SYNOPSIS
Panelists will discuss the elements of craft and technical skill an actor must execute to avoid the cutting room floor and the decisions directors, producers and editors make based on an actor's performance. Audience members will leave with a better understanding of the process of editing a half-hour comedic episode and how the actor can best serve that process.
PANELISTS BIOS
Kabir Akhtar, ACE, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Kabir is an Emmy-winning editor and director whose work includes 'The Academy Awards', 'Arrested Development', 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend', 'Unsolved Mysteries', and 'New Girl'. Kabir won an Emmy in 2016 for editing the pilot of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend', and is directing the show this season as well. He has picked up two other Emmy Nominations in his career: for editing Billy Crystal's opening film for the 2012 Oscars, and for his work as supervising editor on 'Arrested Development' (which was also nominated for an ACE Eddie Award). He recently completed a term as Co-Chair of the DGA's Asian-American Committee, and currently serves on the Television Academy's Editors' Peer Group Executive Committee.
Catherine Haight, ACE, Transparent
Catherine is best known for her work on the Amazon Original Series Transparent. She is currently editing The Polka King, an independent film starring Jack Black and Jenny Slate. Other credits include Afternoon Delight, Mozart in the Jungle, Girls, and New Girl. Her work on the pilot episode of Transparent earned her a nomination for both an Emmy and ACE Eddie Award. She also received an ACE Eddie nomination for the pilot of Girls.
David Helfand, The Brink
David started his career as an editor on HBO’s “Dream On” for Marta Kaufman/David Crane/Kevin Bright and followed that editing and producing their comedy series, “Friends.” Other projects over the years include collaborations with Adam McKay, Jenji Kohan, Mindy Kaling, Darren Starr and Mike White on shows like "Party Down", “That 70s Show,” “The Middle,” “Weeds,” “The Mindy Project” and "The Brink." He has been recognized with three Emmy nominations, a CableAce win and three nominations for "Dream On" as well as best editing on the foreign Oscar entry "Gangster's Paradise." He is currently editing "Great News" from "30 Rock" producers Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and Tracey Wigfield scheduled for NBC in 2017.
Sandra Montiel, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Sandra has been in love with comedy ever since she first saw Spinal Tap. She’s best known for her work on the comedies Brooklyn Nine-Nine and cult favorite Happy Endings. She is currently editing Kay Cannon’s new Netflix series Girlboss, as well as Netflix’s upcoming Atypical starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rappaport. Other favorite credits include Impastor and Andy Barker, P.I. She also has worked extensively in reality TV, cutting such shows as Laguna Beach and The Hills. After graduating from USC, Sandra began her career as an assistant editor on feature films such as Roman Coppola’s CQ and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punchdrunklove. Hollywood Reporter’s 2005 Next Generation called Sandra “an editor to watch.” Sandra is very passionate about her work, her two daughters, and her shoe collection.
Steven Sprung, ACE, Community
Steven is an Emmy-nominated editor whose credits include the movie Star Trek Beyond, and television shows “Entourage,” “Community” and “Arrested Development” for which he received Emmy and Eddie Award nominations. He was first nominated for an ACE Eddie Award for outstanding achievement in editing while still an undergraduate student. His other television credits include the pilot for the CBS drama “Scorpion” and the cult comedies “Andy Richter Controls the Universe” and “The Tick” as well as the upcoming Netflix comedy “Santa Clarita Diet”, starring Drew Barrymore. Sprung is also a film and TV director. His projects include the feature film Dispatch, which he co-wrote, edited and directed. He has also directed episodes of the ABC comedy “Happy Endings” and NBCs “Community.”
Moderator - Jill D'Agnenica, Pretty Little Liars
Jill is a visual artist, filmmaker, and mother of two girls. Her directorial debut, the feature film Life Inside Out, won Best Premiere at the Heartland Film Festival in 2013 and went on to be screened at 20 festivals throughout the US and Canada, receiving 17 awards, including 5 Best Feature and 4 Audience Awards. After a limited theatrical release, Life Inside Out was released on DVD and VOD in April 2015. D’Agnenica started in the film industry as an assistant editor on ultra-low budget films, before transitioning to steady work in television. She has edited drama series including The Division (Lifetime), Dirt (FX), Undercovers (NBC), Hollywood Heights (Nickelodeon) and Switched at Birth (Freeform). She recently directed her first episode of television for Switched at Birth. In between television gigs, she continues to direct, co-produce, and edit indie shorts and features. D’Agnenica received her MFA in visual arts from Claremont Graduate University and a BA, Magna Cum Laude, in History from UCLA.
LIVESTREAM & ARCHIVE
To watch the panel you DO NOT have to log into our website. Just go to http://sagaftra.foundation/livestream/.
Email questions to livestream@sagfoundation.org or tweet to #SAF. Please DO NOT RSVP if you will be watching the live stream of this event.
Only RSVP if you want to attend this event in person. Video will be archived after the event at http://sagaftra.foundation/video-gallery/.
