On July 13, DGA 1st ADs gathered at the DGA headquarters in Los Angeles to celebrate their annual 1st AD luncheon. The event was hosted by the Western AD/UPM Council’s 1st AD Committee and provided attendees with valuable information on new media and production apps from seasoned Guild members.
1st AD Committee Co-Chair Mark Hansson (Amazing Stories) kicked off the event by welcoming the attendees and guest speakers and introducing DGA Assistant Executive Director Steven Knauss, the executive assigned to work with the Council.
In the first section of the event, DGA AD/UPM VFX/Digital Technology Committee Chair Susan Zwerman and 1st AD Daniel Silverberg (Thunderforce) delivered a PowerPoint presentation on selected production apps useful to members of this category. Zwerman and Silverberg also provided handouts and answered audience questions about those apps at the end of their presentation.
In the second section of the day, Hansson introduced 1st AD panelists: Jason C. Brown (Drunk History), Kelly Cantley-Kashima (The Office), Billy Greenfield (Dollface) and Shawn Pipkin-West (Sorry for Your Loss), who each shared brief anecdotes about working in new media in a conversation moderated by Jill Maxcy (What/If) and Hansson. After their introductions, the panelists also gave their perspectives on a variety of subjects including: the advantages and challenges of working in new media, the current terms and conditions of internet production on streaming platforms and how the business has changed during its brief history.
About the Committee
The Western AD/UPM Council’s 1st AD Committee meets to plan events, exchange information, share ideas and address issues facing 1st AD members. In addition to Committee Co-Chairs: Alan B. Curtiss and Mark Hansson, the 1st AD Committee Members are: Tony Adler, David Bernstein, Nicole Burke, Kelly Cantley-Kashima, Steve Danton, Bruce Franklin, Katterli Frauenfelder, Jim Goldthwait, Warren Gray, Van Hayden, Kevin Koster, Larry Lerner, Linda Montanti, Michele Panelli-Venetis, Korey Pollard, Cindy Potthast, Louis Race, Scott Robertson, Artist Robinson, Cathy Schlesinger, Daniel Silverberg, Tracey Smith Baumert, Babu Subramaniam, Carol Vitkay and Shawn Pipkin-West.