Movie inspired by Lawrenceville progressive dinners soon to be filmed there

More filming coming to Pittsburgh in early March!

A new film titled Progression, inspired by the Lawrenceville Urban Pioneers Society Dinner, will be filmed in the neighborhood beginning in March. 
Written and directed by Gab Cody and Sam Turich, the narrative film takes place over the course of an evening, and will focus on three different couples as they wander through the homes and streets of Lawrenceville.

Cody says the film will be driven by conversations and the behavior of people, not by special effects or action sequences.  “Rather a world of people at dinner tables having funny conversations,” she says.

Which is how Cody perceives the LUPS Progressive Dinner.  That event is in its 27th year and has grown from 12 participants to 150.

Cody and Turich moved to Lawrenceville from New York City four years ago.  Three months after moving in they participated in the progressive dinner, and were able to meet “so many great, quirky, weird, strange, funny, hilarious, smart people that we were delighted that we'd chosen to live in Lawrenceville,” Cody says.

“It’s a really magical night in which you are thrust into situations with strangers but often times in their homes,” Cody says.  That type of encounter can be unusual, she says, but is always filled with interesting social interactions and conversations, where friendships develop, and even romance can bloom.
Which is why Cody decided it would be a great setting for a movie of this kind.

Cody and Turich's previous short film, Mombies, was also set in Lawrenceville.  Pageboy Salon & Boutique owner Rachel Vallozzi, who starred in Mombies, will design costumes for Progression, and Cody is reaching out to restaurants and chefs in the Pittsburgh area to design the film's food.

Filming is scheduled to take place between March and July, and Cody hopes to have a local premier as early as next fall.

Fat Beckett, a play written by Cody and directed by Turich, is currently in production by the Quantum Theatre, and runs through December 18th at the Old School House in Lawrenceville.

And a Kickstarter campaign has launched to help finance the film.  Visit that site here.

Read more at Pop City Media. Picture from FilmInPA’s Facebook page

‘Hometown Hollywood’ chronicles the film industry in Pittsburgh

Charleroi native John Tiech has written a book chronicling the legacy of the film industry in the "Hollywood of the East”…also known as Pittsburgh!

John Tiech's college experience was a lot like many other students.

He endured being stuck in a class he had no interest in.

For Tiech, it was Alan Natali's "Research for Writers" course at California University of Pennsylvania.

"I didn't think it really appealed to me," Tiech said.

"I was wrong."

Tiech, 29, of Charleroi, is now an adjunct instructor at Westmoreland County Community College, teaching, of all things, English, to about 35 students.

"Some mathematicians have numbers running through their head, well, I have grammar running through mine," Tiech said. "I love teaching it. Being 29, I think I really relate to students."

While Tiech wasn't excited at first about his writer's research class, it showed him he had a passion for research of all types.

That led him to his newest adventure.

Using his love for research and investigation, Tiech has written a book.

"Hometown Hollywood" chronicles the legacy of the film industry in Pittsburgh, which is known as the "Hollywood of the East," by the film industry.

"I just found that there was a lot of information, and wrong information, for that matter, when it came to chronicling what shows and movies were filmed in Pittsburgh," Tiech said. "As far as I know, my book is the first one about a particular city."

Tiech said he conducted a lot of research for his book.

"I found at least 150 movies and shows that were filmed in Pittsburgh, and I'm sure there's a lot more," Tiech said. "It all started in the late 1800s."

Tiech is currently waiting to hear back from a potential publisher for "Hometown Hollywood."

"I never really thought about looking into local university presses," Tiech said. "I sent inquiry letters to both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University."

Pitt, according to Tiech, didn't seem interested in his inquiry, but he said he should be hearing from someone at Carnegie Mellon in the near future.

"It didn't even seem like the editors at Pitt read my letter," Tiech said. "They said it was going to be six to eight weeks, and then it was going to be a little bit longer. Finally, they sent me a letter saying they weren't interested."

Tiech didn't let the rejection stop him from following up on his work.

"I've been in touch with (Senior Editor) Cynthia Lamb at CMU. She's been nothing but nice and helpful."

Tiech said that Lamb requested a chapter of his book after reading his inquiry letter.

"Hopefully I hear something towards the end of this month or January," Tiech said.

Tiech has had the opportunity to interview many people involved in the Pittsburgh film industry and showed gratitude to former Pittsburgh Press and Tribune-Review movie critic, Ed Blank.

"Without Ed, I wouldn't be at the point I'm at now with the book," Tiech said.

"I've had the opportunity to interview producer Kristi Zea, who has been nominated for an Oscar and I've also interviewed some of the original actors in 'Night of the Living Dead,'" he said.

The "Night of the Living Dead" franchise has proved to be one of the most well-known films of the Pittsburgh region, but it has also proved to hold the most elusive of Tiech's potential interviews.

"I tried and would love to interview George Romero," Tiech sighed. "He is the most elusive man in the world.

"Good luck trying to find him," he laughed.

His passion for research, movies, and history have been instrumental in Tiech's writing process.

"I really enjoy looking through old newspapers," the aspiring writer said. "Researching for the book has been great and enlightening."

"I've gone as far as interviewing local actors and film crews," Tiech said. "A lot of big movies have filmed around here, even in the Mon Valley."

Tiech has interviewed the owner of the house that was used in the "Silence of the Lambs", which filmed in Layton.

He's also interviewed actors Dee Wallace Stone, Tony Todd, and special effects wizard Tom Savini.

"I really wanted to show that Pittsburgh truly has everything the film industry is looking for," Tiech said. "Everything is here, from historical and gothic architecture, to modern skyscrapers."

Buildings, architecture and the people of the surrounding region is what has lured films such as "Striking Distance," and"Robocop," which used Monessen as a locale for filming.

"Pittsburgh had 'The Dark Knight Rises' film here this year," Tiech beamed. "Now, Tom Cruise was here filming. It just shows that Pittsburgh is in high demand in the industry."

Tiech, the son of John and Noreen Tiech, of Charleroi, hopes to prove that when you have an idea and you go for it, you can succeed.

"If anyone out there wants to write a book, first off, write it on something you believe in and enjoy," Tiech said. "I'd say that's the most important thing.

"Secondly, you have to research your publishers."

Tiech stumbled into writing thanks to what he called a mistake.

"I didn't even want that class," he said about taking Research for Writers. "If it wasn't for that class, though, I wouldn't have found my love for research."

Tiech said the Facebook page he created for "Hometown Hollywood" is growing in popularity and he hopes more and more will come to share his passion.

"This region and Pittsburgh have it all," he proclaimed. "I'm glad that I have the opportunity to write about and do something that I enjoy."

Read more: College course leads to surprise career - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/news/s_770598.html#ixzz1gzlQdcJR

Walden Media Donates School Supplies to Pittsburgh School

Ever wonder what happens to movie props after the filming is over? One lucky Pittsburgh school recently found out!

The movie "I Won't Back Down" [later renamed “Learning to Fly”] won't be released until spring, but it already has produced some happy endings locally.

Sixty new desks and other school supplies, including globes, bulletin boards and books, were delivered last week to the Clairton City School District, a gift of Walden Media, which used the items in the production of the movie.

The film, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, was shot in Pittsburgh last summer. It is about two women who join forces to transform an inner city school.

Another truckload of school supplies and equipment from the movie set is expected to be delivered to Clairton this week.

"We are just so grateful for all of this," said Clairton superintendent Wayde Killmeyer. "It was such a generous donation."

Mr. Killmeyer said Clairton has seen an increase in enrollment this year and the new extra desks will be put to use. He said they likely will be used at the high school level since they are designed for older students.

The gifts to the Clairton district were arranged through the Consortium for Public Education, whose staff developed a relationship with Walden Media, a film production and publishing company, during the production of the film. That relationship came about because of line producer Mylan Stepanovich, whose father Myles, is a former superintendent of McKeesport Area School District, said Stephen Seliy, associate executive director of the Consortium for Public Education.

In addition to the gifts to Clairton, Walden Media is donating more than 45 cartons of books to the consortium's campaign, "Fifth Food Group: Food for the Mind," helping the effort to reach its goal of collecting 1 million books for local students to promote early literacy. The goal was set a decade ago.

Walden's donations are a generous gesture as production companies often sell or auction off props after filming is finished.

At the time the film was being shot in Pittsburgh -- much of it in Squirrel Hill -- its title was "Steel Town," but the name has since been changed to "I Won't Back Down."

The donated desks, school supplies and books are not the only benefits local students reaped from the movie.

During the filming, high school students from several Pittsburgh high schools and Elizabeth-Forward, McKeesport, West Mifflin, Steel Valley, Clairton and Gateway got to visit the movie set at various locations to get a firsthand look at film making

The high school students who visited the set were working on documentary projects through the consortium and the Pittsburgh Foundation depicting how state budget cuts affected their school districts. Those documentaries will be shown in the future, Mr. Seliy said.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11349/1196899-55.stm#ixzz1gdYSsdD5

'Dark Knight' preview coming to Pittsburgh next week

Are you going to see the 'Dark Knight' preview next week?

Come for the Tumblers, stay for the tornadoes.

"The Dark Knight Rises" prologue -- the first six minutes of the 2012 movie -- will be shown with the documentary "Tornado Alley" at the Carnegie Science Center starting Dec. 16.

Tickets, $8 for an adult and $6 per child (with $1 off for members), can be bought through CarnegieScienceCenter.org or 412-237-3400. No separate tickets for the prologue, rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some violence, will be sold.

In some cities, the much-anticipated preview is being paired with "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" but not here where the Rangos Omnimax Theater will do the honors. It's not known how long the Batman opening sequence will screen with the documentary, which runs about an hour.

"The Dark Knight Rises" was shot partially in Pittsburgh and residents were miffed and disappointed when they learned Pittsburgh was not on the list of North American cities getting the sneak preview. That perceived slight has been remedied.

"We are delighted to provide our visitors, both new and veteran Batman fans, a chance to see the opening sequence of 'The Dark Knight Rises' on a giant screen," Ann Metzger, co-director of Carnegie Science Center, said in announcing the booking coup.

"Christopher Nolan and his crew transformed Pittsburgh into Gotham City during filming, and while we miss seeing the Tumblers around town, we are honored to be one of select IMAX theaters to have this exciting opportunity."

The Christopher Nolan movie, the third and final entry in his trilogy starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, will open in theaters July 20, 2012. Mr. Nolan, a husband and father in addition to being a director, writer and producer, visited the science center during his stay here.

The Omnimax theater, a four-story IMAX dome theater, is roughly 4,000 times bigger than the average home television and boasts 15,000 watts of sound. It is one of about 50 domes in North America and features the biggest screen in the Pittsburgh area.

IMAX, short for Image Maximum, uses a larger film stock -- about 10 times larger than conventional film. The oversize frames, combined with IMAX projection technology, create the huge, crisp image.

In making the 2008 blockbuster "The Dark Knight," Mr. Nolan was the first to use IMAX cameras in a major motion picture release, and, as now, audiences were given an advance look at that film's prologue months prior to the summer 2008 opening.

Mr. Nolan employed the extremely high-resolution cameras even more extensively on "The Dark Knight Rises" -- including the film's prologue -- to heighten the sharpness of the picture and immerse moviegoers into the action.

The conclusion to the series also will star Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman.

The first time the prologue will play likely will be 12:15 p.m. Dec. 16. In other words, Merry Christmas, baby!

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11342/1195491-100.stm#ixzz1gGkOQZtR

True Blood's Joe Manganiello in Pittsburgh Holiday Parade

Check out this great interview with Pittsburgh native and True Blood star Joe Manganiello!

You can take a man out of Pittsburgh, but you can’t take Pittsburgh out of the man. Hometown guy Joe Manganiello returned to parade down 5th avenue in downtown Pittsburgh in the My Macy’s Holiday Parade. Here is a clip of Joe’s interview with Alby Oxenreiter from WPXI. Joe sure loves the Steelers, and apparently they love Joe and True Blood right back!
Source: True Blood News

About Joe: 

Joseph Michael "Joe" Manganiello is a classically-trained American film and theatre actor. He holds a BFA in acting from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. He played Flash Thompson in the Spider-Man film series, and was previously best known for his recurring roles in television on ER, How I Met Your Mother and One Tree Hill, among others before landing his breakout role as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the HBO television series True Blood for which he has garnered both popular and critical praise. 


For his work on True Blood, Manganiello received two 2011 Scream Awards for Breakout Performance – Male, and a shared award for Best Ensemble, as well as a Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role in Television and a NewNowNext Award. In 2011 Manganiello was voted "Favorite Pop-Culture Werewolf of All Time" by the readers of Entertainment Weekly. Along with the premiere of True Blood season five, the summer of 2012 will see Manganiello in two films, the Steven Soderbergh-directed Magic Mike and the all-star ensemble, What to Expect When You're Expecting. Aside from his work in film and television, Manganiello is active with several charities including Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the Los Angeles based "The Art of Elysium."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Manganiello