Acclaimed Local Production Company Receives Grant from Newburgh
So I am pretty sure just about everyone has heard that old expression that 'you learn something new everyday'. Well today that expression was true for me because I learned about a local production studio here in the Hudson Valley and they recently got some great news.
The production company is called 'Choice Films' and they are located right in the City of Newburgh. They have worked on numerous successful and different movies and tv shows as well as theatre productions. The big news recently for Choice Films though is that the City of Newburgh has officially decided to continue their backing of the company, most notably their training program that prepare people for careers in the production industry.
Choice Films Training Program and Newburgh's Support
The Choice Films training program is called the 'Below the Line Bootcamp'. The goal of the program as stated on their website is....
...dedicated to the training of underserved communities in the fundamentals of film production and giving students immediate opportunities for employment as Production Assistants...
In addition, their website also states that students who enter and complete the program will also be aided by the fact that company will continue to offer assistance and mentorship to its graduates while they move forward with their careers.
Well now the question is how does a program like this function? The answer is obviously money but where does the money come from? The answer to that question is through public funding and grants. This is where the City of Newburgh comes into play because Newburgh City Council recently announced that they will continue to support Choice Films and their bootcamp by bestowing them with the City of Newburgh Community Development Block Grant.
The way that this program is funded is essential to how it operates. The grants and the public funding make it possible to do everything needed for the students and then some, all while making sure that participants in the bootcamp get to attend for FREE. So it's a program that not only gives individuals the skills needed to succeed in the production world but it doesn't cost a dime, that's something that can't be beat.
Choice FIlms List of Accolades
Choice Films will be starting their fourth year with the 'Below the Line Bootcamp' and to this point have had 75 graduates. These graduates doors are now opened for numerous full time jobs in the production world and these graduates are quickly making names for themselves.
For starters, their website says that many of these graduates now are employed at places like "HBO, Crown Media and Netflix". Some of these same graduates are now also part of well known unions like Teamsters/Local 817. Being a part of union's like these are beneficial because that means these individuals now will have benefits like health insurance as well as pension plan.
Now it's time for the real 'meat and potatoes', that is to say, what are some movies and shows that the company has worked on. Well let's say that Choice Films have some pretty impressive feathers in their metaphorical cap. Choice Films in their list of accomplishments and successes have worked on the 2022 horror film 'Old Man' as well as the widely popular television series 'Pretty Little Liars' which aired from 2012-2017. The company has also worked on the new comedy drama series that premiered this past January on the Peacock Network 'Poker Face'.
One accomplishment in their catalog stands out prominently. Choice Films was associated with the critically acclaimed film 'The Whale'. The movie received numerous nominations for multiple awards this passed award season and even saw leading man Brendan Fraser take home the Oscar Award for Best Actor in his performance.
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The success of Choice Films as a production company and of their boot camp are undeniable. It's great to see the City of Newburgh supporting something that has the ability to and has shown that it can open doors to worlds and careers that previously may not have been possible.
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