Inside The 'Secret Meeting' To Solve Gender Inequality In Hollywood

ThinkProgress: On October 14, 44 Hollywood insiders met at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. This co-ed group of leaders came from studios and networks, from agencies and guilds; their ranks included CEOs, producers, directors, screenwriters, showrunners. They were brought together by Sundance Institute and Women in Film, Los Angeles, for an evening and a day. The two organizations had one goal: To come up with actionable, tangible steps to tackle the deeply entrenched gender bias in the entertainment industry.

Hearing Set for ‘Midnight Rider’ Director’s Motion for Early Release

Variety: A court official says a hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 23 on “Midnight Rider” director Randall Miller’s motion to be released early from Wayne County Jail, where he is in custody after pleading guilty to criminal charges stemming from the Feb. 20, 2014, train accident that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones and injured eight others.

Everyone 'Settles' Happy Birthday Copyright Case... Leaves Plenty Of Questions Totally Unanswered

Techdirt: Unfortunately, by settling the case, things are left kind of up in the air. The song is still not officially in the public domain. The court has ruled that Warner doesn't hold the copyright... but ACEI claims it does hold the copyright. This may mean that anyone else looking to use the song may have to go through another whole legal dispute.

Copyright case over “Happy Birthday” is done, trial canceled

Ars Technica: With less than a week to go before a trial, a class-action lawsuit over the copyright status of "Happy Birthday" has been resolved. Details of the settlement, including what kind of uses will be allowed going forward, are not clear.

A short order (PDF) filed yesterday by US Chief District Court Judge George King says that all parties have agreed to a settlement, and it vacates a trial which was scheduled to start on December 15. The key turning point came in September, when King ruled that Warner/Chappell's copyright transfer was invalid because there was no proof it was ever properly transferred from the Hill sisters, who claimed to have written the song.

Judge Won't Stop Lawsuit From Seeking 'Happy Birthday' Money Back to 1949

Hollywood Reporter: The case focuses on whether the song is copyrighted, and if not, whether Warner/Chappell has to pay back the licensing fees it has collected.

At least for now, a federal judge is allowing a lawsuit over the song "Happy Birthday" to assert claims on behalf of those who have paid licensing fees dating back to 1949.

Dance review: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s 'Nutcracker' nothing short of magical

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: It’s that time of year when the world seems to fall in love with “The Nutcracker” and local fans flock to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s annual production at the Benedum Center.

Now into its 14th season, it is still nothing short of magical. Zack Brown’s large operatic sets and fanciful costumes have lost none of their grandeur and, as usual, artistic director Terrence Orr has added a few new ornaments to his holiday decor on stage.

Survey Aims to Remove Doubt about Film Industry

NolaVie - Life and Culture in New Orleans: Those who successfully sought to cap the Louisiana Film Tax Incentive program at $180 million per production often argued that the benefits of the program to the state’s economy were too vague.

And actually, it was a sentiment put forward by opponents of the cap as well.

Sew What? Inc.'s President Megan Duckett Appears on CNN's Passion to Portfolio Business Series

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: A recent video piece titled "The Woman Behind Rock Bands' Backdrops" on the CNN Passion to Portfolio segment, focused on Megan Duckett -- founder of Sew What? Inc. -- a theatrical draping company outside of Los Angeles, California. Sew What? provides concert backdrops worldwide for A-List musicians like KISS, John Legend, Rod Stewart, and Madonna.

Yours, Mine Or Ours?

Pro Sound Web: Sharing is the very definition of a multi-act music festival, though some shares are bigger than others.

Various performing artists or groups take turns with a venue’s audience and stage, as well as its sound, lights and video production.

‘The Scenic Route’ Exalts the Car at the Petersen Automotive Museum

Design & Architecture: Now that cars are seen as a cause of problems — pollution, sprawl, obesity, global warming — their pleasures can be overlooked: the brilliance of their technology, their beauty (sometimes), and the liberation automobiles afford (when not stuck in traffic).

But the pleasures of cars are certainly not overlooked at the newly designed Petersen Automotive Museum, which is about to reopen its doors after what the museum describes as a 13-month “aggressive renovation” of its 21-year old dowdy interior

Pittsburgh Filmmakers board will meet this week to plot course of struggling non-profit

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The board of Pittsburgh Filmmakers/​Pittsburgh Center for the Arts plans to meet sometime this week to plot the organization’s future after placing its longtime executive director, Charlie Humphrey, on indefinite leave.

Board president Doug Gouge said Saturday that a petition the board received shortly before its regular meeting Friday, calling for both his and Mr. Humphrey’s ouster, caught directors by surprise. The board immediately went into executive session to discuss the personnel issues, he said.

Stufish And Dragone Team Up

Dai Show Theatre content from Live Design: London-based Stufish Entertainment Architects has a big feather in its collective cap. It is the first architectural firm to design all of the interior and exterior architectural elements for a new theatre as well as complete the design for the stage and show’s scenery. Stufish’s theatre design is based on an original concept sketch by the studio’s late founder, Mark Fisher, who also designed the interior elements of the auditorium and sets for Cirque du Soleil’s KA, in a first combination of architectural and scenic design.

WHY SOUND MATTERS

Anthony Mattana | LinkedIn: #SoundMatters is a brilliant one. Not only because sound does matter but it also sums up so much of what we at Hooke Audio have been trying to communicate.

Seattle’s young theater artistic directors try to pack houses, balance budgets

The Seattle Times: RECENTLY, A BOARD member of ACT Theatre, a humming drama hub in the heart of downtown Seattle, congratulated staffer John Langs on his promotion to artistic director and offered some friendly advice: “I really believe in you. I believe in your vision. Now don’t screw up.”

“I appreciated all three sentiments,” says the fair-haired, genial Langs, who assumes his post in January.

SoundGirls.Org Presenting Slate Of Tour Managing & FOH/ME Seminars In California And New York

Pro Sound Web: SoundGirls.Org is presenting a series of seminars on handling the dual roles of tour management with front of house or monitor engineering, with two upcoming dates slated for California followed by another in New York City.

UAE earns reputation as International hub for hi-tech productions

Variety: What do the latest “Star Wars,” “Fast and Furious” and “Star Trek,” installments have in common? They all recently shot in the United Arab Emirates, where a combination of incentives, security, transportation, state-of-the art studio space, a futuristic skyline and exotic desert ambiance are positioning Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the prime Middle East hub for different types of international productions.

Theater Now Has Its Own Bechdel Test

Women and Hollywood: Just over a third of theater roles in England are for women, according to a 2014 study by Tonic Theatre.

To help correct the gender lopsidedness on stage, the London-based Sphinx Theatre Company has introduced a new test to help playwrights, producers and other decision-makers increase female representation and employment.

Designing the world for Signature's West Side Story: Misha Kachman talks set design

DC Theatre Scene: One of the most ambitious shows being put on in DC this winter is the oversized blockbuster musical West Side Story produced by Signature Theatre. Just how does Signature plan to fit this big Big Apple play into their relatively small Shirlington theatre space?

27th Annual Gypsy of the Year Performances Honor Broadway’s Ensembles

Backstage: The 27th annual Gypsy of the Year performances are once again coming to New York City Dec. 7 and 8.

Slated to honor the tireless work of “gypsies,” ensemble members, and dancers on Broadway are “Hamilton” stars Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, and Leslie Odom Jr., along with Judith Light of “Thérèse Raquin,” Brandon Uranowitz of “An American in Paris,” and others.

The Radical Courage of Silent Movie Stuntwomen

New Republic: Helen Gibson’s strong, handsome face and dark hair gave her the look of someone who would try anything. In 1915, while in her early twenties, she was doubling for the star of the hit serial The Hazards of Helen. In one stunt she was supposed to leap from the roof of the station to the top of a moving train. Years later, she called it her most dangerous stunt.