Jay Leno, Russell Simmons, Vin Di Bona Among NATPE/Content First's 2015 Storytellers
They will be among those featured when the market and conference presents "Storytellers and the shaping of Pop Culture" on Jan. 21.
By Alex Ben Block
Alex Ben Block
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Boston's Emerson College's film, TV and media program is so eminent that only one in six applicants gets in. But it's getting even more eminent, and so it zoomed from 18 to 9 on THR's list. This month trustee and alum Vin Di Bona (America's Funniest Home Videos) kicked off the fund-raising campaign for Emerson's new $85 million campus tower on Sunset Boulevard. It opens in 2014, and the glamour can't be bad for current students' career prospects.
DEGREES: B.A. and BFA in media production, B.A. in media studies, MFA in media art
NOTABLE ALUMNI: Denis Leary, Doug Herzog, Seth Grahame-Smith, Norman Lear, Jay Leno
Jay Leno will trade stories with Craig Ferguson, Community executive producer Dan Harmon will tell tales from behind the scenes, and Russell Simmons will talk about the birth of hip hop. And the producers and host of America's Funniest Home Videos will talk about 25 years on TV.
They are all part of the lineup announced Tuesday by NATPE/Content First for the portion of the market and conference called, "Storytellers and the shaping of Pop Culture," on Jan. 21, 2015, in Miami Beach.
"Our goal is to capture the exciting realities that are at the intersection of entertainment, culture, and the explosion of new platforms," said NATPE CEO Rod Perth. "With these guests, who are all hitmakers and change agents in unique ways, we can't miss."
The program also includes Ted Sarandos, chief content officer of Netflix, in conversation with Mitchell Hurwitz, creator and executive producer of Arrested Development, which was revived on Netflix.
Vince Gilligan, creator and executive producer of Breaking Bad and its upcoming spinoff, Better Call Saul, will talk about his work on the breakthrough series.
Jonathan Murray, chairman of reality producer Bunim/Murray Productions, will discuss the invention of the modern reality genre with Endemol North America co-chairman Cris Abrego.
Morgan Spurlock, the documentary filmmaker and producer of Inside Man on CNN, will share how he has used nonfiction TV to probe a series of controversial subjects.
Di Bona will be joined on a panel celebrating the 25th anniversary of America's Funniest Home Videos by host Tom Bergeron, and executive producers Todd Thicke and Michele Nasraway.
"NATPE has always held a special place in my professional career since first attending in 1978," said Di Bona, "so naturally I am thrilled to be celebrating our 25th year there. I had great aspirations, which have miraculously fallen into place because of a great AFV team, a team who have made our show broadcast's number one co-viewed program."
Leno, Murray and Sarandos will also be on hand as 2015 Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award winners.
NATPE/Content First takes place in the Fontainebleau Hotel from Jan. 20 through 22, 2015, which is a week earlier than in past years. The theme is "Content Without Borders."
Norman Lear to Keynote Opening Day at NATPE/Content First