Closing the Gap between Worcester and Hollywood

By Bobby Hankinson

Roll out the red carpet and watch out for Star Jones, because Wormtown is starting to look a lot more like Tinseltown.

Thanks to the work of Douglas Kirkpatrick and his partners, Hollywood and Worcester are getting closer. Kirkpatrick Artist Management Ltd., whose office is located on Main Street in Worcester, is licensed by the state to represent and manage talent. Kirkpatrick, a MA native, founded KAM along with his wife, Melinda, who serves as Vice President of Talent and Public Relations, and brother David, an accomplished movie executive and producer who remains in Los Angeles. “The world is getting a lot smaller with the internet, e-mail and fax,” said Kirkpatrick, who serves as President and General Counsel. It was a sentiment echoed by many other members of the group who hope to prove New York and Los Angeles aren’t the only ways into the spotlight.

“All of us have been in the business and have seen raw talent emerge into the biggest talent in the world over our careers – just look at Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt,” David Kirkpatrick, who acts as the CEO and chairman, said. “This raw talent must come from someplace.” And through their work so far, which David Kirkpatrick described as still being in its “nascent stages,” they’ve already seen just how much talent is coming from Worcester and the surrounding areas. “There’s a huge amount of talent around here,” Melinda Kirkpatrick said. “We’re getting e-mails and phone calls everyday from real actors, artists, writers and directors.”

Part of tapping into local talent involved an open casting call for two upcoming KAM projects: One, a scare-flick tentatively titled “Project Confidential” is slated for filming in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and the second, a TV show about the fashion industry, will be shot in Worcester. Douglas Kirkpatrick described the audition turn-out as “overwhelming,” further proving to him the need for representation of area talent.

While both projects are very New England-driven in both setting and content (be it the spooky nature of old New England towns or the featuring of local fashion designers), KAM has a much larger reach that includes established ties in New York and Los Angeles.

The company is representing the producers of “Napoleon Dynamite” for their work on their next film, shot in Canada. They are also working on the art for a DVD narrated by Gwenyth Paltrow, said Vice President of Creative Services Richard Roberts.
KAM doesn’t stop at just DVDs and film, either. Vice President of KAM’s music division Bruce Warila said he is hard at work finding opportunities for emerging artists to gain exposure. Not only does he hope to find the best outlets for musicians, but he will also continue finding opportunities for artists to work on soundtracks.

Warila and KAM are also devoting their energies to Songboost, a new technology that would allow musicians the chance to have their songs critiqued by music industry veterans.

Besides bringing the Worcester area into the talent arena, KAM also hopes to establish offices in Los Angeles, Boston and New York in the near future. But Melinda Kirkpatrick is sure they won’t lose touch with their roots. “Our hearts will always be in New England and it will probably remain our biggest office,” she said.

KAM’s understanding and appreciation of New England is already serving to encourage their clients. “When you’re not in New York or LA, the filmmaking scene is different; everyone wants to help each other and everyone has each other’s backs,” said KAM-represented Georgia Menides, part of Uncovered Productions and writer of the film “Still Green.” “Everyone just wants to make art, it’s a beautiful thing.” She also praised KAM and Douglas Kirkpatrick for helping navigate her through the process of producing her film. “He never stopped believing in us,” she said.

With the experience of KAM in town to help polish and market Worcester’s talent, perhaps it’s in all of our best interests to practice our double-air kisses and smiles for the camera.

Local talent with stars in their eyes can contact KAM at 508-793-9900 or
visit www.kirkpatrickartistmanagement.com for more information.