Locally produced movie to screen this weekend at Celebration Cinema! North

“Keep A Baby” makes it to the big screen

Its a filmmakers delight… to see their hardwork on the big screen of a movie theater….

This Saturday evening, September 20th at Celebration Cinema! North, local movie project “Keep A Baby” written and directed by Mike Bartkowiak will be shown to the public for the first time.  Cast, crew, friends and family will be in attendance.

The movie was shot in Lansing.   Bartkowiak started working on the project a year-and-a-half ago.

“Keep A Baby” is about a widower whose infant son is taken by a kidnapping service, then he and his friends go (more…)

Efforts to train Michiganders now heads to eastside of state

After 2 sessions of its Film Training classes, TicTock Studios in Holland will now be offering its “Basic Film Training Program” in Wayne County at Henry Ford Community College.

The class will start September 22nd-October 3rd.

In a TicTock Studios press release, TicTock Studios CEO Hopwood DePree said “Our training classes have been extremely popular in Western Michigan, so we’re thrilled to be able to offer them in other regions”.

The classes are being taught by Jeffrey Stott, former Executive Vice President of Castle Rock 
Entertainment and Producer of many movies, including the recent hit “The Bucket List”.

Also from the press release: “The expansion of this program to the Detroit area is the next step in our goal to grow the program to other areas of Michigan, including Lansing and Traverse City” said Dori DePree, Head of Educational Outreach at TicTock Studios.

TicTock Classes

TicTock Studios has a total of two classes to teach entry-level film crew skills, in addition to the “Basic Film Training Program”, there is also “Introduction to Technical Labor: The Film Grip” that teaches how to work Grip and Electrical.

The TicTock Studios press release says “both are designed to teach students the skills, 
culture, and vocabulary necessary for an entry level position on a film set, and are being taught by industry professionals that are currently active in the Hollywood film community”.

TicTock Studios has been working with Grand Rapids Community College Lakeshore Campus in Holland to pilot the series of film courses.  The two-week Basic Film Set Training course is being offered again starting on October 6 in the Holland area, followed by the grip technician course and the new electrical module.

Getting Michigan Back to Work and into Film Industry

The TicTock Studios program is state approved and works closely with Michigan Works! to help out-of-work or underemployed Michiganders learn how to take existing skill sets and move them laterally into the growing film industry in our state.  Individuals eligible for the Governor’s No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program may be qualified for funding to participate in the film training program.

Holland’s Hopwood DePree gets Governor’s Appointment

Today, Hopwood DePree of Holland’s TicTock Studios and co-founder of the Waterfront Film Festival was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council.

DePree will represent a wide variety of projects in film, the producing of TV programs and commericals, and other related business… his term runs until September 30, 2009.

The appointment, announced in a press release from the Governor’s Office says that “The Michigan Film Office Advisory Council, formerly the Michigan Film Commission, is responsible for advising the office, the fund, the governor, and the Legislature on how to promote and market Michigan to film, television, digital media, and related industries. The council may make inquiries, studies, and investigations, hold hearings and receive comments from the public.”

Make us proud Hopwood !

A sad update today to the 1st movie project I started following back in April…. “The Fifth Mafia” movie will not be coming to Grand Rapids.

It was going to be the first movie shot in West Michigan since the April tax incentives offering movie makers up to 42%… but now, we have to report that “The Fifth Mafia” will NOT be filming here.

In an email that somehow slipped through my inbox over the weekend… Producers of the movie say: “Executives have decided to shoot our film in New Mexico… (they) would rather have come to Grand Rapids.  …. Unfortunately, we have run out of good weather in Michigan.  We are planning toshoot in Nov-Dec., and since we need to simulate a Guatemalan scene, we cannot do it at this time of the year in MI.” (more…)

“The Steam Experiment” finishes 3rd day of shooting

9/7/08 UPDATE: Tonight, “The Steam Experiment” will be in the 4th night of shooting… again, most of the shooting will be indoors and at night at numerous locations around Grand Rapids… with closed sets.

After 3 days of shooting, the filmmakers are on target right now and the West Michigan Film Office says “they (production crew) are doing well and the community is helping to make the production a success… On behalf of our community, we have been able to answer every question and fufill all of the needs… with local businesses.”

(more…)