DATE: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

INITIATIVE: Fourth Annual NBC Short Cuts

DISCUSSION: 6:30 PM -7:30 PM

Q & A: 7:30 – 8:00 PM

ASSOCIATION: NYTVF

LOCATION: New World Stages

340 W. 50th Street (enter 50th St. side)

New York City

MODERATOR: Cari Champion
PANELISTS: Five Industry Experts to discuss the topic of film and entertainment
TOPIC: Discussion Points

• Karen O’Hara - Pitching
• Nancy Goldman – Building Relationships / Networking
• Kate Schumaecker – Shopping your project
• Bernard Jackson – Legal Aspects / Contracts

CARI CHAMPION (Moderator)

From Los Angeles to Florida and Atlanta Cari Champion is truly a cosmopolitan lady with an uptown/downtown vibe. Cari has lived all over the country pursuing a career in broadcast journalism. She has worked for ABC, NBC and the CBS network affiliates. She's covered hard news to features stories, talked fashion and business with P-Diddy and Donald Trump but has also helped families after a natural disaster changed their lives. Cari is an Emmy award winning journalist with soft a side. The first in her family to graduate from college, Cari majored in English at UCLA. Considered ambitious and a hard worker she quickly landed a job after college as a field reporter in West Virginia. After several moves, she arrived in the #8 market in the country, anchoring and reporting for a CBS affiliate. Over the years she became known as the person who makes *everyone* feel comfortable but she doesn't hesitate to ask the difficult questions with a sense of humor. Cari prides herself on getting the "hard to get" interview. "Giving a voice to those who can't speak for themselves or simply making people laugh". Cari is a force in this business.

KAREN O’HARA (Director of Original Movies, Syfy Channel)

Karen O’Hara began her career in the entertainment business over twenty years ago, starting as a performer in a traveling children’s show. After deciding that the actor’s life was not for her, she turned to freelancing in various production jobs to learn the nuts and bolts of the behind-the-scenes world. Before long, she settled into a succession of challenging freelance jobs at HBO - story analyst, documentary researcher, acquisitions consultant and creative producer on the Cinemax After Dark series. Moving into a staff position at HBO, she helped create the Film and Talent Evaluation Dept. to seek out new talent and product. Five years later she left HBO, planning to work as a consultant, but almost immediately established a relationship with the Syfy Channel where she was delighted to take a position that gives her the opportunity to make over thirty movies a year and have a hand in every aspect of the production.

BERNARD H. JACKSON, III (Counsel, Dewey & LeBoeuf)

Bernard H. Jackson, III is counsel in the firm's Entertainment, Media,and Sports Practice Group. He has extensive experience in the negotiation and drafting of contracts relating to entertainment and media business transactions, including film, television, music, branded entertainment and various talent agreements. His diverse experience also encompasses new media, book publishing, edutainment and live performances. Mr. Jackson represents both celebrity and institution clients, and has been involved in high-profile contract negotiations and consulted on several intellectual property and entertainment industry litigation matters. Mr. Jackson also advises clients on certain issues arising under copyright and trademark law, as well as rights of publicity.

NANCY GOLDMAN (Entertainment Coach)

Nancy is a professionally trained life coach specializing in the entertainment industry and loves working with people on all sides of the business.

Nancy began her career on Wall Street where she was a sales assistant for six years. In pursuit of her life-long dream to work in entertainment, Nancy scored a television job for Emmy Award-winning talk show host Montel Williams. Working her way up in Montel’s production company, Nancy went from being a Production Coordinator to the Head of East Coast Development. In her eight years working with Montel, she produced several live pay-per-view specials featuring world renowned psychic Sylvia Browne and associate produced “Little Pieces,” an independent film that marked Montel’s directorial debut.

KATE SCHUMAECKER, (Director of Programming, Superb Entertainment)

For three and a half years, Kate Schumaecker has been head of development for Meryl Poster's production company, Superb Entertainment. With a first look deal at NBC for TV and at Universal for film, Superb is currently developing pilots with NBC, ABC, and CW, as well as producing the film version of In the Heights (the Tony award-winning Broadway musical) for Universal. Before heading up Superb, Schumaecker spent four years overseeing development at actor/producer/director Bob Balaban's company Chicagofilms. While there, she developed the film Bernard and Doris (Ralph Fiennes, Susan Sarandon), the animated show Hopeless Pictures (IFC), Celebrity Charades (AMC), and was Associate Producer of The Exonerated, starring Susan Sarandon and Aidan Quinn, for Court TV.