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Todd
Nelson
Founder of the
Nebraska
Coast Connection
Community. Networking. That's what we're about in the Nebraska Coast Connection. A bridge to each other in all areas of The Biz, and a link to those back home. An alliance of dreamers making their dreams come true.
Who are we? We're pioneers. We're the ones drawn to the bright lights of Hollywood from places in the heart of the country where most people talk more about the weather than about key grips and gross point multi-picture deals. We're Hollywood professionals--actors, filmmakers, writers, artists--people who have something to do with the making of entertainment and communication and art. Or people who wannabe people like that. Or people who want to hang out with people like that.
A lot of us grew up there or went to school there, but no, to join us you don't have to be from Nebraska.
Our ties come less from a geographic boundary than a Nebraska State of Mind: good-hearted, straight-forward, humble hard-working folks who understand that although sometimes you have to walk through the bullshit, you don't have to be the back end of the cow.
People connecting and working and dreaming together. Pioneering a new way--a Nebraska style--of making Hollywood a little more neighborly. A little more kind. A little more like home. Thanks to you all, we're well on our way.
See you at the Salon.
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everybody knows about
the legends
of the entertainment world
who got their start in Nebraska . . . Johnny Carson,
Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire, Darryl Zanuck. In
an industry where it's all about "who you know
," it's not a bad idea to stick together. The Nebraska Coast Connection
is an alliance of people who share a common spirit and a link to the Midwest.
You can be part of us if you actually come from the state, or if you come
from a Nebraska "state of mind." Either way, we're kind of a
Nebraska Mafia. We take care of our own.
In 1992, Producer/Director Todd Nelson started the NCC with about
thirty fellow Nebraskans to be both a network for entertainment professionals
and a bridge between home and Hollywood. The idea was fostered by Todd's
frequent trips home. He often visited late UN-L theatre professor Dr.
Bill Morgan, who connected him with former students who were pursuing
careers in the arts. With support from the University of Nebraska Foundation,
the first NCC cocktail event in Bel Air drew 200 people, and the Nebraska
Coast Connection was up and running. 
Since then, they have hosted barbeques,
play nights, Halloween parties, Christmas caroling and comedy nights. They've
produced radio commercials, a few short films and two extensive websites.
But the centerpiece of the group since 1995 has been the regular monthly
gatherings called The Hollywood Salon. Not to be confused with the place
you get your hair done, the idea of an artist's salon has a rich history.
From ancient times, writers and painters and poets and politicians have
met in salon settings to share their art and discuss events of the day.
In Athens, Paris and New York, Salons were important ways for ideas to
germinate, artists to be discovered and valuable relationships to blossom.
The Hollywood Salon continues that tradition with a slant toward careers
in showbiz. 
More than 2,000 Nebraskans have found
their way into the Coast Connection. About sixty of them attend each monthly
Salon. Writers, Actors, Directors, Producers, Musicians, Execs, P.A.s and
more than a few Waiters take part. "Wanna-be's" are most welcome. It's
here, with the support of friendly folks from back home, where dream-sharing
is encouraged. Over the years, hundreds of newly arrived
Nebraskans have found jobs and apartments, friends, collaborators,
even spouses through the NCC Hollywood Salons. It's a casual, after-work
gathering place for a drink and a bite to eat. It's a place to reunite
with old friends and get to know new ones. It's an exciting resource and
networking opportunity. Special guests like Director Alexander Payne
, Screenwriter Lew Hunter, Actress Harley Jane Kozak and other prominent
Nebraskans in Hollywood often drop in to share their secrets of success.
Join us. Be a part of the proud tradition of people from the heart of
the country who have made their mark in Hollywood.
We're here to help you follow your dreams. The Hotline number is (213)
368-4NCC, and it operates 24 hours a day. Call it to find out about the
next Hollywood Salon, join the mailing list, or to get more information on
the group.
www.nebraskacoast.com
© 2010 Nebraska
Coast Connection
P.O. Box 92480, Pasadena, CA 91109-2480
24-hour
hotline (213) 368-4NCC
howdy@nebraskacoast.com |
