Daily Archives: December 18, 2019

Starting opposite Beal at corner was rookie DeAndre Baker, who put together his second consecutive strong performance. Baker finished tied for the second-most tackles with six (five solo) and had two pass breakups. Baker did a good job in coverage against Miamis DeVante Parker, limiting the Dolphins number one option until the end of the fourth quarter when the Giants were up by 23 points.

Julian Love has shined since taking over at safety for the injured Jabrill Peppers. The rookie fourth-round pick finished with five tackles (four solo), two tackles for loss, a pass defended and a quarterback hit.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence enjoyed one of the best games of his rookie season. While the stat sheet shows that he recorded just one tackle, Lawrence was a force in the pass rush. The first-round pick had two quarterback hits and finished with a pass rush grade of 90 and an overall grade of 82, according to PFF.

Lawrence wasnt the only young defensive lineman to perform well. Oshane Ximines collected 0.5 sacks and a QB hit, while RJ McIntosh picked up a sack, tackle for loss and a QB hit to go with his two solo tackles.

On top of the performance of several first and second-year players, fourth-year receiver Sterling Shepard led the team with nine receptions for 111 yards, earning the highest grade of any Giant at 87.9, according to PFF. Third-year lineman Dalvin Tomlinson tied with Lawrence for the highest PFF grade on the defensive side of the ball (82.0) after recording three tackles (one solo), one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and one QB hit.

While this season may not have gone as the team or fans expected, the play of numerous young players has provided hope for a bright future.

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Progress Report: Youth shining down the stretch - Giants.com

SEOUL - There was lots of posturing but little progress in 2019, as the United States and North Korea spent much of the year trying to convince the other side to take the first step in nuclear talks.

With North Korea's end-of-year threats and its misguided belief that it can influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election, some fear the Korean Peninsula could soon return to a state of major tensions

2019 began with Kim Jong Un warning he may take a "new way" if the U.S. didn't soften its stance in nuclear talks. The world may soon find out just what that means.

Talks broke down after Donald Trump walked away from a February summit with Kim in Hanoi.

"They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all the sanctions for that ... we had to walk away from that, Trump said.

Within weeks, North Korean rockets began flying. And kept flying. By some measures, 2019 was North Korea's busiest year ever for missile tests.

Though Trump shrugged off the short-range launches, the talks never got back on track, even after a third Trump-Kim meeting at the demilitarized zone. In October, North Korea was the one to walk away from working-level talks.

The North's top nuclear negotiator, Kim Myong Gil, blamed the U.S. "old viewpoint and attitude" for the breakdown.

Now, North Korea is giving signs it may conduct a long-range missile test, and is warning on an almost daily basis about Kim's end-of-year deadline, which U.S. officials have ignored.

Trump and Kim may soon return to exchanging threats of war instead of handshakes, says analyst Bong Young-shik.

"If North Korea engages in provocations toward the United States, it will only make Trump rely on Fire and Fury, even for the purpose of his reelection."

Bong is one of many analysts who is concerned things may get more tense in part because North Korea believes it can influence Trump's re-election chances.

"North Koreans are thinking the world revolves around North Korea ... it's a very unfortunate miscalculation and misunderstanding, Bong said.

At least some of that perception may be driven by Trump, who has recently linked the two issues. That, despite polls suggesting foreign policy doesn't typically decide U.S. elections, points out analyst John Delury.

"I would say North Korea is extremely low on the list of key issues that are determining the election, Delury said. It would take almost a war really for North Korea to have an impact on who the next American president is."

Delury said there's a danger for miscalculation in 2020 if North Korea thinks it can influence the U.S. vote.

"Those political considerations won't be that significant, Delury said. And say a provocation at this stage will have a conventional, security, or even military response and they'll be surprised because they thought they were able to play US domestic politics, when in fact they're not. Everyone knows the election is not about North Korea."

Nonetheless, North Korea appears to be hardening its stance, recently suggesting denuclearization is off the negotiating table. It's also threatened am ominous "Christmas gift" to the U.S.

Because of comments like that, many fear that Fire and Fury, round two, could be around the corner.

More here:

Lots of Posturing, Little Progress in US-North Korea Talks in 2019 - VOA News

The investigation into the shooting of the 3 -year-old boy outside the Douglass Branch of the Chicago Public Library is ongoing.

On Dec. 12, Chicago police responded to reports of gunfire that occurred around 9:00 am outside the Douglass Branch of the Chicago Public Library located at 3353 W. 13 St. in North Lawndale.

Police say two suspects armed with handguns encountered another individual and exchanged gunfire near the library. The intended victim who was walking in the area was struck in the heel. The gunfire also struck a 3- year-old boy in the arm who was inside a nearby vehicle with his uncle.

The boy was later taken to John. H Stroger, Jr. Hospital in serious condition but was released later that day.

According to a statement given by Chicago police, no suspects are in custody and Area Central detectives are still investigating.

Two male offenders approached a 35-year-old male victim outside at the above location. Both offenders fired shots at the victim, striking him in the heel. He was taken to Mount Sinai in good condition. A 3-year-old male was sitting in a vehicle in the area and was struck in the arm by gunfire. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, but has been stabilized. Another adult male inside the vehicle with the child was not injured. A CPD vehicle was also struck by gunfire, but no officers were injured. No offenders are in custody. Area Central detectives are investigating.

Rodney Brown, a member of the executive sub- committee of the NLCCC said the shooting should not discourage North Lawndale residents from using the library.

We cannot allow these kinds of incidents to discourage you from going to the library. We still need to encourage folks to use that facility as a lot of hard work went into getting it redone, hesaid.

Additionally, Brown said that anytime a child is the victim of a shooting its more disheartening. No one should be the victim of something along those lines when it happens to a kid, it's even worse.

Ald. Michael Scott, Jr. (24th Ward) was contacted for comment but has yet to respond.

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Douglass Branch of Chicago Public Library shooting case is in progress - The Real Chi

What began as a project of five cities in 2011 to research whether summer learning programs that offer a mix of academic instruction and enrichment opportunities can boost success in school quickly turned into a commitment to understand and improve the role that summer learning plays in closing the opportunity gap for students. One of the five cities selected to participate in the Wallace Foundations National Summer Learning Project was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 2011, the City of Pittsburgh had over 23 percent of its residents living at or below the poverty level, many of whom were low-income students attending Pittsburgh Public Schools. For some students, just attending school can be overwhelming, but layering on issues of hunger, homelessness, violence and inequitable learning opportunities presents new challenges that low-income students are forced to overcome.

Over summer vacation, its normal for students to forget some of what they learned during the school year, but summer slide (the loss of some of the math and reading achievement gains students make during the previous school year) takes its biggest toll on low-income students, contributing substantially to the achievement and opportunity gap that exists between them and their higher-income peers.

A recent webinar hosted by the National League of Cities featuring Catherine Augustine from the RAND Corporation, Christine Cray from Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Kathryn Vargas from the City of Pittsburgh highlights how these challenges can seem insurmountable.

There are a number of ways that low-income students are at a disadvantage over the summer. They experience slower rates of learning, fewer enrichment opportunities, less access to healthy food and meal options, and spend more time sedentary, Augustine said. She shared RANDs findings from its Learning from the Summer report.

With that in mind and through the support of the Wallace Foundations National Summer Learning Project, Pittsburgh Public Schools and community partners like the City of Pittsburgh set out to expand summer opportunities for low-performing, low-income students.

For 27 days in the summer, Pittsburgh Public Schools students who participate in the school districts Summer Dreamers Academy enjoy a full day of academic learning and enrichment with access to free breakfast and lunch as well as transportation. What once started as a way to invest in a robust and fun summer learning program for elementary school students now serves as both an employment and partnership opportunity across the school district and city.

Today, the Summer Dreamers Academy serves over 2,000 K- 8 students and employs over 60 teens and young adults between the ages of 14 and 21 from the City of Pittsburghs Learn&Earn summer youth employment program. Not only does the partnership support staff capacity for Summer Dreamers, but it also serves as a workforce training program. The City pays for bus passes for the youth workers, while the school district hired staff to teach workforce skills including resume building, coming to work on time, getting a paycheck, etc.

With a 24 percent child poverty rate, city investments like the Learn&Earn summer youth employment program puts money in the hands of young people and provides a job opportunity for them are critical for the city to be considering as we think about best serving our residents, Vargas said.

Summers without quality learning opportunities put our nations youth at risk for falling behind year after year in core subjects like math and reading. High-quality learning opportunities during the summer can make a difference in stemming learning loss and ultimately, closing the achievement and opportunity gap.

According to the results from the National Summer Learning Project, students that participated in high-quality summer learning programs outperformed peers in mathematics, English language arts and social-emotional learning.

In all of the cities, mayors served as strong champions for the work, Augustine said.

Moreover, she outlined ways that mayors serve as champions for summer learning, including:

We are fortunate to have a robust summer Learn&Earn program. Our Mayor, Bill Peduto, is particularly invested in this, in fact, the program has grown under his tenure, Vargas said.

All municipal leaders and city teams are invited to learn more about the role the cities can play to support summer learning programs by listening to our #Cities4Summer: The Role of Cities to Scale Summer Learning Efforts webinar recording here and to check out the Wallace Foundations Knowledge Center for additional resources to support summer learning.

About the Author: Gislene Tasayco is the senior associate for NLCs Institute for Youth, Education, and Families Education and Expanded Learning team.

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How Pittsburgh Made Progress Bridging the Opportunity Gap with Summer Programs - CitiesSpeak

The New Orleans Pelicans haventsaid muchabout Zion Williamson since his knee surgery. While the team has given updates on Williamsons progress, it hasnt announceda return datefor its star. The team wouldnt even speak on the record about Williamson putting in work on the court. It was just a rumor ... until today.

The Pelicans confirmed Williamson is alive and well Tuesday. The team posted video of Williamson putting up some shots during the teams practice.

The former No. 1 overall pick looked good:

The 19-year-old Williamson hit two of his three attempts in that video. Williamsons third shot may have gone in as well, but Lonzo Ball swatted it away to mess with the rookie.

General Manager David Griffin tried to temper expectations when he went on the teams television broadcast during Tuesdays game against the Nets.

"We're really excited with where he's at,"Griffin said, via ESPN. "He's made really good progress. I know we've reached the eight-week point, and everyone is ready to see him. I think we're a little ways away yet, but today was a really big first step."

The GM said that Williamson is fully weight-bearing, and that this would be the time for a setback to occur.

The teammates, the way they responded to him, the joy he has when he's on the floor is evident, Griffin said. And we've obviously needed that."

While the video of Williamson is promising, it doesnt reveal a lot. He isnt running or taking part in a scrimmage, hes just putting up shots. Thats better than nothing, but it suggests Williamson still has hurdles to pass before he can play in games.

Still, it has to come as a relief for Pelicans fans to see their star rookie in action. At 6-22, the Pelicans havent been fun to watch this season. Williamson should change that once hes healthy.

Tuesdays video didnt show a lot, but at least Pelicans fans finally have confirmation Williamson is inching closer to a return.

Chris Cwikis a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him atchristophercwik@yahoo.comor follow him on Twitter!Follow @Chris_Cwik

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Pelicans GM says Zion Williamson has made 'really good progress' after surgery - AOL

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Construction is coming along at quite the brisk pace here at Tokyo Disneyland. In fact, we just passed the four-month mark to the April 15th opening day of the New Fantasyland expansion! So with all this excitement, lets jump in and check out whats new in this little corner of magic!

Over at the Fantasyland Forest Theater, more scaffolding has come down around the theaters entrance structure. Its rather difficult to see over the planters, but almost all of that structure has been built out. The new home ofMickeys Magical Music Worldis almost ready for Guests! I cant wait to see the inside of the theater!

Despite the bright, shiny sun, we can see now that even more scaffolding has come down along the Beasts Castle. Now the top third or so is out and exposed to the public in all its beauty! And the rest isnt too far behind, it looks like! I bet it wont be more than a month or so before the vast majority of the structure is visible to the public.

Work is coming along swimmingly on the surrounding entrance gate as well. This wont take too much longer either, I bet.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever, as Mary Poppins once said.

The shot of the castle combined with the hill background just looks absolutely breathtaking. Like I said, only four months to go! Im so excited to finally rideThe Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast!

Over in Belles Village, some machine work could be heard within LeFous and La Taverne de Gaston. I would imagine the vast majority of work in this area is interior, since these facades have been out since the very beginning of this area being open. But those caramel apple churro and French toast sandwich will await us soon!

Over on the Village Shops side, this building is uncovered a bit more. Except that one small area right there. Soon, well all be buying Gaston body pillows here. Well, I wont. But someone may maybe?

Its so exciting to see progress continue on this incredible area! The New Fantasyland expansion opens at Tokyo Disneyland on April 15th, 2020. And we here at WDWNT will be keeping an eye on this area until it opens and after! So stay tuned for continuing coverage on New Fantasyland and the rest of Tokyo Disney Resort!

Are you considering or planning a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort? VisitTDRPlansfor every detail (and more) that youll need to make your trip the best it can be! Did I mention its 100% free? Oh, and stay tuned to WDWNT for up-to-date news on Tokyo Disney Resort, Walt Disney World, and Disney Parks worldwide!

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PHOTOS: More Progress on The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the... - wdwnt.com

Organized chaos: Its an oxymoron that tends to get thrown around in exceedingly satirical contexts.

Usually, the term is equated to something along the lines of efficiently navigating through Costco on Black Friday -- or Los Angeles transit ecosystem today.

In the latter case, the idiom is actually quite accurate despite the fact that 99.9% of commuters likely think LAs mobility is simply chaotic and that there's nothing organized about it.

But I would argue that LA is in a state of transition to something far better. Los Angeles may be exiting the mobility reality of today and entering a nascent world of tomorrow, but it seems like utter chaos right now.

Here are three challenges LA is currently facing in its mobility system, the changes being deployed to turn annoyances into assets, and how mobility leaders around the world can contribute to positive change in our transportation systems.

Addressing TNCs at LAX

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) relocated its transportation network company (TNC) pickup point to an inconveniently faraway lot, a 21-minute walk (by one estimate) to the farthest terminal. Shuttles that take riders away from the terminals can take 15 minutes to get to the lot.

Once they're in the lot, many passengers have had to wait a long time for their rides. The holdup is reportedly caused by a traffic bottleneck that slows cars to a literal stand-still. The situation is so bad that airport officials even called the maneuver unacceptable in a public apology.

So why did they do it?

It may not appear like it right now, but the shift seems to be a part of a pipeline plan to make airport transit more convenient.And though it still remains to be seen whether this was a faux pas on LAXs part or Uber and Lyft's, LAX is working to fix the situation.

Uniting Planes And Trains

Before the car became Americas transportation mode of choice, Angelenos actually had one of the most impressive rail systems in the country. But as it chased the promise of the automobile, the citys streetcars were retired on the pathway to notorious gridlock.

Today, city officials are working to restore LAs rail system of old -- or at least reincorporate it. And the current focus is the now-underway Crenshaw/LAX line. Visitors to Los Angeles will finally be able to take the Metro from the city to the airport. Well almost to the airport. Then they can hop on a people mover -- three years after the rail line is built.

I believe the mistiming of the rail station is a matter of the Metro and airport operators pulling as many strategic strings as possible while they're faced with mounting challenges.

Among the challenges of bringing a rail system directly into a location like Los Angeles International are budget constraints and the fact that getting TSA approval for a tunnel project below an airport could be difficult for security reasons. And even with TSA approval, the stop -- which would reportedly need to be constructed below ground -- could add a staggering $2 billion to the project.

Optimistic observers, on the other hand, will see the benefits of an indirect rail-airport connection like the development of a future station that creates intersections between the Crenshaw/LAX line and other rail lines. This could be integral for a successful mobility future.

Santa Monicas Parking Problem

When we think of Los Angeles and the surrounding cities, we tend to think of an abundance of cars and the dearth of places to put them. But when we look closely, we sometimes see that not all is as it appears.

Santa Monica, for instance, reportedly has a parking surplus. In fact, the average number of available parking spaces on the five busiest days of the year in nine parking structures has more than doubled in the past four years.

The increase in parking availability in cities like Santa Monica may be indicative of many social and economic changes, such as an increase in micro-mobility (e.g., Bird scooters), remote work opportunities, rideshares and new personal mobility lanes.

These changes may prove extremely beneficial to cities if they harness the curb. For example, cities and businesses can repurpose parking into more effective functions to invite drivers to fill the aforementioned empty parking spaces while leaving valuable curb space open to things like designated loading zones, safer mixed-mobility lanes, valet services and TNC pick-up points.

Curb transformation could even bring about expanded outdoor dining or street-side park and greenery opportunities for businesses.But in the interim of transitions like those, things are probably going to get messy. Its just a fact of moving forward, but its no reason for mobility and transportation businesses to remain inert.

Why Does Mobility Progress Need To Be Messy?

In short, it doesnt need to be messy, per se. It's just that mobility is not as simple as it seems, no matter how many hours youve sat in gridlock thinking, I could fix this. Its simple

Budgets and priorities change as the city itself changes. As officials work to raise funds and write contracts, they simultaneously deal with shifting consumer trends. Here's how leaders in the mobility space can help create progress:

1. Ask and understand what your customer wants when it comes to their parking and mobility experience. For example, if a customer wants to use their Venmo account to pay their parking fee, create a system to let them.

2. Look at how you can repurpose or adapt your building's parking structure to better fit the needs of the user today and into tomorrow. Often, you can find a better use for physical space than what it was originally designed for.

3. Collaborate with your property neighbors so that as you make investments in your parking and mobility technology, they do too. Remember, high tides raise all boats.

If we strive toward cohesive mobility networks, I believe the future of our daily commutes and parking hunts will be remarkably unstressful -- and maybe even enjoyable.

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Parking And Mobility Progress Is Crucial -- But It's Also Messy - Forbes

This article supported by Los Angeles Bicycle Attorney as part of a general sponsorship package. All opinions in the article are that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of LABA. Click on the ad for more information.

The city of L.A. is making progress on three new L.A. River bike/walk bridges that SBLA last reported on in August. There are three new pedestrian bridges currently under construction, all in the relatively natural eight-mile-long Glendale Narrows stretch of the river through Northeast Los Angeles.

The La Kretz bridge is located in North Atwater, connecting that community to the river bike path on the west bank. The bridge is designed to carry pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians. The bridge provides a safe equestrian connection to Griffith Park via an existing tunnel under the 5 Freeway.

Construction was anticipated to be completed this year. The citys Bureau of Engineering posted pictures of people riding horses there (for load testing) in October. Though there are still fences preventing the public from accessing the new facility, construction appears complete and north-south travel on the bikeway has been fully reopened. A grand opening should take place any day now.

As part of the citys retrofit of the historic Glendale-Hyperion Bridge, a new pedestrian bridge is being added just downstream atop the old Red Car pier walls.

Construction there just got underway in April, and the cross-river span is already in place, with construction still in progress on each end. The existing south bank river bike path remains passable during construction.

The third bridge is located in Elysian Valley, near the end of Altman Street. That bridge will connect Elysian Valley to Cypress Park, and the planned large-scale river revitalization at Taylor Yard. Construction there broke ground in June and is expected to be complete in 2021.

Construction is not that far along, though it has closed off a portion of the walk/bike path though Elysian Valley. Detour signage is posted directing cyclists to neighborhood streets, though many pedestrians and cyclists chose to walk on the sloped channel wall below the closed area.

The city of Glendale is planning a fourth bridge nearby, designed to connect Glendale to the L.A. River path and to Griffith Park. That bridge will be accessible via Glendales existing walk/bike path located on the north bank north of the 134 Freeway. As part of a rail grade separation project, Metro is finalizing designs for two connective bridges that will facilitate walk/bike access from Glendale.

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Eyes on the Street: Progress on Three New Walk/Bike/Horse Bridges over L.A. River - Streetsblog California

After unveiling the first footage of Levan Akins Directors Fortnight film And Then We Dance and Nora Fingscheidts Silver Berlin Bear winning System Crasher during last years edition, the 11th Work-in-Progress session of Les Arcs Film Festival reached new heights with a flurry of highlights, including The Hill Where Lionesses Roar, The Gravedigger, Shorta and Dark Rider.

Among the 18 films in post where presented during the event, these four titles have received the most offers from sales companies. Spearheaded by Les Arcs and Tribecas artistic director Frederic Boyer, the Work-in-Progress session has become one of the worlds most successful industry events dedicated to helping filmmakers and producers find sales agents and distributors and get under the radar of festival programmers. In spite of the massive strikes ongoing in France and the cancelations of trains and flights, more than 500 professionals turned up for the Industry Village of Les Arcs, which also included a co-production forum with 22 projects in development.

The competition among similar industry events is steep but our track record and strategic positioning ahead of Berlin and Cannes has allowed us to curate films with a crossover appeal, and the rising attendance from sales companies and distributors proves that we are on the right track, said Boyer, who added that the event might be expanded in some ways next year.

The Hill Where Lionesses Roar marks the feature debut of actress-turned-filmmaker Luna Bajrami, who notably starred in Celine Sciammas Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The lushly-lensed film follows three young and free-spirited women who decide to escape their daily lives and form a gang. The film has been compared to Mustang by several sales agents. Frances Vents Contraires is producing with Kosovo-based company OrZan Films. The film won the inaugural Alphapanda Audience Engagement Award which rewards films with a strong potential for digital marketing and social media promotion.

The Gravedigger, which was presented at the Atlas Workshop in Marrakech earlier this month and won a prize, takes place in the slums of Djibouti and follows Guled, a middle-aged gravedigger whose wife suffers from a chronic kidney disease. The drama is produced by Finnish banner Bufo with Pyramide Productions in France and Twenty Twenty Vision in Germany.

Shorta, directed by Fredrik Louis Hviid and Anders lholm, unfolds in the aftermath of the killing of a young man while in custody and follows two police officers who come face to face with a violent riot in a guetto. The politically-engaged action-packed film, which deals with racism and police brutality in Denmark, is produced by Toolbox Film (The Hunt).

Dark Rider, meanwhile, is directed by Eva Kpper, is a documentary about Ben Felten, a blind motorcycle rider from Australia who was determined to become a professional racer and joined forces with the former race champion, Kevin Magee, to accomplish his childhood dream. Dark Rider is produced by Belgiums Serendipity Films and Clin dOeil Films and Dutch banner Volya Films.

Aside from The Hill Where Lionesses Roar, several other films and projects presented at the Industry Village won prizes, including To Sail Close to the Wind, Gregoris Rentiss tragicomic documentary exploring the business of maritime security at a time when the number of piracy incidents keeps rising off the coast of Somalia. The documentary, produced by Greeces Asterix* and Byrd, as well as Frances Good Fortune Films, won the Titrafilm Award.

Rabia, directed by German filmmaker Mareike Engelhardt, won the Artekino International Award. Presented at the Co-Production Village, the project follows a French teenager who finds herself locked in an ISIS-controlled womens shelter in Rakka. Rabia will be produced by Frances Films Grand Huit and Germanys Starhaud.

Figures in the Urban Landscape, directed by Russian helmer Ekaterina Selenkina, picked up the Eurimages Lab Project Award. Now in post-production, the drama captures the day-to-day life of a drug dealer in the outskirts of a city in Russia. The film is produced by Vladimir Nadein in Russia and Dutch Mountain Film in The Netherlands.

Lastly, Dana Lerers Double Happiness, presented as part of the Talent Village, won the T-Port Prize, while Thessa Meijers feature project Volcano Girl won a special mention.

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Les Arcss Work-in-Progress Showcases Shorta, The Hill Where Lionesses Roar, The Gravedigger - Variety

Abby McEnany and Tim Mason have inspired much more than an impending cultural sensation with their new Showtime comedy series, Work in Progress. Besides earning a ton of critical praise, the duo represents a thriving reminder that Chicago is a great place for aspiring filmmakers to be.

The community-wide excitement was obvious during the series December 6 premiere at AMC Theatres. Filling the entire width of a corridor on the fourth floor, it generated a contagious kind of joy that spread far beyond the red carpet: Work in Progress is a win for everybody.

The crew was as excited as the cast, recalls Laura Roeper, a member of Studio Mechanics Local 476 and the shows Property Manager. Ive never seen that it was one of the happiest nights of my life.

Roeper spent three years on Empire before joining Work in Progress. Every day on the set, she reaped the benefits of a commitment to inclusivity that transcends so many boundaries.

A lot of the crew came from the advertising world and a lot of them came from the improv world, and there were no definitions on what our job descriptions were, she explains. Everyone on the crew did what they were supposed to, of course, but if there was something that someone noticed during a shot, we could approach (director) Tim Mason and make a suggestion. The only other director I worked with who did that was Craig Brewer on Coming to America.

WORK IN PROGRESSINTERVIEW WITH ABBY MCENANY

Meet Abby McEnanyIn Work in Progress, McEnany plays lead-character Abby, a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke (IMDb). Rolling through situations based on her own life, she encounters death, doubt, suicide and depression while becoming an altogether likable heroine. And thats pretty much only the first episode.

Varietys Caroline Framke describes the series as nuanced and funny. The Guardians Rebecca Nicholson says that it marks the arrival of an important new voice. Sun-Times entertainment columnist Richard Roeper declares that the show should be one of the breakout new TV series of 2019-2020.

McEnany worked long and hard to earn the praise. She spent a decade auditioning for Chicagos venerable Second City before getting accepted, then introduced Work in Progress as a live storytelling performance at the organizations iO Theater. When her friend and frequent collaborator Tim Mason persuaded her to convert it into a web series with him as director, she hired the first of many Chicago-based film professionals who came along for the ride.

WORK IN PROGRESSON THE RED CARPET WITH TIM MASON

Rewarding the crewTessa Films co-founder Lisa Masseur would be another cohort to sign on during the early days. Serving as Executive Producer for the pilot, which premiered at Sundance, she stayed on as a producer for the series and knew that great things were ahead.

From the get-go, I never had any doubt that this would happen because of Abby herself, she recalls. Abbys a magnetic person in real life, but on camera I cannot stop watching her.

Masseur is also pleased, but not surprised, by the way that McEnany and Mason handled production and shared the rewards of their success. She has worked with each of them for years: McEnany has been involved in various projects at Tessa Films, and Mason is one of the directors on the company roster.

They wanted a diverse cast and crew and they really stuck to that and went to great lengths to make sure it happened, she says. Virtually everyone who worked on the pilot was offered a spot on the show.

Besides her obvious admiration for the people and the process, Masseur is also a true fan of the series.

The first scene is great and fantastic, but if you only watch that you dont get to know what the show is all about, she explains. Its dark, and theres heart, and its deep.

The fantastic moments in the first episode include an unexpected casualty and a public swoon triggered by Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeney, who plays herself in the series. These kinds of traditional gags require a top-notch actor to be funny, and McEnany pulls them off like a modern-day Lucille Ball.

WORK IN PROGRESSON THE RED CARPET WITH JULIA SWEENEY

Capturing the actionWork in Progress Cinematographer Michael Ognisanti is the man who captured the action. After collaborating on commercial projects with Mason for years, he has come to understand and anticipate the directors style, which involves a lot of cross shooting.

One camera capturing it one way and another capturing it from another angle, he explains. Tim has always been like this: he wants two cameras.

The technique suited McEnanys talent perfectly.

Abby is an energetic onstage performer, he says. But we found a subtlety that she is able to convey on film these emotions in the quiet times that was really cool.

His job was made easier by the relaxed and family-type atmosphere supported by McEnany, Mason, and Chicago film legend Lilly Wachowski, who had come on board as writer and producer around the time that the pilot screened at Sundance.

On set, a lot of times, it can be contentious and stressful, he continues. Our crew was diverse and inclusive and everyone felt comfortable, which was important. When that mentality comes from the top from Lilly and Tim and Abby it just kind of ripple-effects down.

According to Periscope Post & Audios Mike James and Sam Wong, who handled dailies for Work in Progress, the positivity continues long after the cameras stop rolling.

Even though we were not technically on set, it was a joy to work on, says James. Theyre both super nice, adds Wong. Abby makes every single person she talks to feel like her best friend.

WORK IN PROGRESSON THE RED CARPET WITH LILLY WACHOWSKI

Turning success into traditionMcEnany and Mason are not the first indie filmmakers to convert passion into success with help from Chicagos film resources. Sam Bailey and Fatimah Asghar got a boost for Brown Girls from OTV. Bing Liu honed his Oscar-nominated documentary, Minding the Gap, through Kartemquins Diverse Voices in Docs program. Fawzia Mirza and Jennifer Reeder brought Signature Move and Knives and Skin to the screen after pitching them at the Chicago International Film Festivals The Pitch Industry Days event. Theres also the tireless work of Free Spirit Media, Full Spectrum Features, Stage 18, and Chicago Media Angels.

So in that respect, Work in Progress is not unique, which is another cool thing about the show.

Work in Progress premiered December 8 on Showtime, but the entire series is still available for viewing. To check it out, click here.

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Beyond the red carpet of McEnany and Mason's 'Work in Progress' - ReelChicago