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began as a happy closing to exchange e-mail addresses and Independent Spirit Award-winning actor accident. In March 2002, business leads, Blatt knew he was on to ’70 and entertainment screenwriter B. Daniel something. attorney Peter Nelson ’76 (who has Blatt ’85 organized a Thus began Ephs in Entertainment, a represented several West Wing actors and dinner for Ephs after a drinking club with a networking problem. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson) INew Englandt Small Colleges function for Informal monthly dinner meetings have dropped in on occasion. And Steve -area alumni trying to break circulate among area restaurants and Lawson ’71 tapped the group to help into show business. When nearly two focus on giving industry newcomers and bolster an L.A. event to raise awareness dozen Williams alumni and friends veterans opportunities to mix without of his Williamstown Film Festival. crammed around a long table at a North feeling self-conscious. NYPD Blue’s “Instead of a forced ‘meet and greet,’ I Hollywood restaurant and stayed until ’71 is a regular attendee. wanted something relaxed and low-key,” EPHS INBy Susan Karlin

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Brett Hershey ’94 (center), producer and director, on the set of Fast Cars & Babies. Photo by Jeff Wong.

FRUSTRATED BY THE DEARTH OF UNPRETENTIOUS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKING GROUPS IN L.A., SCREENWRITER B. DANIEL BLATT ’85 STARTED ONE OF HIS OWN WITH A GROUP OF WILLIAMS ALUMNI.

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Informal monthly, like dinner meetings this one at a Burbank ant, offer restaur s industry newcomerans and veter opportunities to mix without feeling. self-conscious

says Blatt, who’s at Hershey (fr work on his Norman ont r Ander ow, fifth screen- son ’97left) and with actor (clockwise) Gor actor Ben play, The don Clapp ’71. Lady of Weber Photo by, pr Joducer Mississippi, B. Daniel Blatt ’85, founder of Ephs in Entertainment. Eph or mention a positive eff Wong . an interracial experience they had that love story set week. By the time the last And, unlike other groups, where it’s often in the Jim Crow-era South. “L.A. is a dif- person finishes, the margaritas are flow- difficult to separate players from posers, ficult town in which to meet people. I ing and the event is off and running. This Ephs in Entertainment is decidedly wanted to make it easier for Williams festive attitude has become such a group unassuming, allowing friendships to alums who came here to reconnect with trademark that it tends to flavor related emerge organically out of the dinners. the school and meet people who’ve done functions, like Lawson’s Williamstown In just one year, Ephs in Entertainment something in the industry.” Film Festival in L.A. event, which managed to foster two independent-film The dinners, which each attract a significant numbers of Ephs attended. projects. During a four-day shoot last dozen or so participants, have a Though Los Angeles is overrun with February, Brett Hershey ’94, an Internet grassroots, homespun feel to them. networking groups, Ephs in Entertainment entrepreneur-turned-filmmaker, enlisted Between the drinks and the entrées, Blatt offers two distinct benefits. Monthly about a dozen Ephs for a 10-minute piece asks guests to introduce themselves, meetings make it easier to maintain that recently inked a deal with Hypnotic, discuss their professions and aspirations, contacts in an industry that relies so a premier short-film distributor whose and then pay a compliment to a fellow heavily on relationships for business deals. leadership includes Gene Klein ’92.

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Society of Alumni President Richard Pickard ’75 calls the group “exactly the type of alumni activity that we would like to see blossom all over the world.” . In the coming year, he says, the Wong eff Executive Committee of the Society of . Photo by J with Clapp producer. Clapp put Hershey Alumni and the Alumni Office will focus Fast Cars in touch with Moonlight Mile director attention on mentoring in employment, ’85, who also served as hobbies and other areas of intellectual,

shey (left) discusses a scene in The film, an executive producer. athletic and artistic interest. “Participants Her Fast Cars & Babies, Ephs in Entertainment “started out as a will have the opportunity to help other chronicles a husband’s ill-fated way of socializing with bright people who alumni and enjoy each other’s company in attempts to sell a beloved sports car in had a common experience and as a way of the process,” Pickard says. “Ephs in favor of a practical family vehicle in putting something back into the school,” Entertainment already accomplishes these which to shuttle around his imminent says Clapp, who won an Emmy for his objectives.” baby. Included in the credits are producer role as NYPD Blue’s Detective Greg Meanwhile, Blatt—with the help of Norm Anderson ’97, attorney Melanie Medavoy. “But it’s become a launch pad producers Cari-Esta Albert ’80 and Lerch ’97, editors Harry Yoon ’93 and and sounding board for ideas, projects and Andrea Smith ’86—launched the first James Towne ’93, Kara Weber ’94, Shawn … new artistic avenues. I remember these Purple Cow Short Film Festival on July 13 Song ’01, Blatt, Nelson and Clapp, who kinds of salon-like groups when I was liv- in Los Angeles. The festival, which Blatt has a campy cameo as an effete cowboy. ing in New York and Toronto in the 80s, hopes to organize annually, featured sub- Participants can use Fast Cars, which and I missed them. When the opportunity missions from Clapp, Hershey, actress was submitted to several short-film festi- presented itself again, I thought I’d give it Purva Bedi ’96 and Silberling, among vals, as a “calling card” for future work. a shot, and it’s been very productive.” other Ephs. “This film would not have happened at It was at Williams that Clapp met In the long term, Blatt hopes Ephs in its level of professionalism without this Strathairn and director ’72. “I Entertainment will continue to serve as a group,” says Hershey. “Through it, I was decided to cast John in a senior play, and resource for West Coast alumni and the able to meet people, like Gordon, who it’s been paying dividends ever since,” College. had spent a number of years in the indus- jokes Clapp, who has starred in four of “People should be able to use Ephs in try and were able to refer me to other Sayles’ films, three with Strathairn. Entertainment to help promote and sup- professionals who participated. The Back in Williamstown, the College is port the work of Williams alums and Williams connection galvanized a stable delighted with Ephs in Entertainment’s encourage them to attend their film of high-quality artists and provided a success. “The group fills a real need,” says screenings and performances,” he says. “I community of intelligent, talented people Lewis Fisher ’89, an alumni relations and also want this group to be a safe haven, for this project.” development director who coordinated last where members don’t have to heavily Hershey was so pleased with the year’s NESCAC networking event. “It’s market themselves but can simply be results that in July he directed a second hard for us to do things for alumni so far themselves.” I short film, Bananas, which involved away without local leadership. Dan has many of the same participants, includ- given Ephs a structure and outlet that is Susan Karlin is an award-winning ing Clapp as the star and an executive really unique and wonderful.” journalist based in Los Angeles.

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