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June
2000: Movies! Movies! Movies!
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MGM
Breakers filming in Palm Beach County!
After almost ten
years of talk, more talk, meetings and
more meetings, the MGM major motion picture The Breakers is
filming on location in Palm Beach County. In a rare decision, the Town of Palm
Beach approved the filming permit for this MGM comedy starring Sigourney
Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gene Hackman, Jason Lee, Ray Liotta, Anne Bancroft
and Nora Dunn.
The company has
booked over 700 rooms at The Sheraton, West Palm Beach (see Location Spotlight
reverse side).
For the last few
months the producers, art director, location manager and scouts and production
manager have been flying in and out of Palm Beach County preparing for the
shoot. The first priority was to obtain permission from the Town of Palm Beach.
The production company was persistent and professional, because they wanted the
authentic Palm Beach look for the film. “It’s a look you just can’t
duplicate,” says Producer Clayton Townsend, “ We wanted to film at least
part of it here.”
The story centers
around a mother and daughter (Weaver and Hewitt)
team who make a living conning wealthy men. They have a full proof grift
set up until hearts and true feelings begin interfering. Weaver plays the mother
determined to protect her daughter from heartbreak. Hewitt plays the love struck
daughter. Gene Hackman plays their latest target, the richest man in Palm Beach.
Trouble begins when the daughter, Hewitt, finds herself in love. The film is
directed by David Mirken, a three time Emmy Award winning comedy specialist who
previously directed the hit feature Romy and Michelle’s High School
Reunion.
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Larry
Kerschenbaum is one Phatt Daddy!
New
Tribe Entertainment, Inc. walked away with the highest honor at the Fly
Boyz Film Festival in Perris, CA. Their film, Untitled by New
Tribe won the Grand Prize, the Daddy Phatt Award!
Kerschenbaum,
President of New Tribe Entertainment was ecstatic! “We’re very
thrilled by this award. This is the premier film festival in our
industry and we just can’t believe we won,” exclaimed Kerschenbaum. |
Former
FTC Intern on LA Breakers Set
| Jennifer
Genco, Marketing Manager for the Breakers Resort jet-setted off
to Hollywood for a world wind tour of the MGM Breakers set. |
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Genco
has been working closely with the producer, Clayton Townsend over the
past several months to bring this film to fruition in Palm Beach County.
“I spent much of the day with the director, David Mirkin, and with
Clayton watching the actual taping. I had a chance to meet the stars,
Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt. They couldn’t have been
nicer.” says Genco. “The set designers have reconstructed their
version of the hotel for both exteriors and interiors. It’s not
identical to the real Breakers, but it looks great.” Genco served as
an FTC intern in 1996 after which she joined the Breakers Resort. |
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North Palm
Beach based AllVideo Network.com in association with CBSSportsLine.com
and the State of Florida’s Governor’s office, brought to Internet
visitors an opportunity to see and talk with Governor Jeb Bush during
his First Cyber Town Hall Meeting. The live Internet broadcast was
streamed on Friday, May 26 on www.flgov.com, the State’s official
website and All Video Network.com Inc. http://www.allvideonetwork.com.
| Florida Governor Jeb Bush
signed the largest technology bill in state history into law. |
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| This
historical legislation puts Florida on the cutting edge, using
technology to make state government more efficient and residents
happier. The new legislation also grants Florida a Network Access Point
(NAP) which will facilitate Florida’s emergence as a leader in the
digital economy. Shortly after signing the legislation, the governor sat
down with the world via the Internet utilizing AllVideoNetwork.com’s
streaming technology. |
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| May
Stats |
May
2000 |
YTD
2000 |
YTD
1999 |
%
CHANGE |
| HOTEL
ROOM NIGHTS |
702 |
5167 |
5028 |
+2.76% |
| PERMITS
ISSUED |
24 |
106 |
91 |
+16.48% |
| ECONOMIC
IMPACT |
$5,177,400 |
$30,190,655 |
$22,111,800 |
+36.54% |
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Location
Spotlight
The
Sheraton, West Palm Beach has opened its doors to the film and
television industry. In the past few months, it has played host to MGM
Breakers personnel, the National Weather Network, Billy Rooney
(Mickey’s son) and various location scouts.
The
film friendliness of this hotel, located just east of I-95 on Okeechobee
begins with General Manager, Michael Landry and flows through the entire
staff. Senior Sales Manager Deb Hamlin has been working with the
entertainment industry for years. “They have special needs and need
special attention,” she says. “The Sheraton knows how to accommodate
them.”
The
hotel is located on an 8 acre, park-like setting minutes from Palm Beach
International Airport and is adjacent to the Kravis Center minutes from
famous Worth Avenue. With more than 15,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting
space, The Sheraton can accommodate up to 1,000 people for meetings.
The Sheraton, West Palm
Beach recently won the MGM Breakers production and crew hotel rooms and
are gearing up for the big shoot. |
Ellen
Jacoby Casting, Miami, holds Breakers casting call at the Sheraton, West Palm
Beach.
Over two thousand
prospective Palm Beach looking persons lined up for their chance to be an extra
in the MGM comedy, the Breakers. The casting call was not only for
people, but for luxury cars as well. Many waited in line for more than 2 hours
for their chance to be a star.
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Do
You Want to Know a Secret?
A
Del Mar Production, Do
You Want to Know a Secret? is scheduled to start filming in Palm
Beach County after July 15. This horror flick promises to be just as
surprising and exciting as the Scream series. The feature
is still casting and will most likely be looking to pick up some local
day players.
This
thrill ride of a movie is looking for interns! If you want to know the
secret behind making a great movie, fax your resume and a cover letter
to: Joyce North, 818-508-2442. |
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FTC
Board Member, Bob Nichols has been named the Communications Specialist for
New England Institute of Technology, Florida Culinary Institute and Café
Protégé. While he loved every day of his news career, Nichols says he
feels lucky to be working at New England Tech. “It’s true, when one
door closes another one opens. This is fun,” says Nichols. The private
vocational institute offers specialized associate degrees in more than a
dozen programs.
Nichols
will continue his extensive work with charities while sharing news of
New England Tech with the business community, as well as the public. He
has also started a new business, Media Masters |
| U.S.
Congressman Mark Foley, Florida-R filmed his
campaign commercial at Sunfest Park and downtown West Palm Beach. Foley
is a long time proponent of the film and television industry. He is
a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Entertainment
Committee. Foley was the first chair of the PBC Film & Television
Commission Board of Directors in 1989. |
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Kirton-Hauptner
Films and Global Pictures have dissolved their filming
agreements and will no longer produce motion pictures together. “Global
Pictures performed as expected,” says Greg Hauptner”All bills
were paid and The Librarians has been completed.” The
split is attributed to different future film goals.
Kirton-Hauptner
Films is currently working on several new projects, all to be filmed
here in Palm Beach County. |
| Palomar
Pictures, Los Angeles was in town shooting a hysterical commercial for
State Farm Insurance.
The national spot features
a Floridian with a dangerous job; he re-locates gators. Apparently,
alligators have a tendency to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
This Florida Game employee tracks the wayward gators, captures and then
releases them into the wild marshes. Filming took place at Palm Beach
Polo Grounds. |
| Sports
Authority used the School of the Arts as the backdrop for their new
Back to School print ads. Studio FX, Davie, FL, produced the
shoot, which was photographed by Steve Golaski.
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| FTC welcomes
a new intern! Eliza
Longe comes to us from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Longe
previously assisted on the feature film Me, Myself and Irene
starring Jim Carrey. The FTC is looking forward to putting her creative
talents to use!
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If
you would like to be included in this monthly publication, please contact the
Film Commission at 561.233.1000 or email information to jwilliam@pbfilm.com.
Focus
on Film May 2000 Volume
III Issue 5
editor:
Jennifer Williams masthead
design: Wendy Meyer
Palm
Beach County Board of County Commissioners
Chairman Addie
Green,
Burt Aaronson,
Karen
T. Marcus, Tony Masilotti, Mary McCarty,
Warren
Newell, Jeff Koons
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