Lawmakers have approved a one-year extension of the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program, which had been slated to expire in 2012. This means that the credit–designed to help the Golden State keep and attract production–now runs through 2013. California’s credit, against income or sales taxes or both, covers up to 25 percent of production budgets spent in the state and applies to feature films with production budgets of up to $75 million, along with movies for television, TV miniseries and certain episodic series. Commercials remain ineligible for the California anti-runaway production program which allocates $100 million in tax credits annually. For the current fiscal year, the entire $100 million was allotted to 27 projects on day one (June 1) of the 2011 filing period for the program. Assorted other projects are currently on a wait list. While the film/television industry welcomed the news of an extension, the one additional year granted is a far cry from the original proposal, vigorously lobbied for by the Motion Picture Association of America and other groups, which called for a five-year extension….Eron Broughton has joined David&Goliath, Los Angeles, as associate creative director. In this newly created role at the agency, Broughton will be working on the Kia and Carl’s Jr. accounts, reporting to David&Goliath’s executive creative director, Colin Jeffery. Earlier, Broughton was a senior art director at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, where he worked on Toyota, Lexus, Cadbury, Sony and Fox Sports, among others. After that, he spent some time at San Francisco-based agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners where he completed work for MINI and YP.com….
FireAid Concert Features Major Music Stars, Shares Stories Of Loss To Raise Money For L.A. Wildfire Relief
Pop stars, first responders, rock stars and those who've lost everything in the devastating LA-area wildfires came together for FireAid, a massive benefit concert Thursday that combined spectacular performances with moving storytelling from survivors and reminders of the destruction.
In a night full of surprises, a reunion of Nirvana — fronted by St. Vincent, Kim Gordon and Joan Jett in the place of the late Kurt Cobain — tops the list. They launched into "Breed," "School" and "Territorial Pissings" respectively, inspired and unexpected choices.
Drummer Dave Grohl's daughter, Violet, then emerged on stage for "All Apologies."
Closer Lady Gaga, after powering through the Oscar-award winning "Shallow" and "Always Remember Us This Way" from "A Star Is Born," played a new song on the piano. "It's just for tonight, it's just for you," she said of the song she wrote with fiancé businessman Michael Polansky. "Time is a healer."
"All I need is time," she sang in the folk-y pop chorus. "To heal my broken wings and then I'll soar."
Green Day kicked off the massive show by launching into "Last Night on Earth" at the Kia Forum and were soon joined by Billie Eilish for the first surprise of the night. The lyrics are surprisingly astute: "If I lose everything in the fire / I'm sending all my love to you."
After their set, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong hugged actor Billy Crystal, who was there to welcome to the crowd at the Kia Forum.
"Our goal is simple tonight, to spend more money than the Dodgers spent on free agents," he joked. He told the audience U2 offered the first big donation of the night: $1 million dollars.
Crystal said he was wearing the clothes he had on when he evacuated. He lost his home in... Read More