News and Updates

Thanks in part to a generous grant from Fox Vets, four aspiring filmmakers received scholarships to the “Art of Visual Storytelling (AVS) Workshop in May and June. In this intensive nine-week film lab each veteran wrote, directed and edited two short films.

NEXT VFT MEETING: The next LA: VFT meeting will be held on June 13 at the American Legion
in Los Angeles with Gary Sinise. Gary Sinise is an American actor, director, and musician. Among other awards, he has won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been nominated for an Academy Award.

Attendees: Open to all VFT members
Location: American Legion Post 43
RSVP: Eventbrite Link

"Don't give them what they want, give them what you are..."

Moments before a candid Q&A with four talented actors begins, Max Martini tells me he has no interest in sitting on stage in the already and beautifully laid out directors chairs with his colleagues. 

Hmm. 

VFT Supports UNITED WAY HOME WALK raising money to prevent homelessness
- by David Tenenbaum

Ask any VFT actor, writer, producer or member about the challenge of finding a fitting place to live in Los Angeles and I assure you, they'll swear that securing billeting was easier while serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.  This town's allure of fulfilling creative dreams is met with a competition of limited resources that rivals a single MRE for a hulking, heaving, fresh from the field fire team.  Ambition and talent are abundant here...alas, luck and an easy way of life aren't.  

I am at a loss at what to say about the extraordinary GotYour6 Storytellers event at the Television Academy other than, “WOW!”

Featuring long time VME members Thom Tran and Jeff Bosley, as well as a dozen other members of the veteran community who have gone on to tremendous success in their individual impact across their communities and the nation

The program is a series of intensive training courses led by experienced industry professionals within all facets of the entertainment industry, tailored for VME members with various skill and experience levels. VME MasterClass is an elaborate career advancement opportunity that provides three days of formal and on-the-job-type education, networking, and employment tracking for six months upon completion of the course.

When I first came across VME, I knew it was love at first sight. What’s not to love? It’s an organization that spreads the word about what veterans are doing, hosts networking get-togethers and benefits us in so many other ways.

Early on, I thought that maybe I would attend some networking events, play the long game of getting to know people, seeing if I would get recommended for something, helping them out if I could, etc., but then inspiration hit. I had recently finished my first book on how to land a creative writing career (aptly named “Creative Writing Career”), which included my advice on “breaking in,” as well as around 20 interviews with writers. I wanted a book like this for veterans, but on a larger scale -- everything creative. To my surprise, there didn’t seem to be any books out there like this.

On Veteran’s Day, Mattel Inc. showed its support of veterans by making a generous contribution to 501c3 nonprofit Veterans in Media & Entertainment.

Mattel is a multinational leader in toy manufacturing, comprised of best-sellers such as Hot Wheels ®, Fisher-Price ® , as well as wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. An American company dedicated to supporting its veterans, Mattel matched one studio's recent donation to help increase VME’s growth and impact.

Last week, the U.S. Military Academy honored Gary Sinise -- the actor who brought Lt. Dan Taylor to life in “Forrest Gump” and the bass player who has brought the Lt. Dan Band to both far-flung and down-home locales to entertain the troops and their families.

Sinise, a longtime troop-supporter and a VME partner through the Gary Sinise Foundation, received the academy’s annual Thayer Award Thursday. The Associated Press reports:

The traditional way to celebrate Veterans Day involves parades and speeches and solemn ceremonies to commemorate those who have served honorably in the U.S. military and to mark the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.

But nowhere does it say you can't spend the Thursday prior to the holiday laughing yourself silly. In fact, we recommend you do, at an event by veterans with proceeds benefiting veterans -- that is, us.