From Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter:
Jana Sinyor (Being Erica, Dark Oracle) is one of the speakers at the upcoming Toronto Screenwriting Conference on March 31 and April 1. She tells TV, eh? about her unconventional path to screenwriting, her learning curve on Being Erica, and the project she has in development with ABC now.
First, tell me about the Toronto Screenwriting Conference –- what do you hope to convey there, and what do you hope to get out of it? What role do conferences like this play in career development?
I plan to show up and have an interesting panel discussion with a bunch of people I respect. I hope it will be a lot of fun.
As for what role conferences play in career development, for me, they were extremely important. I remember attending Nuts And Bolts — a weekend conference put on by WIFT-T when I was just starting out — and then later I went to a screenwriting weekend conference that was put together by the WGC. Both events were very important in that they connected me with people I would later work with. I learned a lot from the panels, talked to lots of different people — and felt that attending helped me better focus, better zero in on what I wanted to do and what steps I was going to take to get there.
The Nature of Things, CBC – “Smarty Plants”
Plants: nice, pretty to look at. But they don’t DO anything, do they? They just kind of….sit there, right? Wrong! Exploding the myth of a passive plant world, SMARTY PLANTS, a new one-hour TV documentary premiering Thursday, March 22 at 8 pm (8:30 NT) on CBC Television The Nature of Things with David Suzuki, uncovers the real “secret world†of plants, revealing a fantastic and dynamic landscape pulsing with sex, movement, communication, and social interaction. This is a world where plants talk, forage, wage war and nurture their kin; a world where plants behave a lot like…us!
Doc Zone, CBC – “Scandal: Inside the Murdoch Empire”
DOC ZONE examines the scandal that has rocked the empire of media baron Rupert Murdoch.
Battle Castle, History Television – “Malbork Castle”
Stretched along the bank of the River Nogat in modern-day Poland, Malbork Castle was built by an elite group of knights during the Baltic Crusades. Its distinct brick architecture, soaring walls, and deadly battlements were built to intimidate the local population. In 1410, a pagan-turned-king marches on the castle, determined to put an end to the Teutonic Order’s reign.
Possible sea change for Saskatchewan television?
SCN’s prospective new owner, Rogers Broadcasting Ltd., wants to spend less money on programming, at least according to CBC News Saskatchewan. Rogers wants to put 23 per cent of revenue generated by SCN towards independent films, rather than commit to fixed dollar requirements, as SCN is in “financial stress.”
In a related story, the 2012-13 Saskatchewan provincial budget announces the immediate termination of the Film Employment Tax Credit for film and television productions. Productions already registered by SaskFilm prior to April 1, 2012 will continue to be eligible for the credit, but new productions are ineligible.
The elimination of Saskatchewan’s FETC, according to the budget documents, is tied to a supposedly-heavier future reliance on subsidization. This is coupled with a decline in industry activity, and the fact that the FETC has required a public investment of over $100 million, since its 1998 introduction.
The FETC, an income tax credit equal to forty-five per cent of eligible labour costs, will be fully phased out in 2014. The FETC’s termination is supposed to save up to $3 million by the end of 2012, and $8 million annually.
Statement by the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Industry Association. They’re not fond of the FETC’s termination.
Continue reading TV, Eh? Industry Roundup – Saskatchewan television, Redemption Inc., more
From CBC:
