Creative Educators Forum: The Strategic Educator: Mapping the Classroom to the Marketplace

In the 3rd annual Creative Educators Forum, PromaxBDA brings industry executives and educators together in a collaborative setting where they exchange ideas, brainstorm and identify improved strategies for working together to build a stronger pipeline of talent into the media and entertainment marketing industry.

The Creative Educators Forum sits within the largest conference for promotion, marketing and design professionals in the world – PromaxBDA: The Conference. With that, all attendees have access to some of the highest-level leaders and some of the most creative minds in the entertainment industry.

Session I: What a Difference a Partnership Makes: Transformative Approaches to Building Access Channels for Student Talent into the Media and Entertainment Industry

In order to achieve success and maintain a competitive advantage in today’s global media market, we must build the most important resource — the skills of the workforce. This panel session highlights nationally recognized programs that are working to build access channels for diverse creative talent into the media and entertainment industry. Learn from educators and entertainment industry leaders how they formed cross-sector partnerships to engage and train workforce ready students.

Session II: The Forum within the Forum
True to meaning of the word forum, we bring educators and industry executives together in roundtable discussions to share ideas, brainstorm new approaches to classroom design and curriculum development, and identify mechanisms through which to more closely align the industry internship, course assignments and mentorship programs with students’ needs. Industry professionals and educators alike will discuss approaches and programmatic strategies that will better map the classroom to the needs of the marketplace.

Session III: Digital, mobile and beyond
Learn first-hand from people in the digital and mobile marketing, content and design trenches what are the emerging trends and what skills, knowledge and experience your students will need to capitalize on the trends. Learn what large workflows look like and how entry level talent fit into that workflow.

Venue
JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE
A special room rate of $245++ per night is available only until May 18, 2012.
900 West Olympic, Los Angeles, CA 90015
(800) 266-9432

The full $198 registration includes:

•Registration for Creative Educators Forum
•Registration pass to attend PromaxBDA: The Conference 2012
•PromaxBDA365 Academic membership, which includes:
◦Direct access to industry leaders throughout the year
◦Exclusive access to select video-on-demand content from PromaxBDA: The Conference 2011
◦Opportunities to attend industry events and programs for you and your students
◦"Best of PromaxBDA" screening at your institution
◦Pipeline to internships and entry-level job positions for your students

All registrants must present valid academic identification and meet the minimal PromaxBDA academic requirements (link to membership page) for access.

REGISTER TODAY by contacting Anush Payaslyan 310.789.1509 or anush@promaxbda.org.



Actor Craig Bierko and ABC7's Phillip Palmer: How Hollywood and Celebrities Can Be A Force For Good: PIRATES February Meeting 2/8/12

Actor Craig Bierko and ABC7's Phillip Palmer: How Hollywood and Celebrities Can Be A Force For Good: PIRATES February Meeting 2/8/12

February 2012 PIRATES Program

Special PIRATES Event at theACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES
How Hollywood and Celebrities
Can Be A Force For Good
Wednesday, February 8, 20128:30 a.m.:Check-in and Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m.: One-Hour Program
$25 members | $30 non-members

Scroll down for event details and payment

With Special Guests:
CRAIG BIERKOPeople Magazine designated ("Sexiest Broadway Star), star of stage (Tony nominee for "The Music Man,") screen ("The Change-Up," "Cinderella Man") and television ("Sex and the City," "Damages"). Non-profit partner: Loma Linda University Children's Hospital.

PHILLIP PALMERWeekday morning anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News
A strong supporter of organ donation, Phillip donated a kidney to his friend, Dale Davis.
Non-profit partner: Donate Life (organ and tissue donation).

JOANNA DeLEON, CFREIn Ms. DeLeon's role as director of the Children's Hospital Foundation, she develops and enhances annual fund opportunities with the Foundation staff, and builds relationships with the community to meet Children's Hospital philanthropic goals.

BRIANA PASTORINO
Ms. Pastorino serves as Media Relations Specialist for Loma Linda University Medical Center

DONATE LIFE REPRESENTATIVE - TBD
Donate Life California is a nonprofit Organ and Tissue Donor Registry dedicated to saving the lives of thousands of Californians awaiting life-saving transplants.

8:30 a.m.:Check-in and Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m.: One-Hour Program
$25 members | $30 non-members

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

With the heart of the entertainment industry in our own backyard, there are tremendous opportunities for nonprofits to tap into this powerful resource. (photo credit: http://www.emmys.tv/tv)

This special PIRATES event, hosted by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, will provide insights into how to effectively collaborate with celebrities and other entertainment industry partners.

EVENT PAY AND DETAILS:

LOCATION:

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Academy 

Conference Centre

5220 Lankershim Blvd. (at Magnolia- map) 

North Hollywood, CA 91601

(Redline Subway-friendly, just blocks away.)

THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT - RSVP REQUIRED:

Additional Members

1 Member $25.00 USD 2 Members $50.00 USD 3 Members $75.00 USD

Additional NON-Members

1 Non-Member $30.00 USD 2 Non-Members $60.00 USD 3 Non-Members $90.00 USD

Reserve by COB, TODAY FEB 6TH:1-800-PLANK15 or via e-mail to Yvonne Voisin at voisincom@aol.com
As a non-profit organization every dollar counts! If you reserve and fail to attend, you willbe billed. You can pay ahead of the meeting via the online links above or pay with cash or
check at the door. Exact change is appreciated.

Innocent Flesh The Play, Olympians and Protecting Your Business Online

LaFern Cusack speaks with Kenyetta Lethridge and Diana C. Zollicoffer about how their new project Innocent Flesh is bringing awareness to human trafficking. Also, Track and Field Olympic Champions Leroy Dixon and Rodney Martin talk training for the Olympics and Brent Franson provides useful online safety tips and powerful online marketing strategies.
Click Here to Download Podcast

Brent Franson, Senior Director, Advanced Client Solutions, Reputation.com -Brent Franson is a recognized search engine-marketing authority with a proven track record of creating powerful online search marketing strategies. Before coming to Reputation.com, he founded and built a successful global full-service search engine-marketing firm, with offices in Mountain View, Denver, Philadelphia, and Bangalore, India. In his current role as Senior Director of Reputation.com's ReputationDefender Client Solutions, he uses his decade of experience in search marketing strategy and deep search algorithm expertise to manage and maintain our clients' online reputations. Photo Credit: http://www.reputation.com For more information: http://www.reputation.com

 

Kenyetta Lethridge (Actress/Writer/Director) and Diana C. Zollicoffer (Producer), Innocent Flesh:Innocent Flesh - This is a haunting one-act play written by NAACP award winner, Kenyetta Lethridge about teen prostitution and human trafficking in America. The play is an eye-opening and intimate conversation that unveils the secrets of how girls from all walks of life can find themselves on the streets, selling their bodies to men. Loosely based on the real experiences of four young girls and the hardships they face as underage prostitutes, Innocent Flesh is a universal story that informs, inspires, and challenges audience members to take a deeper look into the ugly reality of underage prostitution. For more information: http://www.innocentfleshtheplay.com

Track and Field OlympiansLeroy Dixon and Rodney Martin: Leroy Dixon has a passion for making a mark in the sport of track and field and leveraging his successes to affect change in his community is what separates him from the average athlete; an organic talent and unmatched personal endurance will propel him towards continuous success. In 2007, Dixon won the Gold Medal in 4x100 relay in Osaka, Japan. He was ranked 4th in the U.S. and 6th in the world in the 100-meter run. In 2008, he was a U.S. Indoor runner-up and qualified for the Indoor World Championships. He also qualified for the Beijing Olympics, an impressive feat considering he was in a cast just 4 weeks before the Olympic trials due to a stress fracture in his fibula. He was ranked 8th in the world and 4th in the U.S. in the 100- meter run. In 2009, he made the outdoor world championship team but could not participate due to injuries. He was ranked 6th in the U.S. and in the world in the 100- meter run. In 2010, he was ranked 5th in the U.S. and 10th in the world in the 100- meter run. With a newfound focus and a dynamite support team, Dixon hopes to sprint to the finish line more invigorated than ever before. His love for the sport, clear goals for the future, and his mother's strength through a relentless fight against cancer serves as his main motivations for the upcoming 2012 Olympics. For more information: http://www.leroydixon2012.com

Since turning professional in 2006,Rodney Martin has been consistently ranked among the top ten athletes in the 100m and 200m distances in the US. Martin secured his presence at the top of elite international lists in 2007 by finishing third in a loaded 200m final at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, and fourth in the 200 at the World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan. Each year he has bested his previous performances and in 2008 achieved personal best marks in both the 100m (9.95) and 200m (19.99) distances at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR. Martin's fifth-place 100m finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials placed him in the 4x100m relay pool for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where he ran the lead leg in the opening round. Martin is currently preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games. For more information: http://trackfield.teamusa.org/athletes/rodney-martin

A Life, Taken - The Movie.

The News headlines are filled with stories about abused children. Last year actress, singer Mackensie Phillips revealed being molested by her father, currently, the focus is on Penn State and the multiple incidents of Abuse that children suffered while in the custody of Asst. Coach Jerry Sandusky as well as by those who failed to report the incidents to Police Officials.  It is not only the act of the abuse that scar's the victims its the silence that continues to harm and creates a vicious cycle. This silence imprisons the soul of the victim in an emotional prison of Guilt and Shame - I know because I am one of them and I am finally breaking my silence. 

"A Life, Taken" is a story inspired by my personal experience. I wrote the first draft as a way to get something that I've  never told anyone OUT. I finally was in a place spiritually where I could feel the burden of holding onto this secret and what it was doing to me. I wrote the first draft as an exercise - like the one where you finally write the letter to that person in your life and you tell them everything you've felt about them - BUT YOU NEVER SEND IT. This exercise is just for you, right?  

Well, after completing the first draft of the script I felt a weight had been lifted but it soon became apparent to me that what I wrote was something that could help not only me but others IF I COULD GATHER THE COURAGE to put my work out there. So, I took a deep breath in and let it out, prayed and with the grace of God began putting one foot in front of the other.     

- DawnMarie Ferrara 

Our Interview On ESPN 

George and I are so proud of this interview we gave. It was on ESPN with LaFern Cusack. We talk about how to break the cycle of Sexual Abuse and how victims can begin to heal.

(Our segment starts at 25:00)
LINK=>>  http://espn.go.com/espnradio/losangeles/play?id=7257606&s=la&j=00:25:00 

Directors Statement

"A Life, Taken" is a character driven piece that deals with the intricacies of human relationships through the exploration of one's psyche - the obvious vs the secrets that are kept within each of us. My goal is to engage our talented cast to take the emotional roller coaster ride needed to illustrate the reality of psychological and mental anguish that abuse can have on an adult. Through this journey I hope to present the reality of child abuse and how common of a phenomenon it is within our society. How it scars us and how we can overcome the inner turmoil of self loathing.  - George Pitsironis

Synopsis

The film centers around the character Natalie Fispoli, who suffered abuse as a child. Natalie is now a New York City Police Detective and her life is coming apart at the seams. Anger, rage and guilt have eaten away at her humanity. Her current case brings up painful memories. Natalie becomes emotionally and psychologically unstable, is suspended from the department and subsequently mandated to enroll into counseling. 

'A Life, Taken' follows Natalie's counseling sessions which are at first, painfully mundane because she has closed herself off emotionally from the world. Eventually Natalie discovers that she must do the hardest thing in her life: open up and reveal her past so she can have a future - WILL SHE BE ABLE TO DO IT?

The Impact

Art can make a difference in this world. I know I've been inspired by it - whether it's looking at a painting hanging at LACMA or listening to Miles Davis. Art spurs the senses and can be a catalyst towards change - a change in one persons perception can lead to a change in society.With our short film 'A Life, Taken' we hope to do just that. 

When abuse begins the victim is no longer the same person and that's the reason for the title of our project - "A Life, Taken" because after the abuse " A LIFE" has literally been "TAKEN".  It's our hope that our film helps other victims to get their lives back by breaking the cycle of silence. 

It is our hope that this film helps those who have suffered childhood abuse and have kept it silent to come to terms with the abuse they've suffered - (whether you're 21 or 61) - the time is NOW to state your truth, break the silence and begin the road to healing. 

The Film Will Help In Other Ways

'A Life, Taken' is a short film as well as an Awareness Campaign - we will list contact and hotline information for resources, programs and organizations in our credits so those who need to get help have a safe place to call. 

One organization we are currently talking to is Dream Catchers for Abused Children. It is an amazing world-wide organization dedicated to educating the public on every aspect of child abuse.

If you would like more information on this organization visit their website:

http://dreamcatchersforabusedchildren.com/ 

What The Money Will Be Used For

   * Let me assure you that this is a safe, secure site - your personal information 

     is encrypted and protected. 

 ** 100% of all donations will go to the production. 

Filming Necessities: Lights, camera, sound gear, lens rentals, generators etc

Locations and Art Direction:  "A Life, Taken" is set in Brooklyn, New York and we will need to re-create an East Coast look and feel.

Permits: There are a couple outdoor locations that we will have to obtain permits to shoot at. 

Wardrobe: In our film the story spans the years 1986 to the Present, we will need to purchase wardrobe that is consistent with the time period. 

Food: When people are donating their time or working for far less than they are worth, it makes a huge difference if they are well fed.

Post-production: All the necessary finishing touches a film needs: Editing, color correction, sound mix, sound design and score. 

Festival Fees: This film is being created to help others - to create awareness - we can only do this if a wide audience is exposed to it. It is our intention to enter the finished film into Festivals. The fee's for these festivals can add up. A portion of the money donated will go towards paying these fees. 

Publicity Materials: To help get the word out about our film we will need to have Advertising Materials, these include Production Stills, DVD's, Press Kits and Movie Posters

 "A Life, Taken" Team

• George Pitsironis (Director/Executive Producer)

• Peter Castagnetti (Director of Photography)

• DawnMarie Ferrara (Writer/ Executive Producer/ Actor: Natalie Rispoli) Some Credits include: SOUTHLAND, Lyla Wolf: Infractus, The Item and The Tao of The Golden Mask

• Jeffery Dean (Actor: Brad Rispoli) Some Credits include: Unscripted, .com for Murder, To Kill A Memory

• Libby West (Actor: Dr. Trunino) Some Credits include: Six Feet Under, Two Weeks Notice and One Life To Live. 

• Billy Gillespie (Actor: Bill Bacci) Some Credits include: Doc Hollywood, In the Heat of the Night, Law & Order,

• Carmen Milito (Actor: Sandy Bacci) Some Credits Include: Slice and The Finalist

• Nayo K. Wallace (Actor: Gina Evans) Some credits include: Speed Racer, Torchwood, Two and a Half Men and 24

• CarolAnn Susi (Actor: Ms. Mancuso) Some Credits Include: Just Go With It, Seinfeld, Death Becomes Her, The Big Bang Theory and The Secret Of My Success

• Terence Rotolo (Actor: Juan Carlos Santiago) some credits include: Master and Commander, The Rundown, Power Rangers and The Scorpian King

• Natasha Malinsky (Actor: Lissa Barnes) Some Credits include: The Ascension, The Apprentice,  One Tree Hill, Winx Club and Pokemon

No Money? No Problem. There Are Other Ways You Can Help

1) Visit Our Facebook Fan Page and "Like" It

https://www.facebook.com/dawnmarieferrara#!/pag...

2) Help Us Spread The Word By Sharing the Link To This Campaign To Everyone You Know

Post the link to your Twitter Account, Facebook Account, Send it in an e-mail, Send it via Snail Mail or shout it out your window because the more buzz we have surrounding
"A Life, Taken", the better the chances for getting the support we need.

Here's an easy link to share:  http://www.indiegogo.com/ALifeTaken

We Thank You So Much For Your Time and Support!!!! 

Taking a Stand Against Child Abuse: "A Life, Taken"