Unit Production Manager-members gathered at DGA headquarters in Los Angeles on April 28 for the Western AD/UPM Council’s invitation-only breakfast: Threats to Sets: Assessing the Risk. Sponsored by the Council’s UPM Committee, this year’s event explored potential outside threats to film and TV productions and also served as a forum for members to discuss their thoughts and concerns on this topic.
After an informal breakfast where the attendees caught up and networked with their peers, DGA Assistant Executive Director Steven Knauss welcomed the participants and UPM Committee Co-Chair Richard Prince introduced the panelists of the discussion that featured representatives from law enforcement entities and private security firms.
In a conversation moderated by Prince, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Sohn, LA County Sheriff Commander Judy Gerhardt and Lieutenant Thomas Giandomenico, LAPD Film Unit Officer Gabriel Martinez, Jon Perkins and Ian Grimes from the Perkins Investigative Group and Jim Mulvihill from Security Industry Specialists provided insight and advice on situations regarding stalkers and intruders, ways to prevent cyber-attacks, and the importance of speaking out if anything strange is noticed on set. At the end of the day, questions were addressed in a Q&A session.
More information from this event will soon be posted in the Western AD/UPM Council section.
About the Committee:
The UPM Committee is a body authorized by the elected Western AD/UPM Council. Its members are appointees made up of experienced, working UPMs. The Committee exists to provide a forum for an extended exchange of ideas which are specific to the present and future concerns of the UPM. The Committee's Co-Chairs are Michael Buegg and Richard Prince. The Committee members are: Larry Albucher, Jim Behnke, Marc Bienstock, Burt Bluestein, Marie Cantin, Allegra Clegg, Robert Del Valle, Elaine Dysinger, D Scott Easton, Buddy Enright, Brian Frankish, Franklyn Gottbetter, Duncan Henderson, Mark Indig, Tom Joyner, Janet Knutsen, Cleve Landsberg, Adam Merims, Traceigh Scottel, Kenneth Silverstein, Randy Turrow, Melanie Wagor, Dara Weintraub, Sara White, Dwight Williams, and Sally Young.