1. art and entertainment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES FEATURED SPEAKERS FOR
7 ANNUAL PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE INCLUDING EVA LONGORIA, TYLER PERRY,
KEVIN SMITH, AND REESE WITHERSPOON & BRUNA PAPANDREA, PLUS SPECIAL
“360” ROUNDTABLE WITH “EMPIRE” EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
LEE DANIELS, DANNY STRONG, BRIAN GRAZER & ILENE CHAIKEN
TH
ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE MATT BAER, LISA BRUCE, IAN BRYCE,
TRACEY EDMONDS, MARK GORDON, MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ, HAWK KOCH, DAVID LINDE,
GARY LUCCHESI, LAURENCE MARK, LORI McCREARY, CHRIS MOORE, AMONG OTHERS
LOS ANGELES (March 17, 2015) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced its initial slate of
speakers confirmed to participate in the 7th annual Produced By Conference (PBC), taking place May
30-31 and hosted by Paramount Pictures on its historic Hollywood studio lot. This year, PBC’s
headlining “Conversations With…” series features individual in-depth discussions with producers Eva
Longoria, Tyler Perry, Kevin Smith; and Reese Witherspoon with producing partner, Bruna
Papandrea. The conference will also feature a special “360 ”roundtable discussion on Fox’s hit series
“Empire” as executive producers Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brian Grazer, and Ilene Chaiken break
down the diverse challenges of producing the show.
Produced By is the only conference specifically created by producers, for producers. No other event
gives producers so many opportunities to network with and learn from top storytellers and decisionmakers in the entertainment industry.
Confirmed panelists to date are noted below in alphabetical order. Additional speakers will be
announced in the coming weeks.
1









































Richard Abramowitz – President, Abramorama
Keith Arem – Creative Director and President, PCB Productions (“Call of Duty,” “Titanfall”)
Craig Armstrong – Co-Founder and CEO, 5X5 Media (“Survivor,” “King of the Nerds”)
Matthew Baer – Principal, Matt Baer Films (UNBROKEN, CITY BY THE SEA)
Justin Berenbaum – Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Relations, 505 Games
Arianna Bocco – SVP, Acquisitions and Production, IFC Films
Lisa Bruce – (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, NO STRINGS ATTACHED)
Ian Bryce – Ian Bryce Productions (WORLD WAR Z, TRANSFORMERS franchise)
Ilene Chaiken – Principal, Little Chicken, Inc. (“Empire,” “The L Word”)
Jeffrey Chan – Director & Chief Operating Officer, Bona Film Group
Joe Chianese -- Executive Vice President, EP Financial Solutions
Carlton Cuse – Principal, Carlton Cuse Productions (“Bates Motel,” The Strain”)
Lee Daniels – CEO, Lee Daniels Entertainment (“Empire,” LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER)
Charlie Ebersol – Founder and CEO, The Company ("The Profit," "NFL Characters Unite")
Tracey Edmonds – CEO and President, Edmonds Entertainment (JUMPING THE BROOM, "With this Ring")
Ellen Eliasoph – President and CEO, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia
Lauren Gellert – Executive VP, Development & Original Programming, WE tv (“Braxton Family Values,”
“Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars”)
Mark Gordon – Principal, Mark Gordon Company (“Ray Donovan,” SAVING PRIVATE RYAN)
Brian Grazer – Chairman, Imagine Entertainment (“Empire,” A BEAUTIFUL MIND)
Marshall Herskovitz – Partner, Bedford Falls Company (THE LAST SAMURAI, “thirtysomething”)
Grant Heslov -- Partner, Smokehouse Pictures (ARGO, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK)
Holly Hirzel – Experience PM, Microsoft HoloLens (“1 vs 100 Xbox Live”)
Rachel Klein -- Producer/Partner Solaris Entertainment ("30 for 30: The Fab Five," "30 Days in May")
Hawk Koch – Principal, The Koch Company (SOURCE CODE, PRIMAL FEAR)
Stuart J. Levy – Founder & CEO, TOKYOPOP (PRIEST, PRAY FOR JAPAN)
David Linde – Founder/Producer, Lava Bear Films (SHUT IN, FLOWERS OF WAR)
Eva Longoria – Founder/Producer, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment (“Devious Maids,” “Telenovela”)
Gary Lucchesi – President of the Producers Guild of America (MILLION DOLLAR BABY, THE LINCOLN
LAWYER)
Laurence Mark –Producer, Laurence Mark Productions (DREAMGIRLS, JULIE & JULIA)
Lori McCreary – President of the Producers Guild of America (INVICTUS, “Madam Secretary”)
Brent Montgomery – CEO, Leftfield Entertainment (“Pawn Stars,” “Tiny House Nation”)
Chris Moore – Principal, The Media Farm (GOOD WILL HUNTING, AMERICAN PIE)
Ted Mundorff – President and CEO, Landmark Theatres
Mark Owens -- Chief Revenue Officer, Corbis Entertainment
Tyler Perry – Chairman, The Tyler Perry Company (“If Loving You Is Wrong,” DIARY OF A MAD BLACK
WOMAN)
Brant Pinvidic – CCO, 3 Ball Entertainment (“Extreme Weight Loss,” “Bar Rescue”)
Bruna Papandrea – Co-Founder, Pacific Standard (WILD, HOT PURSUIT)
Bennett Pozil – EVP, Head of Corporate Banking, East West Bank
Elsa Ramo – Founding Partner, Ramo Law PC
Bruce Robertson – EVP, Creative Strategy, ITV Studios America ("#RichKids of Beverly Hills," "The Chase")
Kevin Smith – President, SModCo (YOGA HOSERS, CLERKS III)
2








Danny Strong – (“Empire,” LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER)
Vance Van Petten -- National Executive Director, Producers Guild of America
Adrian Ward – Division Manager, Entertainment Industries Division, Pacific Mercantile Bank
Sophie Watts – President, STX Entertainment
Reese Witherspoon – Co-Founder, Pacific Standard (WILD, HOT PURSUIT)
Winnie Wong – SVP, Momentous Insurance Brokerage
Vince Zampella – CEO, Respawn Entertainment (“Titanfall,” “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 &2”)
Ed Zobrist – General Manager, Games Division, RockYou (“The Walking Dead” Facebook game, “The
Fast & Furious” Facebook game)
“There is no conference like Produced By,” said PBC Co-Chairs Ian Bryce, Tracey Edmonds, Marshall
Herskovitz, and Rachel Klein. “Even in the seven years since the PGA created this event, the role of
the producer has shifted dramatically, and we’re proud of the way that Produced By has both
reflected and shaped that evolution. Every year, our attendees hear directly from the leading
visionaries and most respected producers in the industry. It’s a truly unique opportunity, and one
that’s already made a difference in the careers of hundreds of producers.”
Produced By 2015 features a broad range of programming, including mentoring roundtables,
workshops, and networking events. In addition to its prestigious “Conversations With…” series, PBC
will include conference sessions covering an incredible variety of topics, including life story
adaptations, independent feature film, the growing prominence of Chinese markets and investors,
non-fiction television, the writer-producer collaboration, the next generation of horror storytelling,
everything you wanted to know about games, and how the social web is changing media.
Registration and pricing information for Produced By 2015 can be found at 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; AMC Networks; Baton Rouge Film Commission; Box;
Corbis Entertainment; East West Bank; Entertainment Partners; Florida Office of Film &
Entertainment; Honolulu Film Office; Minnesota Film & TV; Momentous Insurance; Pacific Mercantile
Bank; The Molecule; Produce Iowa.
Returning to the PBC team are 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
3
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.
###
MEDIA CONTACTS
42West
(310) 477-4442
Annalee Paulo & Erika Gutierrez
[email protected] & [email protected]
To Request Media Credentials:
All media interested in covering the 2015 Produced By Conference will need to submit a Press
Credential Application. Please email [email protected] 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.
4