SYNOPSIS

The SAG Foundation is happy to celebrate Inside Acting Podcast's 200th episode by co-hosting a discussion with the creators of DEFIANCE. This is a chance for our audience to learn the ins and outs of creating a television show. Come hear all the work it takes before and after the actors are cast and the camera rolls.

PANELISTS BIOS

Kevin Murphy, showrunner, executive producer
Kevin began his career as a writer and producer of television and theatre shortly after graduating from Drew University in 1989. He is executive producer/showrunner/co-creator of the SyFy series DEFIANCE, which is currently in production on its third season. Kevin was co-executive producer/head writer on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES where he worked for the first three years of the show’s long run (Emmy nominee, Golden Globe winner, 2-time Writers Guild Award nominee). He has run a number of other shows including CAPRICA, HELLCATS (also creator), VALENTINE (also creator) and the syndicated series HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS (also co-developer). Other writer/producer credits include REAPER, ED, GET REAL, JACK & JILL, MARTIAL LAW and WEIRD SCIENCE. Kevin won a Primetime Emmy Award for providing the song lyrics for Showtime’s REEFER MADNESS THE MOVIE MUSICAL, starring Alan Cumming, Neve Campbell and Kristen Bell. Kevin executive produced and co-wrote the screenplay, adapted from the stage musical for which Kevin produced, co- wrote the book and wrote the lyrics. The stage version of REEFER MADNESS has been produced in many cities, including New York (off-Broadway), Seattle, London, LA, Toronto and DC. The show swept the Los Angeles Ovation, Garland and Drama Critics Circle Awards and won a Helen Hayes Award in Washington DC for Outstanding Resident Musical. Kevin’s lyrics were also nominated for a 2002 Drama Desk Award. The film adaptation premiered at Sundance and won the Premiere Jury Award at the Festival of American Cinema in Deauville, France. Kevin recently collaborated with Laurence O’Keefe to provide book, music and lyrics for a musical adaptation of the 1988 black comedy HEATHERS, which sold out in a Los Angeles limited run, opened Off-Broadway in March 2014 and received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Score.

Darren Swimmer, executive producer, writer
Darren currently serves as Executive Producer of SyFy’s DEFIANCE. Between seasons of Defiance, he Executive Produced and ran Season One of DOMINION for SyFy together with creator Vaun Wilmott. After a career in feature screenwriting, Swimmer began his foray into television on SMALLVILLE (WB/CW), where he spent seven seasons, eventually becoming Executive Producer and Showrunner. In 2009 he created and ran the reboot of MELROSE PLACE for the CW. HIs credits also include ALPHAS (SyFy) and NO ORDINARY FAMILY (ABC). In addition to developing for television, Swimmer wrote the 2004 thriller CONTROL starring Ray Liotta and Willem Dafoe. 

Paul Leonard, co-executive producer, post production
Paul has supervised all aspects of finishing TV series, MOWs and mini-series as well as coordinating production and directing second unit. Of his twenty years in post-production, Paul’s most popular credit was his five year run as Co-Producer on “Battlestar Galactica,” a show TV Guide and Time Magazine called “the best show on television.” “Battlestar” earned 15 Emmy nominations in the following categories he supervised: editing, sound editing, visual effects, and sound mixing with visual effects winning two Emmys and sound editing winning one Emmy. In addition, two Best Director Emmy nominations stemmed from episodes that were entirely reconceived in post under Paul’s leadership. Paul won a Streamy Award as Producer for “Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy” in 2009 for Best Dramatic Web Series. In 2012 Paul produced “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome,” a two hour pilot shot entirely on green screen that featured over 1800 visual fx shots, which received three Emmy nominations for best visual fx, sound editing and sound mixing. Paul is currently excited to be the Co-Executive Producer on season three of “Defiance” for the Syfy Channel. In an entirely different arena, Paul developed a script and set up the feature film “Assassination Games,” which was released on DVD in 2013 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Paul earned degrees in Radio, TV, Film and English from the University of Texas in Austin and his MFA from USC’s Peter Stark Producer Program.

Brendon McCreary, composer

Moderators: Trevor Algatt & AJ Meijer, co-hosts, Inside Acting Podcast

Trevor is an actor, writer, and year-round competitive swimmer with SCAQ in Los Angeles. Like the cream cheese, he's from Philadelphia. A long-time "corps" member of the critically acclaimed Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble, Trevor has worked on and helped developed a number of award-winning plays, including all three installments of The War Cycle. In March 2011, L.A. Weekly presented the Ensemble with a special award for their work, citing "excellence, technical accomplishments, and breadth of vision." Trevor is also creator, producer, and co-host of Inside Acting, a weekly podcast featuring in-depth, unbiased interviews with industry professionals of all callings.Television credits include Bones, Diagnosis: X, The Young & The Restless, 1,000 Ways to Die, Prank My Mom, and The Bold & The Beautiful. Trevor's first short film, Donor – which he wrote, starred in, and associate produced – was recently awarded "Best of Fest" at the esteemed Indie Cinema Awards in downtown Los Angeles, and is currently streaming online as part of SnagFilms' library.

AJ is an actor, singer, producer, and host. He recently made his New York theatre debut in the original cast of the smash hit Heathers - The Musical. On film, AJ has shared the screen with Adam Brody and Leighton Meester in the romantic comedy Life Partners and Vincent D'Onofrio and Anton Yelchin in the suspenseful thriller Broken Horses. He co-founded the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble and was seen in their productions of The War Cycle: Wounded (Doc), The War Cycle: Nation of Two (Rapha), and The War Cycle: Gospel According to First Squad (Muhammad), for which he was nominated for an Ovation Award. Regionally, he last appeared as Lennie in Of Mice and Men at TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley. He has performed at the Ahmanson Theatre and spent four seasons performing at the Getty, where he worked with the National Theatre of Greece in Swallow Song and created the role of Bigbuxo in the hilarious original musical Tug of War. Mr. Meijer earned his theatre degree from the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television. He also co-hosts the weekly, industry-focused podcast Inside Acting.

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