Sunday, March 25, 2012

Antonio Saillant, head of Angel Light Pictures Entertainment Group, will visit Newhouse April 18

Syracuse, NY (March 25, 2012) Angel Light Pictures Entertainment Group president and CEO Antonio Saillant will visit the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on Wednesday, April 18. Saillant, a featured speaker for this years Syracuse University’s Energy Systems and Sustainability Department which is doing a Showcase on a campus- wide sustainability event which highlights students’ work in regard to environmental sustainability. This year’s showcase theme is “Green Economy,” with one of the main focuses being greening of the entertainment industry.



During his visit, Saillant will lunch with various SU Newhouse Communications School faculty and SU Showcase Sustainability Fellows (students).
In addition, Saillant will be a part of a panel along with 3-4 SU TV/Radio/Film, Theater, etc. faculty members discussing “Sustainability in the Entertainment Industry” (Q&A format).
Saillant is founder of Angel Light Pictures Entertainment which expresses his vision and passion for creating energy efficiency in movies and television. Saillant says, “The motion picture industry is such a large user of electricity for its sound stage shooting and diesel fuel for its location filming [that it is a clear target for energy conservation.]”
Prior to starting Angel Light, Saillant was an energy consultant to corporate giants such as Con Edison and pharmacological companies for many years. Over the years before forming his company into the pre-eminent production company, working with many of the industry’s most influential and talented people, and later expanding its range of services to include consulting with leading American and international corporations in Green productions.
Subsequently, His signature and logos speak for themselves:
• The Green Angel Production Company: The art of learning and staying green through film and television
• Growing for the future of a cleaner and green world through film and television • Going Green and Staying Green – A Green Angel Production
• Planet earth is calling all of us” with
- “Save the Planet”: Rock Blue, Rock Green
The above statement designed by Saillant’s son, Michael Angelo Saillant – Going Green is the phase that many use to refer to Econ-friendly initiatives – since we are a going green but doing so in the ocean, we refer to “going green” as “going blue”. After all the entire world is mostly water.
Previously, Saillant executive produced the fantasy thriller, ‘The Ascension’ starring Corbin Bernsen, which is now in post-production. In addition, he also worked on the film ‘Heterosexuals’ produced by J. Robert Spencer, who starred in two outstanding Broadway musicals ‘Jersey Boys’ and ‘Next to Normal’. Saillant shadowed his mentor, Ted Kotcheff, the executive producer of Law and Order Special Victims Unit for many seasons.
Kotcheff, the helmer of the first Rambo movie First Blood as well as Cannes Competition titles Wake in Fright (1971) and Joshua Then and Now (1985) which was honored with a retrospective at last year’s Oldenburg Film Festival. Including, several of Kotcheff’s most acclaimed features, including Richard Dreyfuss-starrer, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, which won the Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear in 1974.  Another like, Joshua Then and Now, Duddy Kravatz was an adaptation of a novel by Montreal writer Mordecai Richler (Barney’s Version). Other Richler-Kotcheff collaborations included the 1965 drama Life at the Top, which Richler co-wrote, and Fun With Dick and Jane, a comedy about a once upwardly mobile couple who lose their jobs and turn to robbery to maintain their lifestyle. The 1977 film featuring George Segal and Jane Fonda.
In recent news, Saillant will be directing, Closing the Gap, a documentary that will be produced by Green Angel Productions[GAP] part of Angel Light Pictures Entertainment Group, that will uncover the truth about the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica and if indeed considered the biggest environmental threat to our planet.  Saillant known as being a leading voice for energy policy to protect the quality of life and truly dedicated to tackle our region’s energy challenges and harness the economic opportunities presented by clean renewable energy will tackle this important project.
Futures works from Saillant include a football drama entitled  ”The Golden Knights”, two comedies entitled “If” and “Pumping Up”, as well as thrillers “Wormhole”  and “Gripped”. Currently,  Saillant is directing and producing a documentary entitled Dream Destinations, about the Life and Times of Canadian and Hollywood Director Ted Kotcheff with Academy Award Winner Richard Dreyfuss narrating.
Saillant, a longtime supporter of energy efficient has made several campus visits to meet and speak with students about green awareness. He has also been a guest lecturer for many Universities.
Saillant is honored to be the featured speaker at The Newhouse School for it is known as a nationally ranked communications school with not only a top Public Relations program but also a ranked Television-Radio-Film program, among many others!
About Newhouse
The Newhouse School is a choice to become part of one of the nation’s most prestigious communications schools. Newhouse students stand with the best in the country and go through a highly competitive admissions process to be here. Our alumni are a large, loyal and highly accomplished group of professionals who are shaping the future of public communications across the globe.
About The Energy Systems & Sustainability Management
(ESSM) department is focused on helping Syracuse University use resources more effectively. From automated energy and building systems, steam and chilled water production, and energy conservation to campus sustainability programs, they work throughout the entire University community to efficiently create and maintain comfortable, sustainable and high performance campus environments.
Visit http://sushowcase.syr.edu/index.html
and http://greenuniversecity.syr.edu/index.html,http://essm.syr.edu/ for more about the universities departments and its upcoming events.

The Green Future of the Entertainment Industry at Syracuse University

Wednesday, April 18, 11 am | Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center
The green future of the entertainment industry. Percussion performance by Josh Dekaney; panel discussion with director Antonio Saillant, music business manager Phil Sarna, and media production expert Jason Kohlbrenner SU Showcase lunch event.