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"Heavy and Scary": Stars and power players open up about how COVID-19 impacted their lives over the past 12 months.
"During the spring, I took the COVID safety courses because it's one of the things that I could do during quarantine. As a producer and production manager, it was an easy transition because much of what I already did was risk assessment and safety. Now that part of my brain is working every moment. Things that I would never have deemed to be unsafe prior to the pandemic, like eating in itself, taking a sip of water, became so difficult in the pandemic because it's the moment where anyone takes their mask off.
I've been told prior to the pandemic that I care too much. If I care too much about something creatively, I can step back and let the director handle it. But if I care too much about something with health and safety, I do not know the limits of how much I should back off. There isn't a guidebook on how to get this done. There is nobody who has 10 years of experience. Every day it's changing. "
Creativity in the Time of COVID
Hosted by the Temple Beth El of Boca Raton, moderated by Brandon Schuster, join us here for this beautiful panel, including award-winning comedian Judy Gold, documentarian Elinor Burkett, theater producer Jonathan Demar, and myself. Special appearance by chef Michael Solomonov, actress Alyssa Marvin, and a surprise video from the Platt Brothers!
Meet Dream Queen Productions Founder Jess Weiss
Today, we catch up with movie producer Jess Weiss about her upcoming projects, her experience with working during a pandemic, diversity in the industry, and more. She goes in-depth about the precautions she is taking to ensure safety while working. We also explore what it was like to finally step into the founder role of Dream Queen Productions. Let’s dive in with Jess.
Film/TV Sets Under Strain: Is the COVID-19 Safety Status Quo Good Enough?
Producer and former health and safety manager Jess Weiss notes that when that two-tier agreement was last modified in July, there was an overall movement “to slowly become less conservative and more lax in a vaxxed [group].” She adds, “However, omicron hit and we have these conservative rules. That means we’re going to stay with these conservative rules until proven otherwise. … It’s up to me as a producer to enforce them as they are and have my crew understand that their safety is of my utmost priority.”
I Wanna Be A Producer with Jess Weiss!
Join me as I welcome @producerjess as she shares how she's keeping busy in Quarantine as well as how she's managed to build up her huge resume prior to quarantine AND how she's staying busy even today!!! Don't miss this fun and informative episode!
Synagogue’s ‘Creativity in the Time of COVID’ features celebrities
Entertainment personalities participated in Temple Beth El of Boca Raton’s program, "Creativity in the Time of COVID”. This virtual event, which the synagogue’s clergy hosted, featured two-time Emmy Award winner and comedian Judy Gold, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Elinor Burkett, Tony Award-winning producer and actor Jonathan Demar, child actress Alyssa Marvin and movie producer Jess Weiss discussing what creativity looks like now. The program, which was moderated by Temple Beth El marketing executive and member Brandon Schuster, also included a special appearance by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov and a surprise video from the Platt Brothers.
Law helps freelancers collect from deadbeats
Jess Weiss, an independent film producer (“The Ring Thing,” “The Honeymoon Phase”) who lives in East Harlem, told me she had heard of the Freelancers Union and worked with OLPS. She ultimately had to threaten litigation to get two people on her film crew and herself paid for a music video she put together last summer for a California company. She declined to name the company or the amount she was finally paid.
Episode #38 Best or Worst Day with producer Jess Weiss
Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma invited producer Jess Weiss. (She’s currently in the NYC, the first guest in the NYC). They asked Jess the best or worst day of her life. Guess which one we asked? Hint: It involved immigration.
Below-the-Line Hollywood Faces Sudden Unemployment Amid Coronavirus: "It's a Disaster"
Freelance creative and line producer Jess Weiss (The Subject, The Volunteers) is concerned for how current coronavirus policies will reverberate in the future. All the companies she normally works with have paused production and implemented work from home policies; as for the development side of her job, companies are being careful with their finances and in-person meetings have been canceled due to the potential health risk. "My biggest concern is understanding when the industry will get back to normal again," she says. "March is usually the time for development and preproduction for summer projects, which is usually our busiest time. If that development isn't happening, the production will be delayed."
We are Moving Stories: Interview with Jess Weiss
Interview with Producer Jess Weiss about "The Ring Thing". When Sarah accidentally proposes to her girlfriend in Provincetown, she finds hers herself at odds with her partner's expectations of their future. The mixup sends both women on different journeys of marital exploration.
The Ring Thing Acquired by Gravitas Ventures
Gravitas Ventures has picked up the worldwide rights to filmmaking husbands William C. Sullivan and Derek Dodge’s meditation on LGBTQ+ marriage, “The Ring Thing,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Challenges of Making Movies in New York: Interview with Jess Weiss
Film producer Jess Weiss talks about her work in New York, including her film "The Ring Thing" and "Tainted in Red".
Cannes 2014: Tainted in Red
When a Brazilian film is selected for an international festival, the crowd cheering is generally quite big, from the ones who like national films, and from those who try to make it.
Are You A Married Queer Person? This Film Wants To Know
A new film is exploring what same-sex marriage means in 2016 to queer people all across the spectrum of identity — and producers want to include your stories. "The Ring Thing" is currently in production and intends to interweave personal, documentary-style interviews into the larger narrative of the film. No matter what your thoughts are on marriage as a queer person, producers want your story to be included.
Behind the Scenes on American Cinema
Brazilian producer talks about her behind the scenes experience working on American films.
A little Brazil in Cannes
The 67th Cannes Film Festival began last week, on May 14th. Everyone knows that... What is not common knowledge is that this year's edition brings a film, that had the participation of more than 40 students from Rio.