The acronym PGA is often associated with golf, but when it comes to the production of movies it is an acronym for the Producers Guild of America. They have created a venue for learning about the various facets of the movie industry with its “What is Produced By” series of conferences. This year’s speakers include Chef Anthony Bourdain of cable TV fame, actress Sarah Jessica Parker best known for her role in Sex and the City, and producer-writer James Schamus of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain fame.
It is a one day, 12 hour conference scheduled to be held October 28th at Manhattan’s Time Warner Center. An array of movie production topics and careers will be discussed, including indie film financing, distribution, non-fiction program creation for both the big screen and television, the importance of women in the film and television industry, media for children, and transmedia producing. It also explores video game production, news production, highlighted by conversations with film distribution companies and TV showrunners. (A showrunner is the person who has complete creative control over the production of a TV show.)
There are the basic sessions and workshops, and there is also the opportunity for individuals to collaborate with an established mentor of their choice in Mentoring Roundtable sessions. These roundtables are small groups of no more than 8 people who can ask questions of their mentors for one hour. The entire day is designed to be an informative and intensive series of workshops for people who have career commitments to film and TV production.
The conference is open to the general public, but PGA members are able to attend at a reduced conference rate. It pays to become a PGA member, as individual tickets sell for $350 less than the general public admission price. If you go online and register prior to October 1st, you can save yourself an additional $25. Early registration gives you the best opportunity to getting into the sessions you want to attend and being able to select which of the Mentoring Roundtable speakers you can sit in with.
(Note: Joining the PGA is a bit pricey and exclusive. Before joining you have to meet a group of select criteria that demonstrates a commitment to the film production industry. Visit the PGA website at http://www.producersguild.org for more information.)
Produced By: New York 2017 is clearly an event for serious and committed film production professionals. You will not only learn but have the opportunity to network and make connections with likeminded professionals who are very likely to be valuable to your current and future career aspirations. If you are a student who wants a real world perspective of a career in film production, and have several hundred dollars available, it provides the opportunity to get knee deep in the problems and opportunities available after graduating.
The PGA says on its website that What is Produced By: New York 2017 is not merely a spectator event. To get the maximum amount from the price of admission, prepare to come intense, immersed, and inquisitive.
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