Monique recently attended SCAD TVFest, where Hollywood creators, actors, and A-listers gathered for a silver-screen extravaganza in Atlanta on February 5–7. The festival aims to give students and professionals alike the opportunity to network, learn more about, and celebrate the entertainment industry in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Mo introduces the festival, before airing some snippets of panels by the likes of Marvel, Hallmark, Sony, and beyond:
Agatha All Along, Beyond the Gates, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
First up, you’ll hear from Marvel TV’s Agatha All Along panel, where showrunner Jac Shaeffer talks about the witchy series’ practical effects, the daring stunts, and striking the balance between staying safe and that fantastical old-school Hollywood danger. Then, dive into Beyond the Gates, which is the first Black soap opera created for daytime TV in two decades—the cast share their most memorable moments. And to close out the first segment, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man show creator Jeff Trammell chats about pitching the series and slotting the story into the larger MCU.
Leading Ladies, Showrunners, and Execs
In the second segment, listen out for a clip from the Bold School panel, featuring Cobra Kai’s Mary Mouser, Found’s Shanola Hampton, Manifest’s Melissa Roxburgh, Outlander’s Sophie Skelton, and Sistas’ KJ Smith, moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Ennica Jacob. They share their thoughts on sisterhood, finding their voices, and how to be bold in this industry.
Then Mo throws it over to the Behind Her Lens: Showrunners panel, which brings together Found’s Nkechi Okoro Carroll, The Z Suite’s Katie O’Brien, Good American Family’s Katie Robbins, Criminal Minds’ Janine Sherman Barrois, Dexter: New Blood’s Veronica West, and Lopez vs. Lopez’s Debby Wolfe, moderated by TVLine’s Kim Roots. They talk about networking, managing all the moving parts of heading up a TV show, and how they go about pitching.
And finally, the Meet the Executives panel is made up of Universal Television’s Vivian Cannon, Sony Pictures Television’s Hilarie Holt-Burnett and Lily Parrish-Kruger, and Hallmark’s David Stefanou, moderated by IndieWire’s Marcus Jones. They break down how they became executives, what they do day-to-day, and how they find the best creatives to work with.
Wrap-up
Mo had a fabulous time at the festival and she tells Sherin why she wishes she could have attended SCAD. They also discuss the panels Mo didn’t get to record, the importance of diversity in a time when it’s under attack, and why SCAD is making the next leaders in TV & film.
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This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
