The Pros: Love Where You Work

Built-in Bonding: Sharing projects, deadlines, and coffee breaks can strengthen your connection. Common work interests make for great conversation starters.

Support System: Having someone who understands your work struggles can be a great emotional boost.

Boosted Motivation: Studies suggest that happy employees are more productive. If your relationship is healthy, it could make your job feel more enjoyable!

The Cons: Office Drama Alert

Company Policies: Many businesses frown upon workplace relationships. Be sure to check your company’s guidelines before taking the plunge.

Conflicts of Interest: Dating a boss or subordinate? That’s a recipe for ethical concerns and potential favoritism accusations.

Breakup Blues: If things go south, you’ll still have to see each other daily, which can get awkward fast.

How to Make It Work

• Keep It Professional: PDA and workplace gossip? Hard no. Set boundaries and don’t let romance interfere with your work.
• Be Honest with HR: If your company requires disclosure of workplace relationships, it’s better to be upfront than risk repercussions later.
• Have an Exit Strategy: If things don’t work out, be prepared to handle it maturely to avoid unnecessary tension at work.

Final Verdict?
Dating a coworker isn’t necessarily a bad idea but it does require extra thought and maturity. If you’re both committed to keeping things professional and respectful, it could turn into a power couple situation! But if the risks outweigh the rewards, maybe it’s best to keep the romance outside of office hours.

Read more here.

The post Office Romance: Is Dating a Coworker a Good Idea? appeared first on Eyes on Hollywood.

If there’s one place where Hollywood meets SXSW, it’s the Cinema Center. Powered by sponsors Bloom Nutrition, Peroni, Hendrick’s Gin, and Rendezvous Films, this year’s pop-up delivered eight premiere parties for some of the hottest films generating festival buzz.

Kicking off the action, Zoey Deutch and Ruby Cruz (Mare of Easttown) hit the scene Friday night for the premiere party of Chad Artigan’s THE THREESOME, bringing an electric energy to the festival’s start.

Jay and Mark Duplass proved that two is better than one, celebrating THE BALTIMORONS and MAGIC HOUR at a joint Cinema Center bash. The brothers were joined by an all-star crew, including Michael Strassner, Liz Larsen, Olivia Luccardi, Daveed Diggs, Katie Aselton, Brad Garrett, and Susan Sullivan. And in true party fashion, they also turned the event into a birthday celebration for Jay Duplass!

Saturday was a triple feature of epic proportions, with back-to-back bashes for Andrew Gaines’ THE DUTCHMAN (starring Kate Mara, Zazie Beetz, Andre Holland, and Aldis Hodge), Michael Bay’s parkour documentary WE ARE STORRER, and Lili Reinhart’s intense drama AMERICAN SWEATSHOP, featuring Daniela Melchior, Jeremy Ang Jones, Josh Whitehouse, Tim Plester, Christiane Paul, and Joel Fry.

By Sunday, the festival was buzzing over the premiere of Daisy Ridley’s WE BURY THE DEAD, followed by the Aussie psychological thriller THE SURFER. While fans hoped for a Nicolas Cage sighting, the iconic actor was a no-show.

Beyond the parties, Collider’s Interview and Portrait Studio was the ultimate star magnet, drawing a parade of A-listers for exclusive interviews. With over 30 million unique monthly visitors, Collider ensured that festival-goers got up close and personal with the biggest names in film. Spotted at the studio: David Oyelowo, Matthew McConaughey, Aaron Paul, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford, Zoey Deutch, Ruby Cruz, Lili Reinhart, Eiza Gonzalez, Chloe Fineman, Dennis Quaid, and more.

Roxstar’s Cinema Center wasn’t just about the films-it was about indulging in VIP-level hospitality.

Hendrick’s Gin kept spirits high with an array of specialty cocktails, including the refreshing Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade, the bold Hendrick’s Unusual Negroni, and the crowd-favorite Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret Spritz Royale.

Meanwhile, Peroni Nastro Azzurro returned as the official beer partner, keeping the drinks flowing all weekend long.

And for those needing a wellness boost, Bloom Nutrition provided VIP guests with energizing Greens & Superfood powders, supplements, and their new Bloom Sparkling Energy drink- perfect for surviving the festival frenzy!

As the curtain closed on Roxstar’s Cinema Center, founder and Roxstar CEO David Manning summed up the weekend best: “We’re always tremendously gratified by the welcome we receive in Austin each year. With the help of our partners, we enable filmmakers to showcase, nourish, and quench their films’ thirst for celebration.”

With another unforgettable year in the books, one thing’s for sure-when the Cinema Center rolls into SXSW, it’s not just about the movies. It’s about the ultimate Hollywood-meets-Texas experience. Until next year, Austin!

The post Lights, Camera, Party! Roxstar’s Cinema Center Takes Over SXSW with Star-Studded Bash appeared first on Eyes on Hollywood.

Welcome Samuel, congratulations on your upcoming feature film ‘Off The Line’. Before we dig in about the movie, how did you get involved with inline skating?

I first discovered the world of inline speed skating in July 2019 when my orthodontist hosted a skating party for her patients at Pattison’s West Skating Rink and a few employees had these skates I had never seen before, like rollerblades on steroids. There was a demonstration from a current World Silver medalist who worked at the rink and a few other team members, and I was hooked. By January 2020 I had been accepted onto Team Xtreme, at the time the most winningest speed skating team in the US coached by Mike and Darin Pattison, Hall of Fame coaches. 

What inspired the making of the movie “Off The Line”?

When the rink went up for sale during the pandemic, it was a roller coaster ride for everyone with deals being accepted to close the rink, and deals falling through. Finally, El Centro De La Raza made an offer and wanted to keep the rink and its legacy alive. The first version of the movie was a standard save the rink format, but after it was saved, I pivoted it to be what speed skating could look like if it had more exposure with televised meets and more sponsorship.  

What is “Off The Line” about?

The story follows my character Mark Stevenson, a determined young inline speedskater, is eager to establish himself in the sport. Upon learning that the circuit will finance and send a race team to race the prestigious European Grand Prix 24-hour race to beat the circuit’s biggest rivals Tropen Racing. Mark Stevenson and his friend Jake Flyer embark on a journey of rigorous training and seek out a seasoned coach who is struggling with life. Their aim is not only to win the race but also to bring order to their lives. Amidst the backdrop of business, sports, romance, and adventure, the narrative delves into the rough world of inline speed skating.

Tell us about the production of the film.

We are an indie film that filmed for 16 days over 3 weeks so we could have breaks between most of the long days. We had to postpone our outdoor skating and indoor meet skating to 6 months later. The outdoor skating was filmed over two days in March 2024.  

The opening scenes of “Off The Line” feature actual race footage from across the US at different meets combined with the 2024 Battle of Seattle footage. This was the first US inline speed skating movie – so we wanted to really grab the attention with some exciting action, before we got into back story. 

Watch the Teaser Trailer:

How did you choose your crew?

Our crew is a mixture of people who I had worked with on my other three films. Some were seasoned professionals, but most were recent high school graduates or kids entering their senior year for high school.  

James Starlin (Cinematographer) was my first call. James is a cinematographer who worked with me on my last movie and had such great ideas about camera angles I knew he would have ideas about how we could film the skating. We rented a dolly and James filmed while on a skateboard. I also brought on Ian McGrath (Cinematographer). Ian and I went to high school together and have worked together on projects since 7^th grade. Ian worked on cameras and helped set lighting for scenes.

Another team member was Daniel Schomber (Sound Engineer). Daniel worked as an actor for my first movie “The Future of Us”, and it turned out he ran sound for his High School Theater Productions and took over audio while not acting.

I brought in Chris Noordman (Associate Producer), who had worked with me on my second film, “The Get Rich Quick Scheme”, and he is also a filmmaker. He helped keep me on track and helped organize the day’s filming as well as recruited extras for the film.

For casting I added Doran Danielson, who also doubled up as an associate producer. Doran led the casting and located actors as well as being the point person for cast communication.

There are many more who rolled up their sleeves for this indie film, even though our crew was small it was mighty and really committed to making this the best movie possible. Everyone felt invested and teamed up to power through bad weather, long hours. I cannot thank them enough or acknowledge enough it was their dedication that made this movie possible.

How do you feel the movie will fair with the sporting community? 

Overall “Off The Line” has been well received by the skating community. Those I have spoken to have been highly supportive. I believe inline skating has a real chance to get the exposure it needs to move to the next level and possibly become an official Olympic sport. 

When will the film release?

The film will be out on all digital platforms on May 13^th. For more details you can follow IMDb, Instagram, Facebook and Website. 

The post Samuel L. Pierce Gears Up for New Movie ‘Off The Line’ appeared first on Eyes on Hollywood.

The Complexity of Acting

Transitioning from the world of professional boxing to the often unpredictable realm of acting has been a learning experience for Yovani. When asked about the biggest surprise he’s encountered so far, he candidly admits:  ”Acting is not as easy as it looks,” Yovani explains. “I started off my journey thinking it was going to be a walk in the park, and that wasn’t the case. It takes time and patience in this industry. No actor/actress will learn everything in one day to be the best at what they do.”

With pilot season on the horizon, when asked about his dream project, Yovani’s answer reveals his enduring love for a particular genre: the zombie apocalypse.

“I would have loved to have been cast in The Walking Dead if the TV series was still being aired,” he says. “I’ve always liked watching zombie apocalypse movies ever since I was a kid for It got my heart beating like a drum. It kept me glued to the TV because it was exciting. You don’t know what to expect so keeps you thinking about what’s going to happen.”

Yovani Rodarte: An Actor to Watch

Yovani Rodarte’s journey from professional boxer to the film industry is one to watch out for! As he prepares for new opportunities in 2025, he  ready to fight for his place on the screen, bringing the same determination he displayed in the boxing ring to the film industry. Follow Yovani on Socials to keep up with all the latest acting updates and daily feed! 

Photo credit @photosbyjamaal
Instagram

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