pdf - Produced By Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES
ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS FOR 7TH ANNUAL PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE
INCLUDING A “360 PROFILE” WITH BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
SESSION TOPICS ACROSS FILM, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
NEWLY ADDED PANELISTS INCLUDE JEANETTE BRILL, FRANCIE CALFO, KAY CANNON,
SUSANNE DANIELS, PHILLIP DAWE, JONATHAN DECKTER, JENNIFER FOX, DAVID FRIENDLY,
HOWARD GORDON, JESSICA RHOADES, HAL SADOFF, AND SANJAY SHARMA, AMONG OTHERS
LOS ANGELES (April 8, 2015) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today additional
headliners and speakers for its 7th annual Produced By Conference (PBC), including a “360 Profile” on
building a team with Blumhouse Productions -- the multimedia production company behind the highly
successful PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE PURGE, INSIDIOUS, and SINISTER micro-budget franchises, as
well as the critically-acclaimed independent film WHIPLASH. PBC takes place May 30-31 and is hosted
by Paramount Pictures on its historic Hollywood studio lot.
“Jason Blum and his team at Blumhouse Productions have successfully established a new model of
genre filmmaking, recognizing horror as not simply an engine for huge box office results, but as a
mature storytelling mode that has significant appeal to audiences worldwide,” said PBC Co-Chairs Ian
Bryce, Tracey Edmonds, Marshall Herskovitz, and Rachel Klein. “The structure of Blumhouse is unique
and we feel that producers can benefit from a deeper understanding of the company as a whole and
what makes it so distinctive.”
PBC also announced its full list of session topics which includes for the first time, two separate sessions
offering conference participants the opportunity to learn the finer points of film and television pitching
from some of the most established producers in the business. The panel for “The Art and Craft of
Pitching for Film” includes producers Stephanie Allain (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE), Marshall Herskovitz (THE
LAST SAMURAI), and Laurence Mark (DREAMGIRLS); the panel for “The Art and Craft of Pitching for
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Television” includes producers Kenya Barris (“black-ish”), Howard Gordon (“Homeland”), and Sarah
Timberman (“Masters of Sex”). Both sessions will be moderated by the PGA’s President Emeritus, Mark
Gordon (STEVE JOBS, “Ray Donovan”).
“We realized that honest, no-holds-barred feedback is important to anyone working on an important
pitch. There is an art to pitching, and communicating effectively is a crucial first step,” said PGA
National Executive Director, Vance Van Petten. “PGA members have been asking for more direct
interaction with our speakers and we are excited to offer this chance to learn from the best in the
business. Whether you are pitching your project or watching from the audience, it will provide
invaluable information.”
The PGA also announced newly added speakers for Produced By 2015. In alphabetical order, they
include:
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Stephanie Allain – Principal, Homegrown Pictures, Inc. (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, HUSTLE & FLOW)
Norberto Barba – (“Grimm”)
Kenya Barris – ("black-ish," "America's Next Top Model")
Jason Blum – Founder and CEO, Blumhouse Productions
Jeanette Brill – Head of Production, Blumhouse Productions
Francie Calfo - President, Imagine Television; (“Empire,” “Those Who Kill”)
Kay Cannon – (PITCH PERFECT movies, "30 Rock")
Susanne Daniels - President, Programming, MTV
Phillip Dawe -- Head of Post Production, Blumhouse Productions
Jonathan Deckter - President & COO, Voltage Pictures
Michael Donaldson – Partner, Donaldson + Callif
Jennifer Fox - NIGHTCRAWLER, THE BOURNE LEGACY
David Friendly – Principal, Friendly Films (SNEAKERHEADZ, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE)
Carolyn Giardina - Contributing Editor, Tech, The Hollywood Reporter
Howard Gordon – Executive Producer, Teakwood Lane Productions ("24," "Homeland")
John Heinsen – CEO and Executive Producer, Bunnygraph Entertainment
Glenn Kennel – President and CEO, ARRI, Inc.
Christie Mattull – Managing Director, HUB Entertainment Insurance
Jade McQueen - Managing Director, Media & Entertainment, Box
Hanny Patel – Senior Director, Digital & Emerging Markets, DIRECTV
Christopher Perez - Partner, Donaldson + Callif
John Ramsey - EP/Partner, Therapy Content (“Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,” SOUND CITY)
Jessica Rhoades – Head of Television, Blumhouse Productions
Jay Roewe - SVP, West Coast Productions, HBO
Jim Rota - EP/Partner, Therapy Content (“Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,” SOUND CITY)
Hal Sadoff – (THE NICE GUYS, HOTEL RWANDA)
Russell Schwartz – President, Pandemic Marketing
Sanjay Sharma – President and Chief Operating Officer, All Def Digital
Joe Sungkur – ("Dancing with the Stars")
Sarah Timberman – Partner, Timberman/Beverly Productions ("Masters of Sex," "Justified")
*The above speakers are subject to change.
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Produced By 2015 features a broad range of programming, including mentoring roundtables,
workshops and networking events. In addition to the “Conversations With…” series, PBC will include
conference sessions covering an incredible variety of topics. The full program includes the following
sessions:
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CONVERSATION WITH: EVA LONGORIA
CONVERSATION WITH: TYLER PERRY
CONVERSATION WITH: KEVIN SMITH
CONVERSATION WITH: REESE WITHERSPOON & BRUNA PAPANDREA
360 PROFILE: BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
360 PROFILE: EMPIRE Sponsored by Illinois Film Office
ALL THINGS PRODUCING: ASK THE PROS
THE ART AND CRAFT OF PITCHING FOR FILM
THE ART AND CRAFT OF PITCHING FOR TELEVISION Sponsored by Stars United Network LLC
BASED ON A TRUE STORY
CREATING MEANINGFUL BRAND PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE YOUR CONTENT Sponsored by
Corbis Entertainment’s BEN
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GAMES, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN: GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH YOUR WRITERS
HOW NOT TO GET SUED Sponsored by Momentous Insurance
INDEPENDENT FILM: THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN Sponsored by DIRECTV
THE INTERSECTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA: HOW THE SOCIAL WEB
IS CHANGING THE GAME
NON-FICTION & REALITY TELEVISION: FROM STARTING GUN TO FINISH LINE
PICTURE CLARITY: MAKING SENSE OF NEW CAMERA AND WORKFLOW OPTIONS Sponsored by
ARRI and Technicolor
PRODUCING A HIT WITH YOUR WORKFLOW IN THE CLOUD Sponsored by Box
PRODUCTION INCENTIVES AND THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRODUCER Sponsored by
Entertainment Partners
SCARY 3.0: THE NEW HORROR
THE STATE OF FINANCING FILMS TODAY Sponsored by Pacific Mercantile Bank
THE WORLD’S (SOON-TO-BE) BIGGEST MARKET: A PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO OPPORTUNITIES IN
CHINA Sponsored by East West Bank
UNSCRIPTED AND UNCENSORED: MEET THE BUYERS OF NON-SCRIPTED TV
*The above session topics are subject to change.
For a full list of speakers, session topics, and to register for Produced By 2015, please visit
www.producedbyconference.com. Early bird registration at a discounted rate is available now and ends
May 1st.
In addition to Paramount Pictures, sponsors to-date include: Cadillac, the official Automotive Partner of
the PGA; PRG, Production Resource Group; AKA; AMC Networks; ARRI; Box; CAPS Payroll; Celtx;
Cineverse; Corbis Entertainment’s BEN; DIRECTV; East West Bank; Entertainment Partners; Film Baton
Rouge; Film US Virgin Islands; Florida Film Commission; Hilton Worldwide; Honolulu Film Office; HUB
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Entertainment Insurance; Illinois Film Office; Intuitive Aerial Inc.; Korea Creative Content Agency
(KOCCA); Minnesota Film & TV; Momentous Insurance; Pacific Mercantile Bank; Produce Iowa;
SmartSource; Stars United Network LLC; Technicolor; and The Molecule.
The Produced By 2015 team includes Supervising Producer Barry Kaplan, Program Director Madelyn
Hammond, Marketing Consultant Lynda Dorf, and Sponsorship Director Diane Salerno of Six Degrees
Global.
Produced By 2015 is made possible by the Producers Guild of America’s charitable entity, the Producers
Guild of America Foundation, and epitomizes the Foundation’s core mission to educate those working
in the producing profession. To review highlights from previous conferences and receive news and the
latest programming updates for PBC 2015, please visit the Guild’s official website and follow its social
media channels for the event:
Website: ProducedByConference.com
Twitter: @Produced_By
Facebook: Facebook.com/producedbyconference
YouTube: YouTube.com/producersguild
Instagram: Instagram.com/producersguild
Hashtag: #PBC15
ABOUT THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA (PGA)
The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the
interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild
has more than 6,900 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and
community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits,
promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education
and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. For more information and the
latest updates, please visit ProducersGuild.org, www.PGAGreen.org, and www.PGADiversity.org, and
follow us on Twitter @ProducersGuild.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
42West
(310) 477-4442
Annalee Paulo & Erika Gutierrez
Annalee.Paulo@42West.net & Erika.Gutierrez@42West.net
To Request Media Credentials:
All media interested in covering the 2015 Produced By Conference will need to submit a Press
Credential Application. Please email KristiAnna.Collura@42West.Net to receive an application. While
credentials are not guaranteed due to space limitations, PBC will do its best to grant them to as many
outlets as possible.
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