fbpx

META DATA

by | Sep 18, 2012 | 2012 Seminar Panels

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13, 2 pm-5pm

Panel 3

Venue: The Gallery Conference Room: 1125 N McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90038

INDEPENDENT PITCHING PANEL and PITCH FEST: Learn what you need to know for them to say yes to your film or idea.

We explore the avenues available for the independent filmmakers to get your film made through the pitching process. We will have a panel of expert managers, producers, and development executives who will give pointers and reveal the
process of pitching in Hollywood. We will have Q&A with the expert panelists and then you will get to pitch your idea or script in front of our panel – and get direct feedback on your idea, style and presentation. Don’t want to pitch? Just come sit, listen and learn. Q&A to follow.

 

MODERATOR:

Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein         

Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein

“Devo” Cutler-Rubenstein is President of Noble House Entertainment, Inc.  An exec at several studios, including Director of Literary Affairs for Columbia Pictures Television, she transitioned to producing and exec produced the feature film franchise THE SUBSTITUTE starring Tom Berenger and Treat Williams. She co-wrote and directed PEACOCK BLUES for Showtime Entertainment.  Starring Bill Forsythe and Poppy Montgomery the short won best film and audience favorite at Moon dance Int’l Film Festival.  Her doc NOT ARFAID TO LAUGH, about using humor to heal, was nominated for a Peabody and won the Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards and was selected to be archived in the Museum of Broadcasting. A member of WGAw, her material has been optioned and/or produced by Columbia Pictures, ABC, PBS, Showtime, Interscope among others.  She has directed award-winning theatre productions domestically and aboard, most recently, she was hired to co-write and direct two features.  Recent TV credits include developing, directing and producing TATTOO U for FX Channel.  Summers she enjoys teaching at USC, coaching writer-directors from around the world on short films. Her book WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? WRITING SHORTS, her DVD, “The Insiders Guide to Film Financing” and her “Reality Presentation Development Packet” are sold through The Writers Store.  Devo’s “Dating Your Character… Eight Steps to Writing Screenplays that Sell (& Soar)” is featured on NATPE’s website – www/natpe.tv/blog/ and <http://www.datingyourcharacter.net> .  The prolific filmmaker is also a committed coach who conducts ongoing writing and acting workshops around the world to help writers, actors and directors create career strategies through branding, pitch coaching, marketing and brokering.  <>  / getcoverageplus.com /  devo9@me.com.

PANELISTS:

Howard Burkon

 

Howard Burkons

Howard Burkons has been a Producer and Writers Guild of America member for over 25 years, having written, produced and executive produced movies for television, hour drama and half hour comedy pilots, documentaries and feature films.
Among Howards latest projects are the films, “Deck the Halls,” which he wrote for Turner Network Television and Executive Produced with his longtime producing partner, Brenda Friend, and “Smooch,” which he co-wrote with Terry Spencer and also Executive Produced with Brenda Friend for the Hallmark Channel.
Howard (also with Friend) Executive Produced the award winning “The Ron Clark Story,” which premiered on Turner Network Television on August 13, 2006.  “The Ron Clark Story,” one of the highest rated movies of 2006, was nominated for two Emmy Awards; one for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, and one for Matthew Perry as Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries.  The film has also garnered top honors as a nominee for the Critic’s Choice Award, and was recognized by the Golden Globes, the SAG, DGA and WGA Awards, as well as receiving the Family Friendly Award for Best TV Movie of 2006, and the prestigious Christopher and Gabriel Awards in 2007.
Other films written and/or produced by Howard are “John Q” for New Line Cinema starring Denzel Washington, “Advice Wars, The Ann and Abby Movie” for Lifetime Television, and “Highway Heartbreaker,” which, when it aired on CBS, was the highest rated television movie of the year.  Howard has also collaborated for the past fifteen years with award winning filmmaker, David Mickey Evans (“The Sandlot”, “Radio Flyer”) and has sold several features with Evans as his Co-Writer and Producer, and is developing television series with screenwriter Warren Lewis (“Black Rain”, “13th Warrior”).
Howard was also an early adapter/WGA Writer of Interactive Entertainment and Computer Games, and spent several years in that market working as a “Blue Sky” Creative Consultant for Electronic Arts, and other cutting-edge new media companies.  As an actor, Howard appeared in several films and performed in the “Groundlings Sunday Show,” and is a writing, pitching, and producing coach who lectures in screenwriting and film and TV production at UCLA, USC, and the Philadelphia Conservatory of the Arts, teaches a semi-annual, concentrated, “Catch and Pitch” three-day weekend seminar at ASU, and recently taught a graduate course in Television Production at LMU.
The father of two, he has been married to Studio Executive and Producer Donna Burkons for 39 years, and is represented by Attorney Richard Thompson, Agent Cindy Mintz, and Personal Manager, Paul Escroll.

David Corbett

David Corbett

David Corbett is a highly regarded animation industry executive, David Corbett has provided senior management expertise for such high profile companies as Marvel, Group W Broadcasting, Hearst Entertainment, MGM.
His production portfolio of over 600 hours of television series, Specials and Features contains some of the highest name brands in the Industry: Transformers, GI Joe, Muppet Babies, Phantom 2040, Flash Gordon, Prince Valiant, and most recently Pink Panther & Pals and A Very Pink Christmas, produced for MGM and ABC Family Channel.
David is a proud recipient of the industry’s highest honors: Humanities Prize, New York Times Critics Pick, Silver Angels, Emmy Nomination, KidScreen Awards, and CINE Golden Eagle.

Beverly Graf

Beverly Graf

Beverly J. Graf was the Vice President of Development at Abilene Pictures from 1996 through June 2012working with director Gregory Hoblit in association with New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Her credits there include Primal Fear starring Richard Gere, Fallen starring Denzel Washington, Frequency starring Dennis Quaid, Hart’s War starring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell, Fracture starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling and Untraceable starring Diane Lane.  She is currently a creative consultant for Abilene Pictures.
In 2004, Abilene partnered with Steven Bochco to produce the television pilot NYPD – 2069 and more recently partnered with CBS to produce Solving Charlie and with Warner Brothers Television on television project Wanted. Beverly has also worked as story analyst for Creative Artists Agency, Triad Agency and several production companies. Some of Beverly’s other credits include line producing Young & Younger, Salmonberries (associate producer),Rosalie Goes Shopping and two k.d. lang videos.
In addition, Beverly has a Ph.D. & M.A. from Princeton University, a B.A. from Dartmouth College and currently teaches Film As Art, Film Studies 200, and History of Film 501 at Pepperdine University and Film Genre Studies and Creative Producing at UCLA Extension (since 2006). She has assisted classes at Princeton University and UCSB.
Beverly recently gave a paper at the Wisconsin Film & History Conference. She has just finished her first mystery novel, Genesys Rx.

Marlene Sharp

Marlene Sharp

Marlene joined RGH from Two Twigs & A Berry Productions, LLC, where she was a Producer.  During her tenure there, she developed and produced films, TV series, and games.  She was Producer/Manager of Distribution and Marketing at Enemies, Inc., a South Korean company with offices in LA, where she contributed to animated properties such as  Higglytown Hereos, Da Jammies, and Z-Squad.

Marlene began her career at Renaissance-Atlantic films as Director of Development, where she was involved in the production, development, and marketing of children’s TV series, including Power Rangers, Digimon, and Heavy Gear.