The Hanson FilmTV Institute and Film Tucson present a Free Webinar Panel on Friday July 17th, from 3-4:30PM (PST) / 6-7:30PM (EST).
With the increase of scripted series on broadcast, cable and digital formats, there are more opportunities for writers and producers to pitch, but the market remains competitive. What does it take to develop your great idea into a professional pitch? And how do you adjust to virtual pitching, with its challenges and opportunities? Our accomplished panelists will share their first-hand experience to answer these questions and more.
Our panel moderator, Lorna Soroko, is a former TV development executive based at Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox, an award-winning writer/producer, and an entertainment attorney.
The Panelists:
Jennifer Breslow is currently Director of Original Series at Netflix, following her focus on global series as Director of Content for International. Prior to Netflix, Jennifer was VP, Scripted Series at Lifetime, overseeing development and production of pilots and series such as Unreal, and VP of Drama Development and Current Programming at ABC, working on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Before that, Jennifer served as VP of Drama Development at The CW, overseeing the creation of shows such as The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl and 90210, and at Outerbank’s Entertainment, where she first climbed the executive ranks. She has also produced feature films. Jennifer earned a B.A. in Media Arts from the University of Arizona. Chris Davis is Head of Television, Echo Lake Entertainment, where he oversees on-air shows and projects in development. Chris helped to set up Echo Lake’s first series, Van Helsing, one of SyFy’s highest rated shows, andThe Great, on Hulu, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Chris is also a part of the management team that represents Forbes Entertainment. Previously, Chris worked at A&E for over a decade doing publicity and helping launch movies and mini-series such as The Cleaner and The Beast. At A&E, he also served as Manager of Development and Current programming, overseeing shows including Breakout Kings, Longmire, Bates Motel, Those Who Kill, and The Returned. Chris holds a degree from the University of Hartford.
Peter Murietta is an Emmy Award winning producer and writer of TV series dedicated to including diverse and underrepresented people. He is currently an Executive Producer/Writer on Netflix’s popular comedy series, Mr. Iglesias. Peter created the WB series, Greetings From Tucson, and was an Executive Producer of Disney’s award-winning Wizards of Waverly Place. Peter was a producer/writer on NBC’s Welcome to the Family, ABC’s Cristela, TV Land’s Lopez, the Netflix re-boot of One Day at a Time, and CBS’ Superior Doughnuts. Starting out, he was honored to receive an ABC writing fellowship. An alumnus of the University of Arizona, Peter taught at the American Film Institute and serves as a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University.
Sheila Walcott is currently the Head of TV and Film at Malcolm D. Lee’s Blackmaled Productions. Prior to that, Sheila served as Director of Development at Warner Bros. Pics, working on films such as Just Mercy, A Star is Born, Ocean’s 8, and the upcoming adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights. She focused on children’s films at Disney Channel Original Movies, working on the hit franchise Descendents, and she consulted for HBO Films, working on Emmy and Golden Globe winning films. Sheila began working in television development at Overbrook Entertainment, developing shows at networks such as TNT and The CW, after starting out in talent management, working with A-list actors.