COST of Wisconsin: Building the impossible

InPark Magazine: It’s rare that a building’s design can become so immediately iconic – an attraction unto itself. Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona comes to mind. It is a visual feast – a sculpture that takes the shape of a building. Many architecture critics are already claiming the same for the newly opened Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City.

At WordTheatre, Hollywood actors read little-known literature

Los Angeles Times: The actors were preparing for WordTheatre’s 20th anniversary celebration, taking place in L.A. on Thursday. The celebration in Southern California comes after separate 20th anniversary events in London and New York City throughout October. The organization brings together well-known actors from film, TV and theater to share dramatic readings of popular literary works.

Honoka 3D-prints furniture that "re-weaves Tatami into modern life"

www.dezeen.com: At Designart Tokyo, Japanese design collective Honoka exhibited furniture and lighting made by 3D printing a material made from discarded Tatami mats. The exhibition – titled Tatami Refab Project – displayed lampshades, lighting fixtures, tables, stools, basins and plant holders that appeared to glow thanks to the translucency of the material, which was made from grass and resin.

SAG-AFTRA Takes Another Day to Respond to AMPTP's Final Offer

variety.com: SAG-AFTRA will take another day to respond to the studios’ “last, best and final” offer, as the union’s negotiating committee continues to weigh its next move. In an email to members just before midnight on Sunday, union leaders said they had spent all day discussing the proposal internally and would continue to do so on Monday.

U2 in Las Vegas: Looking to the Past, Finding a Crazy Vision of the Future

www.thewrap.com: The first lines of the first song that U2 plays during every one of its shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas are a declaration coming from a guy who’s used to declaring things. “I’m ready,” shouts Bono from a small, nearly bare stage in the middle of an enormous and often not-at-all-bare space. “I’m ready for the laughing gas.” And then he really gets to the point. “I’m ready. I’m ready for what’s next.”

MSA designs new M:CAT touring flying runway product for Suspekt show

LightSoundJournal.com: Motor Stage Automation (MSA) is a company that loves challenges! So Christian Vigsø and his team were delighted to be asked to design a bespoke flying runway solution for a recent massive show by popular Danish hip hop phenom Suspekt, for their only live appearance this year – at Parken stadium in Copenhagen.

'I'm energized by change': Hana S. Sharif on her leading role at Arena Stage

DC Theater Arts: When Arena Stage raised its first curtain in 1950, Harry S. Truman was finishing the first year of his second term as President of the United States. Since then, the U.S. has had 13 chief executives. Arena Stage, four. This remarkable fact has provided Arena Stage a lasting role in an ephemeral art form. The theater’s founding artistic director, Zelda Fichandler, served over 40 years. Douglas C. Wager led the company from 1991 to 1998 before passing the torch to Molly Smith, who kept it burning brightly for the next 25 years.

'Priscilla' Music: Why Film Has No Elvis Songs, Dolly Parton Sync

variety.com: As the opening sequence of Sofia Coppola‘s biographical drama “Priscilla” unfolds, viewers meet a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) in 1959 West Germany to the tune of the Ramones’ 1980 hit “Baby, I Love You.”

How To Use Unreal Engine to Create an Oscar-Worthy Film

nofilmschool.com: We’ve all heard the whispers. We've heard how Unreal Engine could be a game-changer for independent filmmakers, unlocking new ways of dreaming up worlds on screen from your very own home. The sort of ultra-realistic effects that used to be accessible only to huge filmmakers with massive budgets are now in the palms of anyone, anywhere with enough imagination (well, that and enough patience to teach themselves to use it).

How Music Tectonics is Shaping the Future of Music Tech

The Knockturnal: Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Music Tectonics Conference 2023 in Santa Monica, CA. It was an amazing event that brought together music tech innovators from across the industry spectrum. I learned a lot, met some great people, and had a lot of fun. Here is my experience.

Nicolas Cage Calls AI "Inhumane" After 'The Flash' Cameo

nofilmschool.com: Artificial intelligence can do incredibly wonderful tricks for filmmakers that can make the process of getting the film done so much easier and without breaking the bank. But, like any great new thing, there are some dubious elements to AI that many people in the entertainment world are feeling strangely about.

Learning How To Work With LED Walls feat. ROE Visual

nofilmschool.com: No matter how you learn to use a piece of technology, it's important to not only get hands-on time with your tools but to get direction from experts in the field. Even if you're just using YouTube and Google, expertise is the difference between education and mastery. But what happens when you need to learn how to use technologies that may be cost-prohibitive? How would you learn how to shoot in a volume or with an LED wall?

SAG-AFTRA Evaluating Studio Leaders “Last, Best and Final Offer”

The Hollywood Reporter: Hollywood studios and major streamers met with SAG-AFTRA leadership on Saturday to present an over-arching package of proposals in an attempt to end the actors’ strike.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

Here are the top five comment generating articles of the past week:

Best Wicked Behind-The-Scenes Facts

www.buzzfeed.com: First, the process for painting actors green for Elphaba in Wicked is so streamlined now, it only takes roughly 20–30 minutes. Chromacake in Landscape Green by MAC is what is used for the green base, and it's applied using a paintbrush and a mixture of the Chromacake and water.

Posted by David at 11/02/2023 11:04:00 AM

Empowering accessibility in live events

TPi: Touring the European continent can be challenging at the best of times and with a greater focus on cultivating accessible spaces for the live events industry, Marisa Rinchiuso, who has a deteriorative neuromuscular disease, muscular dystrophy, recently embarked on her first experience on the road, assuming the role of Assistant Stage Manager on the European leg of The Weeknd’s latest stadium tour.

Posted by David at 11/03/2023 11:54:00 AM

8 Tips for Painting with a Textured Roller

Family Handyman: A fresh lick of paint is an easy, economical way to give your tired walls a makeover. You can achieve a trendy, unique, textured finish while also economically covering imperfections in your older homes plastered walls. Fortunately, you don’t have to stock up on sponges or rely on pros using a trowel or sprayer to achieve the finish you want. You can DIY!

Posted by David at 11/01/2023 09:58:00 AM

Light Up Night 2023: Everything you need to know this year

nextpittsburgh.com: Taking apt advantage of Pittsburgh’s first frosty morning of the season, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced the city’s first scheduled dose of holiday cheer earlier today: the 62nd annual Light Up Night.

Posted by David at 11/02/2023 11:05:00 AM

Music Reading for Drama Technicians

SoundGirls.org: This month’s blog will go over some basic music theory concepts that I have found useful in my work as a musical theatre mixer. Full credit for the title goes to Professor Thomas W. Douglas of Carnegie Mellon University, who taught a class by that name when I was an undergrad. I know that not everyone working in theatrical sound has a formal music education (and I am not suggesting that it’s a requirement) but I think that being able to understand what is going on in a score, follow along in the music, and in some cases, line-by-line mix from the score, are good skills for anyone in this field to have.

Posted by David at 11/03/2023 11:51:00 AM

 

Empowering accessibility in live events

TPi: Touring the European continent can be challenging at the best of times and with a greater focus on cultivating accessible spaces for the live events industry, Marisa Rinchiuso, who has a deteriorative neuromuscular disease, muscular dystrophy, recently embarked on her first experience on the road, assuming the role of Assistant Stage Manager on the European leg of The Weeknd’s latest stadium tour.

'The Fall Guy' Has Three Stunts That Just Aren't Done on Movie Sets Anymore

collider.com: If there’s one legacy David Leitch bestows to the world, it’s his contribution to seriously gripping action onscreen, whether that be from performing stunt work or from behind the camera. (Hello, 10-minute single take in Atomic Blonde.) From kicking off the John Wick franchise with Chad Stahelski in his directorial debut to Deadpool 2, you can see his hand in the fast-paced sequences, and The Fall Guy is going to turn that up to 11.

Lifting the lid on 25 years of Truss Aluminum Factory

TPi: Notwithstanding a global pandemic and a financial crisis, TAF has gained a reputation as a stalwart of the truss industry – from the TAF headquarters and factory in Olomouc, Czech Republic, to TAF USA, TAF Hong Kong, and its newest office that will open soon, TAF UK. TAF aims to continually increase its market share across Europe, the UK, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia via its offices and dealer network, while pushing the standards of aluminium truss and support structures.

Wrapped Amor: How Costume Design Built Mollie Burkhart In ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon'

mldallasmagazine.com: Lily Gladstone cemented her transformation into Mollie Kyle Burkhart the first time she dressed head-to-toe for the role. “She just became Mollie in that fitting,” says Jacqueline West, costume designer for Martin Scorcese’s Killer of the Flower Moon. “[Lily] said the same thing. She's a very incredible actress, very method. And putting on those clothes, she wanted to take them home and wear them, and we let her so she could really get under Mollie's skin.”

Music Reading for Drama Technicians

SoundGirls.org: This month’s blog will go over some basic music theory concepts that I have found useful in my work as a musical theatre mixer. Full credit for the title goes to Professor Thomas W. Douglas of Carnegie Mellon University, who taught a class by that name when I was an undergrad. I know that not everyone working in theatrical sound has a formal music education (and I am not suggesting that it’s a requirement) but I think that being able to understand what is going on in a score, follow along in the music, and in some cases, line-by-line mix from the score, are good skills for anyone in this field to have.

'The Gilded Age' Season 2 Production Designer Creates a Lavish World

collider.com: From creator Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), Season 2 of the HBO series The Gilded Age sees the Opera Wars move front and center, as Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) continues to work to solidify the leading role in high society that she desires. At the same time, Ada (Cynthia Nixon) finds the beginnings of a new courtship while Marian (Louisa Jacobson) questions her own feelings about romance and Agnes (Christine Baranski) just wants everything to remain as it is.

Production Futures ON TOUR 2023 wraps up at Production Park

TPi: Production Futures has grown exponentially since 2016, and recently concluded its busy ON TOUR series of events at Production Park in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, offering young people networking opportunities and industry insights: the event also celebrated young talent in the industry with the Breakthrough Talent Awards, supported by TPi Magazine.

Hollywood’s Year of Labor Spills Over to Universal Studios Theme Park

www.yahoo.com/entertainment: Like thousands of his USH co-workers and millions of others across California, Palacio has seen his wages fall behind the rising cost of living in the state, a problem compounded by a 23-mile commute five days a week to the Universal lot from Santa Clarita, where he lives with his family.

Megapixel: Redefining visual technology

TPi: Amid the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of live entertainment technology, Megapixel has earned a reputation as a pioneer in the field of LED processing, real-time monitoring, and bespoke live event solutions. Founded in 2017, the firm has emerged with a clear vision – to be an engineering-first, solutions-driven organisation that tackles the most ambitious and technically challenging projects the sector has to offer.

Emily Bornt Lights Brandi Carlile's Echoes Through The Canyon

Live Design Online: Live Design's Plot Of The Week focuses on LD Emily Bornt's lighting for Brandi Carlile's "Echoes Through The Canyon" at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, Washington, on June 9-11, 2023.

Scrooged Again: Michael Cerveris Returns to Pittsburgh CLO's 'A Musical Christmas Carol'

onstagepittsburgh.com: Two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris will be home for the holidays for the second straight year, when he returns as Ebenezer Scrooge in Pittsburgh CLO’s 32nd annual production of A Musical Christmas Carol, December 15-23 at the Byham Theater.

Compact Cordless Miter Saws

Fine Homebuilding: While job-site saws seem to be trending bigger and heavier, these smaller cordless miter saws have a lot to like about them—they’re easy to carry to the work site, deflect less than larger blades, and let you get right to work cord-free. Carpenter Ben Bogie tested eight compact saws for power and cut quality with cuts in 2x stock, plywood, poplar, and hardwood.

‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’ to open on Broadway in spring of 2024

www.broadwaynews.com: “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” a jukebox musical featuring songs from the Grammy Award-winning band Huey Lewis and the News, is coming to Broadway. The show will begin performances on March 29, 2024, ahead of an opening night of April 22 at the James Earl Jones Theatre. The musical premiered at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre in 2018.

Light Up Night 2023: Everything you need to know this year

nextpittsburgh.com: Taking apt advantage of Pittsburgh’s first frosty morning of the season, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced the city’s first scheduled dose of holiday cheer earlier today: the 62nd annual Light Up Night.

As the 'Hollywood of the South,' Atlanta has boomed. Its actors and crew are now at a crossroads

AP News: For more than a decade, work had been nonstop in Atlanta’s booming film industry thanks to Georgia’s extremely generous tax break. Dubbed the “Hollywood of the South,” metro Atlanta became a ubiquitous backdrop for huge projects, including Marvel films and Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”

Best Wicked Behind-The-Scenes Facts

www.buzzfeed.com: First, the process for painting actors green for Elphaba in Wicked is so streamlined now, it only takes roughly 20–30 minutes. Chromacake in Landscape Green by MAC is what is used for the green base, and it's applied using a paintbrush and a mixture of the Chromacake and water.

Susan Hilferty Looks Back 20 Years to Dissect Wicked’s Most Iconic Costumes | Broadway Buzz

Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com: Costume designer Susan Hilferty could measure Wicked’s life in the Broadway production’s she’s worked on since building the wardrobe of Oz—15. She could also measure it in the Tony nominations that followed her 2004 win for her Wicked artistry—four. Or, she could let the changing hues on her head tell their own story—“I was a brunette and now I have silver hair.”

Solidarity at Goodspeed: Crew, Costume, Scenic, Hair, and Makeup Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Unionize

IATSE: In a display of solidarity and strength, the run crew, makeup, wig and hairstylists, costume shop, and scenic shop workers at Goodspeed Musical Theatre have successfully organized with Locals 84, 798, and United Scenic Artists 829. This win marks a pivotal step forward in ensuring fair working conditions, respect, and recognition for the dedicated workers who contribute tirelessly to the organization’s success.

ICRAVE unveils sci-fi interiors of MSG Sphere Las Vegas

www.dezeen.com: US studio ICRAVE has revealed images of the public spaces inside the world's largest spherical structure in Las Vegas. Chosen through an international competition, ICRAVE was tasked with designing the interiors of the public spaces within the MSG Sphere Las Vegas by Sphere Entertainment – the giant venue's operator.

IATSE General Secretary-Treasurer James B. Wood Witnesses Historic AI Executive Order at The White House

IATSE: IATSE General Secretary-Treasurer James B. Wood was in attendance at the White House as President Joe Biden announced and signed a landmark executive order (EO) on artificial intelligence (AI), Monday. The executive order will begin to govern the development and use of AI in the United States. IATSE commends the Biden-Harris Administration for centering workers’ rights in this EO and we are pleased to see many of our Core Principles for Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technology reflected in the comprehensive approach being undertaken by the White House.

Joe Mazza’s Brave Lens

AMERICAN THEATRE: With a camera in one hand and, prophetically, light in the other, a Chicago theatre superhero dives under tables, runs along Writers Theatre’s backstage corridors, and easily climbs Eurydice’s steeply-raked set, all in search of uplifting the scene in front of him. This radically joyful, loving, and attentive photographer, armed with a belt containing three cameras and wearing your typical backstage all-black clothing, is anything but “behind the scenes.” Joe Mazza stands firmly in the action.

Pain Hustlers Costume Designer Colleen Atwood Interview: Thematic Layers Of Chris Evans' & Emily Blunt's Outfits

screenrant.com: Liza Drake, a single mother and high school dropout, is at the center of the story in Pain Hustlers. As she struggles to support herself and her daughter, she lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical company in an old strip mall in Central Florida. Things take an unexpected turn when sales and Liza's lifestyle begin to skyrocket. However, this new success puts Liza in the hotseat of a federal investigation into a criminal conspiracy.

Paramount's Las Vegas 'Mountain' to Tout Shows During Super Bowl

variety.com: The road to the Super Bowl often comes with a few bumps. And then there’s the one Paramount Global is devising. The entertainment conglomerate, parent of CBS, which will broadcast Super Bowl LVIII from Las Vegas on February 11, 2024, will construct a “Paramount Mountain” atop the popular Mirage Volcano at The Mirage at 3400 South Las Vegas Blvd in Las Vegas.

Trailer full of fireworks lights up road in world's most dazzling car crash

World News | Metro News: It may have come a little early for Bonfire Night, but road cops and drivers were treated to a spectacular fireworks display following a car crash in Canada. At around 10pm last Thursday, a lorry accidentally bumped into a trailer that was being towed by a pick-up truck on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Vancouver.

Black-led Community Spotlight: Adam W. McKinney, artistic director for The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater

Pittsburgh City Paper: Growing up in Milwaukee, Adam W. McKinney performed in musicals and choreographed dance routines on the playground, including in the third grade for the hit song "Rock Steady" by The Whispers. When he took his first formal ballet class at 16, McKinney discovered his passion for the art form.

'Killers of the Flower Moon' 'Reservation Dogs' Boost Oklahoma Shoots

variety.com: For two decades, Rachel Cannon lived a life in Los Angeles that many would envy. She wasn’t an aspiring actress. She was a working one with a long list of sitcom appearances to her credit, including a recurring role as Deidre on “Fresh Off the Boat.” But in 2020, she decided to return to her native Oklahoma with the idea of traveling back and forth for work, using her home state as a hub.

Autodesk Fusion Now Has an Integrated Fasteners Library

Fusion 360 Blog: For quite some time, Autodesk Fusion has had integrations with McMaster Carr, Trace Parts, and CADENAS content, each offering a vast assortment of purchase parts. It’s a great place to find anything from bearings, frames, piping, and fittings, and much more. One thing we have heard over the years is that adding fasteners is a very iterative process. There has been a strong desire to have a more integrated fastener library built right into Fusion, so that’s just what we did!

Arcade Comedy Theater in Pittsburgh celebrates a decade of laughter

Pittsburgh City Paper: Mike Rubino, one of the Arcade Comedy Theater’s co-founders, recalls that, soon after the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust gave him and his team their original space at 811 Liberty Ave., they scrappily got the theater ready for business. “We built a little stage, and we hung lights, and we got curtains donated and got some chairs from, like, a barn in Beaver County,” Rubino tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “The space was put together in this homemade way.”

Robert Brustein Raised the Bar for Us All

AMERICAN THEATRE: You could not ignore Bob Brustein. His admonitions were in your face, in your ear, in your mailbox. If you were young and ambitious and desired all the things that the young and ambitious desire—fame, fortune, glittering prizes—Bob was your conscience. To be Bob’s student or colleague or friend (I was all three, and for more than 50 years our lives were intertwined) was to be always held to the strictest moral standard.

A hotbed of English radicalism? Auden, Britten and the unsung glory of the Group Theatre

Stage | The Guardian: The year is 1937, and at a farmhouse in a village on the edge of the Chilterns named Fawley Bottom, two of the greatest artists of the 20th century have retired to the piano. It is August bank holiday weekend and as “rows – and more rows” detonate around them, Wystan-Hugh Auden picks out the melody to Stormy Weather with a single finger, while Benjamin Britten improvises a masterful accompaniment.

The 'Sphere' In Las Vegas Leads To Vandalism Before F1 Race

brobible.com: No entertainment in history has ever gone as viral as the ‘Sphere’ in Las Vegas. Not only has it completely captivated social media, tourists in Sin City are flocking to see the glowing orb at every opportunity. There is just one issue— Formula 1 is coming to town.

How to Create a Viewport in AutoCAD: Tuesday Tips With Frank

AutoCAD Blog | Autodesk: There are always beginners in AutoCAD who are just starting out to learn the very basics. Learning how to create a viewport in AutoCAD is one of them. So, if you’re a beginner or a veteran who could use a refresher, let’s review some viewport basics that every AutoCAD user should know.

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater celebrates new work and makes plans for a new home

Chicago Reader: On November 3, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater kicks off the Auditorium Theatre’s 2023-24 Made in Chicago dance series with a mixed bill featuring the premiere of artistic director Nicole Clarke-Springer’s Madonna Anno Domini, the company premiere of Keith Lee’s Mama Rose (performed by 2023 Princess Grace awardee Emani Drake), as well as the return of works by Ulysses Dove and resident choreographers and DRDT cofounders Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott.

8 Tips for Painting with a Textured Roller

Family Handyman: A fresh lick of paint is an easy, economical way to give your tired walls a makeover. You can achieve a trendy, unique, textured finish while also economically covering imperfections in your older homes plastered walls. Fortunately, you don’t have to stock up on sponges or rely on pros using a trowel or sprayer to achieve the finish you want. You can DIY!

Possible SAG-AFTRA Deal Boosts Market as AFM Opens

The Hollywood Reporter: When it comes to the post-summer box office blues, Taylor Swift: Eras Tour has helped shake it off. The film’s phenomenal success — it’s already the top-grossing concert film of all time in North America, not adjusted for inflation — as well as its unique rollout, in which Swift teamed up directly teaming directly with AMC Theaters, bypassing traditional studio distribution, is a bright light in an independent movie market sorely in need of some good news.

AI is on a collision course with music — Reservoir’s Golnar Khosrowshahi thinks there’s a way through

The Verge: You might not have heard of Reservoir, but you’ve definitely heard of the artists it works with. Everyone from A-ha and John Denver to Evanescence to Joni Mitchell and even legendary film composer Hans Zimmer. What makes Reservoir different is that Golnar built the company through acquisitions.

‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’ to livestream final week of shows

www.broadwaynews.com: “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” will be livestreamed during its final week of performances. The world-premiere comedy from Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) will be broadcast live from Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre beginning with the evening performance on Nov. 14 through the final performance on Nov. 19. “Jaja’s,” which opened at Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Oct. 3, has extended its limited run twice.