L.A. Mayor Vows to Help Out Hollywood

According to a recent Los Angeles Times story, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vowed to step up to the plate for the movie and television industry in front of a small crowd of Hollywood higher-ups last Wednesday.

“We’re doing some things, and that’s nice and good, but we can do a whole lot more,” stated the 58-year-old mayor, who’s been in office since 2005. “This is one of the most important industries for us.”

Among the possibilities explained by Villaraigosa last week: offering free parking on city lots for Hollywood’s 140,000 workers, installing additional electrical nodes in downtown Los Angeles and passing a one-percent sales tax refund program for those involved in the entertainment industry. The mayor is also supporting the extension of California’s film tax credits, which total $100 million annually.   Read more

Creating your brand, promotion and more! A Publicist Speaks!

Sofia Gian, does one thing each day to reach her goal of living her dream.  In this process she interviews industry professionals and learns tricks and tips which actors can use to move their careers forward.

Follow her daily quest on www.actressconfessions.typepad.com

Interview with Social Media Strategist/Personal Publicist Joy A. Kennelly

What it’s like to work as a Personal Publicist to promote and brand an actor?

Professional Social Media Strategist/Personal Publicist, Joy A. Kennelly knows exactly what goes on behind the scenes when working with an actor or other Celebrity to promote their work and themselves. Joy’s experience working red carpet events with her clients has successfully ensured the media develops her client’s personal brand through her efforts.

As the strategist behind the brand, Joy Kennelly discusses the world of celebrity marketing, branding and promotion.

How did you get into this industry?

I’ve been in the entertainment industry for many years and working with talent has always brought a lot of glamour and exposure to whatever I do. When I first started in the business, I produced the Short Pictures International Film Festival (SPIFF) for five years. During that time I worked with a variety of talent over the years, including Forrest Whitaker and Eriq La Salle, among others.

Since that time, I’ve seen a lot of my SPIFF filmmakers make it to the next level, most recently Tariq Jalil (Executive Producer of Marmaduke) and Jason Reitman (You know who this guy is – GO CANADA!). It’s very gratifying to see people I’ve worked with achieve what they want in the business.

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AMPTP releases an 'Open Letter To The Entertainment Industry'

An Open Letter To The Entertainment Industry

Our industry has worked hard this year to make six major labor agreements. These six agreements were intensely fought and aggressively negotiated by all sides, with major compromises made by everyone involved. Now, with all the other Guilds and Unions having accomplished so much, SAG is demanding that the entire industry literally throw out all of its hard work because it believes it deserves more than the 230,000 other working people in the industry. Read more

Republicans in Hollywood feel bullied

It’s no secret that the entertainment industry is overwhelmingly liberal — political donations this presidential cycle from the movie, TV and music industries recently were running about 86% Democrat versus 14% Republican. But being outnumbered is one thing, being bullied by your liberal co-workers into keeping your opinions to yourself is quite another.