FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS FOR 7TH ANNUAL PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE INCLUDING A “360 PROFILE” WITH BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS SESSION TOPICS ACROSS FILM, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION NEWLY ADDED PANELISTS INCLUDE JEANETTE BRILL, FRANCIE CALFO, KAY CANNON, SUSANNE DANIELS, PHILLIP DAWE, JONATHAN DECKTER, JENNIFER FOX, DAVID FRIENDLY, HOWARD GORDON, JESSICA RHOADES, HAL SADOFF, AND SANJAY SHARMA, AMONG OTHERS LOS ANGELES (April 8, 2015) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today additional headliners and speakers for its 7th annual Produced By Conference (PBC), including a “360 Profile” on building a team with Blumhouse Productions -- the multimedia production company behind the highly successful PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE PURGE, INSIDIOUS, and SINISTER micro-budget franchises, as well as the critically-acclaimed independent film WHIPLASH. PBC takes place May 30-31 and is hosted by Paramount Pictures on its historic Hollywood studio lot. “Jason Blum and his team at Blumhouse Productions have successfully established a new model of genre filmmaking, recognizing horror as not simply an engine for huge box office results, but as a mature storytelling mode that has significant appeal to audiences worldwide,” said PBC Co-Chairs Ian Bryce, Tracey Edmonds, Marshall Herskovitz, and Rachel Klein. “The structure of Blumhouse is unique and we feel that producers can benefit from a deeper understanding of the company as a whole and what makes it so distinctive.” PBC also announced its full list of session topics which includes for the first time, two separate sessions offering conference participants the opportunity to learn the finer points of film and television pitching from some of the most established producers in the business. The panel for “The Art and Craft of Pitching for Film” includes producers Stephanie Allain (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE), Marshall Herskovitz (THE LAST SAMURAI), and Laurence Mark (DREAMGIRLS); the panel for “The Art and Craft of Pitching for 1 Television” includes producers Kenya Barris (“black-ish”), Howard Gordon (“Homeland”), and Sarah Timberman (“Masters of Sex”). Both sessions will be moderated by the PGA’s President Emeritus, Mark Gordon (STEVE JOBS, “Ray Donovan”). “We realized that honest, no-holds-barred feedback is important to anyone working on an important pitch. There is an art to pitching, and communicating effectively is a crucial first step,” said PGA National Executive Director, Vance Van Petten. “PGA members have been asking for more direct interaction with our speakers and we are excited to offer this chance to learn from the best in the business. Whether you are pitching your project or watching from the audience, it will provide invaluable information.” The PGA also announced newly added speakers for Produced By 2015. In alphabetical order, they include: Stephanie Allain – Principal, Homegrown Pictures, Inc. (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, HUSTLE & FLOW) Norberto Barba – (“Grimm”) Kenya Barris – ("black-ish," "America's Next Top Model") Jason Blum – Founder and CEO, Blumhouse Productions Jeanette Brill – Head of Production, Blumhouse Productions Francie Calfo - President, Imagine Television; (“Empire,” “Those Who Kill”) Kay Cannon – (PITCH PERFECT movies, "30 Rock") Susanne Daniels - President, Programming, MTV Phillip Dawe -- Head of Post Production, Blumhouse Productions Jonathan Deckter - President & COO, Voltage Pictures Michael Donaldson – Partner, Donaldson + Callif Jennifer Fox - NIGHTCRAWLER, THE BOURNE LEGACY David Friendly – Principal, Friendly Films (SNEAKERHEADZ, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) Carolyn Giardina - Contributing Editor, Tech, The Hollywood Reporter Howard Gordon – Executive Producer, Teakwood Lane Productions ("24," "Homeland") John Heinsen – CEO and Executive Producer, Bunnygraph Entertainment Glenn Kennel – President and CEO, ARRI, Inc. Christie Mattull – Managing Director, HUB Entertainment Insurance Jade McQueen - Managing Director, Media & Entertainment, Box Hanny Patel – Senior Director, Digital & Emerging Markets, DIRECTV Christopher Perez - Partner, Donaldson + Callif John Ramsey - EP/Partner, Therapy Content (“Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,” SOUND CITY) Jessica Rhoades – Head of Television, Blumhouse Productions Jay Roewe - SVP, West Coast Productions, HBO Jim Rota - EP/Partner, Therapy Content (“Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,” SOUND CITY) Hal Sadoff – (THE NICE GUYS, HOTEL RWANDA) Russell Schwartz – President, Pandemic Marketing Sanjay Sharma – President and Chief Operating Officer, All Def Digital Joe Sungkur – ("Dancing with the Stars") Sarah Timberman – Partner, Timberman/Beverly Productions ("Masters of Sex," "Justified") *The above speakers are subject to change. 2 Produced By 2015 features a broad range of programming, including mentoring roundtables, workshops and networking events. In addition to the “Conversations With…” series, PBC will include conference sessions covering an incredible variety of topics. The full program includes the following sessions: CONVERSATION WITH: EVA LONGORIA CONVERSATION WITH: TYLER PERRY CONVERSATION WITH: KEVIN SMITH CONVERSATION WITH: REESE WITHERSPOON & BRUNA PAPANDREA 360 PROFILE: BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS 360 PROFILE: EMPIRE Sponsored by Illinois Film Office ALL THINGS PRODUCING: ASK THE PROS THE ART AND CRAFT OF PITCHING FOR FILM THE ART AND CRAFT OF PITCHING FOR TELEVISION Sponsored by Stars United Network LLC BASED ON A TRUE STORY CREATING MEANINGFUL BRAND PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE YOUR CONTENT Sponsored by Corbis Entertainment’s BEN EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GAMES, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN: GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH YOUR WRITERS HOW NOT TO GET SUED Sponsored by Momentous Insurance INDEPENDENT FILM: THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN Sponsored by DIRECTV THE INTERSECTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA: HOW THE SOCIAL WEB IS CHANGING THE GAME NON-FICTION & REALITY TELEVISION: FROM STARTING GUN TO FINISH LINE PICTURE CLARITY: MAKING SENSE OF NEW CAMERA AND WORKFLOW OPTIONS Sponsored by ARRI and Technicolor PRODUCING A HIT WITH YOUR WORKFLOW IN THE CLOUD Sponsored by Box PRODUCTION INCENTIVES AND THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRODUCER Sponsored by Entertainment Partners SCARY 3.0: THE NEW HORROR THE STATE OF FINANCING FILMS TODAY Sponsored by Pacific Mercantile Bank THE WORLD’S (SOON-TO-BE) BIGGEST MARKET: A PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO OPPORTUNITIES IN CHINA Sponsored by East West Bank UNSCRIPTED AND UNCENSORED: MEET THE BUYERS OF NON-SCRIPTED TV *The above session topics are subject to change. For a full list of speakers, session topics, and to register for Produced By 2015, please visit www.producedbyconference.com. Early bird registration at a discounted rate is available now and ends May 1st. In addition to Paramount Pictures, sponsors to-date include: Cadillac, the official Automotive Partner of the PGA; PRG, Production Resource Group; AKA; AMC Networks; ARRI; Box; CAPS Payroll; Celtx; Cineverse; Corbis Entertainment’s BEN; DIRECTV; East West Bank; Entertainment Partners; Film Baton Rouge; Film US Virgin Islands; Florida Film Commission; Hilton Worldwide; Honolulu Film Office; HUB 3 Entertainment Insurance; Illinois Film Office; Intuitive Aerial Inc.; Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA); Minnesota Film & TV; Momentous Insurance; Pacific Mercantile Bank; Produce Iowa; SmartSource; Stars United Network LLC; Technicolor; and The Molecule. The Produced By 2015 team includes Supervising Producer Barry Kaplan, Program Director Madelyn Hammond, Marketing Consultant Lynda Dorf, and Sponsorship Director Diane Salerno of Six Degrees Global. Produced By 2015 is made possible by the Producers Guild of America’s charitable entity, the Producers Guild of America Foundation, and epitomizes the Foundation’s core mission to educate those working in the producing profession. To review highlights from previous conferences and receive news and the latest programming updates for PBC 2015, please visit the Guild’s official website and follow its social media channels for the event: Website: ProducedByConference.com Twitter: @Produced_By Facebook: Facebook.com/producedbyconference YouTube: YouTube.com/producersguild Instagram: Instagram.com/producersguild Hashtag: #PBC15 ABOUT THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA (PGA) The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild has more than 6,900 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits, promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. For more information and the latest updates, please visit ProducersGuild.org, www.PGAGreen.org, and www.PGADiversity.org, and follow us on Twitter @ProducersGuild. # # # MEDIA CONTACTS 42West (310) 477-4442 Annalee Paulo & Erika Gutierrez [email protected] & [email protected] To Request Media Credentials: All media interested in covering the 2015 Produced By Conference will need to submit a Press Credential Application. Please email [email protected] to receive an application. While credentials are not guaranteed due to space limitations, PBC will do its best to grant them to as many outlets as possible. 4 .