Search Results for: “speechless”

Just Do It: New Media Company Born Out Of WGA Strike Receives Web Recognition

By Nikki Finke | Category: Video | Friday June 5, 2009 @ 11:49am

I've reported regularly about the inspiring efforts behind Strike TV, one of the New Media companies born out of the WGA Strike. Yet there are many more writers, actors, directors and other talents believing that content is king, and producing professional productions directly for the Internet, and thus breaking free of the studio/network shackles. One of them, FM78.tv, was just named among the "The Ones To Watch" by Digitas, the Publis Group Ad Agency and media-buying giant, at The Digital New Fronts in NYC held during Internet Week '09. The people behind FM78.tv are Justine Bateman, Peter Murrieta, Jill Kushner, and Alan Sereboff. (The last two names helped make those "Speechless" videos during the WGA strike). This promo for the company showed in the Digital New Fronts presentation and features actors Justine Bateman, Jeff Garlin, Buck Henry, Wallace Langham, and Judd Nelson.

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IT SHOULD BE CALLED 'DICKHEAD': Why Jon Peters' Book Proposal Sets New Low

By Nikki Finke | Category: Books | Thursday May 21, 2009 @ 1:45pm

jonpeters.jpg

EXCLUSIVE(keep refreshing as I'm putting up the proposal in pieces): I have been leaked the book proposal for Studio Head, the autobiography of one-time Sony Pictures Entertainment mogul Jon Peters written by him and Los Angeles writer William Stadiem. News reports say agent David Vigliano sold the memoir this week to HarperCollins for $700,000 based on this outline.

In all my time covering Hollywood, I have never read a more vile betrayal of everyone and everything in Hollywood by a showbiz figure than this proposal. And that's saying a lot. Sure, I'm tired of the usual claptrap Hollywood memoir that doesn't lay a glove on anyone. On the other hand, I thought Julia Phillips at least had the integrity to be as hard on herself as she was on Hollywood. But it is clear to me that Peters' intent with this book is to hurt those he once held dear. I don't understand why he's doing this. He doesn't need the money. He doesn't need the fame. He does need therapy.

Here is the statement I received from Peter Guber, at one time Jon's longtime partner as a producer and at Sony: "After four decades in this industry I will stand by my reputation and Jon Peters should stand by his. I find it surprising that any publisher would be interested in his work of fiction."

Now, you be the judge. The proposal begins,

"Imagine a contemporary, non-fiction What Makes Sammy Run, but with a loveable protagonist. And it contains the truth about everyone in

... Read More »

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ICM Loses 2 Film Directors: Cronenberg To Endeavor, Hickenlooper To Paradigm

By Nikki Finke | Category: Directors | Thursday October 2, 2008 @ 6:36pm

David Cronenberg has just moved from ICM to Endeavor's Robert Newman. The director of Eastern Promises, A History Of Violence, Crash, M Butterfly, Naked Lunch, and The Fly (which has just been turned into an opera helmed by him as well) will remain with his manager Renee Tab of Artists Talent Management. Interestingly, Newman and Tab are both former ICM motion picture agents. (Tab was force majeured during the writers strike, then set up a management and production company with another former ICM motion picture agent Barbara Mandel with clients like Cronenberg, Jim Brooks, Walter Hill, Wayner Kramer, Bruce Wagner.) And Paradigm's Jim Osborne just signed George Hickenlooper from ICM. The director, who did that "Speechless" series during the writers strike, helmed Factory Girl.

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"Speechless": Maggie Gyllenhaal

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Video, Writers | Tuesday January 29, 2008 @ 8:01am

Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan, Allyson Sereboff, Diana Paschal
Creative: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Dean Alioto
Technical: Zachary Mortensen, Ghost Robot-Tripod, Scott Beardslee, Antonio Arroyo, Allyson Sereboff Roman Martynyuk, TCS (camera equipment), Dean Alioto, Robert Campbell, Chad Carter, Clint Bennett
Special Thanks: Galit and Michael Gold, Russo’s Avenue B Pizzeria
Music: Anthony MarinelliThis is the latest of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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"Speechless": Jennifer Jason Leigh

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Video, Writers | Tuesday January 29, 2008 @ 7:53am

Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Cox, Nicole Ansari
Creative: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Dean Alioto
Technical: Zachary Mortensen, Michael Simmonds, Antonio Arroyo, Allyson Sereboff, Roman Martynyuk, TCS (camera equipment), Bravo Studios (Location), Eclectic Encore (Props), Dean Alioto, Chris Burns, Robert Campbell, Chad Carter, Clint Bennett
Music: Anthony MarinelliThis is the latest of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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"Speechless": Jason & Justine Bateman

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Video, Writers | Wednesday January 9, 2008 @ 9:51pm

CAST: Jason and Justine Bateman
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Kamala Lopez, Michal Shemesh
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Clint Bennett, Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker, Chad Carter, Amy Gollnick

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"Speechless": Zach Braff

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Video, Writers | Wednesday January 9, 2008 @ 8:03pm

CAST: Zach Braff
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Jill Kushner, Alan Sereboff, Justine Bateman, Dean Alioto, Steve Pink
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Justin Shumaker, Dean Alioto, Robert Campbell, Chad Carter, Clint Bennett

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"Speechless": Illeana Douglas

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Video, Writers | Wednesday January 9, 2008 @ 7:57pm

CAST: Illeana Douglas
CREATIVE TEAM: Steve Pink, George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Justine Bateman, Dean Alioto
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Justin Shumaker, Dean Alioto, Robert Campbell, Eric Heisserer, Clint Bennett

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Winners: Santa Photo Caption Contest

By Nikki Finke | Category: DH update, Guilds, Writers | Tuesday December 25, 2007 @ 3:35pm

santa-caption3.JPG

2nd.gif“Speechless #360 - Santa Claus”

3rd.jpg"Well, the list was done by the deadline, but my agent says if I check it even once, it’s crossing the line."

ribbon.jpg"I’ll give you animation and reality, I get to keep cookies and milk."

“Well, technically I’m a teamster.”

“Next year in Jerusalem.”

Sixty years later and I have yet to see dollar one in Miracle on 34th Street residuals!

AND THE REST OF THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY:

"Now Meyer, now Moonves, now Iger, now Chernin!
On Grey, on Sloan, Zucker and Lynton!
Back to the table, stop trying to stall,
Let’s make a deal now that benefits all!"

“Now, Counter! now, Chernin! now both of the Jeffreys!
On, Redstone! on, Murdoch! on, Iger and Leslie!
Jump to petty name-calling! To back channels and bribes!
To keep cash away! cash away! from union scribes!”

"Chernin’s chimney? Sure, it’s OK. Personally, I find platinum a bit cold."

“Thomas Nast made me what I am today, and all he got was a one-time payment from Harper’s.”

"Blank blank blank
blank blank blank
blank blank blank blank blank
blank blank blank blank blank blank
blank blank blank blank blank."

“You think I came up with ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’ on my own?"

“You think I answer all those letters myself?”

“This looked better on paper.”

“This worked better on the page.”

"Jeff Zucker ... Read More »

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"Speechless" #27: Montage

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, SAG, Video | Friday December 21, 2007 @ 12:40pm

Cast: Woody Allen, William H. Macy, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Rosanne Arquette, Richard Benjamin, Peter Weller, Paula Prentiss, Patricia Clarkson, Patricia Arquette, Nicolette Sheridan, Matthew Modine, Martin Sheen, Lizzy Caplan, Laura Linney, Kenny Johnson, Cathy Cahlin Ryan, Catherine Dent, Paula Garces, Michael Jace, Jay Karnes, Benito Martinez, CCH Pounder, David Snell, Nicki Micheaux, Olivia Wilde, Marcia Cross, John Amos, Michael Weatherly, Gary Dourdan, Sprague Grayden, Beth Littleford, Joyce Hyser, Kate Beckinsale, Justine Bateman, Joshua Jackson, Joey Pantoliano, Jeff Garlin, Jay Leno, Jason Bateman, Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Garry Marshall, Frances Fisher, Felicity Huffman, Diane Ladd, David Schwimmer, Christine Lahti, Chazz Palminteri, Bill Pullman, Angela Bassett, Andre 3000, Amy Ryan, America Ferrera, Alan Cumming.
Creative Team: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Kamala Lopez, Jordan Mechner, Amy Gollnick, Chic Eglee
Music: Anthony Marinelli
Technical Team: Clint Bennett, Joel Marshall, Robert Campbell, Eric Heisserer

This is the 27st of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on ... Read More »

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Dave's Writers Spoof "Speechless" Videos

By Nikki Finke | Category: Late Night, Video, Writers | Sunday December 9, 2007 @ 8:11am

The striking Late Show With David Letterman writers put up this YouTube video, calling it "the 52nd installment of the thought-provoking project". It stars Gilbert Gottfried. It's funny. 'Nuff said.

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"Speechless" #20: Woody Allen

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Video, Writers | Thursday December 6, 2007 @ 8:45am

CAST: Woody Allen
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Kamala Lopez, Jill Kushner
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Amy Gollnick, Clint Bennett, Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker

This is the 20th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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"Speechless" #19: Tim Robbins

By Nikki Finke | Category: SAG, Video, Writers | Wednesday December 5, 2007 @ 10:04am

CAST: Tim Robbins
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Kamala Lopez, Jill Kushner
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker, Clint Bennett

This is the 19th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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"Speechless" #18: Alan Cumming

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, SAG, Video | Wednesday December 5, 2007 @ 10:04am

CAST: Alan Cumming
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Kamala Lopez, Jill Kushner
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker, Clint Bennett

This is the 18th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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"Speechless" #17: Rosanna Arquette

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Internet, SAG | Monday December 3, 2007 @ 11:19am

CAST: Rosanna Arquette
CREATIVE TEAM: Kamala Lopez, George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker, Clint Bennett

This is the 17th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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Woody Allen Shoots A "Speechless" Video

By Nikki Finke | Category: Directors, Video, Writers Strike | Saturday December 1, 2007 @ 2:43am

woody-speechless.jpg

Above is a photo of Woody Allen making a video for the "Speechless" campaign on Thursday in his offices at NYC's Manhattan Film Center on Park Avenue. George Hickenlooper (pictured above) directed and Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner and Kamala Lopez produced the spot. The 45-second "Speechless" video features Woody sipping tea silently to a canned laugh track and debuts late next week.

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"Speechless" #16: Amy Ryan/Patricia Clarkson

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, SAG, Video | Friday November 30, 2007 @ 8:06pm

CAST: Amy Ryan, Patricia Clarkson
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Kamala Lopez, Jill Kushner
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker, Clint Bennett

This is the 16th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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AMPTP Finally To Fight Video With Video

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Networks, P.R. | Thursday November 29, 2007 @ 1:00am

I'm told the AMPTP's so-called PR council formed by corporate youtubelogo.jpgcommunications execs at the studios and networks really want to make their own clever YouTube videos to compete with the ones up and running by striking WGA members. No greenlights yet. Until then, here's a wry WGA-member written video entitled "Harsh Words" -- a riff on the actors-scribes "Speechless" campaign -- purporting to state a very unofficial AMPTP position. (It's a fake AMPTP video, guys, not a real one.)

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"Speechless" #15: 'Just What's On The Page' (Josh Brolin, James Franco)

By Nikki Finke | Category: AFTRA, Agents, Finance | Wednesday November 28, 2007 @ 9:48am

CAST: (in order of appearance): Demi Moore, Martin Sheen, Dulcy Rogers, Marguerite Moreau, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Deitrich Bader, Olivia Wilde, Marcia Cross, Chris Redman, Josh Brolin, Jenna Elfman, Elizabeth Pena, Polly Shannon, Kamala Lopez, James Franco
Director: Paul Haggis
Producer: Kamala Lopez
D of P: Dana Gonzales
Sound: Justin Shumaker
Editor: Kamala Lopez
Technical Team: Joel Marshall, Anthony Marinelli, Clint Bennett

This is the 15th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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"Speechless" #14: Susan Sarandon & Chazz Palminteri

By Nikki Finke | Category: Guilds, Internet, Video | Monday November 26, 2007 @ 3:00pm

CAST: Susan Sarandon, Chazz Palminteri
CREATIVE TEAM: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Kamala Lopez, Jill Kushner
MUSIC: Anthony Marinelli
TECHNICAL TEAM: Joel Marshall, Justin Shumaker, Clint Bennett

This is the 14th of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

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