The AvA Connection

🐝 The Weekly Buzz

A24, the part film studio part cultish curator of culture, is launching… A24 Music. But what does that mean exactly?

Only 23 films that were directed by women have been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. For context, the awards have been around for 97 years, and 611 films in total have been nominated for the award. Notably though, 6 of the 10 films that were included this year were made by female directors. Full breakdown here.

Ethel Cain becomes the first openly trans artist to land an album in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Her project ‘Preachers Daughter’ that was released in 2022 was catapulted after it was finally pressed on vinyl.

Ed Sheeran, ROSÉ from BLACKPINK, Snoop Dogg, Hozier, and more have been included on TIME100’s list of most influential people for 2025. The full list can be found here. Also Jalen Hurts (go Birds).

Tracy Chapman, Miles Davis, and Minecraft: Volume Alpha have officially been added to the National Recording Registry. The registry only includes 675 titles since it was first opened in 2000 by the Library of Congress ‘to preserve cultural milestones for future generations,’ and it’s clearly a very mixed bag.

The follow up to Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain’ has been picked up by A24. The film will have the same production team, and is a musical theater related movie that includes Halle Bailey, Paul Giamatti, and more.

Ryan Coogler & Michael B. Jordan’s film ‘Sinners’ is looking at a $40-45 million debut. The duo have worked together on a handful of films including ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Creed,’ and ‘Fruitvale Station,’ and their chemistry seems still to be working.

Coachella is still winning the Instagram game:

L.A. on-location shoots were down by 22% in Q1 of 2025, mostly in part due to the fires.

• TV production peaked in 2021 w/ 18,560 shoot days. 7,716 shoot days were logged in 2024. AKA down 58.4% in 3 years.

• California is still bleeding productions to cheaper, more incentive-friendly states and countries. Industry leaders are pushing to expand the state’s film tax credit to $750M+ to stay competitive.

• Lower-budget projects like music videos, student films, and documentaries dropped 20.2% last quarter, a sign that the slowdown is hitting every level of the industry.

• Only 17.5% of drama shoots were tied to California’s tax credit program, and comedies aren’t even eligible, making them an easy target for relocation to cities (and countries) that are cheaper to film in.

Any positives?

• Production had increased 6.2% YoY at the end of 2024, which suggests the industry can rebound when conditions are right.

• Even if the shoot days are down, stakeholders know what the problems are, and are taking steps to fight for the future (incentives, tax credits, competitive reforms).

• With execs testifying in Sacramento and economic stats front and center ($670K and 1,500 jobs per shoot day!), there’s stronger storytelling around why keeping productions in California matters.

🧠 Hear From Your Peers (our new series)

📞 The Call Log: Tyler McLean & Becky Rosen-Checa

Tyler McLean ​is the founder and producer of Splash House, the iconic electronic music festival held in Palm Springs, California. Born and raised in Palm Springs, McLean graduated from UCLA with degrees in Communications and Political Science. In 2013, while still a senior at UCLA, he launched Splash House with the vision of revitalizing the city's summer scene by combining its rich pool party tradition with contemporary dance music. Over the years, Splash House has grown significantly, expanding to multiple weekends and attracting thousands of visitors, while booking essentially every big name in dance music: Odesza, John Summit, Chris Lake, Justice, Duke Dumont, Diplo, Lane 8 & many more. I think even my mom knows some of those names.

While you may know him from Splash House, McLean has been quietly building two new staples in the Palm Springs music scene: Desert Air, a November festival that just had its 2nd year at the Palm Springs Air Museum, and Goldenvoice Surf Club, a 4-day music & surf series taking place over both Coachella weekends at the brand new Palm Springs Surf Club.

He’s aligned closely with Becky Rosen-Checa in recent years, who now leads the talent buying of his events from the Goldenvoice side, as well as handling Fox Pomona and one-off events in L.A. You’ve probably seen her at a festival wearing a fur coat made by a brand you can’t pronounce with martini in hand. While her music taste is ~chefs kiss~ what’s more impressive is her story: she went from receptionist at AEG/Goldenvoice to now one of the rising stars in the live music industry. (SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE - JIM CARREY VOICE).

With the 2nd weekend of Goldenvoice Surf Club happening this Saturday and Sunday, I thought this would be a timely interview.

Our conversation is below:

AvA: What was your first role or project in the music industry? 

Becky: I started as the receptionist at AEG/Goldenvoice in 2017. I wanted to work in the industry but had no experience and it was the only job I could get, so I adopted a “no job is too small” mentality and vowed to be the best receptionist they had ever seen. Seemingly it worked, and about 8 months later Jenn Yacoubian hired me to be her assistant. The rest is history!

Tyler: Starting Splash House in 2013. I had zero industry experience — just a love for dance music and an idea to bring it to my hometown. Everything else I had to learn and figure out along the way.

AvA: GV Surf Club delivers four distinct yet cohesive lineups across two weekends. What’s your process for curating talent that elevates the experience while giving each day its own identity?

Becky: We start by booking a headliner per day and then work with each of those artists to build out the rest of their day’s lineup. Involving the headliner in this process helps create an identity for each day that is distinct from the others.  

AvA: Beyond the standard metrics (followers, streams, hard ticket sales, engagement etc.) what intangible qualities or signals do you look for in an artist early on that make you believe they’re worth betting on?

Becky: Honestly, I mostly just go off vibes, but I also think having a unique sound is important – a voice or production style that you haven’t heard before & can easily place thereafter.

AvA: You’ve built Splash House, GV Surf Club, and Desert Air into cultural moments, all rooted in unique backdrops of Palm Springs. What is it about the region that makes it the right canvas for these events, and how do you continue to differentiate these products from a growing number of events in the area? 

Tyler: I grew up in the desert and have a deep love for it, which is part of my drive to create more culture and experiences there. Palm Springs has the venues, rooms, and other infrastructure that make building festival experiences possible, not to mention just being a beautiful place to spend a weekend. Being so close to LA & the rest of So Cal also makes it accessible without the cost or effort of long travel.

AvA: Splash House is now in its 12th year, and has grown from a boutique festival into multiple weekends with some of the biggest names in dance music. How do you think about continuing to develop the festival while preserving the core identities that have resonated with fans since day one? 

Tyler: We’ve approached every year with a drive and excitement to bring something new to the show – whether that’s through the programming, production, or other parts of the experience. Our willingness to grow, evolve and experiment has been important staying relevant this many years in, but we’ve tried to be fan-focused on every step to not lose touch of the core identity. It’s the reason we’ve kept the capacity of the show the same since 2018.

AvA: What is one piece of advice you have for someone just starting their career in the music industry? 

Becky: “Get your f**king ass up and work” – Kim Kardashian

Tyler: Be the person who shows up, who follows through, and who makes it enjoyable to work together. Bring good energy and you’ll usually find it returned.

AvA: If you could build an event around one act (dead or alive) who would it be?

Becky: Kate Bush headlined festival & the undercard is all artists who have been influenced by her.

Tyler: The Beach Boys at the Surf Club 😉 Olive branch to the retirees in Palm Springs who live next to our parties.

Reach out if you’re going to GV Surf Club. I’ll be there and would love to say hi - Warner

👋 See you back here on Tuesday for a brand new selection of Entertainment jobs

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This newsletter is written by Warner Bailey and edited by Riley Furey

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