Home/News/Events/e-newsletter/Ky Film Office e-Newsletter

Ky Film Office e-Newsletter

Dazzling Review

Kentucky was well represented at the recent “Produced By” Conference, held at the Walt Disney Studios in California. The Kentucky Film Office had three representatives, in addition to Kentucky actor and Film Commission member Conrad Bachmann, available to talk with producers, directors, film location specialists and others about the benefits of working in Kentucky.

“The contacts we made and strengthened at the show were incredible,” said Mike Cooper, Executive Director with the Kentucky Film Office. “Not only did we visit with producers of current projects being shot in Kentucky, but we also met with those who are looking at Kentucky as a prime location. We also met with Kentuckians in the Los Angeles area who promised to help us tell the Kentucky story.”

The event included more than 1,100 people, including representatives from film commissions from more than 40 countries.

“We learned a great deal,” added Patrick Stipes, Operations Manager with the Kentucky Film Office. “For example, right now, the current trend is for even more reality programs, where a production company can come in, shoot quickly, and move on. If we can help them while they’re here, that can be a real source of income for Kentuckians in this industry.”

The Producers Guild of America held the event in conjunction with the Association of Film Commissioners International.

Lights… Camera…

In addition to the “Produced By Conference,” lots of other business has kept the Kentucky Film Office busy this month. Here are some examples: 

• “Animal Planet,” a Discovery Channel documentary series, did some shooting around Falmouth;
  
  
• The Film Office continues serious talks with a fascinating new reality show looking for a location;
  
  
• A documentary examining the meaning of hidden symbols is planning a shoot in Kentucky soon, and an historical documentary is being filmed in Newport;
  
  
• A TV pilot is planning production in the state;
  
  
• A graduate student at a southern college has filmed a short feature film in Mountain Homeplace in Staffordsville.

Need help with your production? Contact us here.

Produced/Directed By

Kentucky is blessed with an abundance of creative talent. Samuel Koltinsky and Michael Breeding are two of our best. Learn more about them here:

Samuel Koltinsky is the owner, executive producer and composer for the Marvo Entertainment Group. Marvo not only produces award winning television, documentary and commercial work, but Koltinsky also works with young people who want to get into the industry.

“I remember the time eighteen plus years ago when there was no equipment, no funding available for projects, no production resume, and no overall general knowledge of production. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to work with a number of experts in film and video. I now want to share my talents with others and give them the chance I got.”

“When reflecting back on the productions that are most meaningful, my favorites are the ones that have made a difference in how we see others, as well as those that connect people to their landscape and earth. You know we are here for a very short time, and it is important that we understand one another and appreciate our differences. One way to understand each other is to look at the way the land has formed our history, our work, our play, and our passions. The My Kentucky Home series, I hope echoes these attributes while at the same time shows the extraordinary  love that Kentuckians have for their communities. I love to interview Kentuckians as their strong fiber always shines through their roots.”

“We are producing another national documentary for release in 2012, entitled America's Darling about the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Ding Darling.  Darling was a modern-day renaissance man whose ethic with which he approached the need for the wise use of our nation's resources deserves admiration. Darling knew the need for both honesty and hard work in all of life's facets. He was a visionary who saw that the problems of today are not unique to today; that they existed even before Darling's day; and that by learning a little history, we will all be better equipped to deal with problems that are encounter in ‘modern times.’”

“ I love this project, as I am learning so much and know already that Darling is a man who we can aspire to become, as citizens and definitely as leaders.”

With these projects we are mentoring, and my gosh... Wait until you hear the music from one of Kentucky's most talented composers who I recently have discovered out of Grayson County! You’ll love it!”

Michael Breeding is the driving force behind Michael Breeding Media. For more than 30 years, he’s produced programs, documentaries, commercial campaigns and original music. Breeding says his projects look expensive, but he’s learned to manage a budget wisely. He’s proud of his team which has the unique ability to educate, persuade, inform or entertain – all while producing a superior product and developing a sterling reputation.

“As I look back at my career, I think my most favorite projects are those that were produced for Keeneland, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and the two films that showcased the ancient artifacts for the Kentucky Horse Park with the titles ‘Imperial China: The Art of the Horse in Chinese History’ and ‘All The Queen's Horses: The Role of the Horse in British History.’ Each of these projects, though very different, posed a unique set of challenges. Each having been shot in film and transferred to digital tape, shooting in film is still a comfort zone for me that I will surely miss as many of us in the industry make the switch to digital formats. “

“Perhaps the most challenging projects were the nine IT/digital government technical films produced for the National Association of Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). In this film series, we made digital government entertaining yet informative.

As with most people, my current project is now my new favorite.” ‘An Audacious American: Cassius Marcellus Clay,’ which is being sponsored by the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, promises to be an hour and half of very exciting Kentucky television.”

There are many other talented Kentuckians ready to help you with your project. Check our production directory here.  

Star Studded Premiere

The new Kentucky Film office website has made its debut and is getting great reviews. The new site is more colorful and more helpful to the film industry. You’ll find more information about the benefits of filming in Kentucky, along with incentive help, lists of previous films with Kentucky ties and contacts for production assistance.

Particularly helpful is our new affiliation with Reel-Scout, allowing filmmakers to search potential locations online. We are constantly updating and adding photos to this site, so check back often.

We’d like your feedback and ideas. Contact us here.

Scene Stealers

Kentucky offers a variety of special scenes to make your production an award winner. Here are a couple of examples:

Need a charming Southern Style Home? Check out the Adsmore House and Gardens in Western Kentucky. A charming place, inside and out, that will accommodate your special film needs.

Need some river scenes? The Ohio River could be a perfect choice. We even have a steamboat!

We have hundreds of other locations. Look at our photos on Reel-Scout.

Take 5 – with Brad Riddell

Brad Riddell is a screenwriter, filmmaker and professor, among other things. He’s a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the University of Southern California’s School for Cinematic Arts. He’s also a founding co-director of the not-for-profit film education company, The Kentucky Film Lab, and has taught at USC and Spalding University. He was appointed to the Kentucky Film Commission in 2009. 

1. Why are you interested in the film industry in Kentucky?
   
   I was born and raised in Northern Kentucky, and discovered my passion for film and TV as a student at the University of Kentucky.  But at that time, I found information, access, training and opportunities related to the entertainment industry to be limited statewide.  I love Kentucky, but had to leave it to pursue my dream. Luckily, things are changing now in Kentucky, and I want to do my part to help create new opportunities for aspiring filmmakers in the Commonwealth so their path can be easier than mine.
   
   
2. What is The Kentucky Film Lab?
   
   KFL is a not- for-profit film education company I co-founded with Arthur Rouse, Mark Shepherd, and with the help of Kris Kimel and the IdeaFestival.  Our mission is to provide low-cost film education to interested Kentuckians, as well as access to world-class filmmakers. To date, we’ve held seven filmmaking workshops, training close to 1,000 aspiring artists, and bringing high-profile professionals into Kentucky.  KFL guests have included writer Andrew Marlowe (Air Force One, Castle), cinematographer Victor Kemper (ASC Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner), TV Writer/Producer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (Friday Night Lights, CSI:NY), feature writer/Chair of USC’s Screenwriting Division Jack Epps, Jr. (Top Gun), actor/director Domenica Scorcese, game designer Jason Shankel (Spore), and producer Jon Landau (Avatar, Titanic). We received consecutive grants from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to fund our programs, and several years ago, building off KFL’s success, Arthur Rouse established a certificate program in filmmaking at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington.
   
   
3. You are leaving LA to teach near Syracuse, but you continue to keep close ties to Kentucky. How would you judge the creative talent in Kentucky?
   
   As is evidenced by our impressive roster of film commissioners, and the long list of Kentuckians who have gone on to do great work in film and television, we have no reason to believe that our native creative talent leaves anything to be desired; however, we need to continue to build the foundational training and educational opportunities necessary to develop a prominent and lucrative film culture in the state.  Our young people shouldn’t think of a career in media as an impossible long shot only attainable for those who can take huge risks or who can afford to leave the state. Growing a film economy begins with growing our talented filmmakers and craftspeople and keeping them home to provide an ever-expanding, knowledgeable and well-trained crew base. To me, that all begins with education.  We have excellent, growing programs in place at Asbury and NKU, as well as several of our other institutions. We have to continue to grow that commitment statewide, especially in our high schools.
   
   
4. What do you enjoy most – screenwriting, filmmaking or teaching?
   
   There is nothing quite like visiting a set to see hundreds of people working hard to turn your words into images.  And seeing your name on screen during the opening credits is an unforgettable thrill worth all the effort every time. But I’ve always known I would teach. My parents are educators, it’s in my blood, I love being on campus working with young people, and hopefully making an impact on their lives. 
   
   
5. Can Kentucky be a successful player in the film industry?
   
   We have a passionate and informed Governor, the First Lady has been a devoted advocate, and together they have enlisted a talented, experienced, and diverse Film Commission, as well as the dedicated, tireless folks in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. All of that is an amazing start, but we also need to do better at the grassroots level.  We need to remind the citizens of the Commonwealth that film and TV is a viable business that can employ hundreds of people across many, many different professions. We need to help them realize that it will be worth it to us all to develop this industry within our borders. If we do that, then perhaps demand will create new educational and training opportunities across the state, and the legislature will continue to give us the tools needed to showcase Kentucky as a prime destination for filmmakers.
   
   

The Last Take:

As stated earlier, Kentucky native Conrad Bachmann assisted in the Kentucky Film Office display area through out the recent “Produced By” Conference.  His legendary status as a Hollywood actor and a Governor of the Performers Peer Group for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences made him a terrific draw as well as a source of knowledge. Here is his take on the event:

Having the opportunity to join my fellow Kentuckians at the Producers/Locations show recently was very not only exciting, but enlightening to have the opportunity to spread the many advantages of filming in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky. I was amazed at the number of people that came by that expressed their interest in Kentucky, and the number of people that were from Kentucky and looking forward to finding that right "project" so they produce their films “at home,” as they would say.

The thing that struck me most was the number of people that would come by and tell us about how wonderful Kentucky was and how impressed they were with the diversity of locations.
 
It was a steady stream of interested film makers, producers, locations managers, curious about our incentives and advantages of filming in Kentucky. They wanted to know more about transportation, housing, catering, location and talent in Kentucky, and we were more than happy to help them out!
 
One of the highlights of conversation in the booth was the conversation about the long list of stars that hail from Kentucky. So many were impressed with our short film listing our wealth of talent.
 
There were film commissioners from all over the world. Just to list a few of the countries, Chile, Argentina, Malaysia, Australia, Vienna, N. Ireland, UK England, Scotland, Wales, Serbia, France, Spain, along with all the film commissioners from the United States.
 
Being able to join my film commissioners was truly educational and inspirational. Gaining even more knowledge about our advantages will help me carry the message about the locations, history, and the breakdown of incentives of filming in Kentucky. It certainly made me a more informative salesperson having the first hand knowledge of hearing what Mike Cooper, Pat Stipes and Todd Cassidy had to say to the many people stopping by our booth.

Now… on with “The Show!”