Press Releases

November 4, 2011 Intimate Alumni Dinner with Fox21 Exec. Brad Holcman

The next UMEC intimate alumni dinner will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday November 10th at the Village Idiot (private back room) 7383 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046. http://www.villageidiotla.com.  Our special guest will be Fox 21 TV Studio executive and proud wolverine Brad Holcman.

We are limited to a maximum of 15 reservations; first come, first served.

UPDATE: There are only a couple of spots left.  Reserve your space now.

To ensure attendance, we will be collecting an $11.00 deposit from UMEC members and a $16.00 deposit from non-members. All attendees will be entitled to a $10.00 credit for any food or drink ordered at the restaurant.  This essentially makes the cost $1.00 for members and $6.00 for non-members.  Our intimate alumni dinners allow you to interact with our special guests in a smaller, more personalized setting. You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to spend some time with this top TV executive. If you wish to join or renew your membership, please visit the UMEC website at http://umec.la/join/.

Brad Holcman

Brad Holcman is the Director of Creative Affairs for fox21, a production arm of 20th Century Fox Television, delivering scripted and unscripted programming to network and cable outlets.  Brad is responsible for all alternative and reality development including the projects: “Countdown” (NBC), “Untitled Steve Carell Sketch Comedy Series” (ABC), “Parent Trap” w/ Jamie Kennedy (TBS), “Family Bonding” (A&E), “Model Apartment” (A&E).   Brad also assists with fox21’s current slate of drama, comedy, and animated scripted projects including “Homeland” on Showtime, “Sons of Anarchy” on FX and “Breakout Kings” on A&E.  He is the covering executive and lead developer of the recently sold animated series “Brickleberry” to Comedy Central (Daniel Tosh).

Additionally, Brad is responsible for 20th Century Fox TV’s first-look deals to generate unscripted projects with other production companies including Krasnow Produtions (Stuart Krasnow), Ryan Murphy TV, Brett Ratner TV, Shawn Levy/Marty Adelstein, and Carousel (Steve Carell).  He is a frequent guest speaker at the major unscripted conferences including: RealScreen, Factual Entertainment Forum, Banff World Television Festival, and The West Doc. Brad’s previous projects have also included “Beauty and the Geek” for The CW, “Game Show in My Head” on CBS, and “Saved” for TNT.  Before landing at fox21 he worked at 20th Century Fox Television in Drama Development. Brad received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan in Sports Management and Communication.

If you are interested in attending, please follow these instructions to reserve a seat:

1. Send an email with your reservation request to umecla@gmail.com.  Include your full name, email address and a phone number.  

2. We will fill available spots from all emails received on a first come, first served basis. Send your request now and secure your place in the queue.

3. If your reservation is accepted, you will receive an email invoice from us requesting payment of your deposit within 48 hours.

4. If you do not send your payment within 48 hours after we send the request for payment, you will lose your spot and your name will go to the bottom of the list.

5.  We will accept reservations and payments until all spots are filled.  Everyone else will be added to a waitlist in the order we received their request.  If you are waitlisted, we will notify you what number you are on the list.

6. Reservations may be cancelled up to 48 hours before the event for a full refund (minus $1.00) by sending an email to umecla@gmail.com.

7. Cancellations made between 48 hours prior to the event and 12:00 noon on the day of the event will be entitled to a refund of their payment less $5.00.

8. Cancellations made after 12:00 noon on the day of the event will forfeit the entire deposit.  No-shows will forfeit the entire deposit as well as earn a hefty dose of bad karma.

9.  We are not responsible for late or misdirected emails.  Please provide us with an email you check often.

10. To be considered a paid member, your membership must be current at the time you make your reservation and also on the day of the event.

11. $10.00 of your deposit will be credited to your food and drink tab.  No refund will be due if you order less than $10.00.

12. This event will sell out.  Make your request for a reservation as soon as you know you wish to attend.

July 23, 2009 Pre-ComicCon

So today, Thursday, I’m driving down to ComicCon for this year’s extravaganza… I’m leaving today/tonight, because I hate the traffic on the drive to San Diego during daylight hours, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stay the whole time.

I’m not sure what to anticipate from this year… as a fan, I like what I like, and do enjoy finding new things to like (which I always do when I go down), but as I see that Comic Books and other IPs from my youth have become the main creative engine for Hollywood, there is a sense of nostalgia about the whole proceedings. technology FINALLY allows filmmakers to create the necessary imagery that populate my mind’s eye at least two decades ago… and that’s what dominates the creative scene in development circles. Skip the fact that back in the 80s, writers actually rolled the creative dice on the commercially-viable  craps table and scored big and small with thousands of properties, characters, stories and ideas that were meant to satisfy a certain audience that was never, ever mainstream. So it’s fun, yet sad and ironic, to see this material reaching so deep into the business community that pretty much rejected it since the 1950s and a Congressional hearing branded comics with a “corrupting youth influence” that the industry didn’t recover from until the comic publishing business basically died in the 90s.

But in our creatively bankrupt period (that we’ve been in since 2001), ComicCon is THE place to be to see what’s going to be fueling the filmed entertainment landscape for the foreseeable future.

I actually have business to attend to down at the Con. I meeting with a Shanghai-based animation and video game company that’s interested in turning one of my comic book series into a video game (hopefully for Xbox 360 and PS3, but just for PC would be fine, too) and into some kind of animated movie/series format… as that’s what will be necessary to adapt the concept to a feature film (which isn’t really the ultimate goal, as the video game and animated series would probably be more interesting, profitable and fun).  I also, have two other projects that I need to find publishers for, but I need to find the perfect artist for the projects.

Anyway, more updates when I get back from the Con.

FEATURETTE: The screenplay is on indefinite hold, mainly because I have two other feature and TV writing projects that are more pressing, and the comic stuff is picking up pace, so finding time to write that other project is like doing backward somersaults with weights on my ankles.

However, I will be discussing the evolution of the feature project shortly… it’s based on the award-winning short film we directed awhile back. What the new incarnation is going to look like, nobody knows…

April 6, 2009 ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY PANEL FEATURING HOLLYWOOD-HITTERS TO SPEAK TO INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

April 1st, 2009

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY PANEL FEATURING HOLLYWOOD-HITTERS TO SPEAK TO INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

 

Elite Panelists Weigh-in: The Recession, Shifting Distribution Windows, Technology and Personal Success Stories

 

 

On April 15th at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, UMEC (University of Michigan Entertainment Coalition) Los Angeles presents a unique opportunity to have a conversation with some of the most influential leaders in the entertainment industry.

 

The panel discussion will delve into hot topics relating to the entertainment field, and allow attendees to engage in a dialogue with leaders from New Line Cinema, NBC, Spyglass Entertainment and other top production companies, who have brought you hit shows such as The OfficeLaw & Order, and Heroes, and movies such as Lord of the RingsShanghai NoonAmerican Pie and Ocean’s Thirteen.

 

The event is to feature high profile industry executive Bob Shaye (founder of New Line), academy-nominated actor David Paymer, executive Richard Olshansky (EVP NBC Business Affairs), screenwriter Adam Herz (American Pie), executive Jon Glickman (President of Spyglass), and producer Scott Aversano (Executive Producer of Team America: World Police).

 

Topics to be discussed include the effects of globalization on the entertainment industry, the state of the entertainment industry and its changing economics, and the role of emerging technology and social media in shaping the future of the entertainment industry.

 

The panel will be moderated by Producers Guild of America member Dan Abrams.

 

UMEC Los Angeles is an independent alumni group of the University of Michigan focused on the education and promotion of University of Michigan alumni in the fields of media, entertainment and new-media through speaking and networking events.

 

 

DATE: Wednesday, April 15, 2009

 

TIME: 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Registration & Networking    

7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Industry Panel

9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Audience Q&A

Light refreshments will be available

 

Tickets:
$25 General Public
RSVP: http://umec.la/umec-spring-entertainment-panel/

 

LOCATION: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza

2025 Avenue of the Stars

Los Angeles , CA  90067

 

 

For more information please contact Laura Shlecter at info@umec.la or 310.738.5688.

  • Recent Updates

  • Sign up for our newsletter



     
  • What We’re Up To


    Entertainment Panel

    Once or twice a year, the University of Michigan Entertainment Coalition brings together a distinguished panel of Michigan alumni for an illuminating evening of questions and answers dealing with a specific area of the entertainment industry.

    Intimate Dinner Series

    Not to be confused with a candlelit meal with your significant other, the Intimate Dinner Series provides an opportunity for a select group of UMEC members to join a prominent alumnus for a round table dinner discussion in their area of expertise.

    UMEC Short Film Festival

    The festival’s goal is to showcase the broad production talents of Michigan alumni and students, and raise their profile within the entertainment industry. Any short film under 30 minutes in length that had a current or former Michigan student serve in a key creative capacity is eligible for consideration.

    Reel Wolverine Award

    The Reel Wolverine Award was established by the University of Michigan Entertainment Coalition to honor Michigan alumni who’ve made outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry and who uphold the highest standards of artistic and professional excellence in their work. The award is presented during the opening festivities of the UMEC Short Film Festival. Past recipients include Lawrence Kasdan and Peter Benedek among other notable alumni.

    Mentorship Program

    The Mentorship Program is a UMEC initiative to promote and strengthen a collaborative alumni network within the entertainment industry by connecting aspiring graduates with established entertainment professionals for one-on-one face time and guidance. The program is open to all University of Michigan alumni with career interests in the area of film, television, new-media, music, and sports entertainment.

    Internship Program

    The UMEC Internship Program aims to place qualified Michigan alumni as interns in their chosen area of the entertainment industry. Need an intern for your office or production? Let us know. We might just have the perfect person for you.

    Alumni Employment Opportunities

    If you have a job opening (or know of one), let us know and consider hiring a Wolverine. We’ll be happy to forward your needs on to our members.