Art Department Panel Recap

November wrapped up our last panel of the semester, The Art Department Panel. This panel featured 3 well-known, incredibly sweet ladies from the Austin creative community. Check out our recap below and what each panelists had to say.

Top 3 Takeaways
1. BE NICE. BE RESPECTFUL!
2. Even in the creative, artsy department, organization is a requirement.
3. Thrift Town and Thrift Land are two of the best places to find treasures to make your set stand out.

Kari Perkins, a long-time costume designer, began her career by simply knowing how to sew. She jumped into the Austin community theater scene and soon after made her film debut with Dazed and Confused.  To this day, Kari still works with director Richard Linklater on many of his projects.  Her most challenging film experience to date? Working with 20 principle actors and 250 extras; all had 10 costume changes. We know what you're thinking, and yes, our jaw dropped too.  But she championed through with patience and teamwork: five people dressing extras, one person in the trailer, and three people dressing on set. Hats off to you, Kari!

Caroline, an MFA alum of The University of Texas at Austin, got her start in the fine arts world. She graduated from art school with a degree in photography and printmaking.  After attending graduate school at UT, she jumped into the Austin film scene and has since worked on films like Lovers of Hate (nominated for an Independent Spirit Award) and The Bounceback. Oh, and Kari gave a special shout out to Megan Gilbride (featured in our producing panel here) and Bryan Poyser for being such a great team to work with.  Caroline also shared some advice for students looking to gain more film experience: "If you admire someone's work, shoot them an email and ask to intern or work for them so you can see the department."

Yvonne, currently art director for the ABC Family Show The Lying Game, comes from a diverse background of architecture, dance, and set design.  Having worked both on film (Machete, Black Metal) and TV sets, she emphasised the differences between the pre-production process for film and TV.  Working on a TV set, Yvonne usually has 6 days for pre-production (sometimes less - yikes!), as opposed to on a film shoot where she has a longer pre-production period, usually 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the project.  Her advice for someone working in the art department?  “When going over budget, always communicate with the producer.”  We’re pretty sure the ladies from our producing panel would agree with that!

Dazed and Confused

Lovers of Hate

Machete

We want to give a big thanks to everyone who attended the Women In Cinema panels this semester.  We have great things planned for 2013 so keep an eye out. Cheers to the New Year!

Producing Panel

This month's Producing Panel features distinguished Austinite TV & Film Producers Rakeda Ervin, Caroline Connor, and Megan Gilbride.  These bad ass ladies will share their experiences and knowledge with us next week at our monthly panel.  Get to know our panelists below:

Rakeda L. Ervin has more than ten years of experience as a producer and director.  Her credits are with networks like A&E, NBC and MTV. She's worked on series like, VH1 Behind the Music, My First BET Awards, Shipping Wars and E! True Hollywood Story.  In addition, Rakeda has produced and directed short films and award winning independent documentaries. She is the first director to chronicle the politics of Generation X, through her documentary, X= A Generation Evolved.  Currently, Rakeda teaches video production with the Liberal Arts & Science Academy in Austin.


Caroline Connor has worked in the entertainment industry for the last  8 years.  She recently produced Chu and Blossom, which stars Alan Cumming, Mercedes Ruehl and Annie Potts.  She also co-produced LUV, which hits the theaters in November and Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best which is currently in theaters and on VOD through Oscilloscope. The films premiered, respectively, at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. She is in post-production on Pictures of Superheroes, which she Executive Produced. She has also served as Travel Coordinator on the films Stop Loss and Friday the 13th, and Production Coordinator for various films including Machete, Puncture,  Beneath The Darkness, and Seven Days in Utopia.

Megan Gilbride is an Independent Spirit Award nominated producer of narrative and documentary films.  She produced Bryan Poyser’s LOVERS OF HATE, which premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by IFC.  A critical darling praised by the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and San Francisco Chronicle, LA Weekly’s Karina Longworth described the film as “the most exciting American indie I’ve seen in a while.”  

Collaborators since 2005, Megan produced Poyser’s short film, THE FICKLE, for the USA Network’s 2011 Character Project and is currently producing his romantic comedy feature, THE BOUNCEBACK.

Megan produced the documentary feature SUNSHINE which debuted on PBS’s Independent Lens in May 2010 and is currently playing educational venues as a means of expanding public discourse on teen pregnancy, adoption, abortion, and single-parenting in today’s society.  She associate produced Steve Collins’ GRETCHEN, winner of the Best Narrative Feature Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, and Susan Youssef’s HABIBI, the story of star-crossed lovers in the Gaza strip, which was shot in Ramallah, Palestine.  The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2011, debuted in North America at the Toronto Film Festival and won four awards, including best picture and best actress at the Dubai International Film Festival.

Megan co-produced Heather Courtney’s Sundance Documentary Fund grantee and ITVS-funded feature, WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM which won the Best Editing prize at the SXSW Film Festival and the Nokia Truer Than Fiction award at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards.  The film screened at the LA Film Festival, Silverdocs, Full Frame, BAM Cinemafest, Rooftop Films, and on Capitol Hill as sponsored by the Chief of Staff of the National Guard, General Craig McKinley, and Senator Carl Levin.  The story of three National Guardsmen from small-town Michigan who travel to Afghanistan and back, WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM aired on PBS in a special Veteran’s Day presentation of the acclaimed series POV and was nominated for a 2012 Emmy Award.

Megan received a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from The College of William and Mary and an MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas.

EVENT DETAILS
Monday, October 8
Women In Cinema Meeting 7:30-8 pm
Producing Panel 8-9:30 pm
CMA 3.120, Free Admission
Facebook Event