The Georgia entertainment industry is one of the most exciting industries, both economically and culturally, to come to our state in a long while. Our industry fosters inclusiveness, adventure, creativity and opportunity to all. Regardless of age, ethnicity, skin color or socio-economic background, the entertainment industry in Georgia is truly an equal opportunity zone. This fabric is why Georgia Entertainment only has one direction to go. Up. We hope you enjoy all that this issue has to offer. In each issue of the magazine and on each episode of Georgia Hollywood Review TV, we will cover the unique tapestry of talent, both above and below the line, that makes the Georgia film, television and music industry vibrant, strong and fascinating.
The Faces Chantal of
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Publisher/Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Miles K. Neiman
Managing Editor: Jennifer Thompson Proofreader: Sloane Neiman Magazine Designer: Brenda J. Oliver Advertising Design: Sharon Jollay Photography: Richie Arpino Dee Flores Mia McCorkle
Change.
I just watched Two Dis- tant Strangers on Netflix, directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, and written by Travon Free. This film is a shining example of how art in film is one of the most power- ful tools of our society. Not just to tell a story, but to share perspectives in a 30- 120 minute time span that may take a lifetime to un- derstand otherwise.
York City police officer. In a seemingly never ending loop, we are reminded that no matter how things change, they still stay the same. We are also reminded that perseverance, courage, and knowing your own worth and empowerment can eventually, albeit through incredible struggle and hardship, effect real, authentic, and time lasting change. This film, although a short, is one of the most poignant and creative ways of addressing the current crisis of systemic racism in our country that I’ve seen in a while. It’s no wonder it’s been nominated for an Oscar. See our review on this film in our new section titled “new releases”. We hope you enjoy this issue of Georgia Holly- wood Review . We are dedicated to the film arts and find the medium to be extremely satisfying. We hope you find the pages that follow satisfying as well. We will also be beginning our monthly enter- tainment industry events again at the end of May. Go to our website at www.georgiahollywoodreview.com for more info and details. And subscribe to our news- letter while you’re there. Now, go watch a good movie.
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Not only is this poignant, Oscar nominated short filma deep look into our times, but it is a deep look into humanity. It tells the story of a courteous, intelligent, charismatic, and resourceful young African-American man, who is simply trying to get home to his dog after a romantic “one night stand” with a new possible love interest. On his journey home, he is challenged by a never ending, nightmarish, violent encounter with a New
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Videographer: Randy Harris Avé at The Walter Mitty Co. Contributing Writers: Carol Badaracco Padgett Connor Judson Garrett Echo Montgomery Garrett Tracey Hawkins Julie Herron Carson Jessica Holthaus Badour
about the cover Pictured: Actress Chantal Maurice Photography: Lu Christian of 1 G L A N C E ™ Styling:
The Georgia Hollywood Review is published every other month by Georgia Hollywood Review, LLC. Reproductions in whole or in part, without expressed written permission of the publisher, are strictly prohibited. The Georgia Hollywood Review is not responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted. Copyright 2021. Send inquiries to 227 Sandy Springs Place, Suite D-288, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. For more information, contact admin@georgia hollywoodreview.com.
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Franck Mille Talent Agents: Sol Talent, Across The Board Talent Agency (West Coast) Publicist: Pretty Fly Society
Ellen Howle Chris LeDoux Autumn Murray Michael J. Pallerino Mary Welch
Watch our exciting interviews with the stars at Georgia Hollywood Review TV on Roku or Amazon Fire or the Thea App.
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CONTENTS
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8 documentary Black in America 2020
10 education Taharka Sankara
11 new releases Two Distant Strangers 12 local actor Patrick Roper 14 producer Autumn Bailey-Ford 15 music David Ali: The Singing Poet 16 indie Take Back Momentum 18 props CAPS: The Largest Prop House in Georgia 20 child actor Born Ready: Ella Grace Helton 22 cover story The Ultimate Actor-Preneur: Chantal Maurice 24 getting physical Super Hero Training Center 26 up & coming Angie Castillo 28 taxes Tax Credits Drive Georgia’s Entertainment Machine
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CONTRIBUTORS
Carol Badaracco Padgett is an Atlanta-based writer and copywriter.
Connor Judson
Echo Montgomery Garrett has written for more than 100 media
Tracey M. Hawkins has been a contributing
Garrett , 2017 Edward Readicker- Henderson Travel
editor and writer for
Photo by Kevin Garrett
Over the past 30 years she has written for the Atlanta Business Chronicle , Oz Magazine, National Real Estate Investor, Waste Age, Retail Traffic, and other B2B and B2C publications. She also worked as a copywriter crafting copy for Revlon, Georgia-Pacific, Stainmaster, and Publix. She loves to meet people, find their spark, and share their stories. Reach her at badaracco.carol@gmail.com .
Classics Award recipient, honed his craft as an advertising copywriter in Los Angeles. He is the author of two poetry books, Become The Fool and Life in Lyrics; a novel, Falling Up in The City of Angels; and a co- authored mind-body self-help book, The Longevity Game. His writing has appeared in Private Clubs Magazine, South Magazine, and Hook & Barrel.
outlets, including Delta Sky, Parade, ABC.com, AARP, The Atlanta Journal- Constitution, and Business Week . She’s the author of 20 books, including multi-award winning My Orange Duffel Bag: A Journey to Radical Change. Up next: a book called Unsung about growing up around Nashville’s Music Row with parents in the industry.
various print publications, such as The Thirty-A Review, American Contemporary Art, and Frontier Airlines magazines; as well as award-winning websites, galleries and novelists. She has served as a collegiate Professor of Art History, as well as a collections consultant, curator, and artists’ representative. traceymhawkins.com and skrybes.com
Julie Herron Carson , an Atlanta native, has over
Jessica Holthaus Badour From veteran communications
Chris LeDoux Alaskan born and bred, Chris earned bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and sociology, but his fascination with
Autumn Murray has written for various print and online publications including The
30 years of public relations and feature writing expertise. Her specialties include media relations, newsletters, website writing, and cause-related marketing, as well as feature writing for The Thirty-A Review magazine and Atlanta ShowGuide . Julie is a graduate of the University of Georgia and lives in northeast Atlanta with her husband and teenage son.
specialist to preeminent food safety professional, Jessica Holthaus Badour has built a successful and diversified career developing compelling means of sharing information while engaging the public on essential issues. She is currently working full- time for the Georgia Department of Agriculture while freelancing in her spare time. www.linkedin. com/in/jessicaholthausbadour
cinema and filmmaking instead led him to the world of visual effects. Chris’s impressive résumé includes compositing and VFX supervision on numerous films and TV shows, including 12 Years A Slave , Doctor Strange , The Greatest Showman , and Better Call Saul . Chris has also directed music videos and led visual effects teams for U2, Chris Cornell, New Kids on the Block, and Paramore. craftyapes.com
Plunge, Divine Lifestyle, and Simply Amazing Living . Authority Magazine and Thrive Global declared her a “Social Media Impact Hero” for her “Choose Love” campaign to promote acceptance and diversity. She is working on a book about her life and overcoming abuse while inspiring others to Choose Love in all situations. autumn@simplyamazingliving.com
Michael J. Pallerino is an award- winning writer who has written for a number of national B2C and
Mary Welch is a veteran writer and editor who has worked for a number of publications, including the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Travelgirl Magazine,
B2B publications. When he is not lost in his writing, music and binge watching, Michael can be reached at mpallerino@gmail.com.
Atlanta Woman, Business to Business, Car Business Today and biography.com . In her spare time she enjoys traveling with her son, Grady, and tries to fix up her 100-year-old home in Virginia-Highland. www.marywelchwriter.com
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DOCUMENTARY Art Informs Humanity in Black in America 2020 Journalist Alahna Lark takes on the hate and the hope of a year in infamy By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t
Alahna Lark
I don’t understand how you can be so angered by a broken window… but you’re not angry about a black or brown body on the ground. ” – Justus Steele, Atlanta protester
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O n May 26, 2020, one day after the killing of George Floyd by mechanical asphyxiation under a police officer’s knee during an arrest in Minneapolis, a series of protests erupted across the United States and around the world. Atlanta-born resident, journalist, and filmmaker Alahna Lark will never forget that day when she and her crew began filming her docuseries, Black in America 2020 , for GPB Knowledge Network. “We marched from Centennial Olympic Park to the Capitol and back again,” and as she captured the event and the exchange between those marching, the police, and National Guard members, she could make out a voice in the crowd. “I heard this young man, Justus Steele—a gay influencer, a black man, and a beautiful human being— having this intense conversation with a black police officer. He was asking the officer why he was on that side and why he didn’t take off his uniform and stand with his people,” Lark recounts. “To see the passion and fire he had, speaking to the police officer who wouldn’t look him in the eye,” she describes. “To capture that moment and speak to Justus afterwards as he was still full of emotions … It was inspiring because he was brave enough to ask the questions we all want answered.” The landscape was even richer as one considers concurrent events: Racial tensions in the U.S. had already
neared an apex in the wake of two other killings before Floyd’s—the deadly lynching of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in rural Georgia in February 2020 and the fatal police shooting of black medical worker Breonna Taylor in her Louisville, Kentucky home in March. “Everyone was unpacking the weight of what this year has been like,” Lark states. “I knew I had to put a lens to this experience.” The climate fueled her passion to tirelessly capture the Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta that culminated in Black in America 2020 . The six-part docuseries aired on GPP Knowledge, beginning with Part I that aired Nov. 15, 2020. “The system has failed to protect innocent lives and kills them without any repercussion and any reform. All that the protesters were trying to say is that black lives matter—not that they’re the most important thing in the whole world, just MATTER,” Lark stresses. “And that’s what this documentary will portray.” She notes the weight of the police killing of Rayshard Brooks in June 2020, “…right here in Atlanta, right on the heels of us taking to the streets every day.” For Lark, there was no other story to tell at this critical juncture in history. “I couldn’t self-actualize without telling it,” she notes. She was raw, a woman struggling in the backlash of the pandemic. “I was grieving the lives that had been lost, and although I felt like isolating myself, I still had to face the camera and put into words this grave moment in history.” The daughter of a CNN producer, who “begged me not to go into journalism, but here I am,” Lark has taken
on subjects such as human trafficking. She was working on a project on that topic just before the pandemic hit and stalled production. And she had personally felt the reality of this grave, often overlooked human injustice when she first started out her career as a young actress, intuiting an element of sketchiness and unsafeness as she went to certain auditions. In her quest to make a difference through documentary filmmaking, she has traveled to shoot in Ecuador, Liberia, and Sweden, where she worked as a cinematographer capturing the yearlong MLK Exhibit A Right to Freedom , at the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm. She is currently serving as programming director of human.tv, a platform for marginalized content creators, such as members of the LGBTQ community, women, and people with disabilities. “These voices have authentic stories that need to be told,” she notes. Black in America 2020 , too, will appear on the human.tv platform after it airs on GPB Knowledge. Despite the nearly insurmountable challenges of this time in history, Lark finds, “People are still waking up.” Her words of wisdom for others, as a black woman, filmmaker, and preserver of history: “Give yourself grace. We’re all going through this and none of us have a directory. Allow yourself to feel it. You’re not alone, and we’ll get through it.”
alahnalark.com | @eastalahna
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EDUCATION
Interactively Speaking How Taharka Sankara is helping change the storyteller genre By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no
S ega Dreamcast. Nintendo 64. Pick one of those old home arcade games, any one, and you can bet Taharka Sankara had it in tow. Growing up in Merced, California, in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, Sankara was a wonder kid of the impending interactive media landscape. And it was not just all those cool video games—Super Mario 64, Mario Karts, Donkey Kong, and the like. Sankara was enthralled about what made them tick. He read all the magazines about
storytelling into the masses. CINEMA is a transformative workforce development initiative that trains and provides opportunities for 18 to 24-year-olds disconnected from work and/or education. “I believe storytelling is important today because humanity is losing its way and is in desperate need of a road map. Storytelling can provide humanity with the historical context that it needs to move into the future. That history must be one that encompasses the histories of all people.
Stories are arguably humanity’s first information ex- change technology. My hope is that people will continue to utilize the technology of stories to lift one another up, understand one another, and inspire each other to create an amazing society.” Part of CINEMA’s mission statement is to help young people get entry-level jobs in Information Com- munications Technology (ICT) fields like digital media, and film and TV production. “Employers tell me they’re looking for dependability
the developers and how they envisioned these consoles could someday change the world. His love of video games was equal to his love of a good story. Getting lost in the films of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, and Robert Zemeckis, he was a hardcore sci-fi aficionado. It was not until he saw the work of Spike Lee that the course of his future would take a sharp turn. Lee’s ability to use character archetypes fascinated the storytelling protégé in waiting. Lee’s writing, directing, and use of music convinced Sankara that storytelling was his future. “My dad took my brother and me to see Malcolm X when we were kids, and I remember seeing a theater
and consistency. Soft skills are a big focus. The logic is that many of the technical skills today are changing sometimes with a quarterly frequency. The technical and aesthetic skills can be learned and re- learned as one goes through their employment process. A lack of soft skills, on the other hand, can impede any process. Employers want people who can communicate well with the people they are around all day, and they want people who are consistent.” Sankara believes CINEMA will be a game changer for today’s young visionaries. He recalls the story of a student working the graveyard shift loading a truck in a ware- house while taking classes at
Nadia Belchick interviews Taharka Sankara on Georgia Hollywood Review TV
of African-American fathers and their children. There was an energy of solidarity and togetherness that I will never forget.” Sankara’s penchant for storytelling is well docu- mented. As a young child, his mother gave him a book of illustrations in which he had to create his own story. He ended up writing a detective yarn about him and his father. But as Sankara admits, there was something miss- ing—something that would end up launching his arc as a storyteller. “I didn’t like that every character in the book was automatically white. There weren’t any versions with blue or orange characters, or something more inclusive or ambiguous. It basically forced you to write a story exclusively about white characters. From there, I started writing stories without the help of illustrations that could include characters that looked like me and my family.” As the Program Director for CINEMA at Georgia State University, Sankara has set out to instill the power of
CINEMA. He witnessed the burden of trying to do both first-hand. Not long ago the student ran into Sankara’s office and said that upon graduation he presented his employer with his graduation certificate. He was promot- ed on the spot. “For African American, Latino, and marginalized young people, they must understand and embrace the fact that while we are all playing the same game, the rules will always be different for them. Their work ethic must be the first virtue they present to the world. Resilience in mind, spirit and body is critical. Meditate, pray, and look inward often. Trust your vision and never stop learning.”
Storytelling can provide humanity with the historical context that it needs to move into the future. That history must be one that encompasses the histories of all people. ”
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IG: @taharka.sankara | Twitter: @Taharkafy
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NEW RELEASES
Two Distant Strangers Tells the Tale By Ca ro l Bada r ac co Padge t t
nominated Best Live Ac- tion Short Film Two Distant Strangers, written and directed by Emmy winner Travon Free ( The Daily Show on Com- edy Central), co-directed by Martin Desmond Roe of LA’s Dirty Robber Productions (Buzkashi Boys, Kobe Bry- ant’s Muse), and executive produced by Shaun “Diddy” Combs. The film stars Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ in the lead role of New York-based cartoonist Carter James, a young black man who wakes up in the apartment of a beautiful young woman, Perri, played by Zaria, after a night out on the town. Carter’s first concern upon awakening is simply getting back home to take care of Jeter, his dog. After easy dialogue is shared and sparks fly between Carter and Perri as they agree to meet up again, the film begins to subtly shift. Carter steps out of the apartment building onto the sidewalk as the opening piano crescendo and vocals in Bruce Hornsby’s The Way It Is builds up. He lets a businesswoman pass by before crossing the sidewalk, resting his backpack atop an empty bike rack, fishing out a cigarette, and accidentally colliding with a passerby
what he does or how hard he tries. His fate is already sealed, just the way it is. In futility, each time he leaves to go home and feed his dog, he is murdered on the street in alternating methods matching the highly publicized killings of black men and women at the hands of law enforcement in America. And each time he is killed, he wakes up yet again in Perri’s bed, as if from a nightmare, only to rise and try again each new day. “It was very challenging to ask Joey to relive the pain and anguish of being murdered over and over again,” states director Martin Desmond Roe about the filming. “Almost more difficult was filming all of the times that Carter wakes up after being killed.” Roe is quick to note of his directorial role and collaboration alongside Free, “As a white man from the UK, this is, in many ways, not my story to tell. But it is very much Travon’s story to tell. And as his friend and collaborator it was honestly an honor to be part of examining this story with him.” At the start of the pandemic, the two friends’ main focus was a feature they’d had in development for several years. As Roe says, “We were actually trying to take advantage of the pandemic to get the script written for that film when George Floyd was killed.” After processing the shock of Floyd’s murder and participating in the protests that followed, Free realized he had a platform that many people do not in which to tell the story. In an interview with complex.com, Free shares, “I needed to say something about what I was feeling and what I believed a lot of people like me were feeling.” So he came to his friend with the idea for the short film. “It was so powerful and so immediate that I agreed to put away our feature and work on it right away,” Roe says. Even during the post-production and rough-cut phases, the film started making its mark and galvanizing support, such as Diddy’s. “He’s good friends with our star, Joey Bada$$, and he is deeply involved in the activist space, and when he saw the rough cut he joined the project,” Roe describes, adding, “His help has been incredible across the board, from notes helping us to shape the final film to making sure the film was seen in places we never could have reached without him.” Now, with a steady stream of viewers having pushed it into Netflix’s top 10, the 29-minute masterpiece has taken on a momentum all its own. Its ultimate message: Black Lives Matter. And Two Distant Strangers is the classic short film that will live to tell the tale.
I s it possible that a 29-minute film can encapsulate and illustrate the vivid intensity of racial injustice in America? The enduring systemic injustice that’s culminated in the modern-day killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others? The answer, surprisingly, is yes. A 29-minute film can do that—and it’s proven out in 2021’s Oscar-
carrying a cup of coffee in the process. As he apologizes and the coffee drinker hurries off, Carter lights up, takes a drag, and dreamily surveys the busy New York morning. But the serene scene ends when Police Officer Merk, played by Andrew Howard, steps up to Carter with his opening line, “You got a problem here?” From that moment forward, Carter is stuck in a time loop he cannot avoid or push beyond—no matter
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LOCAL ACTOR
Patrick Roper – Emperor By Je s s i ca Ho l thaus Badour
Y ou might hear him before you see him (thanks to his trademark deep voice), but at a towering six-foot-four, Patrick Roper is easily spotted in a crowd, too. He appears next in a powerful supporting role as Hank Beaumont in the pre- Civil War thriller Emperor with director Mark Amin (released earlier this past spring). Emperor is based on the story of Shields Green, a slave from South Carolina who fought alongside John Brown at the Harpers Ferry Raid. “Not much is known historically about Green, so a lot of legends rose out of it. This film is based on what is known, along with legends that sparked up around him,” Roper explains. “In the beginning of the film, there’s a massive power shift on the plantation Green lives at. As the new overseer, I ultimately play the character who alters the course of Green’s life before he goes off on his grand adventure.” Emperor was shot entirely in Savannah (perfectly realistic for pre-Civil War). While on set, Roper worked with M.C. Gainey, a character actor notorious for playing villains, whom Roper was very excited to meet. “Late one afternoon, we’re both in rocking chairs on the porch of this big mansion and he reaches over and touches my forearm and says, ‘Patrick, I gotta tell ya, I hate watching myself work. I don’t like watching my own movies. But I love to watch other actors, and it’s been an honor and joy to watch you work today’,’” Roper describes. “It had that quality of ‘passing the torch’ from one screen villain to another, which felt so awesome.” Roper spent a huge amount of time researching overseers’ relationships with slaves in the 19 th century. “I took it to heart to get that as right as I could,” he says. “It was a responsibility as far as I was concerned.” Just before Emperor auditions, Roper was diagnosed with Stage 1 Renal Cell Carcinoma. Surgery removed a key-lime-sized-tumor from his kidney a few days before callbacks. “I was lucky it was caught early,” he says (noting he battled cancer at age 19, too). “After surgery, I was in the hospital and got the callback. I still had staples and a drain attached to me, but I walked into my audition, did it, and got it.” The Seattle native has been in Georgia since 2013, becoming a dynamic rising star. Known for playing intense antagonists and strong anti-heroes, he enjoys the challenge of a damaged character. “I tend to play a lot of darker, villainous characters. When I first sat down with Mark
(Arum), he looked at me kind of weirdly and asked, ‘Have you played anything like this before?’ I told him I was recently a homicidal killer with cleavers. He was surprised to find I was such a nice gentleman,” Roper laughs. While each role is different, he notes we all have a darkness within us—actors are just willing to bring it to the surface, in short controlled doses (costumes help). “I’ll stare in the mirror and absorb the image, set it in my head, and I can keep it on idle as needed. I don’t want to sit in character forever,” he says. “I keep it on a low simmer while I’m working and then I can get into when they call ‘action’. I’ll walk away from a tough scene and breathe it out and get ready for the next one.” Roper points out that film opportunities in Georgia have grown with increasing rapidity for actors like himself, who came here looking to get a foot in the door. With its smaller industry environment, Roper says there’s an edge in Atlanta you can’t find in other big film cities. “Thanks to the government and community, every- one got together and figured out what we needed,” Roper says. “We’ve gone from a point where the best a local ac- tor could hope for was a walk-on one-liner, to studios trusting locals with guest-starring roles. No one was more shocked than I was to get as large of a role as this in Em- peror . I’m pushing as hard as I can, to do what I can, as fast as I can.” In addition to his career in acting, he’s led a life that’s anything but ordinary. For example, he ran a very successful business as a kiltmaker (yes, that’s a thing), designing thousands of kilts for people all over the world, tying him back to his red-headed Celtic roots. “It became that gig I did to pay rent and get food, but by the time Braveheart came out, my business increased exponentially,” he says. “Then 16 years after doing that, my hands started hurting and I was tired.” A week later, he boarded a plane and began traveling the world. He’s dogsledded in the Yukon Territory, ridden camels through the Arabian desert, done photo safaris in Southern Africa and India, and gone cage diving with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe—just to name a few adventures. “I’ve always had that personality, I’ve always taken risks and liked to work outside of the box,” he says. “I have a tendency to look at things and, instead of approaching things head on—which is usually when you butt your head—I like to go over or under the wall.”
Patrick Roper
Left: On the set of Emperor , photo by Seth F. Johnson; right: 2019 Savannah Film Alliance Honors Gala’s red carpet
Roper has won Best Actor for several f ilms and is recognized for his recurring role of Ken in the 2019 hit comedy series “Florida Girls” on POP TV. Watch the Emperor movie trailer: youtube/TKG7dnF-dSU and learn more about Roper’s career (and travel adventures) via IMBd, or contact Amanda Abelita with Abelita-Burns PR (www.abelitaburnspr.com). In the wake of the pandemic, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the distributor for Emperor, chose to release the f ilm on August 18th on DVD. It is also available for streaming on Amazon Prime, ITunes, VUDU, Fandangonow, Google Play, Microsoft, Verizon Fios, Ixf intiy, and Direct TV Cinema.
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PRODUCER
Autumn Bailey-Ford By Autumn Mur r ay
A utumn Bailey-Ford has worked on over three dozen independent film projects as a producer and has assisted numerous filmmakers secure film distribution for their projects. She serves on the Atlanta Film Festival Board and belongs to the Producer Guild of America, Women in Film LA and Atlanta, Black Women in Film, and Reel Divas. In this Q&A, she gives us an inside look into her two companies: Autumn Bailey Enter- tainment and Prominent Productions. GHR: CAN YOU TELL US HOW AND WHY YOU STARTED AUTUMN BAILEY ENTERTAINMENT AND PROMINENT PRODUCTIONS? AB-F: I started Autumn Bailey Entertainment, as I always wanted my own film and TV production company. I wanted to be able to make projects that excited me. I started the company right after I graduated from college. I have produced over thirty-five feature films and one documentary with budgets ranging from 800K to 20M dollars. I started Prominent Productions in 2018 with my partner Cameron Burnett, son of producer Mark Burnett. We took the last two years to build up the company by first figuring out the type of content we want to produce and creating our vision for the company.” WHAT IS THE MISSION FOR AUTUMN BAILEY ENTERTAINMENT AND PROMINENT PRODUCTIONS? The mission for both companies is to create entertaining content geared towards a diverse audience and to tell stories that will uplift and impact positive change. We strive to create thoughtful, intelligent, and unique entertainment with commercial appeal. Our motto is when you believe you can achieve! WHY ARE DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR PRODUCTION COMPANIES? People always hear me say we truly are one industry family no matter the color of our skin. I am very big on diversity and showcasing everyone no matter what. I have done an LGBTQ film, an Asian film, and last year I did my first international film in Tanzania, Africa. My faith in God drives me to believe that everyone should be represented.
WHAT IS A DREAM PROJECT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE? I would love to do a series like the ‘80s TV show A Different World. That show really helped me to understand the importance of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges Universities) and I feel that there isn’t a series on TV really speaking about that culture. ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE LOOKING TO GET INTO THE FILM AND TV INDUSTRY? Absolutely. Find a mentor. And don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. I’ve had a mentor for over 15 years and counting, and I appreciate him very much. I also highly suggest they read the book Produce by Faith written by my mentor and friend, Devon Franklin. Additionally, for those living in
Georgia who are thinking they have to move to Los Angeles or New York to be successful, I am living proof that you don’t. I have lived in Georgia going on twelve years. I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, but my home is in Georgia. If it’s your dream to be in the film and TV industry, it’s up to you to make that dream happen. It might take longer to get there but nothing worth having is easy. This business is about relationships and networking. There are some truly talented directors, producers, writers, and actors right in the great state of Georgia. Never be afraid to work with people in your own backyard. WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS YOU WILL BE WORKING ON FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2020? Unfortunately, I can’t say right now as some announcements are coming out in the trades soon. I will say that I’m excited about a few projects that are showcasing some amazing scripts written by writers in Georgia that are based on books written by local Georgia authors.
“ There are some truly talented directors, producers, writers, and actors right in the great state of Georgia. Never be afraid to work with people in your own backyard. ”
Photo by Prime Phocus LLC
Autumn Bailey-Ford
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE ASPECTS OF YOUR JOB? I truly love being able to give people opportunities that they might not have had before. I also love being able to give advice and just truly be a blessing to others. I remember how it was for me to get into the business and learning everything on my own. I want to share my knowledge and help others.
@autumnebaileyford and LinkedIn: autumnbailey
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MUSIC
The Singing Poet For David Ali, the soundtrack of life is a never ending source of inspiration—and hope By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no F or his highly acclaimed 2016 debut release, some of the songs that David Ali recorded had only a single sentence for lyrics when he hit the studio. And while
Mary Jane . His industry background also involves various crew work, including set dresser, production assistant, craft service business owner (The Silent Café LLC), set coordinator (HGTV), and more. And if that is not enough, Ali also is an advocate for justice. As a recruiter and B2B Independent Associate with LegalShield, he helps clients and business owners in the creative community affordably protect their legal rights by connecting them to top law-firms in the US, Canada and UK. And how does all this play out in today’s unsettled times? “I don’t sound like Stevie Wonder, but I write about love along with world issues like he does. Creative people have the power to influence. It’s not unusual to see creatives be at their best artistically while simultaneously using their influence to make a political change in the world. We all don’t have to do something, but we all can do something—whether it’s speaking at congressional hearings, marching arm in arm in the streets or doing infomercials to encourage fans to register and vote. A lyric to one of my songs reads, ‘Our ancestors and children are watching and the whole world is waiting to see—now what are you going to do.” In a time when pushing forward is the right course, Ali plans to pull together a team of writers and vocalists to work on his first jazz CD this year. He is excited to work with different writers to tell new stories (with the exception of K. Nicole Allen and Kimberly Beavers, who helped him write “Right Through Me” and “Another Place To Go,” respectively). He also wants to make a go at writing songs for movies, commercials and other artists. “I’m a different person now with different stories to tell, and I can’t wait to tell them,” Ali says. “I’ve gone from being a performing artist to a recording artist, and now it’s time to go back to performing. I want to take this next part of my creative journey with a live band and a strong management team. This is going to be great.” And if history proves one thing about Ali, inspiration will truly follow in his wake.
the genius of songwriting varies from artist to artist, Ali admits that his style is a bit unique—a process that can be as maddening as it is poetic. For example, the title track, The Canvas (one of Ali’s favorites), was a prerecorded track his producer created. Ali loved the song, but just could not find the words; so he let the melody settle. It was not until Ali rode along with his producer to drop off his children to his ex-wife that the inspiration hit. Sitting in the cars watching the fractured family interact, Ali could not help think about all the families that somehow lose their way. He asked himself what a man would
Album cover
say to his woman if he truly wanted his keep his family intact. He went back to the studio, put the track on loop, and took a nap as the music played into his subconscious. “My songs are sometimes like puzzle pieces,” Ali admits. “(So) I fell asleep trying to answer that question with all those pieces moving around in my head. When I woke up six hours later, they were all there. Two hours later, the title track was born.” The inspiration that moves Ali comes from everything and everywhere. It could be a story from his life ( Cake and Water ), a union he desires with his lover ( Handled ), a conclusion he arrived at while reading the scriptures ( Another Place To Go ), or even a bug (the emotionally moving and audience favorite, Fly on the Wall ). The indomitable spirit that is David Ali, much like his writing style, embodies a little bit of everything. Along with being an Independent Music Award-nominated songwriter and vocalist who addresses issues like domestic violence, homelessness and suicide with purpose, he is an aspiring actor who has worked on shows like Being
“ It’s not unusual to see creatives be at their best artistically while simultaneously using their inf luence to make a political change in the world. ”
@iamdavidali | (404) 246-2113 TheSingingPoet.com | TheManOfJustice.com TheLadyOfJustice.com
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INDIE
Take Back Momentum What? We’re expected to do what? For how long? You’re kidding me, right? By Adam Ashe r
I t took a minute, but the reality of “the COVID19 quarantine” did eventually sink in. I was just so busy with meetings and tasks and budgets and planning—I had to pause a second so I could give some thought to what all this was going to mean … to me. That’s when this really annoying question came up: What am I going to do now? Disclaimer: My plans and goals and projects all take second place to the safety and health of our brothers and sisters around the world. They are clearly what matters most. My immediate reaction was to help ensure that my family and friends and teams were all safe, taking necessary precautions, taking the threat seriously. Furthermore, I will always seek to honor those from around the world who have chosen to put the wellbeing of others above their own. They all have my utmost respect. But yeah. This wasn’t good. For any of us. I had things figured out before all this hit. Oh, it wasn’t easy; complex, rewarding
started to become clear. And I began to look at things differently. I started looking at this crisis as an opportunity—not a barrier. I took back my positive mindset and I started asking productive questions instead. What’s it going to take to get through this… and to thrive? Vision . It’s going to take vision. I have to be able to see my way through this. Things have changed. My team’s needs have changed, and so have the needs of those who consume my product. Am I paying attention to what they need? Am I watching? Am I helping the team adjust? Am I helping the product adjust? I have to. Creativity . This is the time to be
creative. The old way of doing things isn’t adequate anymore. To conquer those practical challenges we now face, the team and I have to think of new and innovative ways to get the work done. In terms of the product, I need to look for ways to meet the new needs that people have, to address their new concerns. I can’t just do what I did before and slap the title “COVID19” on it. I have to be smart. I have to be creative. I have to take what I’m seeing and create something new. Tenacity . Yeah, it’s going to take stick-to-itiveness. I have to dig deep. I have to wrestle with these questions— till I get the answers I need. Do I have what it takes? You better believe I do. I didn’t come this far to let a devastating pandemic derail me. No. This is where being stubborn shines through as skill. I’m not giving up. And neither are you. Life is never certain. Tomorrow is never promised. And opportunity is never guaranteed. These are facts. How we choose to react to them is all we can control. Let’s face these truths. Let’s fight for what we want. Let’s open our eyes, think creatively, and stubbornly refuse to relent. This is where we get our mindset back. This is where momentum is restored. Carry on. I can’t wait to see what you create next. Adam Asher
projects never are. But I knew what I had to do to get it done. And then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, everything changed. And it was the worst kind of change … the kind that brought with it uncertainty and loss. As a nation, as a city, we’ve lost friends and family to this deadly virus. We’ve lost opportunities we had fought for, jobs we needed, graduations we deserved, proms, vacations, concerts and sporting events, get-togethers, weddings. We lost the ability to grab dinner out with a friend. And for many of us in this industry, we lost the most important ingredient to success: Momentum. Just being honest here. I never lost hope. I never panicked, nor did I ever believe the world was ending. I’ve always known we’d get through this. But the losses we’ve all sustained are real. They have an effect on our economy—absolutely. But worst of all, they have an effect on our mindset, and in my opinion, that’s what has hurt us most of all. For me personally, the loss of momentum was a punch in the gut. Did this mean my efforts had all been for naught? Did this mean I needed to stop? Or worse yet… to give up on this dream and settle in to a lesser one? That sucker punch knocked the wind out of me for a minute. But once I caught my breath, some things
The old way of doing things isn’t adequate anymore. To conquer those practical challenges we now face, the team and I have to think of new and innovative ways to get the work done.
Adam Asher is host and creator of the unique travel docuseries, The Edge of Adventure . Available on The Georgia Hollywood Review’s streaming video channel on Thea.Network. Learn more at TheEdgeOfAdventure.com.
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PROPS
Unsung: An Inside Look at The Largest Prop House in Georgia By Connor Judson Ga r re t t
B ob Lucas owns Central Atlanta Props and Sets (CAPS), the largest prop house in the state of Georgia. Growing up, Lucas knew he wanted to work in the film industry as a writer. However, he jokes that he kept his day job while working in various art departments. “I was good at dealing with chaos. In this industry, you have to ride the bull and stay on it. I moved to Los Angeles in the ‘80s and started working on music videos and low budget horror movies like Night of the Demons ,” says Lucas. “Movies I worked on 30 years ago evolved into cult classics. We were just trying to figure out how to make things work. Eventually, I got into the union and transitioned into studio movies.” These days, Central Atlanta Props and Sets is involved in virtually any production that comes through the state of Georgia. From the Accountant to Baby Driver and Stranger Things , and Marvel Films projects. CAPS continues to help bring these productions to life. “I’m proud of everything we’ve been a part of, but Hidden Figures was a great project that showed our stuff…We did a lot with Richard Jewell, and First Man , which was a period movie on Neil Armstrong. We were also involved with the Avengers series. We did Ant Man and The Wasp , Black Panther , Spiderman , and really a large portion of the Marvel movies and shows. It’s still exciting to see things on the screen even after all these years.” CAPS provides a large variety of rental items for the entertainment and event industries, including industrial, office, rustic, exterior, or classic furnishing needs. But CAPS’s origins were humble before it became the prop behemoth it is today. “I had the opportunity to buy out the original owner, who actually ran an antique business. I was a customer of his for years and also happened to be very familiar with art departments and operations. As the entertainment industry grew here, he didn’t want to deal with the volume and demand that came with it. We made a deal and changed hands of ownership along with names. This was six years ago in November of 2014. We’ve grown tremendously and become a huge asset for the area,” says Lucas. “In fact, two years ago, we had to change locations because we needed more space. The city of East Point has been very supportive of us and opened a ton of doors. I worked in set decoration for 30 years and have dealt with many prop houses throughout my career. Now, we’re just ready to kick it into high gear. We pretty much deal with every production in town, from music videos and commercials to movies and events.”
“ The truth is, people don’t necessarily look at what kind of sofa is in a movie or a show, but if it’s the wrong sofa, that’s when it gets talked about. ”
Bob Lucas
CAPS has 200,000 square feet of facility and is cur- rently working to expand; and is constantly re-organizing. “With the budgets on some of these films and television shows, sometimes it’s easier to rent than it is to buy a certain prop. For instance, if they need a funky, old dumpster, they can rent it from me rather than buying and having to age it down,” says Lucas. “We have one warehouse, but one of my goals is that once we get everything under one roof, we keep improving infrastructure, organization, and get better lighting, so people can really see the range of things we offer.
“We’re the unsung end of the business. People often don’t think, ‘Oh, all that stuff has to come from somewhere’. We are strong supporters of the fictional environments for movie and television sets. The truth is, people don’t necessarily look at what kind of sofa is in a movie or a show, but if it’s the wrong sofa, that’s when it gets talked about.”
(470) 225-6709 | 1557 St Joseph Ave #300, East Point, GA 30344
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CHILD ACTOR
Born Ready Why Ella Grace Helton may be Hollywood’s next big thing By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no
Ella Grace Helton
was cast as the hero girl in one of Disney’s biggest commercials in recent years. The part involved seven days of filming at all four Disney parks in Orlando—in the middle of the night. “It was fun,” Ella recalls. “I was a little nervous, but I was excited to see Disney princesses. It was really awkward seeing myself on TV. It felt like I was zapped by a mirror and then showed up on the screen.” Her first TV commercial was a direct booking for Bruster’s Ice
“Whenever I’m on stage, I like having people watch me,” Ella says. “And in front of the camera, more people can watch me over and over and over, so I was really comfortable with it.” In her spare time, Ella’s life is filled with music (composing, singing, dancing, and playing instruments to original songs), and participating in various dance disciplines, voice training, songwriting, improv, art, and Krav Maga. She also is a budding aerial artist on silks, lyra, and the trapeze. And when and if there are any extra moments, Ella enjoys yoga, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, soccer, and playing video games and building LEGOs with her dad. And if you think that is enough for a 7-year-old with aspirations to be the next great filmmaker, Ella is also in the process of writing 14 scripts. “My dad says he wants me to live my life—you only get one life so you need to go do it.” So, what advice would she give to other young actors looking to make their way in what can be a tough business? Ella’s insights are what you want from someone who lives for the next adventure. “Just be you and have fun. Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. Sing and dance, post videos. You can find the opportunity, too.” SNAPSHOT: ELLA GRACE HELTON Favorite actor: Dove Cameron Favorite TV show: Liv and Maddie Favorite Disney character: Cinderella (Cinder-ELLA, as she likes to say) Favorite singer/performer: Ariana Grande Celebrity she’d most like to meet/work with: Brad Pitt
A sk Ella Grace Helton’s mother to give you a peek into what makes this up-and-coming actress the talk of every set she works on and she’ll tell you that she’s a natural. The explanation is even more impressive when you realize Ella is 7. That’s right. At 7 years old, the young actress is already a seasoned veteran of TV, film, commercials, and Broadway. She had her feature film debut opposite Adam Sandler as Jessa Phillips in Netflix’s most popular original film of 2020, Hubie Halloween, and a few months earlier, had her network TV debut as Emily Ryan on the ABC sitcom United We Fall . So, how did she get to where she is today, again, at age 7? It all started when Ella was 3, when her parents enrolled her in musical theater. Not long after, she auditioned for her first role for Disneyland Paris, which was cast and shot in Orlando, Florida. While she didn’t land that role, a big booking came a year later when she
Cream—a spot that was even more amazing when she realized the scope of the role. “I can’t believe I got to eat ice cream for my first job. I didn’t want to stop eating it. It also was my favorite flavor, mint chocolate chip.” After that, the flood gates opened up. Before long, Ella landed 15 commercials for brands like Disney, Marriott, Hasbro, and Gerber, eventually playing her child entrepreneur self opposite Major League Hall of Famer Derek Jeter in an American Family Insurance spot. And there was Broadway, where at age 5, she was cast as Lulu in the tour of Waitress , a musical based on the book by Jessie Nelson and the movie of the same name. On her Broadway debut, Ella says, “I was just born ready to sing and dance and act.” While being a seasoned professional at such a young age may seem a bit overwhelming, Ella continues to embrace the work and the spotlight with the same approach—comfort. That sense came early, when she recalls feeling so at home and comfortable with the crew that she had her mother sit at another table during lunch.
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