Hollywood Goes Silicon Valley – Joss Whedon, Stan Rogow, Les Morgenstein and Chr
Posted by: admin in Industry NewsTechCrunch50 is all about the startups, but we manage to squeeze in a few high powered panels too. And this one is going to be a ton of fun. This day, we’re pleased to announce that we will be featuring a panel at TechCrunch50 entitled “Hollywood Goes Silicon Valley.” Brought to you in partnership with […]
TechCrunch50 is all about the startups, but we manage to squeeze in a few high powered panels too. And this one is going to be a ton of fun.
This day, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be featuring a panel at TechCrunch50 entitled “Hollywood Goes Silicon Valley.” Brought to you in partnership with Creative Artists Bureau, the panel will showcase the efforts of a posse of entertainment luminaries who are creating content exclusively for the Web, and embracing new technologies in all aspects of their production, marketing and distribution of commercial entertainment properties.
The panel will include Chris Henchy, writer, producer, and co-founder of Funny or Die and co-executive producer of “Entourage”; Leslie Morgenstein president of Alloy Entertainment (“Gossip Girl”);Stan Rogow, executive producer and director of online series Gemini Division, starring Rosario Dawson; Joss Whedon creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”; and Michael Yanover, head of Business Development, Creative Artists Bureau.
As we move closer to the conference, we are encouraging everyone to book their hotel reservations (many hotels are already sold out) and register for the conference before we sell out. For companies seeking to launch and showcase products at TechCrunch50, please take a look at our Exhibitor Packages. If you’ve questions about sponsorships, please reach out to Heather Harde or Dan Kimerling. All media inquiries should be sent to Sarah Ross.
Bios on our “Hollywood Goes Silicon Valley” panelists are below
Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon is one of Hollywood’s top talents, scripting several hit films and creating one of television’s most critically praised shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Born June 23, 1964, in New York, Whedon is a third-generation TV writer. His grandfather and father were both successful sitcom writers on shows such as “The Donna Reed Show,” “Leave It to Beaver” and “The Golden Girls.”
After receiving a degree in film studies from Wesleyan University, Whedon landed his first writing job on the staff of the top-rated series “Roseanne.” He later pulled double-duty, co-producing and writing, on the series “Parenthood.”
After creating “Buffy” as a feature film script, Whedon brought it to television in 1996, where it became a cult phenomenon. In 2000, Whedon garnered his first Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for his groundbreaking episode entitled “Hush.” In 2002, he wrote, composed and directed a Broadway-style musical episode entitled “Once More, With Feeling” which received worldwide recognition and spawned an “Original Cast Recording” soundtrack, which sold more than 400,000 CDs worldwide. In a New York Times Magazine profile, “Buffy” was called “one of the most intelligent and most underestimated shows on TV.” The show won several awards including, Emmys, Saturns, SFXs and a Hugo in its seventh and final season.
In 1998, Whedon developed and produced “Angel” through 20th Century Fox TV and his production company, Mutant Enemy. The “Buffy” spin-off gained a loyal following of its own and ran for five seasons. In 2002, he followed up with the critically acclaimed sci-fi drama “Firefly.” In addition to serving as creator and executive producer on “Angel,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Firefly,” Whedon also wrote and directed multiple episodes of each series.
Whedon earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay with Disney’s box-office smash “Toy Story.” His other feature writing credits include “Titan A.E.” and “Alien Resurrection.” In fall 2005, Whedon made his feature directorial debut with “Serenity” based on the “Firefly” series. In addition to his TV and feature writing, Whedon created “Fray” for Dark Horse comics, writes “Astonishing X-Men,” “Runaways” for Marvel and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season Eight for Dark Horse Comics.
Whedon recently released a musical world wide web series titled “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.”
Stan Rogow
Stan Rogow three-time Emmy-nominated producer is executive producer and director of Gemini Division, roles he first undertook with “Afterworld,” Electric Farm Entertainment’s Webby-nominated, post-Apocalyptic epic about a man trapped in a world without technology.
Following his massive success as executive producer of the popular series and feature film “Lizzie McGuire” Rogow was the executive producer of the Discovery/Kids on NBC series “Darcy’s Wild Life” and co creature “Flight 29 Down,” and THE ABC FAMILY, multiple humanitas nominated, STATE OF GRACE. His long list of credits also include NBC’s “Shannon’s Deal,” the critically acclaimed show that was nominated by the TV Critics Association for Best Show of the Year - Tom Shales from the Washington Post called it “an extraordinarily good series.” The series “Middle Ages” was given four stars by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly called it “easily one of the most thoughtful, well-written and beautiful acted series of the year.” Rogow executive produced and co-created both series.
Other Rogow credits include the series “South of Sunset,” which he co- created and “Nowhere Man.”
Rogow’s success in the feature film arena includes “The Clan of the Cave Bear,” “Men of War,” “All I Want for Christmas” and “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.”
Also on the film side, Rogow has been prolific in the area of made-for-TV movies, including a series of three movies for Showtime based on the acclaimed television show “The Defenders” with E.G. Marshall reprising his Emmy-winning role, which won The American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award. As well as “Nowhere to Hide,” “Murder in High Places,” “Help Wanted: Kids,” “Rock ‘N Roll Mom,” the multiple Emmy Award-winning “Playing for Time” and “Hard Hat & Legs.”
Rogow has a J.D. from Boston University School of Law and a B.A. Degree from Boston University. He’s also a guest lecturer at the American Film Institute, USC Film School and UCLA Film School. He resided in West Los Angeles.
Leslie Morgenstein
Leslie Morgenstein has served as president of Alloy Entertainment and its predecessor, 17th Street Productions, Inc., since 1999, overseeing the company’s operations, strategy, and creative mission. He produces or executive produces Alloy Entertainment’s TV and feature film projects, including The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants feature films and the CW series Gossip Girl.
Mr. Morgenstein has an undergraduate degree in writing and photography from Sarah Lawrence College and an MBA in finance from the New York University’s Stern School of Business, and finished his master’s work in English and creative writing at the City College of New York. He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons. He’s an avid runner.
Chris Henchy:
Chris Henchy runs Gary Sanchez Productions, a production company co-founded by comedians Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, which partnered with Sequoia Capital to launch www.funnyordie.com. Henchy was involved in the creation of the website and is integral in its ongoing commitment to showcase the ideal comedy on the internet.
Henchy has been a writer and producer on such shows as “Entourage”, “Life with Bonnie” and “Spin City”. He also created ABC’s “I’m With Her” and most recently produced a comedy pilot for HBO entitled “East Bound and Down.” He has also written the feature film “Land of the Lost” for Will Ferrell and Universal Pictures.
Born in New York City, Henchy resides in Los Angeles, with his wife, actress Brooke Shields, and their two daughters.
Michael Yanover
Michael Yanover is the head of the Business Development department at Creative Artists Agency, the world’s leading entertainment and sports agency. CAA’s Business Development department creates new lines of business for the bureau, in addition to servicing clients across the bureau. Michael also leads CAA’s Digital Media group, which focuses on the representation of individual and corporate clients within the technology sector.
CAA’s Digital Media agents identify and create opportunities within the emerging digital media marketplace for traditional clients. CAA has worked with its clients to conceptualize and incubate many successful web ventures including Will Ferrell’s Funny Or Die, Tony Hawk’s Shred or Die, and weplay.com, a youth sports online community with CAA clients including LeBron James, Derek Jeter, and Peyton Manning as founding partners. CAA represents business-to-business and consumer-oriented technology companies looking to build their brand and leverage opportunities in entertainment, including Cisco, IMAX, and imeem. The Digital Media group also works with production companies in the emerging digital media sector such as Electric Farm Entertainment, Broadway Video, and Katalyst Films and develops new talent such as the Internet phenomenon Lonelygirl15 and Wallstrip, which was recently acquired by CBS Interactive.
Prior to joining CAA, Michael was Senior Vice President and General Manager at Macromedia (now part of Adobe) where he launched their successful online division, Atom Entertainment (now part of Viacom). Previously, Michael ran his own entertainment production company, which produced two television series for domestic and international broadcast, and a theatrical film released by MGM. Michael began his career in M&A, corporate finance and entertainment law at Bankers Trust and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, in New York, and at Sinclair Tenenbaum & Co., a leading entertainment law firm in Los Angeles. Michael holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and a JD from the University of Toronto.
Michael sits on the board of mobile conference Rutberg Wireless Influencers and the not-for-profit Do Something organization that encourages young people to become active in their communities.
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