University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts Business of Entertainment; The Practice of Producing Fall Semester 2019 FA 371 - Unique # 19195 & FA 381 - Unique # 19200 Mondays 5pm-8pm Location: Patton Hall (Liberals Arts Building - RLP) Lecture Hall 0.126 Instructor: Natasha Davison COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will focus on the world of commercial entertainment. We will explore all aspects involved in producing live stage and on screen commercial productions. Inspiration (the search for creative content; self-generated or existing), to Organization (Executive, Administrative, Financial, Creative, Legal), Capitalization (Institutional, 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, Marketing, Tickets Sales Structure). Students will engage with entertainment industry guest speakers, 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. • Every class will require prepared and relevant discussion with the guest artist. • There will be a major end of term collaborative team project & Industry presentation as the final exam. • You will be required to attend one live commercial performance with written assignment attached. This will require the purchase of a ticket. IMPORTANT DATES: SUBJECT TO CHANGE!! September 9th: Introductions/Course Expectations Marisa Sechrest- Live Theatrical Rep. for Paramount Pictures & Scott Free Productions (Ridley Scott), Broadway Co-Producer of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls and Sara Bareilles’s Waitress MK Haley-Disney Imagineering - Head of Academic Outreach September 16th: Mike Tolleson and Gwen Seal - Entertainment Lawyers - Discuss Legalities of Intellectual Property Steve Ravel- General Corporate Attorney -Discuss legal foundations for producing, LLC formation, Intellectual and Creative properties protection, Securities and Exchange Laws for Venture Capital Investment in Entertainment Properties September 23rd: Felicia Fitzpatrick-Head of Social media for Playbill Magazine - Effective Online Promotion of Broadway Jenn Freeman - Senior Executive Vice President Publicis Groupe to discuss Entertainment Branding September 30th: Lauren Reid-COO of Major Global Producer of Live Theatre- The John Gore Group as well as Broadway Across America & Broadwayworld.com Alecia Parker-Senior Executive Producer of NAMCO (National Artists Management Company) based in NYC) Major Broadway producer including the musical Chicago & Waitress October 7th: Louis Messina and The Messina Touring Group Team (Music Promoter- Taylor Swift ,George Strait, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Camila Caballo) October 14th: Screening of Award winning Documentary by Tony & Emmy winning Director/Producer Dori Berinstein “Show Business; The Road to Broadway” Dori Berinstein Tony winning Broadway Producer, Emmy Winning Film Producer/Director Patti Burke- U.T Faculty & Former Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Touchstone Executive Natalie Woodward- VP of Production Disney Theme parks global October 21st: Texas Performing Arts Leadership Team - Regional Presenting House *Class will meet in Bass Concert Hall Lobby for tour October 28th: Ramon Parkins-Senior Producer of Entertainment for CBS News & CBS This Morning Meredith Walker- Former Head of Talent Saturday Night Live/Co-Founder of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Producer of Linda Ellerbee’s Nick News November 4th: Jason Davis-Senior VP/Gen Manager of Fandango Rewards, Former VP of Disney Online and Hollywood John Martin- Alamo Draft House Principal, Frog Design, Orion Pictures, Jersey Films, Hyperion Entertainment, Development for “Dances with Wolves”, “Pulp Fiction”, “Reality Bites" November 11th: Caren Kelleher- Founder/CEO Gold Rush Vinyl Records/Former Music Artist Manager Graham Williams- Founder Margin Walker-Live Events/Music Promoter November 18th: Elisbeth Challener and The Zach Theatre Team (Successful Regional Model) November 25th: Screening “Harriet” (New Harriet Tubman Biopic) Debra Martin Chase- Producer of “Harriet”,, “Princess Diaries” Franchise, “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” Franchise, “Cinderella” with Brandy Norwood and Whitney Houston, “Just Wright” with Queen Latifah, “Courage Under Fire” with Denzel Washington, Disney Senior Exec. (15 years) December 2nd: Rehearsal for Final Project Presentations December 9th: Final Project Presentation for Industry Professionals/Investors/Producers Panel includes: Marc & Carolyn Seriff-Seriff Productions (Tony Winning Broadway Co-Producers Anastasia, Tootsie, Hadestown, Investors in Fire & Air, Angels in America, Once on This Island ) Linda and Cliff Mountain- Broadway Investors in The Prom, Frankie and Johnnie Laura Lund-Broadway Investor in Half Time, New Musical Development Jaime and Gary Rubenstein- 42nd Club-Broadway Investment Syndicate-numerous Productions Marisa Sechrest-Live Theatrical Representative for Paramount Pictures and Ridley Scott Films, Co- Producer Waitress, Mean Girls, The Wedding Singer Laura Galt- Broadway Co-Producer Sabrina Wallace-Broadway Co-Producer Rick Pappas-Executive producer Broadway/West End/Film/Hulu Pending Guests: Jordan Lowery Founder CEO of Royalties Hip Hop Production Company Scott Zieger Producer Cirque Du Soleil , Chief Production Officer Entertainment Benefits Group Brian Becker CEO of BASE Entertainment (Global producer of Live entertainment including Magic Mike and Phantom of the Opera Las Vegas and Maria Callas Hologram concert at Lincoln Center) Rick Pappas-Executive Producer Cameron MackIntosh-Film Les Miserables with Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway USE OF CANVAS/EMAIL IN CLASS: I will use Canvas and Email to distribute course materials, to communicate, and to schedule events. 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., so plan accordingly. Check your email and Canvas regularly for important information pertaining to our class. This syllabus is subject to revision, and all changes will be announced in class or posted on Canvas. It is your responsibility to remain informed of any changes that may occur. GRADING/ASSIGNMENTS: • 25%-Written Assignments on Comprehensive/Organized Notes on content from each Guest Speaker • 25%- Attendance • 15%- Preparation & Participation (Prepared questions based on research materials for each guest artist and active participation in class) • 20% - 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 • 15% - Written Assignment on Live Commercial Production viewed Grading A+ 98-100 B+ 88-89 C+ 78-79 D+ 68-69 A 93-97 B 83-87 C 73-77 D 63-67 A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62 F 59 and below 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 incomplete 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 imperative 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: published by the Registrar’s Office for information about procedures and about what constitutes scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general