Italics Plan B
Gary Leva's dreams of a big Hollywood career didn't quite pan out, so the Dallas native resorted to ITALICSPlan B. That's the title of his first feature film, an independently financed comedy-romance opening Nov.14 at the AMC Glen Lakes.
After graduating from Richardson High School, the future writer and director attended the University of Texas at Austin, and then enrolled in the category film school. "Like most film school graduates, I wanted to be Steven Spielberg," he says. "We tend to model ourselves on people who are the exception to the rule."
Mr. Leva says he wrote what he thought the studios were looking for but never quite got that big break. Tired of trying to second-guess Hollywood, he decided to make a film that's "about something." The result is Plan B, about five friends struggling with what happens when life doesn't turn out as planned. The catalyst was Kevin Smith's Clerks. After seeing the brash, funny black-and-white film made for $ 27,000, Mr. Leva, his actress wife, Lulu Baskins-Leva, and writer friend, Nancy Joslin, looked at each other and said, "We can do this."
For a year, the partners collaborated on a screenplay liberally drawn from their own lives, then formed their Puny But Loud Productions company and raised funds. "Basically, we hit up our friends and relatives for money to shoot the film," he says. "We put the post-production costs on credit cards." After laughing at the screenplay on a flight to London, actor Jon Cryer (Pretty in Pink) agreed to star. "We used our house in Los Angeles for the principal location," Mr. Leva says. "We moved out for the shoot. The good thing about that is that nobody can throw you out." Crew members ranged in age from college interns to a sound recordist who had pulled cable for Cecil B. DeMille. The budget for Mr. Leva's 19-day wonder: $ 300,000.
Yule duel
Jonathan Winters has signed to voice that right jolly old elf on Dallas-based DNA Productions' 3-D animated Christmas special for ABC. Santa vs. The Snowman, based on an idea by writer-director Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) and written and directed by DNA co-owner and animator John Davis, will air in December. In the half-hour show, Comedy Central's Ben Stein, Saturday Night Live alum Victoria Jackson and Studs' Mark de Carlo will voice Santa's elves. The Snowman doesn't talk. Too bad there's no place under the tree for DNA's funkiest characters, Nana and Lil' Puss Puss. Plush part
Want to romp and dum-de-dum in a plush, 40-pound suit? Richardson-based Lyrick Studios is looking for a few good Barneys. The producer of Barney & Friends is auditioning actors to fill the big purple guy's costume in his various multimedia incarnations. The preschooler show, broadcast on public television in the United States and seen worldwide in two dozen countries, will soon begin production on its fifth TV season and several home videos. To be eligible, you must be 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and be able to move well and work well with children. Dancing and costume experience are a plus. You must have endurance, strength and stamina. No claustrophobics need apply.
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