Business of Entertainment Syllabus Spring 2020
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Business of Entertainment Center for Integrated Design/School of Design & Creative Technologies/The College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas Spring Semester 2020 FA 371, FA 381 , SDCT 350 Mondays 5-8pm Patton Hall (RLP) 0.102 Cross Listed - Business of Producing Instructor: Natasha Davison [email protected] Office Hours: by appointment 512-716-9938 (Urgent Issues Only) Course Description This course will focus on the world of entertainment. We will explore all aspects involved in producing live stage and on screen commercial productions and entities. Inspiration (the search for creative content; self-gen- erated or existing), to Organization (Executive, Administrative, Financial, Creative, Legal), Capitalization (Institu- tional, Independent, Theatrical, Key elements of “The Pitch”), Negotiation of Agreements & Contracts (Owner of Creative Content, Book/Script Writer, Composer, Lyricist, Director, Choreographer, Designers, Actors, Agents, Musicians, Unions, Theatre Owner, Merchandise, Investors, Insurance), and Execution (Rehearsal, Press, Mar- keting, Tickets Sales Structure). Students will engage with entertainment industry guest speakers every class, examine case studies, and execute an independent group project/presentation for industry professionals as the final exam. INDEPENDENT INQUIRY: This course carries the Independent Inquiry flag. Independent Inquiry courses are designed to engage you in the process of inquiry over the course of a semester, providing you with the opportunity for independent investigation of a question, problem, or project related to your major. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from the independent investigation and presentation of your own work. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: CLASS ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY! • Every class will require specific research and written preparation for each guest artist/topic which will contribute foundational information towards your final presentations. • Every class will require prepared and relevant discussion with the guest artist. • Every class will require the taking of detailed notes to be organized, distilled with takeaways and processes. These notes will provide real world foundations and source material for the final presentations. • There will be a major end of term collaborative project & Industry presentation as the final exam. • You will be required to attend one commercial for-profit performance with written assignment on the investment & commercial potential of the asset from the perspective of a producer. This will require the purchase of a ticket. IMPORTANT DATES: Subject to Change January 27th: Introductions/Course overview Exploitation of Opportunity & Creative Intellectual Property for the Entertainment Sphere Screening: A Conversation with Allen J Becker (10 minutes) Guest Speaker: Marisa Sechrest- Live Theatrical Rep. for Paramount Pictures and Scott Free Films, Co-pro- ducer of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls on Broadway/National Tour and Sara Barielles’s Waitress on Broadway January 28th: Live Theatrical Performance (Encouraged but not required) The Janis Joplin Musical - Final Dress Rehearsal at Zach Theatre - Invitation to Attend (Free of Charge) February 3rd: What it is to be a “Presenting House”/Season Formation/Marketing/Financials Tour of Texas Performing Arts - Class Starts at Bass Concert Hall!! Guest Speakers: Rachel Durkin Drga - Texas Performing Arts Interim Director/Senior Associate Director Business Operations, Producing & Production Tara Vela - Associate Director Texas Performing Arts February 3rd- Continued John Breckenridge - Broadway Across America Southwestern Region - Demonstration and walk -through of a Tour “Settlement” process February 10th: Live Music and Touring Screening: A Conversation with Louis Messina (10 minutes) Guest Speakers: Louis Messina and The Messina Touring Group Team - Leading Promoter of Global and National Arena Tours for Major Music Artists (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendez, Kelly Clarkson, Camila Cabello, George Strait and more) Will Shirey - Texas Performing Arts Talent Booker (Music & Comedy) February 17th: Trends in Entertainment Guest Speakers: Jennifer Hutchins - Television and Film Producer (Criss Angel Mindfreak," and "Criss Angel BeLIEve", ABC, CBS, CNN, A&E, Spike, TLC, Syfy "Haunted Collector," and "Ghost Hunters International", Dr. Phil, Discovery, Speed, and NatGeo. Feature films include, "Most Likely To Die" distributed by Mar Vista Entertainment, "Time Toys" directed by Mark Rosman (A Cinderella Story) starring Ed Begley Jr. (Pineapple Express), Greg Germann (Ally McBeal) , "Unfollowed" produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) and Expendable Assets starring Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) and Ted McGinley (Married With Children). February 24th: Live Theatre: Broadway and Touring Guest Speakers: Lauren Reid -Chief Operations Officer The John Gore Group /Broadway Across America/Broadway.Com Alecia Parker - Senior Executive Producer National Artists Management Company (NAMCO) - Producer of Chicago (Globally), Waitress (Globally) March 2nd: Live Music Regional Venue Management & Promotion plus Music Industry physical assets/ trends Guest Speakers: Graham Williams - Founder Margin Walker Presents (Regional Promoter) Caren Kelleher - Founder/President of Gold Rush Vinyl (Former Executive launching Google Music) March 9th: Audience Capture and Retention, UX and Content Assessment and Lineup Guest Speakers: John Martin - Principal Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas/Former Hollywood Studio Executive (Orion) Jason Davis - Senior Vice Present Fandango, former Hollywood Studio Executive (Disney) March 16th: No Class- Spring Break March 23rd: Entertainment Marketing, Branding, Impact/Executive of Online Marketing & Social Media Guest Speakers: Felicia Fitzpatrick - Head of Social Media for Playbill Magazine and Playbill Online Jenn Freeman - Senior Vice President Publicis (3rd Largest Global Marketing firm), Google March 30th: Screening “Show Business, The Road to Broadway” April 6th: Foundational Legalities in Entertainment Sphere Guest Speakers: Attorney Steve Ravel - Foundations of Legal Needs/Securities and Exchange Requirements Entertainment Attorneys Mike Tolleson & Gwen Seale - Intellectual Property: Fair Use/Copyrights/Trademarks/ Protection April 13th: Innovations and Technology plus Gaming Screening : A Conversation with Brian Becker Guest Speakers: Brian Becker - Founder BASE Entertainment & BASE Hologram (Broadway, Touring, Las Vegas , Asia, New Technologies, Television Franchises such as “The Voice” ) MJ Johns - Founder of Astire Games (Gaming & Experience Designer) Bianca Pringle - 2017 UT Graduate-Production Accountant (Artemis Fowl, 1917, (new) Mission Impossible Films) April 20th: Trends in Entertainment Guest Speakers: Ramon Parkins - CBS News Senior Producer for Entertainment /Sunday Morning Entertainment Editor Dori Berinstein - 4 Time Tony/Emmy Winning Producer of Film, Television, Theme Parks (Disney) and Broadway, Founder Broadway Podcast Network and Lights of Broadway Trading Cards April 27th: Final Presentations Rehearsal in the space May 4th: Final Presentations to Industry Panel USE OF CANVAS/EMAIL IN CLASS I will use Canvas and Email to distribute course materials, communicate, and to update the schedule. You can find support in using Canvas at the ITS Help Desk at 512-475-9400, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check your email regularly for announcements and Canvas for important information pertaining to this class. The syllabus is subject to revision as are course materials on Canvas. All changes will be posted on Canvas. It is your responsibility to remain informed of all course content and any changes that may occur. GRADING: • Written Comprehensive/Organized Notes on Guest Speakers & Lectures 25% • Attendance 25% • Preparation & Participation (Prepared questions based on research materials for each guest artist and active participation in class) 15% • Independent Project: Identify Creative Content or Entity, Create Executive Summary with Profitable Financial Structure, Create Budget for a Commercial Production, Create and Execute Pitch Presentation for potential investors 20% • Written Assignment on Commercial Productions viewed 15% A+ 98-99 A 93-97 A- 90-92 B+ 88-89 B 83-87 B- 80-82 C+ 78-79 C 73-77 C- 70-72 D+ 68-69 D 63-67 D- 60-62 F 0-59 Incomplete Grade Policy There are no incomplete grades granted for this course. A grade of “X” will only be assigned for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end. An “X” must be resolved within the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incom- plete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F. Note “The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY.” Academic Integrity The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imper- ative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. Scholastic Dishonesty Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of the General Information Catalogue: