Documentary Filmmaker Andrew Jenks Makes Compassion Cool on MTV’s World of Jenks

Andrew Jenks wasn’t the first free spirit to drop out of college. He also wasn’t the first to do it despite having two successful parents, one of whom currently serves as the Assistant Secretary General for the United Nations. But he was certainly the first to go from the halls of NYU straight into an assisted living facility, where the documentary he shot, Andrew Jenks, Room 335, was quickly acquired by HBO,

Lovesick: Comedian Natasha Leggero Knocks Our Socks Off in the Ben Stiller Produced Burning Love

Sixteen lovelorn bachelorettes bunk up in an L.A. mansion where they’ll compete for the heart of hunky firefighter Mark Orlando and, naturally, embark on some epic makeout sessions and drunken catfights along the way. If it sounds like the “plot” to just about every reality show out there, that’s because it is. But Burning Love, an instant cult classic that started as a Yahoo web series and began its TV run on E!

Making his Mark: From Fake Tattoos to Ghastly Wounds, Meet Oscar Winning Makeup & SFX Guru Christien Tinsley

You may not know Christien Tinsley by name, but if you've seen American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy, The Passion of the Christ or Gangster Squad, you've seen his work. A fan of fantasy and monster movies since he was a young boy growing up outside of Seattle, Tinsley is now a king in the biz: a well-regarded makeup and prosthetic artist and owner of Tinsley Studio and TinsleyTransfers,

The Queen of Casting: Meet Emmy Award Winning Casting Director & Baltimore Legend Pat Moran

The plight of the casting director is well known to people who follow the industry—they are crucial, they are highly skilled, and they are almost comically overlooked when it comes to having their contributions to filmmaking recognized (the TV world is, however, more egalitarian—they are honored at the Emmys). The gap between their worth to the films they work on and the respect they receive has generated pieces from the likes of Deadline.com and The Wrap, who wonder why the work of such critical collaborators,

Second Screens, Morgan Spurlock, and the Future of Film and TV: Variety’s Entertainment Summit At CES

The Credits recently journeyed to the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show, where we caught Variety’s Entertainment Summit amid the bustling Las Vegas Convention Center. Sponsored by one of the industry’s most venerable publications, the two-day summit celebrates innovation in the content industries.

Tucked away from the effervescent, gadget-adorned exhibition halls, we watched dynamic panels and discussions on the future of film,

Vision-Controlled TV, 110-Inch 4K Screens, and Danny DeVito: The Credits Journeys to 2013 CES

Last week, The Credits attended the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show to check out the newest, cutting-edge technology and  innovation happening in the world of film and television. Voyaging to the Las Vegas Convention Center for CES is a bit of a spiritual pilgrimage for tech fans and gadget devotees, so expectations were reasonably high that we'd see futuristic high-tech finds. Well, 2013 CES certainly delivered–surpassing our paltry little hopes.

We saw things that could have been plucked straight from George Lucas's wildest dreams: A 'smart'

Golden Globes Co-Hosts Tina Fey & Amy Poehler’s Best Live TV Moments

Even though the show hasn’t happened yet (and all due respect to the "most feared man in Hollywood," Ricky Gervais), we’re gonna go out on a limb and say that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were the best Golden Globes hosts in the show’s 70-year history (airing Sunday, 8ET/5PT on NBC). Not only did the dynamic duo display the hilarity, inventiveness, and chemistry of longtime friends who also happen to be comedic geniuses,

The Many Lives Of a Hollywood Stunt Performer: A Conversation With Oliver Keller

Oliver Keller grew up in a small town in Switzerland dreaming of becoming a stuntman in Hollywood. His appetite for excitement led him to Super G Downhill skiing and an eventual apprenticeship with a German stunt professional, but he had his sights set on bigger things.

Today, Oliver is a rising star in Hollywood’s stunt community, and has worked on mega-blockbusters from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to Master &

Emmy Award-Winning Actor Tony Shalhoub On Craft

Tony Shalhoub is a prolific actor whose illustrious career has spanned television shows, theater productions, and major Hollywood films. His performances have earned him three Emmy awards and a Golden Globe for his work on the television show Monk, and a Tony nomination for his work on Broadway.

The characters he's portrayed have become cultural legends–from his award-winning performance of the endearing OCD-plagued criminal detective Adrian Monk of the hit television show Monk,

Exec Producer and Writer Mark Goffman of White Collar Talks Aaron Sorkin, President Obama, and Patrick Swayze’s Final Show

Mark Goffman, a veteran TV writer and producer, has worked on a wide range of shows and films, including mega-hits like The West Wing and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He’s currently a writer and executive producer on USA Network’s White Collar (the new season starts on January 22 at 10/9 central), about a criminal who agrees to help the FBI catch his brothers-in-crime using his expertise as an art and securities thief.

“The Funniest People I Know Are Women”: Director Paul Feig on The Heat, Bridesmaids and Freaks and Geeks

As one of the most respected comedy writers in Hollywood, Paul Feig’s professional trajectory has become something of an industry legend. The comedian turned actor-writer-director-producer has been relentless in his quest to leave an indelible mark on the state of comedy television and cinema. And his ambitions are infectious. Along the way, Feig’s helped launch the careers of many talented actors; James Franco, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogen all became household names thanks to Feig's instant television classic,

Film at the Vatican Without Leaving LA: How Stargate Studios’ Virtual Backlot Is Revolutionizing The Industry

On location shooting is a variable that can make or break a film or television project. It might be the difference between shooting a scene at Westminster Abbey, or at the neighborhood church. So when visual effects house Stargate Studios launched their Virtual Backlot nearly a decade ago, television shows everywhere could hardly wait to use their game-changing library of virtual backdrops. From Vegas casinos to idyllic beaches, producers could finally green-light exotically ambitious scripts,

The Credits’ Thanksgiving Movie Survival Guide

Here's our curated movie survival guide, packed with every conceivable kind of film for you to gorge on during the Thanksgiving holiday. Please watch responsibly.

Featured image of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower watching a television during the Republican National Convention, Chicago, Illinois, 1952. Photo taken by Thomas J. O'Halloran, courtesy the Library of Congress.

Q&A With Chris Carter, Writer and Creator of The X-Files

Chris Carter is a television legend. As the creative mastermind behind the iconic, 90s-defining supernatural television thriller The X-Files, he has nourished a generation with truly out-of-this world entertainment. Part metaphysical suspense, sci-fi epic, and well-wrought drama, The X-Files won over TV-viewing audiences with its unique plot lines, imaginative subject matter, and seemingly effortless execution. And the show's expertly nuanced protagonists, FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully,

Putting the Walk in The Walking Dead: An Interview With Stargate Studios CEO and VFX Guru Sam Nicholson

Stargate Studios CEO Sam Nicholson is a visual effects legend (VFX). A cinematographer by trade, Nicholson hails from the mother ship of visual effects gigs, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. His work on The Enterprise shot Nicholson’s career to stratospheric heights and spans some of the greatest television shows in recent memory—and we’re not being hyperbolic. Nicholson founded the incredibly busy visual effects house Stargate Studios, which has performed post-production visual effects for TV shows including CSI,

Interview With Marty Kaplan, Founding Director of The Norman Lear Center at USC

The Norman Lear Center, founded and directed by professor Marty Kaplan, is based out of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. The Center is named after benefactor Norman Lear, who has been an iconic social activist and television producer in the entertainment industry for years.

Launched in January of 2000, the Center’s mission has been to champion research, public policy, and educational programs that examine the entertainment landscape. The Lear Center's Entertainment Goes Global project looks at the implications of entertainment on society,

The Film Industry Heads For The Bayou: Introducing Hollywood South

In recent years, Louisiana has become one of the fastest growing film production states in the country. Playing host to projects like True Blood, The Host, and Ender’s Game, many of Hollywood’s biggest productions are opting for a change of scenery; from LA’s traffic-addled freeways, to the South’s bountiful bayou. Thanks to generous film tax incentives, “Hollywood South,” as Louisiana’s been dubbed, is now in the leagues of film state heavyweights like California and New York.

For The Sake of Good Television: TV Shows Saved By Fans

Last night's Emmys program demonstrated a universal love for quality television, but we'd be remiss not to acknowledge the scores of excellent shows that didn't make the cut. Truth be told, there's a long history of great TV programming that has suffered the fate of critic negligence, low ratings, and — worst of all — early cancellation. But behind every great show cancelled, there's a dedicated fan base fighting for its return.

There are few examples of broad social action as varied —

Test Your Emmys Trivia Knowledge

In celebration of the 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, this week's quiz takes a look at Emmys trivia. And if you're still hungry for more Emmy factoids, check out our latest infographic: The Emmy Awards, By The Numbers.

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The Emmy Awards By The Numbers

Did you know it takes five and a half hours to make each Emmy statue? Our latest infographic takes a look at The Emmy Awards, by the numbers.