff is one of our newest Cast members! This talented young man is a passionate and dedicated New Mexico actor ready to graduate from theater to larger and more intricate roles in the New Mexico film industry. He had done modeling musical theater and many plays, and received acting training by Triple Threat Performers and the PMAA film school.

Learn more about Ross by clicking http://www.crewnewmexico.com/rossnederhoff

Welcome New Member: 8 Dwelling Corporate Accommodations - in ABQ

Check out our newest member - 8dwelling Corporate Accommodations. They've got hip, modern, fully furnished rentals in Albuquerque that they rent out to film professionals. Located in the heart of Albuquerque. Geared towards discerning clients who appreciate attention to detail and design. They've got two units, plus more coming online soon. Their new loft, the Aliso, is located in the Nob Hill District -- 1171 sq ft, wifi, modern, gourmet kitchen, custom furniture, garage parking, cleaning service, walking distance to Nob Hill. Clean, modern, chic. Views of the Sandia Mountiains. We love these guys.

See their page here: http://www.crewnewmexico.com/8dwelling
And their website here: http://www.8dwelling.com

Support Santa Fe Studios

Another note from the folks at IATSE Local 480: We need your support at the Santa Fe County Commission meeting on Tuesday May 27th for another vote in the approval process for the new Santa Fe Studios proposal. It is important that everyone in the filmmaking community show up and offer their support. This is a public hearing so if you wish to voice your input you may do so, but more than that we need people to simply show up and visibly lend their support. Why is this a big deal for you? This is concrete on the ground and the more infrastructure we have the less likely we are to lose our incentives. Please show up at the Santa Fe County Building, 102 Grant Avenue (the corner of Grant & Palace in Santa Fe), we should come up on the agenda around 2pm. You can park in the city lot on San Francisco St and walk through Burro Alley to get there.

Open House for Santa Fe Studios

This note from the folks at IATSE Local 480: There is an open house tomorrow (Wednesday, May 21st) for Santa Fe Studios and the County Media District beginning at 6pm at the Santa Fe Community College. This would be a great place to network and meet the people behind the new studio. Please join us and show your support of this new facility!

NM Filmmakers Mentorship Program

We'd like to help spread the word about a great opportunity for those who want to work in the New Mexico Film Industry. The following is a press release from the New Mexico Film Office:

"The New Mexico Film Office is pleased to announce NM FILMMAKERS MENTORSHIPS, made possible by JTIP for Film and Multimedia. The Mentorship Program is open to New Mexico residents age 18 and older, who wish to advance their film careers by shadowing professional above-the-line or specialty talent on major productions. Mentorship is available for the following positions:

Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, Production Designer, Line Producer, Unit Production Manager, Production Supervisor, Script Supervisor, Casting Director, Story Board Artist, Sound Looping.

The pilot program will take place on a major television series shooting in Albuquerque from June through November 2008. We are now seeking applicants who are willing and able to commit a minimum of twenty days, maximum of sixty days, on the production during that time. The application is attached.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: JUNE 2, 2008 @ 5:00 PM
Questions: please email nm.filmmakers@nmfilm.com or call 505-476-5600."

To learn more about the NM Filmmakers Program, visit the New Mexico Film Office Website: http://nmfilm.com/locals/nm-filmmakers/

Triple Threat Performing Arts Workshop/Summer Youth Workshop

Triple Threat Performing Arts still has a few spaces available in its summer youth workshop series! Musical Theater Drama Camp - June 9 - June 20th (9am - 4pm). This 2-week workshop will focus on all aspects of the performing arts from character development, vocal technique, musical theater dance and acting skills to stage presentation costuming and production. The workshop will end with a costumed, staged production.

Showstoppers! A Broadway Musical Review July 7 - 11th (9am - 4pm). This 1-week workshop is filled with works from various Broadway Musical hits, including “Hairspray,” “Wicked,” “High School Musical,” and “Grease,” just to name a few. It will incorporate scenes into many of the musical pieces to present a dynamic and diverse costumed and staged show! This workshop will focus primarily on vocal technique, musical theater dance, and basic acting skills. The performers will also work on production and presentation.

Intro to the Performing Arts
WEDNESDAYS ONLY June 12 - July 30th (5pm - 7pm). This 8-week course will offer the participants the chance to dabble in various performance genres. They will take weekly classes in musical theater, vocal technique, acting, commercials, script reading and hip hop. The program will conclude with an informal performance for family and friends!

Our regular weekly classes will be offered too! Call for pricing and discount information (family, multiple event), or to register.

NM Filmmakers Showcase

Announcing the NM Filmmakers Showcase!

May 15 – 18, 2008 at Albuquerque's Guild Cinema.

The Guild will show 30 hours of short and feature length films made by New Mexicans. For the second year, selected audience favorites will travel to three New Mexico cities in the summer of 2008.

Meet the Filmmakers - Opening night, May 15th, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Laru/Café Cubano - 3413 Central Avenue, NE

Special thanks to the Guild Cinema and Laru/Café Cubano.

For more info, please see the New Mexico Film Website

Santa Fe Screenwriting Conference

Among the extraordinary screenwriting Mentors coming to The Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe is the decorated ex-Navy Seal Commander Chuck Pfarrer. His produced movie credits are Navy SEALs, Darkman, The Jackal, Virus, Red Planet, and Hard Target.

This year the conference features twelve top producers looking for new projects: world-class William Morris agent Mike Esola; Valhalla Motion Pictures Creative Exec David O'Leary (Valhalla is run by Gale Anne Hurd, producer of The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon, The Hulk, Terminator Three and more); Mosaic Media Group's Creative Exec Jake Kurily (Mosaic produced Batman Begins, Semi-Pro and more); Tapestry Films Director of Development Kat Blasband (Tapestry produced The Wedding Crashers, The Wedding Planner, Pay it Forward, Point Break and more; and many more. For more information on these and other producers accepting pitches: http://scsfe.com/hollywood/pitch.aspx.

Learn more - click here
To register: 505-424-1501.

Welcome New Furnished Rental Member -- Adobe Home on 20 Acres

crewnewmexico.com's newest member is property manager Marianne Hund, who represents a beautiful adobe home and guest house on 20 private acres, only 14 miles from Albuquerque. Very private, very quiet, yet with all amenities including 42" HDTV, wireless, and fully-furnished casita that sleeps 4. Property borders the Cibola National forest, with 60 miles of hiking trails and rock climbing just steps away. And they're putting the finishing touches on a decked out kitchen! The rates are very reasonable. Ideal for groups, those in need of privacy, and visiting production families. Corral available for horses, and RV space, too, with electric and water. A great find.

See the property at crewnewmexico.com/adobeacres

Welcome New Production Support Member - Steve Hardy Real Estate

We'd like to welcome Steve Hardy Real Estate to crewnewmexico.com!

Steve Hardy is a native of Santa Fe, providing professional and personalized home rental services for cast and crew, production office leasing, and assists individuals or production companies with purchasing property. Steve is a Real Estate Professional with background that includes a decade in financial services marketing. In addition to his financial and marketing experience, he was the top graduate of his MBA class. A lifelong passion for property and the study of architecture as an undergraduate makes Steve a great partner when searching for homes, locations or office space. Steve continues to keep abreast of changes in the business world by acting as an Adjunct Professor of Finance at the College of Santa Fe. Steve has spent time with many of the top people in the entertainment business and is knowledgeable of the needs and time lines of productions.

View Steve's crewnewmexico.com profile
View Steve's Real Estate website
Go to crewnewmexico.com

All Premium Members Receive 3-Month Banner Free!

From now thru May 18, any new premium members receive a free 3 month banner ad in their associated cagtegory. Even better --- we'll make you a banner ad on the house! The banners are the 120x90 "button" size, and can link directly to your crewnewmexico.com profile page or your external website. Banners are an excellent way to build brand recognition and to get traffic to your website(s). email us if you have any questions at adsales@crewnewmexico.com.

Breaking Bad is Coming Back!

From the AMC TV Blog:

"From critical praise to strong ratings and a devoted audience, Breaking Bad further reinforced AMC as a top producer of high-quality, distinctive television," said Charlie Collier, Executive Vice President and General Manager of AMC. "Breaking Bad is a powerful, intelligent and thought-provoking series that clearly resonated with viewers and critics alike. We're excited for a second season of Breaking Bad with new and provocative storylines that will delve deeper into the next chapter in the life of Walter White." The second season, unlike the first which ran a brief seven episodes due to the writer's strike, will consist of thirteen episodes, the same number as Mad Men's Season 1 and upcoming Season 2.

Filming in and around ABQ, expected duration of filming 7 months.

For more on Breaking Bad, check out the AMC Breaking Bad Press Blog:
http://blogs.amctv.com/breaking-bad/press/
Go to crewnewmexico.com

Terminator 4 powers ahead despite strike fears

May 09, 2008 04:30 AM

LOS ANGELES–He'll be back – Hollywood strike or no strike!

Cameras began rolling this week on the latest Terminator movie – estimated to cost about $150 million U.S. – for what many Hollywood watchers say is a late start given concerns that labour tensions could lead to an actors strike by July.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, began shooting Monday in New Mexico, bucking a trend in which studios have mostly avoided launching new productions they cannot be sure of completing before the Screen Actors Guild contract expires on June 30.

But don't look for the Governator in this one. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) was the last film in the franchise to star Arnold Schwarzenegger as the unstoppable cyborg from the future who made the line, "I'll be back," a worldwide catchphrase.

The fourth Terminator is set to reach theaters in May 2009.

Producers announced this week rapper Common will have a starring role in the upcoming instalment of the series. The Chicago MC will play a freedom fighter named Barnes, who is defending the human race against a machine that aims to destroy it.

He'll star alongside Christian Bale, who will play the main character, John Connor.

Meanwhile, SAG and Hollywood's major studios hit a stalemate Tuesday after three weeks of talks, stoking fears of renewed Hollywood labour unrest after a 100-day screenwriters' strike that ended in February.

But union leaders say they still hope to reach a deal without resorting to a walkout.

Reuters

Go to crewnewmexico.com

Incentives are Blooming

From "Variety, " by Matthew Ross

For the past six years, Louisiana and New Mexico have reigned atop the ever-expanding list of states that have opened their coffers to the movie business. But they're certainly not the only draws out there. Producers and studios have more choices than ever before, and the trend shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.

Over the past year, we've seen how a single new piece of legislation can change the entire U.S. landscape in an instant, whether it's coming from states with established production services (New York) or a new upstart whose financial package is simply too good to resist (Michigan).

Picking the best incentive packages in the U.S. is far from an exact science, but we've given it a shot. Herewith, we present our top five. (Of course, things could always change next week.)

LOUISIANA

The granddaddy of the incentive boom continues to impress and endure. When Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath made shooting difficult in New Orleans, production houses and crew members set up shop in other cities such as Shreveport and Baton Rouge without missing a beat. And 2008 is shaping up to be a record year -- 28 productions have come through the state through April, a pace that should easily eclipse 2007's record of 53 productions for the entire year. The reason: Along with its 25% transferable credit for all in-state expenditures and an additional 10% on labor for state residents, Louisiana continues to develop its production resources, which now include the Cinelease soundstages in Shreveport and the Celtic Media Center in Baton Rouge. Upcoming and recent pics include David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," with Brad Pitt, and Oliver Stone's "W." Louisiana continues to be a favorite location for both the Weinstein Co. bring in regular business.

NEW MEXICO

Like Louisiana, New Mexico boasts one of the most established, effective incentive programs in the U.S. Rather than offer tax credits, the state provides a flat-out cash rebate covering 25% of all in-state expenses. In addition, it offers 0% loans (in exchange for backend participation) of up to $15 million on shows spending at least $2 million within the state. In previous years, the one knock on New Mexico was that it had scant facilities and hardly any qualified local crew. That situation is being remedied. Last June, Albuquerque Studios, a $75 million soundstage and production hub, opened its doors. Recent and upcoming productions to take advantage of the new facility include Taylor Hackford's "Love Ranch," Jim Sheridan's "Brothers" and McG's "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," currently in prep.

CONNECTICUT

In only two years, Connecticut has gone from nonentity to major player in the incentive game, and has offered further proof that film-related legislation has the ability to give local economies an immediate boost. Thanks to its generous 30% tax credit and its close proximity to the resources and crew of neighboring New York, Connecticut has managed to lure a slew of high-profile productions recently. Seven features are shooting there, including Andrew Jarecki's "All Good Things" with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst, P.J. Hogan's "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and Sam Mendes' "Farlanders."

NEW YORK

Until a few weeks ago, New York had one of the weaker incentive programs in the nation. That still didn't stop more than 250 features from shooting in the state last year. Those stats are about to be shattered. In April, Gov. David Paterson and the Legislature teamed up to pass a bill that tripled the state tax credit on production expenses to 30%, with an additional 5% thrown in for shows shot within New York City. For productions big and small, the cringe-inducing costs of shooting in Gotham have suddenly become easier to manage.

MICHIGAN

The new kid on the block, Michigan rounds out the list purely based on its unmatched investment, which was announced last month. It includes a phenomenal 40%-42% cash or tax-credit rebate (whichever the producers/financiers prefer) on all in-state expenditures, plus a 30% reimbursement for nonresident below-the-line crew members. Simply put, this is the best package ever to be introduced in the United States. But that doesn't mean there won't be significant hurdles to overcome, the most glaring of which is Michigan's utter lack of any significant production resources or local crew. Expect that situation to change, and fast. Just look at Louisiana and New Mexico.

SAG Contract Update

The Screen Actors Guild and the majors have launched their fourth week of feature-primetime talks with a deadline looming to wrap up negotiations by Tuesday afternoon.

The session -- the 17th since bargaining began April 15 -- began at mid-morning Monday at the headquarters of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers in Encino.

Both sides have continued to observe the unofficial news blackout since Friday's announcement that talks would be extended on a day-to-day basis through Tuesday.

The extension was triggered by SAG's move to drop its demand for a doubling of DVD residuals and seek a hike in pension and health contributions on DVD residuals. SAG also agreed Friday to drop several pay hike demands.

SAG's contract expires June 30 and the lack of resolution has caused headaches for the studios, which have stopped greenlighting features until SAG signs a deal.

If SAG does not make a deal this week, it runs the risk of the rival American Federation of Television & Radio Artists making a primetime deal and using that to expand its coverage. AFTRA's primetime negotiations have been pushed back twice with AFTRA talks now slated to begin Wednesday.

Reprinted from Variety, March 5

Student Film Competition

From the Las Cruces Sun-News

Article Launched: 05/05/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

SANTA FE — A team from Doña Ana Community College has won first place in New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera's student film competition, aimed at encouraging people with disabilities to vote in this year's elections.

Aron Hethcox, who directed the winning entry, "That's My Vote," said his team "wanted to make (its) script jump out."

"We are all equal when it comes to voting and that's what we wanted to demonstrate. It's an honor for our team to win the competition. We wanted our voices heard and they were," Hethcox said.

Art Scheriber, president of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico, called the production "sensitive, informed and inspiring."

The DACC team's winning 30-second public service announcement earned members $750 and their film will be offered for broadcast statewide.

---

"Crash" to Film in NM This Summer

If you're a big fan of the movie "Crash," you'll be glad to know that they're going to be filming a TV-Series based on the film --- and though the show is set in LA, they're going to be filming in Albuquerque. Lester Berman is producing (he also produced Wildfire). Filming to take place this summer. We'll update you on any new details as they arise. Stay tuned.