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Mission 1 Billion Networking Meeting Guest Speaker Kathy Byrne – Dec. 17

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We enjoyed a great November meeting. Some of our usual wonderful members showed up and quite a few new people. It is wonderful to have people looking to connect up with other content creators to network and collaborate and contribute to each other. I’d like to thank all who attend and help move our mission forward.

I’d like to thank those who share the events and invite others. Active participation is wonderful and so many are taking the initiative to help us grow into something incredible for ourselves, the state, and the charities we want to contribute to. It is good to get to know area filmmakers, actors, musicians and other talented creators. THANKS everyone for your support and participation!!!

One of these days we will remember to take group photo before people leave so we get all those who attended in the shot. Maybe, next time. What do you think?

NEXT meeting Wednesday Dec 17 at Schmidty’s Bar & Grill 16755 W. Lisbon Ave Brookfield, WI 53005 at 7pm is a GUEST SPEAKER EVENT. So come early so we can begin on time. 6:30 doors ar open (enter under the white claw sign). Stay late networking and getting to know each other.

People connecting on projects and helping each other out is what we are all about. We endeavor to be a useful resource to you!

OUR SPEAKER IS KATHY BYRNE

Kathy Byrne has been the Director of TV/Theatrical for SAG-AFTRA Chicago since May, 2010.  In addition to running the TV/Theatrical Department, she also is the head of Agency Relations for the Chicago local.  This entails working with Franchised Agents in the Chicago market.

Kathy is a firm believer in outreach to both actors and filmmakers who are beginning their careers, or who have worked on several film projects without realizing how easy it is to work with SAG-AFTRA actors and contracts.

Kathy oversees TV/Theatrical contracts in 11 states in the Midwest (including WI).  

Prior to her position at SAG-AFTRA, Kathy was the Project Coordinator for Film and Television for the Chicago Film Office for nearly 20 years.  She also was the Program Coordinator for the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival for 3 years.  Kathy is a proud graduate of Illinois State University!

You’ll enjoy Kathy. She is a fountain of information and wisdom. So come to learn something new you might not have known.

This is an important meeting regarding the business of filmmaking and content creation. One of the great benefits of working with SAG/Aftra and the other department unions is learning the business of how to spend money productively.

Show BUSINESS is first and foremost a business that creates entertainment product. The business world entrusts professionals who know how to wisely budget and spend investors’ money. Working with SAG is a fantastic way to gain that experience. You have a protocol to work and make work during your production.

Be creative and learn your skills as a filmmaker to wow your audiences and move them as you want to do with your project. AND learn the business of filmmaking so you can do it more often professionally while making money and building your reputation not only as a creative but as a savvy business filmmaker.

THIS is valuable to the filmmaker especially when so many do no or low budget projects in their spare time. Making a SAG project helps add your value to those who might hire you. It is all about experience, being a pro and knowing how to work within THE industry as well as outside of it. Some think it is too hard or they can’t do this, but remember diamonds are fashioned under pressure. The skills you gain are worth everything it takes to get there.

Kathy will enlighten us to many benefits and opportunities we might otherwise not realize. JOIN US! Mark your calendar today and make it a point to be there Wed. Evening Dec. 17th.

We’ll have more Mission 1 Billion (official website) project discussions, film events, speakers and class sessions coming up live and in person and will report on it here.

Also be sure to subscribe for free to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on spotify to listen to professional filmmakers share their expertise with you. More than 600 hours of pros telling us what to do and what not to do to be more successful. Click the link above to listen and subscribe.

Want to join Mission 1 Billion on Facebook? Use this QR code to let us know. Follow the sign in instructions and rules and become one of us.

It IS that simple! JOIN US!

LINK TO ARTICLE from Los Angeles Tribune about Dan & Rex Heartspire & Mission 1 Billion vision, mission and action. What will we do and what can you do to help! Become a part of something wonderful and helpful to filmmakers and others.

See ya next blog!

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MISSION 1 Billion: Official Creator Network Upcoming Meetings Nov & Dec

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JOIN US

Greetings filmmaker friends and fans!

Our next Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network meeting is Wednesday Nov 12 at 7pm at Schmidty’s Bar and Grill. Details on picture and further don’t this article.

During this meeting we’ll discuss our progress as a club, our projects past and future. Come and join us. Share the information with your actor and filmmaker friends so they can join us too! It’s also pizza night so if you like tasty pizza – when you get a large pizza you receive a free pitcher of soda or beer.

NOTE: We have another wonderful guest speaker. I want to get out this head’s up on our December meeting. Wednesday Dec 17 same time and place. Be early so we can begin on time.

Kathy Byrne has been the Director of TV/Theatrical for SAG-AFTRA Chicago since May, 2010.  In addition to running the TV/Theatrical Department, she also is the head of Agency Relations for the Chicago local.  This entails working with Franchised Agents in the Chicago market.  Kathy is a firm believer in outreach to both actors and filmmakers who are beginning their careers, or who have worked on several film projects without realizing how easy it is to work with SAG-AFTRA actors and contracts.  Kathy oversees TV/Theatrical contracts in 11 states in the Midwest (including WI).  

Prior to her position at SAG-AFTRA, Kathy was the Project Coordinator for Film and Television for the Chicago Film Office for nearly 20 years.  She also was the Program Coordinator for the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival for 3 years.  Kathy is a proud graduate of Illinois State University! More to come in next blog.

WHEN AND WHERE???

Wednesday Nov 12 & Dec 17 at Schmidty’s Bar & Grill 16755 W. Lisbon Road, Brookfield, WI 53005at our monthly Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network meeting.

Enter the door under the White Claw sign

Come early and stay late so we could begin on time.. Share with your filmmaker and actor friends. Wednesday night Schmidty’s has a special on large pizzas. Get one for 20 bucks and get a free pitcher of soda or beer.

This meeting is open to the public and free. Share with your friends. Please be early so we can begin on time.

To learn about out vision and mission visit our website: Missiononebillion.org

We have an exclusive private facebook group Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network which is by invite only. Find us on FB and send Dan Brezgel of Rex Sikes a DM if you’d like to join the others in our group.

We’re setting calendar for the upcoming months Nov through June of 26. We have other speakers and projects and a lot going on so you do want to be a group member and stay in touch. We will announce within that group as soon as possible.

We also have Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat recordings coming soon of both Director Michael O Sajbel and Rocky Wagonhurst. Look for that too. You can subscribe to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat blog right here to stay updated and to the Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Podcast on Spotify where there is over 600 hours of professional filmmakers sharing their expertise with you. Subscribe today!

You can find lots of inspirational videos and filmmaker content on Create Your Best Life With Rex on youtube. Subcribe, like, comment and share. https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex too.

AGAIN, Come early so we can start on time. Stay Late. Order a pizza and get a free pitcher of soda or beer. JOIN US.

Spread the word to your talented filmmaker and actor friends.

Use this QR code to apply to join our FaceBook Group Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network

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Actor, Story Teller, Media Visionary Rocky Wagonhurst Speaks at Mission 1 Billion Filmmaker Meeting October 22.

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The meeting was a great success. We opened it to the public and everyone enjoyed Rocky’s talk and his suggestions on how to get a job in showbiz. We video taped it for Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat and we will make this talk available as soon as possible.

Recently I had Rocky as a guest on Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat and the discussion we had is available on youtube and on spotify. Here are the links: YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NHjuMiXWXw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2zoiOvG8US1aiu5efAxNv6

PLUS Rocky and I appeared recently on Pete Schwaba’s wonderful show Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba. https://www.youtube.com/live/lhiiaLZldcQ

Rocky’s biographical material and promo for our recent event follows.

Rocky Wagonhurst’s five-decade journey through the world of media is nothing short of extraordinary. He began in the 1970s as a Universal Studios tour guide and went on to appear on The Young and the Restless, star in national commercials, and play Laertes in a five-hour production of Hamlet.

He was also directed by Steven Spielberg in Minority Report alongside Tom Cruise and once soared 10,000 feet above Lake Tahoe in a glider with actor Cliff Robertson. His career has spanned radio, stage, and screen, ultimately leading him behind the camera as a seasoned television executive.

Currently, Rocky serves as Vice President and General Manager of The CW and My24 stations in Milwaukee, bringing his lifelong passion for storytelling and media innovation to local broadcasting.

Rocky will be talking on many topics; film, acting, television, AI, a career in the business and he will answer your questions!

WHEN AND WHERE???

Wednesday October 22, 2025 at 7pm sharp. Schmidty’s Bar & Grill 16755 W. Lisbon Road, Brookfield, WI 53005at our monthly Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network meeting.

Enter the door under the White Claw sign

Come early and stay late so we could begin on time.. Share with your filmmaker and actor friends. Wednesday night Schmidty’s has a special on large pizzas. Get one for 20 bucks and get a free pitcher of soda or beer.

This meeting is open to the public and free. Share with your friends. Please be early so we can begin on time.

To learn about out vision and mission visit our website: Missiononebillion.org

We have an exclusive private facebook group Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network which is by invite only. Find us on FB and send Dan Brezgel of Rex Sikes a DM if you’d like to join the others in our group.

We’re setting calendar for the upcoming months Nov through June of 26. We have other speakers and projects and a lot going on so you do want to be a group member and stay in touch. We will announce within that group as soon as possible.

We also have Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat recordings coming soon of both Director Michael O Sajbel and Rocky Wagonhurst. Look for that too. You can subscribe to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat blog right here to stay updated and to the Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat Podcast on Spotify where there is over 600 hours of professional filmmakers sharing their expertise with you. Subscribe today!

You can find lots of inspirational videos and filmmaker content on Create Your Best Life With Rex on youtube. Subcribe, like, comment and share. https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex too.

AGAIN, Come early so we can start on time. Stay Late. Order a pizza and get a free pitcher of soda or beer. JOIN US.

Spread the word to your talented filmmaker and actor friends.

Use this QR code to apply to join our FaceBook Group Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network

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Mission 1 Billion: 1st Collaborative Film Shoot Cast and Crew

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I’d like to  thank everyone who participated in the collaborative film shoot. Cast and crew was exemplary. Thank you so much for showing up being on time and doing your part. Thank you. We have wrapped the production and from here it goes into post. PLUS read about our special upcoming event below.

A Great Big Thanks to Cast & Crew:

Producers: Dan Brezgel Shad roberts, Thomas Beach Josh Hall Rex Sikes

Writer: Shad Roberts idea & script with additions from Dan and Josh.

Director: Josh Hall

Cinematographer/Editor: Dan Brezgel

Sound: Thomas Beach

Scripty: Paul Brezgel

Locations: Nealy Roberts

1st AD: Rex Sikes

Cast:

Al Brezgel, Paul Brezgel, Shad Roberts, Mike Eauslin, Laurie Amstadt, Troy Sparks, Richard Faulkner, Maynard Hebert.

Short Film tentatively titled ‘Cottage Cheese’

Maynard drove in from Fond Du Lac and Richard came in from Elkhorn. Kudos to all. And kudos to those who made a lengthier trip to and from the location.

Everyone was wonderful. Dedicated and helpful. It was a really nice time with all. That’s the kind of film projects I enjoy. Don’t you?

Production is complete and now in post.

We will let you know as we have updates when and when and where we will debut it. Perhaps, our next meeting if completed by then.

This IS and was Mission 1 Billion’s first collaborative, short film project. At last month’s meeting Mack Heath suggested doing a project. We all thought it a great idea and voted on projects. Cottage Cheese was selected.

Some people were available and got to help. Some people didn’t and would like to. We will do other projects and we want to support you with your project as well.

This was our first pilot program and we’re so grateful to all who have supported us in making it happen. As far as a delightful, cooperative filmmaking session it was an outstanding success. Eager to see this one completed and get another project going soon. Happily we will accept suggestions by email in the FB group or messenger or at the live meetings. Feel free to share your ideas for us to consider.

PLUS Be sure to come out to our next meeting on the 24th of this month to see our Director guest, Michael Sajbel and to learn more about what’s going on with the club and what we’re doing.

Sept 24. 7pm An evening with Hollywood Director Michael Sajbel! 7pm Please Be Early so we can begin on time. Michael will speak on his filmmaking journey, provide tips and suggestions for directing, filmmaking and more. He will answer your questions. 

Schmidty’s Bar & Grill 16755 W Lisbon Rd, Brookfield, WI 53005 

Filmmakers and Actors Welcome. We are making this a NO Charge event. Invite your colleagues. Get a pizza and get a free pitcher of beer or soda. Enter door under White Claw sign.

THANKS everyone! Nealy took the group shots and this selfie.

Nealy in foreground. Left to right front row: Dan, Paul, Josh,

Back row: Mike, Rex, Maynard, Troy, Shad, Laurie, Richard, Al and Tom in back.

See you at next meeting and here on line. Stay tuned and subscribe, like and share Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat blog AND also the podcast. Over 600 hours of professional filmmakers sharing their expertise with you.

Listen, like and subscribe to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat podcast: if link isn’t working copy and paste
https://open.spotify.com/show/2zoiOvG8US1aiu5efAxNv6 or search for it.

PS if you are not a member of Mission 1 Billion: Official Creator Network leave a comment here, or reach out to us on FaceBook and we’ll send you an invite so you can join this exclusive, private group.

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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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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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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!