On May 4, Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates were invited to an evening of networking and conversation at Guild Headquarters in Los Angeles during the annual Building a Bridge for the Future mixer for director’s team members. The event provided these members with an opportunity to make connections and establish relationships for the future.
Originally an event of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee for the past several years, this year's mixer was jointly hosted by the DGA Diversity Committees and included participation from the African American Steering Committee, Asian American Committee, and Latino Committee. While open to all DGA members, Building a Bridge for the Future was specifically designed for the Guild’s women and ethnic minority members in keeping with the DGA’s continuing efforts to increase the level of diversity behind the camera.
After an informal reception and a welcome from event producer Pamela Monroe, the participants were able to engage in one-on-one meet and greet sessions with a group of thirty invited Producers, Unit Production Managers and Production Executives with hiring authority which included:
- UPM Larry Albucher (Loving Leah)
- UPM Philipp A. Barnett (Silicon Valley)
- UPM Marco Black (Scorpion)
- Co-Producer/UPM Bruce Carter (Grimm)
- Producer/UPM Jeffrey Downer (Hawaii Five-O)
- Producer/Director/Associate Director Robin Felsen Von Halle (The Jeselnik Offensive)
- Producer/UPM Gregg D. Fienberg (True Blood)
- ABC Television Production Executive Sara Fischer
- Paramount Television Executive Vice President Jason Fisher
- Production Executive/Producer/UPM Mark Glick (Revenge)
- TNT/TBS Production Executive Tamera Glover
- UPM Franklyn Gottbetter, (The Mindy Project)
- Producer/UPM Michael Gray (We Hate Paul Revere)
- Producer Don Harary (71st Golden Globe Awards)
- UPM Scott Harris (Cougar Town)
- Producer/UPM Victor Hsu (The Comedians)
- Producer Robert Katz (Good People)
- Producer/UPM Cleve Landsberg (Perception)
- Producer/UPM Dylan Massin (About a Boy)
- Line Producer/UPM Carrie Morrow (Unaccompanied Minors)
- Co-Producer/UPM Scott Printz (How to Get Away with Murder)
- Producer/UPM Jeanine Rohn (Repentance)
- Producer/UPM Robert Rothbard (Happyland)
- UPM Liz Ryan (Aquarius)
- Line Producer/UPM Daniel Sollinger (Ktown Cowboys)
- Producer/UPM Debra Spidell (Workaholics)
- UPM Jeanne Marie Van Cott (Satisfaction)
- Producer/UPM Chrisann Verges (Enough Said)
- Blumhouse Productions' Head of Production Jeanette Volturno-Brill
- Producer/Stage Manager Debbie Williams (Rising Star)
After getting acquainted with our members, each of the participating VIP guests also received a resume booklet of all the attending Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates.
For more information about the DGA Diversity Committees click the links below: