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USA NETWORK ANNOUNCES SECOND CHARACTERS UNITE MONTH, MULTI-PLATFORM EFFORT TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING INTOLERANCE AND HATE

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Month Features New On-Air PSA and Digital Campaign to Mobilize People Against Discrimination and Documentary Profiling NFL Greats Tony Dungy, Tony Gonzalez, Jimmy Graham and Hines Ward
Characters Unite National Storytelling Tour Stops In Los Angeles With Special Star-Studded Show Hosted By Tony Award Winner Nathan Lane, with Special Guest Matt Bomer and Stories by Academy-Award nominee Octavia Spencer and Academy-Award Winner Dustin Lance Black,Special Performance by Grammy-Winner John Legend

USA Network announced today the launch of its second Characters Unite Month beginning in February, to build on its ongoing public service commitment to combat prejudice and discrimination. Throughout the month, USA will premiere original programming and PSAs, unveil new digital content and expand its community outreach efforts to inspire more Americans to come together to promote greater tolerance, respect and acceptance.

“Characters Unite Month is a time to put a much-needed spotlight on the importance of fighting hate and discrimination,” said Chris McCumber, USA co-president. “Huge problems such as bullying, racism, religious intolerance and other forms of discrimination can seem insurmountable. We want to let everyone, everywhere, know that they can make a difference, just simply by speaking up and saying I won’t stand for it anymore.”

Highlights of Characters Unite Month include:
“I Won’t Stand For…” Campaign
Public Service Announcements (PSAs): Powerful new PSAs sending a message that people from all walks of life will no longer stand idly by in the face of prejudice and discrimination. Directed by commercial director Phil Griffin of Radical Media, the spots feature hundreds of diverse characters – including USA Network stars SAG Award nominee Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle of SUITS, Christopher Gorham of COVERT AFFAIRS, Reshma Shetty of ROYAL PAINS, and Marsha Thomason of WHITE COLLAR – all conveying a shared commitment to fight social injustice by sitting down wherever they are all across the country, from a busy New York City street corner to an iconic Bourbon Street storefront to a virtually empty Santa Monica beach. Everyone proudly wears special t-shirts expressing what they won’t stand for, such as racism, bullying, religious intolerance, ableism, homophobia, sexism and more.
• Expanded Video Content: The campaign extends online at charactersunite.com with dozens of short films revealing the PSA participants’ very personal experiences of dealing with prejudice and bigotry. USA will encourage viewers to share their own stories of what they won’t stand for and why via Characters Unite digital platforms.
• On-the-Ground Activation: USA will create special activations in New York City (Feb. 8 and 9) and Washington (Feb. 28) where people can come to create their own custom “I Won’t Stand For…” t-shirts and share photos and video to engage their friends and family in the movement.
“NFL Characters Unite”
• Original Documentary: A one-hour special profiling Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, New Orleans Saints star tight end Jimmy Graham, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward, and NBC’s “Football Night in America” analyst and Super Bowl-winning Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy and narrated by NBC Sports’ Chris Collingsworth. In the film, the NFL stars share their personal journeys of overcoming prejudice and discrimination and help to transform the life of a teen currently dealing with a similar situation. Through candid interviews and unique one-on-one activities, these on- and off-the-field heroes help bring diverse people together, change attitudes and instill courage and compassion. The film was created and executive produced by The Hochberg Ebersol Company’s co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Justin W. Hochberg, and directed by NFL Films’ Greg Frith. NFL CHARACTERS UNITE will air on Friday, February 10 at 7pmET/PT.
• Super Bowl Special Event: USA, the NFL and The Hochberg Ebersol Company will co-host a special brunch during Super Bowl weekend in Indianapolis to highlight the documentary and the partnership to fight intolerance and hate.
USA Originals
Episodes of WHITE COLLAR and ROYAL PAINS that each include a Characters Unite storyline:
• In WHITE COLLAR (Feb. 7, 10/9c), Diana (Marsha Thomason) shares news of her engagement and discovers only acceptance from her colleagues.
• In ROYAL PAINS (Feb. 22, 10/9c), Divya (Reshma Shetty) cares for a patient who has experienced discrimination in the workplace because of her disability. A PSA in partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will premiere as part of the episode directing viewers to more information and resources at charactersunite.com.
On-Air Promotion
A custom on-air bug and multiple snipes throughout the month will drive viewers to charactersunite.com and encourage them to get involved.
Characters Unite National Storytelling Tour: Los Angeles Stop
In partnership with the renowned nonprofit The Moth, USA continues the Tour – “A More Perfect Union: Stories of Prejudice and Power” — to use the power of storytelling to bring diverse people together, foster greater understanding and encourage respect. In February, the tour will partner with Time Warner Cable to stop in Los Angeles for:
• Mainstage Showcase: Hosted by Tony, Emmy and Screen Actors Guild award-winning Nathan Lane with special guest Matt Bomer from USA’s WHITE COLLAR, the showcase on Wednesday, February 15 at the Pacific Design Center will feature five storytellers, including Academy-Award nominee Octavia Spencer and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, each sharing a true story of overcoming discrimination and how it impacted their identity and outlook. The event also will include a special performance by Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend.
• High School Program: Ten students at Jefferson High School in East Los Angeles will participate in after-school workshops led by The Moth and then share their own stories of facing bullying, hate or discrimination at an all-school assembly on February 17.
Los Angeles is the ninth stop on the Storytelling Tour, which has been to New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Washington, D.C., St. Louis and Atlanta.
Characters Unite Awards
USA and its Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) partners will launch the Characters Unite Awards to honor extraordinary individuals who have made significant efforts to champion civil and human rights in their communities.
• Call for Nominations: An on-air spot featuring COMMON LAW’s Michael Ealy calling for nominations will run on USA and its participating affiliates throughout the entry period (February 1 – March 15).
• Award Winners: Winners will be featured on-air and online and each will receive $5000 to support his/her project or related nonprofit organization. Each will be honored this spring at local market ceremonies.
Digital Efforts
• A newly re-designed, more interactive charactersunite.com with extensive information, resources and video content
• Extensive social media outreach throughout the Month
Please log on to http://www.charactersunite.com/ for more information on the initiative and what you can do to make a difference.
Characters Unite Partners
USA’s nonprofit partners in the year-round Characters Unite public service campaign include: American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Human Rights First (HRF), Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO), National Education Association (NEA), National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and General Board of Church & Society, United Methodist Church.

01.02.2012 Cable TV Series, White Collar No Comments

‘Switched at Birth’ Creator Lizzy Weiss Was Confident Audiences Would Discover Show (Q&A)

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

“The real key for me is always using deafness as a metaphor for different and making sure it’s still universal for all kids,” Weiss tells THR of her ABC Family drama, which features a deaf protagonist.

At one point in time, ABC Family’s Switched at Birth – about two teenage girls, one of whom is deaf — could have had a slightly different premise.

The original idea centered on two girls, Daphne Vasquez and Bay Kennish, who discover they were switched at birth, but creator Lizzy Weiss admitted that incorporating deaf culture into the story added another layer. “The network and I decided to make the stakes even higher,” Weiss told The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought it was a big enough hook with two girls who were switched at birth and luckily we added this other layer to it that was fascinating.”

Switched at Birth, launched last June, set ratings records for ABC Family for a series debut, drawing 3.3 million viewers and posting a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49.

Weiss, who took a sign language theater course and was inspired by a real-life story she heard on the radio, spoke to THR about the challenges putting the show together, the struggles Bay and Daphne face and what’s coming up next.

The Hollywood Reporter: What were the challenges in putting the series together?

Lizzy Weiss: The first challenge was casting Daphne, [who is deaf]. Ironically we found Katie Leclerc pretty quickly and we cast her before we cast Bay, [played by] Vanessa Marano. After that, I felt pretty sure that audiences would be OK, contrary to conventional wisdom that people won’t read captions. [When we were shooting] the all-silent scene between Daphne and Emmett (Sean Berdy) in the pilot, we knew there was something special. Since then, I’ve felt comfortable adding more and more ASL and more deaf characters. We’ve had four-minute teasers that were all silent.

Read the rest at link below:

‘Switched at Birth’ Creator Lizzy Weiss Was Confident Audiences Would Discover Show (Q&A).

25.01.2012 Cable TV Series No Comments

White Collar 3×13 “Neighborhood Watch” Episode Stills

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

With Guest star “True Blood’s” Joe Manganiello AIRDATE: Tuesday, January 31 @ 10/9c

When Elizabeth overhears one of her neighbors in a suspicious conversation, her curiosity leads Peter and Neal to uncover a robbery plot against a posh Manhattan Hotel.

24.01.2012 White Collar No Comments

The Kiling – Q&A – Michael Bolton (Production Designer)

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Michael Bolton is the Production Designer for AMC’s The Killing. In this exclusive interview with AMCtv.com, he talks about how the look of the Larsen house reflects that family dynamics and how rain can look like tears.

Q: What are your key responsibilities as production designer?

A: My key responsibility as a production designer is to maintain the integrity of the script and to have a close collaboration with the producers, the cinematographer, and the director. Another responsibility is the general look of the picture and to make sure we don’t stray off into doing things that we don’t want. We’ve established a look which is grays and darkness; there are no real pulpy colors in this because it’s a sad story. We’re at a dismal time of the year in Seattle, so there are gray clouds and lots of rain. We do try to keep that feel by the environments looking like that.

Q: We see a lot of scenes in the Larsen home. How did you achieve such a genuine familial atmosphere?

A: During the pilot, the Larsen home was an existing location. Once it became a series, we decided it would be best for everybody that we build that on the stage because we can’t keep going back and forth to a real location. This story is not only about Rosie’s murder, but it’s also about how it affects the family including siblings, and we wanted to show that the house is slowly falling apart because people aren’t doing what they normally do. Each day, which is one episode, we get a little bit more disarray on the set. We try to think like the family. We try to be as real as possible.

Q: You’ve worked on an array of different movies from Final Destination 2 to The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. What’s your favorite genre?

A: I’ve done horror, I’ve done murder mysteries, I’ve done period pieces, and they’re all fun. They all have challenges and that’s what I like. I don’t want to just do horror pictures or just do crime pictures or just do comedy. As you can tell by my resume, I’m all over the map. They’ve all got their challenges, believe me. For muppets, everyone thinks “oh that’s just puppets,” and those are the hardest shows to do. For every film, I learn something new. You kind of become a jack of all trades and a master of none. You learn so many things.

Q: How do you manage to tell different visual stories through each set that you work on?

A: It all starts with the script. When I get a script, no matter what the show is, I read the script the first time through just the same as anybody else. I don’t think about sets or think about the challenges and problems we’re going to face; I just read it for the enjoyment. That helps me determine whether I’m interested in doing the project. The next time I go through it, I start looking for the problems or the solutions to problems like what will be built, what will be real, whether there are complicated effects that have to happen. So, every story is different, it just depends on the script. That, again, adds to the beauty of the job that I do.

Read the rest HERE

23.01.2012 Cable TV Series No Comments