In This Issue:
+ Director's Notes
+ Message from Allison
NEWS
+ Featured Member Posting: Executive Assistant I to Warner Bros. Television - Burbank, CA
+ Apply for the Harvardwood Mentorship Program - Deadline Aug. 27th
+ Call for Harvardwood mentors and advisors
+ Sign up for the Harvardwood Television Writing Group in NY
+ Thanks for entering the 2014 Harvardwood Writers' Competition & Harvardwood Karaoke Contest!
+ Celebrate the summer at the Harvardwood Bonfire in Los Angeles - Aug. 16th
FEATURES
+ Industry Successes
+ New Members' Welcome
+ Member Profile: Andy Cadiff '77 (HOT IN CLEVELAND, HOME IMPROVEMENT, SPIN CITY, and more)
CALENDAR & NOTES
+ Calendar
+ Don't miss out on this month's members-only programs & events | Renew your membership!
Director's Notes
This is a very bittersweet moment for me. As many of you know already, I have accepted an exciting position at The Recording Academy® as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chapter. Given that I am a lover of all things music, working for the GRAMMYs® is certainly a dream come true. But I love and deeply treasure all of the great memories and wonderful friends I have come to know during my time overseeing Harvardwood — words can't express how important this amazing community of artists is to me.
So while it's not easy to turn over the reigns, I do so with the utmost confidence in our newly appointed Director, Ms. D. Dona Le (Harvard '05)! Dona has done an amazing job as Coordinator for Harvardwood over this past year and we are all excited by the new ideas and initiatives she will continue to bring to the table. Please help me in congratulating Dona on her new post, and I hope you are all just as inspired as I am to continue to build this tremendous organization!
— Kelley
I'm thrilled to serve as Director of Harvardwood, although I certainly have big shoes to fill (thank you, Kelley!)! It's been a pleasure getting to know the Harvardwood community as Coordinator over the past year, and I look forward to deepening those connections with our members, while also identifying new partners and developing sponsorships for our invaluable organization. I welcome your suggestions and ideas for Harvardwood events and programs. From now on, I can be reached at [email protected], so please update your address books accordingly. And when you see me at an event, definitely come say hi; I'm excited to meet all you amazing Harvardwood folks!
— Dona
Message from Allison
Congratulations to both Dona and Kelley!! You two are some of the hardest-working women I know and your new positions are well-deserved. Thank you both for your amazing commitment to grow and help Harvardwood thrive. Dona - you rock! And Kelley - don't stay away too long!
— Allison
Featured Member Posting: Executive Assistant I to Warner Bros. Television - Burbank, CA
Warner Bros. Television seeks an Executive Assistant I for the Television Current Programming department. The Executive Assistant reports to the Vice President and Director, Current Programming. Responsibilities include: preparing correspondence, such as letters, memos, and expense reports; answering phones, screens, logs, and placing phone calls; tracking show status from pitches to scripts, and scheduling conference calls for note sessions; scheduling appointments, meetings, etc.; maintaining various files, records, indexes, and logs; maintaining and organizing the office filing system; responsible for opening, recording, and distributing incoming mail; proofreading and photocopying; and other duties as assigned. BA/BS degree preferred, and previous admin experience required. Familiarity with TV industry strongly preferred; previous studio and literary agency experience strongly preferred. Must have the ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with persons on all levels, in person and on the telephone. Must be able to handle multiple tasks, work in a fast-paced environment, and handle confidential information… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=214273
Apply for the Harvardwood Mentorship Program - Deadline Aug. 27th
Harvardwood is pleased to announce the start of the 2014-2015 Harvardwood Membership Program (HMP)! HMP aims to foster meaningful professional relationships by matching Harvard graduates with more established alums in their fields of interest for a period of nine months of one-on-one career mentoring. We are seeking mentors and mentees for the 2014-2015 season (the program will begin in September 2014). Career focus and compatibility will determine the mentor/mentee pairings, and the nature of each mentoring relationship will depend on the individuals and what they have to offer. As working professionals in the arts, media, and entertainment have highly variable schedules, there will be a great deal of flexibility to accommodate the mentors' needs. The program will run in Los Angeles from September 2014 through May 2015... To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/news/184622/Apply-for-the-Harvardwood-Mentorship-Program---LA.htm
Call for Harvardwood mentors and advisors
We are currently seeking mentors and advisors for the Harvardwood Mentorship Program and the Harvardwood Career Advisors program. Both programs aim to foster meaningful professional relationships between Full Members of Harvardwood and established alums in their fields of interest. Our volunteer mentors and advisors are what enable these Harvardwood programs to continue to thrive and support the next generation of Harvard arts, media, and entertainment professionals. We are looking for mentors and advisors in a wide array of professional fields, and we hope you'll join us! To learn more about each program and to sign up as a mentor and/or advisor, please visit this link: http://harvardwood.org/?page=hmphca_app
Sign up for the Harvardwood Television Writing Group in NY
Are you working on a spec you just can't finish? Do you have a great idea for a pilot, but just don't know where to start? Do you have a finished script in need of some polish? Harvardwood NYC is starting up a bi-weekly writing group for TV writers (and wannabe TV writers) of all levels, from beginner to seasoned pro. At each meeting, we'll read and workshop pieces of each other's work, with the goal of helping group members improve and perfect their scripts. Whether you're still thinking over your concept, or already have a finished script, we'd love to have you! Meetings will start in late August... To learn more, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/news/176820/CALLING-ALL-NYC-WRITERS---HARVARDWOOD-NY-TV-WRITERS-GROUP.htm
Thanks for entering the 2014 Harvardwood Writers' Competition and/or Harvardwood Karaoke Contest!
We are SO excited for all of amazing submission we received throughout June and July to both the 2014 Harvardwood Writers' Competition and our first-ever Harvardwood Karaoke Contest! Now that you've entered your script, pilot, short, or YouTube video, just sit tight! Singers, we'll be in touch this month to reveal the finalists of the Harvardwood Karaoke Contest and enter the online voting stage of the competition. And writers, the winners and runners-up of the 2014 HWC are expected to be announced in mid-October 2014. Thanks for your patience, and good luck!
Celebrate the summer at the Harvardwood Bonfire in Los Angeles - Aug. 16th
On Saturday, August 16th, Harvardwood LA is throwing our biggest party of the summer at Dockweiler State Beach! We'll be at the beach from 5:30pm onwards to play lots of fun beach games, including bocce ball, corn hole, and ladder ball. Members are welcome to bring frisbees, footballs, and other beach games too! There will be a grill, so members who wish to have dinner at the event should bring food to barbecue (and BYOB). To RSVP to this event, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=475209&group=
Industry Successes
Filmmaker Broderick Fox '96 is one of 12 recipients of a 2014 Artistic Innovation Grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation. The grant will be put towards a final sound mix for Fox's next documentary project ZEN & THE ART OF DYING. The film is an intimate and inspiring portrait of Zenith Virago--an activist and educator who for over 20 years has been returning her community of Byron Bay, Australia to a more communal, celebratory, and creative engagement with death and dying. Even with this honor, the film is still in need of additional completion funds to get out to the world. Visit the film's website to watch a scene, sign up for the newsletter, access social media links, and make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION!
Congratulations to Jesse Zwick '08 on his directorial debut, ABOUT ALEX, which opens in theaters nationwide on August 8th! Watch the trailer here. Keep your eye on our events calendar, which we'll be updating soon with screenings of ABOUT ALEX, followed by Q&As with Jesse himself, in New York, DC, and Los Angeles!
Andrew Sellon '81 can be seen as a subway preacher who gives Mark Ruffalo good advice in the new John Carney film BEGIN AGAIN. This past winter, Andrew triumphed in three roles in rotation in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s record-breaking 2013-2014 season in Sarasota, Florida: Vanya in Chris Durang’s Tony-winning hit VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, directed by Peter Amster (who directed Andrew in THE 39 STEPS at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in 2011); preacher Jim Casy in Frank Galati’s Tony-winning adaptation of THE GRAPES OF WRATH, directed by Michael Donald Edwards; and Canon O’Byrne in Brian Friel’s classic comedy PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME!, directed by Frank Galati. VANYA became the top-selling play in Asolo Rep’s entire 55-year history.
New Members' Welcome
Harvardwood warmly welcomes all members who joined the organization over the past month, including:
+ William Beckett, Jr., College, Toronto
+ Amy Chu, HBS, NJ
+ John P. Docherty, HMS Faculty, NY
+ Max Donner, HBS, London/UK
+ Bryan Ellis, College, On-campus
+ Ilya Fischhoff, College, DC
+ Anna Gallardo, College, SF
+ Steffan Imhoff, HLS, LA
+ Jeanne Mack, College, NY
+ Alex Norman, College, Chicago
+ Andrew R. Siara, FOH, LA
+ S. Iturri Sosa, FOH, NY
+ Nadezda Sprei, FOH, NY
+ Khurshid R. Velji, Ext., Toronto
+ Jennifer S. Wilkov, FOH, NY
+ Lissa V. Young, GSE, NY
+ Faye Yan Zhang, College, On-campus
*FOH = Friend of Harvardwood
Thanks to Lano Williams ([email protected]), our Director of Membership Experience, Harvardwood members enjoyed two great events last month in Los Angeles AND New York. If you have ideas for future events, please don't hesitate to contact Lano. In the meantime, look out for a September orientation event in Los Angeles!
Member Profile: Andy Cadiff '77 (HOT IN CLEVELAND, HOME IMPROVEMENT, SPIN CITY, and more)
by Dayna Wilkinson
Andy Cadiff ‘77 has directed over 550 episodes of multi-camera television shows, including hit comedies such as Home Improvement and Spin City. He also directed the pilots of such shows as According To Jim and My Wife & Kids and three features. But he says he didn’t watch much TV as a child. “I don’t think I saw a first run network comedy until I was in my twenties.”
During his summers, he went to an all-boys camp in New Hampshire. “They staged Guys and Dolls when I was fourteen. I was a jock, not a theater kid, but we all auditioned—I was cast as the female lead.” Thus began his love affair with theater, particularly musical theater.
He became a drama counselor at the camp, directing shows there and also at his prep school outside Cambridge. “My school’s bylaws called it a Harvard College preparatory school. When I graduated I didn’t choose Harvard because of its reputation, it’s just where all my friends were going. I’m embarrassed when I see how much thought my children put into their college decisions.”
Andy played football and baseball as a Harvard freshman but after injuring his arm, he decided to see what was happening in the theater scene. He was introduced to two law students who were staging Kiss Me Kate at the Loeb Theater, Josh Rubins and George Birnbaum. “I became Josh’s assistant director—that was the mentorship that really launched me. We’re great friends to this day.”
Over the next three years Andy directed the musicals Fiorello!, Wonderful Town and Oklahoma. He switched from English to a special concentration in The History and Literature of Theater Arts. Junior year, he met Broadway producer and director Hal Prince who was at Harvard as a visiting artist. “He led a class for fifteen students,” Andy recalls, “I decided ‘this is the man I have to apprentice with.’”
Andy stayed in touch, and after graduating magna cum laude, started as an unpaid observer on a musical Prince was developing, On The Twentieth Century. Andy then got his Equity Card as a stage manager. “After three years Hal told me ‘if you want to direct, you have to get out there and do it.’”
Andy contacted Jerry Colker ‘77, who had written Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down. “It was a musical comedy about three standup comedians, and we spent the next few years developing it, doing backer’s auditions, workshops and finding angel producers,” Andy says. “It opened at the Minetta Lane Theater to excellent reviews and put us on the map.”
They developed their next Broadway show (Mail) at the Pasadena Playhouse. Allan Burns was in the audience and took note of Andy’s directing. Allan (creator/writer of such shows as the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda and Phyllis) invited Andy visit the set and ultimately to direct an episode of his comedy Eisenhower and Lutz. “After Mail closed on Broadway, he brought me in as a producer then director of his show FM,” Andy says.
“That was the beginning of my TV directing career. I was used to working on a huge canvas in the theater so the challenge with television was selecting the small part of the canvas that you want to audience to see through the camera lens. But it all clicked in and I eventually started seeing things from that perspective.”
Andy has served as director and Executive Producer of several series, but so far has spent the most time with Home Improvement and Spin City.
“Home Improvement was a traditional family sitcom but it had a show-within-a show (Tool Time), comedic physical stunts and even a touch of the spiritual. We were the #1 show with a 33 share and used five cameras instead of the usual four. It was exciting to do visually creative and comedic things that aren’t possible on most sitcoms.” Andy directed 81 episodes and left to direct his first feature.
His next long-running television show was Spin City. “I was working with Michael J. Fox on an adult sitcom with political overtones. It was fantastic living and shooting in New York—we had a great cast, sophisticated writing, lots of locations, and many filmic, cinematic elements.”
Among the many changes Andy has seen during his career, one of the biggest is the emergence of original comedy programming on cable television. “It’s no longer looked at as the lesser stepchild,” he notes, “ten or fifteen years ago cable couldn’t have gotten the quality of acting and writing talent it currently attracts.”
This holds true for TV Land shows Andy directs. He points to Hot in Cleveland, which has been renewed for a sixth season. “It’s been an experience I thought I wouldn’t be able to duplicate after Home Improvement and Spin City. We have a writing staff chock full of Emmy Award winners from shows like Frasier, Just Shoot Me and News Radio. They’re amazing writers who’ve been show runners in their own right. And I’m working with women I consider to be the most talented in the history of comedy television (Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, Betty White).
He also directs The Exes, which is in its fourth season. “I love that show as well but it’s a bit of a juggling act,” he says. “I had to miss an entire season of The Exes and also leave Young and Hungry, a new show that I love and think will be very successful. But the show that’s picked up first needs to know whether you can direct in the new season and how many episodes can you do. Writers and actors change, network representatives change—you can’t be complacent about your opportunities.
“You never know what’s next, you constantly have to re-introduce yourself to people in the business. My managers are always sending me new scripts to look at.”
Andy is attached to what will be his fourth feature, The Morning After, a romantic comedy that will shoot in Austin, Texas. “I’ve done a couple of rewrites with the writer and we’re looking to start casting toward the end of this year.”
When asked how he would advise aspiring directors, Andy says “it’s not like becoming a lawyer or doctor; there are many different paths you can take. Whatever you do, don’t just stay in your apartment thinking about it—find a writer who’s writing something that you can direct. Get a job where you’re around directors. Put yourself out there.”
Catch the 100th episode of Hot in Cincinnati on August 13th.
Dayna Wilkinson is a proud New Yorker currently living, working and writing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Calendar
***NY - Our Smart Is Sexy Hot Harvardwood Sizzling Summer Party, Fri., Aug. 1***
This sizzling summer event will be a great party and a fabulous chance for Harvardwood New Yorkers to meet more of our incredibly smart, sexy, and scintillating Harvardwood members. Major FUN alert! Everyone is asked to bring something to eat or drink. Location will be revealed upon registration to the event… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=464340&group=
LA - Harvardwood Heads To ... The Playwriting Intensive, Sat., Aug. 2
Want to write plays? Eager to learn the rules of how plays are structured? This workshop is for you! Write a short play in this hands-on workshop, in which you'll learn how to develop a play idea, discover how plays differ from TV and film, find out how to write a play from the ground up, understanding how writing plays can help you in other kinds of writing, and brainstorm what makes a good play. The Playwriting Intensive is taught by Steve Harper, whose focus is helping actors write their stories. Only $97… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=476064&group=
LA - C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Writing Courtroom Scenes, Sat., Aug. 9
In this room, we'll look at what really happens in courtrooms, from jury selection, opening statements, and cross-examination to objections, closing arguments, and appeal. And we'll talk about how great lawyers and judges actually behave, and how their behavior impacts who wins and who loses. But we won't just criticize current TV, movies, and novels for getting it wrong (which they often do). Instead, you'll learn how to take the reality and mine it for even better drama... To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=456579&group=
LA - C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Bookkeeping Basics for Creatives, Mon. Aug. 11
In this program, CPA Ernest Howard will explain basic accounting terms and concepts for the practical life of a creative artist. The class will provide an overview of some key accounting principles, as well as a step-by-step guide to the bookkeeping process. Some topics to be covered include the various options for tracking funds, from simple envelope systems to more formal computer programs, and the tensions between the desire to minimize taxes and still maintain sufficient income to qualify for loans and other opportunities… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=456578&group=
LA - Harvardwood Heads To... the 2014 Pageant of the Masters: THE ART DETECTIVE, Fri., Aug. 15
Please join the Harvard Club of SoCal on its annual trip to see the beautiful and memorable Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. Sign up early, as these seats will sell out quickly. Everybody loves a good mystery, especially in the art world. But you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out whodunit when THE ART DETECTIVE is on the case. The Festival of Arts' world-famous theatrical celebration of art in tableaux vivants - living pictures - will reveal how lost treasures were discovered, where crimes of passion were uncovered (or covered up), and how creative riddles were unraveled, with a gallery of the world's great masterpieces providing the clues... To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477862&group=
LA - Harvardwood's SUMMER BONFIRE Party, Sat., Aug. 16
Join Harvardwood at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa Del Rey for our annual Harvardwood Summer Bonfire Party! We'll be at the beach from 5:30pm onwards. There will be beach games, including bocce ball, corn hole, and lader ball, frisbees and footballs to toss around, and a grill. Please bring your own towels, chairs, other games, and of course, drinks and food for the grill if you plan to eat! Please RSVP in advance so we know how many people to expect… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=475209&group=
LA - C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Exposing Backend Money: TV/Film Profit Participation, Wed., Aug. 20
Join C.L.A. and a special panel of entertainment professionals for a presentation focusing on different perspectives on negotiating, drafting, and enforcing profit participation deals in film and TV. Featuring attorneys who prepare profit participation agreements and litigate profit participation disputes as well as an attorney/CPA who handles profit participation audits, the program will touch on some of the particular issues that each of them confronts in their different roles… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=456580&group=
DC - Harvardwood Heads To ... THE CAMPSITE RULE, Now through Sat., Aug. 16
Leave him better than you found him. Inspired by the famous relationship rule of thumb coined by sex columnist Dan Savage, this new comedy by Alexandra Petri '10 charts the course of career woman Susan and college freshman Lincoln's unlikely romance. THE CAMPSITE RULE is running now through August 16th at the Anacostia Playhouse… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477798&group=
ATL - Harvardwood Heads To ... ATL Screening of PRIVATE VIOLENCE & Panel Discussion, Thurs., Aug. 7
This special screening of HBO documentary PRIVATE VIOLENCE is being presented by the Harvard Club of Georgia and the Emory Center for Women. A panel discussion will be held after the film, with participation from the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Men Stopping Violence training institute. PRIVATE VIOLENCE has previously screened at film festivals, including Sundance, where it premiered in January of this year. PRIVATE VIOLENCE won the Human Rights Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the Silver Heart Award at the Dallas International Film Festival, and was the opening-night film at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477634&group=
ATL - Harvardwood Heads To... Screening of A WILL FOR THE WOODS and Directors' Q&A, Thurs., Aug. 21
This screening of A WILL FOR THE WOODS, followed by a Directors' Q&A session, is presented by Mountainfilm on Tour ATL. Musician, folk dancer, and psychiatrist Clark Wang battles lymphoma while facing a potentially imminent need for funeral plans. Determined that his last act will not harm the environment -- and, hopefully, help protect it -- Clark has discovered the movement to further sustainable funerals that conserve natural areas… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477866&group=
BAY AREA - C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Understanding the Artist-Gallery Agreement, Tues., Aug. 5
This workshop is for artists, dealers, and gallery owners who want to better understand the legal relationships between artists and galleries. California state laws governing consignment sales will be reviewed, along with numerous other topics in this workshop led by M.J. Bogatin, Esq.… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=456583&group=
BAY AREA - C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Forming a CA Corp. for Your Creative Arts Business, Wed., Aug. 13
This workshop is a step-by-step guide to setting up a CA corporate entity for your creative arts business. Learn the differences between: sole proprietorship, LLCs, C-Corps, S-Corps, B-Corps, partnerships, cooperatives, etc. Also learn how to reduce liabilities, raise capital, and build your own successful creative arts business… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477855&group=
BAY AREA - Harvardwood Heads To ... San Jose Earthquakes Rule Soccer with Pres. Dave Kaval, Sat., Aug. 16
The San Jose Earthquakes are opening their new stadium next season and have invited the HBS Association of Northern California to take a private tour of the stadium while it's still in construction. The tour will be led by President Dave Kaval and will end with a state of the franchise update and Q&A. All attendees will enjoy a VIP pre-game meal at Buck Shaw Stadium prior to kick-off to the Earthquake vs. FC Dallas game… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477856&group=
BOS - Harvardwood Heads To ... The Spizzwinks(?) A Cappella Performance, Wed., Aug. 20
Late in 1913, four Yale freshmen met at Mory's, Yale's historic tavern, to choose a name for their new singing group. Their group was intended as a satirical response to the Yale Whiffenpoofs. After thinking and drinking (and perhaps more drinking than thinking), one of them glimpsed the ghost of Frank Johnson, the postmaster of his small Iowa hometown, who had attributed the Corn Blight of 1906 to an invisible insect called the Spizzwink. The singer jumped up. "That's it!" he shouted. "We'll call the group the Spizzwinks!" See the group perform at the Harvard Club of Boston… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477857&group=
CHI - Harvardwood Heads To... Ravinia Festival Concert with Yo-Yo Ma and The Knights, Thurs., Aug. 21
Experience beautiful Ravinia Park when cellist Yo-Yo Ma '76 again joins The Knights on the Pavilion stage, following their park-packing 2012 collaboration that was broadcast on NPR's Performance Today. A dinner and special presentation by festival CEO Welz Kauffman will precede the concert… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=477864&group=
Don't miss out on this month's members-only programs & events | Renew your membership!
This month, we're accepting applications to the 2014-2015 Harvardwood Mentorship Program, and the Harvardwood Salons series is presenting an intimate Q&A lunch with Eddia Dalva. Only Full Members are eligible to apply or attend, so be sure you are a dues-current Full Member of Harvardwood! Click here to renew your membership, or here to upgrade from Affiliate to Full Member status.
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