On May 25, nearly 80 Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates were invited to an evening of networking and conversation with a group of 46 Unit Production Managers and VIPs with hiring authority. Held at Guild Headquarters in Los Angeles, the annual Building a Bridge for the Future mixer for director’s team members provided these members with an opportunity to make connections and establish relationships for the future. The event was hosted by the DGA Inter-Committee, which brings together elements of the Guild’s Diversity Committees – African American Steering Committee, Asian American Committee, Eastern Diversity Steering Committee, Latino Committee, and the Women’s Steering Committee – to explore avenues for levelling the playing field for DGA members. While open to all DGA members, this event was specifically designed for the Guild’s women and ethnic minority members in keeping with the Guild’s mission of increasing diversity behind the camera.
A week prior to the event, a preparatory workshop was held in the DGA Boardroom. Conducted by DGA Executive in Charge of Diversity Programs and Committees, Frank Bennett Gonzalez with VIPs Maria Burton (For the Love of George), Nicci Freeman (Second Sight), Richard H. Prince (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Liz Ryan (Rosewood), the hour-long event covered tools and tips, and attendees workshopped their resumes to prepare for their one-on-one sessions with UPMs the following week.
After an informal reception, the mixer kicked off with a welcome from event coordinators Alicia Zaragoza and Stephenie Galvan, who explained the logistics of the evening. Then DGA Asian American Committee Co-Chair Michael Goi spoke about the work of the DGA Inter-Committee and urged the attendees to take advantage of this chance to build relationships that they will carry through their careers.
The invited Unit Production Managers & VIPs with hiring authority included:
- Richard Abramitis (Runaways)
- Marco E. Black (Scorpion)
- Jason C. Brown (I’m Sorry)
- Troy Combs (East Lost High)
- Rob Corn (Grey’s Anatomy)
- Tara L. Craig (Aura)
- Jeffrey M. Downer (MacGyver)
- D. Scott Easton (Ark)
- Sara Fischer, Head of Production for Shondaland
- Loucas George (Monsters of God)
- Cathy Gesualdo (Deported)
- Bruce Wayne Gillies (Labyrinth)
- Phillip M. Goldfarb (The Librarians)
- Pavlina Hatoupis (Homeland)
- Chris Hayden (Grey’s Anatomy)
- Bob Heath (Crowded)
- Fiona W. Heinz (Beatriz at Dinner)
- Victor Ho (Wish Upon)
- Michael J. Klick (Homeland)
- Juri Koll (Joanne)
- Edith Dupré Leblanc (Cut Off)
- Monica Levinson (High Wire Act)
- Stewart A. Lyons (The Night Shift)
- Rosemary Marks (A Dolphin in Our Lake)
- Eugene Mazzola (The Veil)
- Timothy Alan Moore (Sully)
- Mark Moran (The Birth of a Nation)
- Carrie Lynn Morrow (True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes)
- Nellie Rachel Nugiel (Damnation)
- George Parra (The Last Full Measure)
- Melanie Patterson (The Ranch)
- Richard H. Prince (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
- Scott D. Printz (How to Get Away with Murder)
- Jeanine Rohn (Men of Granite)
- Robert Rothbard (Wetlands)
- Liz Ryan (Rosewood)
- Christopher T. Sadler (Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories)
- Tamanna Shah (The Perfect Match)
- Valerie Bleth Sharp (The New Edition Story)
- Daniel Sollinger (Immortality or Bust)
- Jimmy Sprague (Man at Arms: Art of War)
- Aaron E. Steele-Nicholson (Extracurricular Activities)
- Dwight Williams (Peeples)
- David Witz (Dunkirk)
- Cyrus I. Yavneh (Insatiable)
- Michael Zimbrich (Hawaii Five-0)
After getting acquainted with our members during the one-on-one sessions, each of the participating VIP guests also received a resume booklet of all the attendees and were able to continue to socialize with them in the informal reception that continued after the event.
In addition to event coordinators Alicia Zaragoza and Stephenie Galvan, this year’s mixer hosts and hostesses were: Luann Barry, Dianne Bartlow, Chris De Celle, Ron Dempsey, Morgan, Lucille OuYang, Pam Paterra, Ellen Rosentreter, Pete Waterman, and Rosalind Watkins.
About the DGA Inter-Committee
The DGA Inter-Committee brings together elements of the Guild’s Diversity Committees. For more information about these committees click the links below: