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Help Each Other While Helping Others

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As you may have read, we’ve been busy helping people help people.

If you read about the foundation we’ve created to help change lives then you know we are working to make a real difference in the everyday lives of everyday people.

Here’s s bit from the recent article I shared with you

“In a world flooded with content, what if every view, like, or share could actually change a life?

That’s the radical vision behind Heartspire Foundation and its global storytelling movement, Mission: 1 Billion—a movement turning cameras into compassion, and creative media into a financial engine for families navigating the hardest chapters of their lives.

But this isn’t just a campaign for awareness. It’s a fundraising force. And at the center of its launch is one of the most trusted names in child advocacy: Make-A-Wish.”

If you haven’t read the article you can read it here.

You can join us live online during the event Aug 16 by clicking the link in that article. So set the date on your calendar.

I invite you to go now and visit our website if you’d like to learn more about this important mission and how you can be involved.

MissionOneBillion.org

The world seems a turbulent place for so many and we’d like to help in ways we know we can and reach more and more people each day.

You’re invited to watch us OR to join us in this mission.

I’m excited by the difference we’re already making

AND how much more we can accomplish when good people act in unison and collaborate to do good and make things better for all.

We started with a big ambition and a small local event. We have more coming up and an important Make-A-Wish event August 16. 

It’s all growing. And the people joining us are excited and eager to be involved. Why? Because we are helping each other, collaborating together for each other WHILE helping others too.

So, read the article, visit our official website and decide how you will be a part of this global movement for positive change.

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Join Mission 1Billion Filmmaker Meeting Wed Aug 6

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Our Next Networking Event: Wednesday August 6, 7-9 pm 

Location:  Schmidty’s in Brookfield!

We are in the side barroom. Look for the White Claw sign above the door and come on in!

Put it on your calendar and make it a point to join us.

To send reel link please email: Mission1billionus@gmail.com

If you are not a member in our Facebook group Mission 1 Billion you’ll want to join that too for announcement, important updates and get to know all the fine people in our growing group.

We’re setting one up in Linkedin too! Announcements for events, speakers, educational opportunities; acting, writing, stand-up classes, production classes and more  in the official groups.

The official website: https://missiononebillion.org/

Our mission is to help educate filmmakers and actors, through classes, events, networking events, speaker events and more. BUT not just that our purpose is to support production and help people monetize their efforts while also supporting charities. Our purpose is to help each other help each other and all do better as a result while helping people in need too. You can join us and become a part of something grand.

Come on out. Join with the others. We look forward to meeting you and seeing you there. PLUS, there are more events I will share soon. Together we can go further than we can alone.

Here are a few pics from our evening. Join us on Aug 6th. Address on graphics

Looking forward to seeing and meeting you AT our next meeting!

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SUCCESS! First Mission 1 Billion Filmmaker Meeting & Next Meeting Wed August 6 Details!!

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Thanks to all who participated this evening! By all accounts it was a wonderful success. Lot’s of busy filmmakers gathered. Some drove hours to join us. We had a great time. Some had to leave early. Some stayed late. See you next time too and am looking forward to it.

Dan Brezgel and I are glad to meet you in person. Old and new friends showed up. Shared their work. We viewed reels. Members poke on the projects they were engaged in. We networked to collaborate, cooperate and help each other begin or complete their productions.

It was a good evening for productive and friendly networking was awesome. I got to catch up, as did others, with some friends and colleagues I’ve not seen in some time and meet some fascinating new ones. Producers, directors, writers, sound engineers, actors, singers, comedians are some who participated last evening.

Participants exchanged information, discussed how they could work together on features, documentaries, shorts, series and streaming content. It is great to be a part of people connecting and finding the ways and the resources to move forward. Our greatest resource is each other.

So again thanks to all those who came out. We didn’t get pictures of all who showed up and that was unfortunate. We will to do better that next time.

Speaking of next time:

Wednesday August 6, 7-9 pm at Schmidty’s in Brookfield! We are in the side barroom. Put it on your calendar and make it a point to join us. To send reel link please email Mission1billionus@gmail.com

If you are not a member in our Facebook group Mission 1 Billion you’ll want to join that too for announcement, important updates and get to know all the fine people in our growing group. Here is the official website https://missiononebillion.org/

Our mission is to help educate filmmakers and actors, through classes, events, networking events, speaker events and more. BUT not just that our purpose is to support production and help people monetize their efforts while also supporting charities. Our purpose is to help each other help each other and all do better as a result while helping people in need too. You can join us and become a part of something grand.

Come on out. Join with the others. We look forward to meeting you and seeing you there. PLUS, there are more events I will share soon. Together we can go further than we can alone.

Here are a few pics from our evening. Join us on Aug 6th. Address on graphics

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Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Updating Site! PLEASE READ

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I want to say welcome to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat. We are updating the website and the pages. Please be patient while we do. You can visit Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on youtube as well as RexSikesTV.com for the latest shows. WordPress has made changes we’re not happy about and are attempting to find ways to make posting easier. As soon as we find the work around we will be up and running. So far, it’s been difficult but we continue to pursue it so we can keep you updated on all the new discussions and shows. Currently there are some new shows at this website. https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex

Also you can visit the older site Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@RexSikesMovieBeat

Want to know how movies & TV shows really get made? REX SIKES’ MOVIE BEAT where top celebrities, filmmakers, & industry insiders uncover the magic and madness of film & TV making. Subscribe, listen or download from Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2zoiOvG8US1aiu5efAxNv6

PLUS 4 new shows on video at https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex

Each episode is a master class in straight from pros. #filmmaking

We encourage you to subscribe to both and hit bell for notifications of new shows. and hopefully we will have everything resolved soon with this site

Also visit https://www.RexSikesTV.com That site is undergoing a big upgrade and we are excited that it will launch soon!

PLUS there are all sorts of exciting changes coming to these sites AND to filmmaking and filmmaking events and community soon. Stay tuned to learn more.

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Wisconsin reboots Film Tax Incentives to compete with Illinois

Wisconsin wants back in the game. More than a decade after ending its film tax incentives, the state has passed a new incentive program aimed at bringing productions north and competing directly with Illinois.

Governor Tony Evers signed the legislation into law on July 3 as part of the state’s 2025–27 budget.

It’s a return to the incentive space after a long absence. Wisconsin last offered a tax credit between 2008 and 2013. The credit is set to become available in early 2026, giving them time to prepare. The department will need to be built from the ground up in the coming months. The legislation calls for the creation of a state film office, as that office does not exist and they are now looking for someone to head up the office.

Those film productions who qualify for the Wisconsin film tax credit are feature film, short film, scripted or unscripted television series, documentary, and commercial advertising. They must meet certain minimum spending requirements: feature films need to spend at least $100,000, while short films need to spend at least $50,000.

The program offers a 30% refundable tax credit on in-state wages, production costs, and capital investments. It includes a $1 million cap per production and an annual $10 million program limit, which is significantly smaller than what Illinois offers.

Here in Illinois, the industry tells a very different story. The Illinois Film Production Tax Credit, in place since 2009, remains one of the strongest in the country. In 2024 alone, Illinois logged $653 million in production spending, $351 million in wages, and roughly 18,200 crew hires. The Illinois Film Production Tax Credit is uncapped, transferable, and includes a 15% wage bonus for hiring in economically disadvantaged areas. Since 2017, it has generated more than $4.5 billion in economic activity.

That structure hasn’t just attracted shows and features—it’s built a foundation for long-term, year-round work. Crews are busy. Vendors are busy. Talent is staying in-state.

Wisconsin’s new incentive could bring regional competition, especially for smaller productions looking to stretch their budgets. But with spending caps and no film office yet in place, it may take time to gain traction.

Illinois still leads the Midwest in film and television production.

NOTE BY REX: The incentives in WI were offered from Jan 2008 until June 30 2009 when the then governor removed them retroactively back to Jan 1 2009. There were no incentives from that time UNTIL the present when Governor Evers signed them into law recently. Walker became governor in 2010 and said he’d look into the incentives in 2013 but not before. In 2013 he did not approve the incentives but passed on them. Thankfully, the push for incentives in Wisconsin continued and today we have a new pilot program.

Reprinted from Barb-ReelChicago.com Read more at Reel Chicago Website

The only industry publication with 100% Chicago news National news and trends in advertising, film & TV production
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Update New York Film Incentives from Bill Mining

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New York Just Supercharged Its Film and TV Tax Incentives

New York State has officially expanded its film and television tax credit program, making it one of the most generous and competitive in the country. This is great news for producers, post houses, composers, VFX teams, and especially indie filmmakers.

Here’s what you should know

The annual cap has increased to 800 million dollars, including a dedicated 100 million dollar fund for independent productions. That’s 20 million for films under 10 million dollars and 80 million for larger indie projects.

Documentaries are now eligible for the main film production credit.

There are bonus incentives for:

Multiple NY-based productions totaling at least 20 million or 100 million dollars
Hiring five or more musicians for in-state scoring
VFX or animation work where 10 percent of the budget or 500K is spent in New York
Post-production with at least 75 percent of editing or one million dollars spent in-state

The 500K cap on above-the-line wages has been removed.

Best of all, tax credits will now be paid out in the same fiscal year for new applications, and the program is extended through 2036.

This is a big moment for the New York production community. Whether you’re working on a feature film, a limited series, or an animated short, these changes can significantly reduce your costs and make in-state production more attractive than ever.

We post updates like this every morning at 9am Eastern. Follow us to stay informed and ahead of the curve.

Regards,

Bill Milling

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Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Updating Site! PLEASE READ

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I want to say welcome to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat. We are updating the website and the pages. Please be patient while we do. You can visit Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on youtube as well as RexSikesTV.com for the latest shows. WordPress has made changes we’re not happy about and are attempting to find ways to make posting easier. As soon as we find the work around we will be up and running. So far, it’s been difficult but we continue to pursue it so we can keep you updated on all the new discussions and shows. Currently there are some new shows at this website. https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex

Also you can visit the older site Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@RexSikesMovieBeat

We encourage you to subscribe to both and hit bell for notifications of new shows.

Also visit https://www.RexSikesTV.com Enjoy and hopefully we will have everything resolved soon!

film festival, indiefilm, low budget filmmaking, storytelling

Rex Sikes Movie Beat chats with Twisted Dreams Film Fest Founders May 16

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Chris Steve Headshots TW IMG_2691 copy

Twisted Dreams Film Festival  was founded in 2011 by Christopher K House and Stephen Milek, two friends with a passion for the silver screen. Their goal is to provide the Milwaukee, Wisconsin community news, reviews and interviews of local and international films and film makers.

UPCOMING: Thursday May 19, 2016 11am EST, 10am CST, 8amPST To Listen Click The Bolded Link Below

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Chats with Twisted Dreams Film Fest Founders

About Christopher Kai House

A true film junkie from birth, can thank his parent’s for his obsession with horror and the macabre. Both being horror fans, Chris grew up watching old horror films, specifically the Universal Monsters collection of fright films. He was born into a family of magicians and was weaned on sideshows and carnivals bringing a unique perspective to the festival.

Chris say’s he was lucky his mother was as huge into horror as he was, he was able to see almost every major and indie horror film of the 1980’s on the big screen. Like his father before him, prides himself a showman and wants that to echo with each year the Twisted Dreams Film Festival runs. is a member of the Online Film and Television Critic Association.

Chris Steve front scree TW IMG_9422 copy

About Stephen Milek

A lover of all movies, Steve will watch anything from classic silent films to modern big budget action films. He got bit by the horror bug when in fourth grade at a sleepover he saw A Nightmare on Elm St. for the first time. To his mom’s dismay he watched more horror films than Disney films growing up.

After attending the Sundance Film Festival a few times he always wondered what it would be like to start his own film festival. Over time he became obsessed with the Oscars and for his first blog he watched every Oscar Best Picture winner in chronological order.

About The Twisted Dreams Film Festival

The Twisted Dreams Film Festival has been a project in the works for almost 5 years. Since the inception of the web page Milwaukeemovietalk.com where Chris and Steve cover the film industry and review films.

What started out as a simple blog about movies, it grew to have an emphasis on local films and filmmakers.They wanted a true horror film festival in Milwaukee that showcased the best in not only local but also international horror, dark comedy and sci-fi films.

The first year was a major hit with filmmakers and guests coming from all over the country and Canada.

The duo plan on having the fest a yearly event and hope it grows each year.

Chris & Steve Red TD IMG_3469 copy

Visit Chris and Steve’s Website:
Milwaukee Movie Talk Link

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat – The Official Website (currently under construction). New content posted here since December 2014.

You can go to RSMB and listen to the archives. It has over 500 hours of professional filmmaker discussions with Rex. Visit Official Site to listen:

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat

directing, film producing, film production, independent film production, screenwriting

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Chats With William Lu Director

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Will Lu - Headshot copy

Director, William Lu, a native of Northern California, received his BA in anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. During his studies, he also served as an intern and development assistant for David Madden and Robert Cort at the Cort/Madden Company on the Paramount Pictures lot.

Use the link below to listen to the archived show.

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat chats with Director William Lu

Subsequently, William attended the graduate film conservatory at Florida State University where he received his MFA in film and television production. While there, he produced the 35mm thesis film “Two-Bit,” which was a 2003 Student Academy Award finalist.

Upon graduation, he returned to Southern California where he was hired as an assistant at the SyFy Channel. Joining several FSU alumni, William then spent three years at Herzog & Company where he worked in various capacities in their television, web and entertainment marketing departments producing content for clients such as Disney, Paramount, Dreamworks and Sony Pictures.

Check Out Comfort The Movie directed by William Lu

In 2005, he was the recipient of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Armed with a Camera Fellowship; the grant recognized emerging media artists and funded his short film Spy Moms, which was shot over the course of one weekend. Spy Moms later screened at all the major Asian American festivals and made its cable broadcast debut later that year.

In 2006, he wrote and directed Asian Task Force, a half-hour mock pilot that paid homage to many of his favorite 80’s television series. The film was awarded “Best Action Short” at the 2007 Los Angeles Digital Video Film Festival and screened at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con.

In 2009, William made the transition into new media and worked as post production supervisor at Machinima on their Terminator: Salvation original web series. He was subsequently hired at Maker Studios where he produced content for their gaming vertical. He also created and hosted the show “Retro Hardware” for the company.

In 2012, he switched to freelance producing, serving as a co-producer for Rosanna Pansino’s “Nerdy Nummies” blockbuster YouTube series, while simultaneously developing feature content that he could later direct.

In 2015, he directed the feature drama Comfort from his own original screenplay. The storyline and characters were inspired by the John Hughes movies of the 80’s, while Michael Mann’s LA nightscapes served as a stylistic inspiration.

Shortly after completing Comfort, he returned to Maker Studios, producing for clients such as SlingTV and Verizon Go90.

Stay tuned to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat for other great interviews and more.

Official Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Website

acting, acting coach, actors, add agencies, audition, casting, casting directors, commercials, directing, entertainment, film production, filmmakers, filmmaking, on camera, producer, script breakdown, storytelling, television, Uncategorized, voice over acting

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat chats with David Murphy Casting Director

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murphy headshot

David Murphy, casting director and acting coach, is co-founder of the Chicago  acting school known as The Green Room. Murphy, as he goes by, brings multiple areas of expertise to his teaching.

He’s worked in the acting field for 20 years. He joined the staff at O’Connor Casting Company in 2001. He splits time between casting commercials and teaching.

Around the casting office, there are two “David’s” (David O’Connor is the owner), so this David is often known as “Murphy”. He has conducted well over 50,000 individual actor’s auditions.

To Listen Live Or Archived Click The Bold Link Below:

Rex Sikes Movie Beat chats with David Murphy Casting Director

For 16 year Murphy taught at the Players’ Workshop of the Second City. He’s directed over a hundred shows ranging from improv reviews to children’s shows. He has created several touring groups performing for such clients as GE and Novis.

Murphy has worked as an artistic director for Bedlam Productions, has worked in casting for Toast productions and has been a consultant to several fledgling theatre companies.

murphy class shot

Beyond his acting and voice over credits, he has been a casting director, theatre director and instructor. What is not as widely is that he is a Reiki Master.

Reiki is a healing modality using energy. Often, unfocused energy can be at the root of an uncreative and uninteresting performance.

Have you ever had a poor audition and wrote it off as having been nervous, or simply not “on” without exploring further what was at the root of the problem?

He helps actors, through self-reflection, energy work and discovery of higher creative self, to gain better control of their instrument so they can be present during the audition and bring their best self to the room.

To Learn More about David, acting and commercial on camera classes Visit The Green Room Studio’s Website.

The Green Room Studio

PS I have been a student of The Green Room. Murphy and others have been my instructors. I highly recommend their offerings. I am enrolling in another class this week.

The official website of Rex Sikes Movie Beat can be accessed through the link below. Be sure to visit!

Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Official Website

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