William and Mary alumni who have carved out careers in the arts and entertainment industries will gather at the college for an inaugural conference next week.
On Nov. 8 and 9, the newly formed William & Mary Arts & Entertainment Alumni Council’s conference will explore the theme of “Arts & Entertainment in a Digital Age,” with speakers discussing how future producers, writers, directors, actors and designers can prepare for the future.
The speakers range from television screenwriters to a comedian to an advertising executive. Confirmed speakers include alumni David Abramo (head of Global Media for Reebox); Karen Hall (writer for “M*A*S*H” and “Judging Amy”); Sheri Holman (author of “A Stolen Tongue”); Pete Johnson (vice president of creative advertising for Nickelodeon); author David Johnston; Ashley Edward Miller (screenwriter for “Thor” and “X-Men: First Class”); Martha Mountain (lighting designer); Sara Schaefer (comedian and star of MTV’s “The Nikki & Sara Show”); Robert Wachs (founder of The Comic Strip); and Matt Williams (partner with The Martin Agency in Richmond).
“The entertainment world is undergoing some drastic changes as the digital revolution spreads into the worlds of film, television, theatre and fine arts,” said Jimmy Finn, a television executive who is a member of the Board of Directors for the A&E Council. “Audiences increasingly get their comedy and drama fix from a laptop, iPad, iPhone or X-box. This conference will bring together some accomplished industry experts – many of them alumni – to discuss how these changes are affecting the writers, designers and producers responsible for creating this content.”
The conference will kick off at 2 p.m. Nov.8 for students and paid guests with career mentoring roundtables; the night will include a Comedy Showcase in the Commonwealth Auditorium of the Sadler Center featuring alumni Sara Schaefer and Carmen Lynch. Tickets for non-conference attendees are $5 and doors open at 9 p.m.
On Nov. 9, a panel discussion about writing for the new digital world will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a discussion on branded entertainment. After lunch, a panel will focus on television, with the executive producers of “The Amazing Race,” “Made” and the vice president of programming for Warner Bros. Another panel will focus on comedy and the last forum will discuss how to make money from a creative life.
Admission to the conference is free for students, faculty and staff with a W&M ID. Admission for alumni and registrants is $85; register here.
