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dwmckim
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Okay, so while i was doing some searching around for so kind of clue or hint as to what's going on with the seeming postponement of the Studio DC: Almost Live special, i came across the following seemingly unrelated article from a Clinton, MS newspaper which contains a surprising tidbit at the end...could it possible that maybe the Almost Live special was delayed so that they could use it as a springboard to a bigger publicity campaign for a bigger project?
----------------------
California dreaming
By Tim Nicholas
Special to The Clinton News
Oliver Garrett is pictured with Jamie Lynn Spears at a Hollywood wrap party for Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101."
Oliver Garrett was about 8 when he began falling in love with film. It's a passion that has led the former Clintonian to Hollywood. "Going to the theater and watching movies got me going," Garrett said during a visit home to Clinton last week.
The films of Tim Burton, such as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, and the Indiana Jones movies awakened Garrett's desire to be involved with filmmaking. "I did the music thing for a while, but film was always the passion."
He watched his older brother, Walker, and cousins try making films and piecing them together. And then he took a video arts class at Clinton Junior High under Anthony Thaxton. Garrett even helped Thaxton shoot Clinton High football video programs.
"He was well-mannered and respectful, even shy it seemed," said Thaxton, now a videographer in Hattiesburg. "But underneath, there was a sparkle in his eyes. You just knew Oliver was soaking everything in and that God had plans for him."
Garrett studied at the University of Southern Mississippi with a concentration in film. Ten days after graduation in 2004, he flew to Hollywood and, from interviews that day, landed jobs that have kept him busy for the past four years.
By the end of this year, Garrett, 26, who does production work for the Nickelodeon show iCarly, should have enough production days to enter the Director's Guild of America, allowing him to work union shows as assistant director.
That is the foot in the door that he is waiting for.
"Ultimately, I'd like to be producing films," said Garrett. "Once I join the director's guild I can get benefits like insurance and can start picking scripts and producing them."
Sound easy? Garrett admits film production is a lot of work. "Most people get it done by getting people [actors] attached to a script, have a budget broken down, and finding someone with money to invest."
Before iCarly, a program about kids who produce their own Web show, Garrett worked for more than 30 episodes of Zoey 101, which starred Jamie Lynn Spears.
As production assistant, Garrett often "runs the talent," which means it is his job to make sure the actors are in their proper places at the proper times. From makeup to wardrobe to the school required for child actors, Garrett is responsible for every actor on the show.
Some, he said, "get spoiled pretty quickly and are a little hard to deal with." However, on the iCarly set, he said the kids are fresh and attentive.
Mike Caron, second assistant director on iCarly, said Garrett has the particular skill needed. He said Garrett could have been gruff, but that "Oliver knows the other way of doing it."
Caron praises Garrett's work ethic. He said such is hard to find, and that after he's recommended Garrett to others, "they call me and say thank you so much."
Caron added: "Be proud of your hometown guy. He's great."
Before Garrett's work on Nickelodeon, he did a lot of non-union productions. One film was Queen of Cactus Cove, which played during the 2006 Crossroads Film Festival in Jackson.
Ricki and Jesse Garrett, Oliver's parents, attended the festival with a lot of Oliver's friends.
"It was so much fun when Oliver's name rolled with the credits. Everyone gave a standing ovation," said Ricki Garrett. "I had my cell phone on so he could hear it."
"It's wonderful watching your children live out their dreams," she said.
Garrett offered advice to others wanting work in Hollywood. "The biggest thing I can say is keep in touch with people you like to work with. Probably my biggest step was in moving to LA, where there is a lot of work going on, and building my network a bit faster."
He said he gets calls from Southern Mississippi students. "I offer my couch to anyone who wants to come out and shop around. We can get you work, but you have to be here and just meet as many people as you can."
Other films Garrett has worked on include Still Waiting, The Metrosexual, The Go-Getter, Honeymoon with Mom, and 10 'Til Noon. Premiering this summer is The Red Canvas, a film Garrett worked as second, second assistant director.
In this martial arts film starring George Takei, John Savage and Ernie Reyes Jr., Garrett "moved in the background." The background, for those not savvy, are the extras.
"I had the most fun," said Garrett. "It's nice to be working alongside someone you admire," he said, speaking particularly of Takei and Reyes.
***But he noted perhaps one of his greatest thrills: "I actually worked with the Muppets." Disney, he said, is trying out the old-style Muppet show, and Garrett worked on two episodes for future release. During that filming, Garrett got to adjust Kermit's hand.***
Garrett easily sums up his Hollywood experience.
"I'm having a blast."
------------------------------------------------
Me thinks this is the rumored big project we've been wondering about for awhile...whether this is referring to Almost Live itself or something else, this is an interesting clue...so if it is referring to SD:AL, there's at least one more episode forthcoming or if it's something completely different, then SD:AL might be a teaser for it...
----------------------
California dreaming
By Tim Nicholas
Special to The Clinton News
Oliver Garrett is pictured with Jamie Lynn Spears at a Hollywood wrap party for Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101."
Oliver Garrett was about 8 when he began falling in love with film. It's a passion that has led the former Clintonian to Hollywood. "Going to the theater and watching movies got me going," Garrett said during a visit home to Clinton last week.
The films of Tim Burton, such as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, and the Indiana Jones movies awakened Garrett's desire to be involved with filmmaking. "I did the music thing for a while, but film was always the passion."
He watched his older brother, Walker, and cousins try making films and piecing them together. And then he took a video arts class at Clinton Junior High under Anthony Thaxton. Garrett even helped Thaxton shoot Clinton High football video programs.
"He was well-mannered and respectful, even shy it seemed," said Thaxton, now a videographer in Hattiesburg. "But underneath, there was a sparkle in his eyes. You just knew Oliver was soaking everything in and that God had plans for him."
Garrett studied at the University of Southern Mississippi with a concentration in film. Ten days after graduation in 2004, he flew to Hollywood and, from interviews that day, landed jobs that have kept him busy for the past four years.
By the end of this year, Garrett, 26, who does production work for the Nickelodeon show iCarly, should have enough production days to enter the Director's Guild of America, allowing him to work union shows as assistant director.
That is the foot in the door that he is waiting for.
"Ultimately, I'd like to be producing films," said Garrett. "Once I join the director's guild I can get benefits like insurance and can start picking scripts and producing them."
Sound easy? Garrett admits film production is a lot of work. "Most people get it done by getting people [actors] attached to a script, have a budget broken down, and finding someone with money to invest."
Before iCarly, a program about kids who produce their own Web show, Garrett worked for more than 30 episodes of Zoey 101, which starred Jamie Lynn Spears.
As production assistant, Garrett often "runs the talent," which means it is his job to make sure the actors are in their proper places at the proper times. From makeup to wardrobe to the school required for child actors, Garrett is responsible for every actor on the show.
Some, he said, "get spoiled pretty quickly and are a little hard to deal with." However, on the iCarly set, he said the kids are fresh and attentive.
Mike Caron, second assistant director on iCarly, said Garrett has the particular skill needed. He said Garrett could have been gruff, but that "Oliver knows the other way of doing it."
Caron praises Garrett's work ethic. He said such is hard to find, and that after he's recommended Garrett to others, "they call me and say thank you so much."
Caron added: "Be proud of your hometown guy. He's great."
Before Garrett's work on Nickelodeon, he did a lot of non-union productions. One film was Queen of Cactus Cove, which played during the 2006 Crossroads Film Festival in Jackson.
Ricki and Jesse Garrett, Oliver's parents, attended the festival with a lot of Oliver's friends.
"It was so much fun when Oliver's name rolled with the credits. Everyone gave a standing ovation," said Ricki Garrett. "I had my cell phone on so he could hear it."
"It's wonderful watching your children live out their dreams," she said.
Garrett offered advice to others wanting work in Hollywood. "The biggest thing I can say is keep in touch with people you like to work with. Probably my biggest step was in moving to LA, where there is a lot of work going on, and building my network a bit faster."
He said he gets calls from Southern Mississippi students. "I offer my couch to anyone who wants to come out and shop around. We can get you work, but you have to be here and just meet as many people as you can."
Other films Garrett has worked on include Still Waiting, The Metrosexual, The Go-Getter, Honeymoon with Mom, and 10 'Til Noon. Premiering this summer is The Red Canvas, a film Garrett worked as second, second assistant director.
In this martial arts film starring George Takei, John Savage and Ernie Reyes Jr., Garrett "moved in the background." The background, for those not savvy, are the extras.
"I had the most fun," said Garrett. "It's nice to be working alongside someone you admire," he said, speaking particularly of Takei and Reyes.
***But he noted perhaps one of his greatest thrills: "I actually worked with the Muppets." Disney, he said, is trying out the old-style Muppet show, and Garrett worked on two episodes for future release. During that filming, Garrett got to adjust Kermit's hand.***
Garrett easily sums up his Hollywood experience.
"I'm having a blast."
------------------------------------------------
Me thinks this is the rumored big project we've been wondering about for awhile...whether this is referring to Almost Live itself or something else, this is an interesting clue...so if it is referring to SD:AL, there's at least one more episode forthcoming or if it's something completely different, then SD:AL might be a teaser for it...
