INDUSTRY SUMMIT
All of the Industry Summit sessions are free and open to the public, with no reservations required. In-person events take place at the W&M Entrepreneurial Hub and the Reeder Media Center of Swem Library - details are listed with each workshop below. Virtual events will take place in the Zoom room at the following link: CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUAL SESSION ZOOM
Memoir and Graphic Storytelling
Sophia Glock (W&M ‘04)
Monday, 2:00 PM, Virtual
This workshop will discuss the process of creating memoir through the visual medium of comics writing and the particular advantages and challenges therein. The Resource Guide from this presentation is available here!
ABOUT SOPHIA GLOCK (W&M ‘04)
Sophia Glock is a cartoonist who lives in Austin, TX. Her graphic memoir, Passport, was published by Little Brown Young Readers in 2021 and selected for inclusion in the Society of Illustrators 65th exhibition in 2023. Sophia’s comics and cartoons have been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Buzzfeed, Narratively, and Time Out New York. Her short comic The Secrets in My Mother's Nightstand was shortlisted for The Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Web Comic of the Year in 2016.
Film Model: Canvas Your Project
Brandon Hennessey, Director of the W&M Entrepreneurship Hub
Tuesday, 10:00 AM, W&M Entrepreneurship Hub
From identifying niche audiences and crafting compelling value propositions to mapping out revenue streams and resource allocations, this workshop equips filmmakers and creative visionaries with the essential toolkit to thrive in the competitive landscape of the film industry.
ABOUT BRANDON HENNESSEY
Brandon Hennessey is the newly appointed Director of the W&M Entrepreneurship Hub, where he plans to foster innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and regional community engagement. Previously, Brandon served as Director of Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Longwood's Office of Community and Economic Development; consulting, planning, and implementing entrepreneurship support programs, research, and events collaboratively across Southern Virginia. Additionally, he had the privilege of being an adjunct professor at Longwood University.
Sometimes We Make It: Black Horror Across the Diaspora
Jenika McCrayer (W&M ‘13)
Tuesday, 2:00 PM, Virtual
This workshop will explore what is considered Black Horror, its inherent political nature, and how Black filmmakers use horror to tell stories across the diaspora. We will discuss common themes, tropes, and myths about the genre. Genre fans can expect more than a few movies to add to your watchlist—including a few where we make it to the end.
ABOUT JENIKA MCCRAYER (W&M ‘13)
Jenika McCrayer studied Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at W&M, and is now a writer based in New York City. Her writing on the sociopolitical aspects of the horror genre has been featured in Fangoria Magazine, Horror Press, and Gayly Dreadful. When she’s not writing, Jenika is a competitive powerlifter.
How To Produce Your Own TV Series
Stephanie Faucher (W&M ‘16) & Maren Hunsberger (W&M ‘15)
Wednesday, 10:00 AM, Virtual
Graduates Stephanie Faucher & Maren Hunsberger want to tell students their process from pitch to production and give them an insight into the fun (and not so fun) aspects of producing.
ABOUT STEPHANIE FAUCHER (W&M ‘16) & MAREN HUNSBERGER (W&M ‘15)
Stephanie and Maren are currently creating and producing a science educational docuseries for PBS’s YouTube Channel PBS Terra, called Fascinating Fails.
The Scalability Of Trust - A Sustainable Model To Develop Advocates and Policy Change
James Lopez
Wednesday, 2:00 PM, W&M Entrepreneurship Hub
In this workshop, you will learn about a sustainable business model for creatives that helps foster systemic changes favoring artists and alternative use of traditional space. We will discuss the various ways to create empathy, how to develop a common language, and how to identify common goals for success between stakeholders, business owners, decision makers, and creatives.
ABOUT JAMES LOPEZ
James Lopez is a magician and founder of The Exposure Project, a theater production company focused on minimalistic immersive experiences. Through continuing education in various tools and technologies, James explores how to create better audience buy-in and lead people down what magicians call THE MAGIC WAY. By focusing on storytelling and sensory awareness, James aims to create magical realism in all projects he works on. James is based in Colorado and consults on various projects for theaters and organizations nationwide.
Writing Your Way Into Film and Television
Ashley E. Miller (W&M ‘94)
Thursday, 10:00 AM, Virtual
Learn the fundamentals of working your way into and through the Hollywood system, whether your interest is in film, television or animation writing. Across genres, across audiences, success relies on just a few common but often misunderstood elements. This workshop offers an overview of what these elements are, how you can apply them to your work and why you probably already know them (but may think you don’t).
ABOUT ASHLEY E. MILLER (W&M ‘94)
Ashley Edward Miller is the creator and Executive Producer of the global hit Netflix animated series, DOTA: Dragon’s Blood. His feature film credits include X-Men: First Class, Thor and Agent Cody Banks. In television, Ashley has written for some of pop-culture’s most celebrated television science fiction franchises, including The Twilight Zone, The Terminator and Fringe. He is the co-author of the acclaimed young adult mystery novel, Colin Fischer.
Dance With Me: Intentional Collaboration in Immersive Dance
Koryn Wicks
Thursday, 11:00 AM, PBK Hall Room 159
The workshop offers a framework for constructing interactions between performers and audiences and explores important topics in immersive work including consent, balancing choreography and improvisation, physical communication, and leaving space for authentic audience collaboration.
ABOUT KORYN WICKS
Koryn Wicks is an immersive creator and choreographer. Her work integrates dance, theater and interactive media and has been presented throughout the U.S., Canada, and internationally. In 2019, she won the Grand Prize at the LA Immersive Invitational. Her immersive work has also been featured in Slamdance, the Denver Film Festival, and FIVARS (Festival of International Virtual & Augmented Reality Stories). She also choreographs for film, television and music videos, recently including an ABC pilot and a music video for the billboard topping artist SHAED.
Postcard Prompts - Unlocking Story Ideas
Caitlin Clements (W&M ‘11)
Thursday, 2:00 PM, Reeder Media Center, Swem Library
Participating writers will spark their creativity using real vintage postcards sourced from antique stores, flea markets, and garage sales across the country as inspiration for guided writing prompts. Postcards will be provided, and all are welcome - no matter your genre or experience level - to spend some time together unlocking and sharing story ideas!
ABOUT CAITLIN CLEMENTS (W&M ‘11)
Caitlin Clements is a Tony and Olivier-winning producer, writer, and development professional working on Broadway and the West End. Stage credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Plaza Suite, Backstairs Billy, and the recent London revival of Sunset Blvd., transferring to Broadway later this year. Caitlin was a founding student staff member of the W&M Global Film Festival (now known as the Ampersand Festival).
What Does A Creative Producer Do? And How Do I Become One?
Joe Pirro (W&M ‘08)
Friday, 10:00 AM, W&M Entrepreneurship Hub
In our session, we will talk about the various responsibilities of a creative producer through all steps of a film's life from development through festivals, sales, and distribution. We will also discuss various paths one can take to become a creative producer during this time of monumental change in the industry.
ABOUT JOE PIRRO (W&M ‘08)
Joe Pirro is currently Head of Production at Symbolic Exchange, a development and production company founded by producer/screenwriter/and former Focus Features CEO James Schamus. Joe’s most recent film We Grown Now was co-produced by Participant and premiered at Toronto in 2023 where it won the festival’s Changemaker Award. His other credits include Andrew Ahn’s Driveways (Berlin ’19), Kitty Green’s The Assistant (Telluride ’19, Sundance ’20), and Jean-Stephane Sauvaire’s A Prayer Before Dawn (Canne’s ’17).
How to Pitch a TV Show
Sara Schaefer (W&M ‘00)
Friday, 1:00 PM, W&M Entrepreneurship Hub
Comedian and veteran TV writer Sara Schaefer will share her insights about the process of pitching - and selling - a show. From developing your idea, to getting in the room, making the presentation, and beyond, if you've ever wanted to sell a show, or are just curious about how your favorite show got on the air, this is the workshop for you.
ABOUT SARA SCHAEFER (W&M ‘00)
Sara Schaefer is a critically acclaimed stand up comedian, writer, and artist. Her Comedy Central Stand Up Presents half hour special debuted in November 2019 and she was the co-host of MTV’s late night show Nikki & Sara Live. Sara published her first book, Grand, in 2020 with Simon & Schuster. She has written for numerous television programs and won two Emmy awards for her work at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Writing The Low Budget Film
Professor Kevin Smith
Saturday, 10:00 AM, Reeder Media Center, Swem Library
How does one make go about writing a project that will compel an audience (and serve as a calling card for future employment) while not going broke? In this workshop, you’ll learn methods to maximize your budget. And you’ll learn about networking, ways to break in, defining your brand, raising money and how to create entertainment people will want to buy.
ABOUT KEVIN SMITH
Kevin Michael Smith is an Associate Professor in W&M's Film Studies department. He earned his Masters in film production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His BFA in creative writing and literature is from Emerson College in Boston. Professor Smith teaches courses related to film history, screenwriting and film production.
Documentary Storytelling for Social Impact
Dan Winckler (W&M ‘01)
Saturday, 11:30 AM, Reeder Media Center, Swem Library
In this workshop, Dan Winckler will explore how to use collaborative documentary filmmaking techniques to help nonprofits of all sizes and budgets achieve communications and advocacy goals, all while including authentic community voices in the storytelling process.
ABOUT DAN WINCKLER (W&M ‘01)
Dan founded Really Useful Media in 2007, bringing together diverse disciplines ranging from filmmaking to interactive technology to improv comedy, as a means of helping clients find creative and technical solutions to achieve their goals with video. He has worked in the intersections of art, video, and technology for more than twenty years, creating short-form documentary video content for nonprofits, museum exhibits, and national conferences and events.