Join us for a panel with writer/director/producer Prentice Penny, writer/producer/actor/director Josh Ruben and cinematographer Nicole Hirsch-Whitaker for a conversation on the best practices for working on set. The goal of this conversation is to share tips and insight for actors to confidently work on set, as well as help working actors stay current with the latest trends of on-set dynamics.
Prentice Penny is an Emmy nominated, Peabody, and Golden Globe winning writer-director-producer who has brought his unique voice and sensibilities to some of today’s most beloved projects. With a passion for storytelling that inspires audiences to reconsider how they view the world, Penny has dedicated his creative efforts towards telling stories that offer fresh perspectives and explore beyond the beaten path to challenge the way we think about our culture and one another. Penny is best known for his role as showrunner, executive producer and frequent director for HBO’s hit award-winning comedy “Insecure.” The culture-shifting series had a successful 5-season run earning rave reviews for its farewell season. The series garnered awards and recognition for star Issa Rae, supporting cast, crew members and the creative team from The Peabody Awards, Emmy, and NAACP Awards. The series was praised for its honest, powerful and poignant conversations about race, relationships, sexuality and what it’s like to navigate the awkward time in your life that is your late 20s and early 30s. Penny’s HULU docuseries, “Black Twitter: A People’s History” earned an NAACP nomination and praise for its exploration of the social, cultural, and political impact of Black voices on the internet. This series highlights how Black people shape national conversations, amplifies social justice movements and redefines digital activism through humor resistance and community on Twitter. Penny, a native Angeleno, attended USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in “Writing for Screen and Television.”
Josh Ruben is an award-winning writer, producer, actor & director known for SCARE ME, WEREWOLVES WITHIN, HEART EYES, THE CREEP TAPES, and making some noise on DROPOUT TV. He currently in post on his latest film GREEN BANK starring Brittany O’Grady, Tatiana Maslany, & Kumail Nanjiani.
Nicole Hirsch-Whitaker began her career in cinematography by shooting second unit on critically acclaimed feature films including Golden Globe nominated Thank you for Smoking, Running Scared, Coach Carter and Academy Award nominated The Cooler.
Nicole then swiftly moved into shooting main unit by lensing several feature films, including It Takes Three, directed by Scott Coffey and starring Mikey Madison and Jared Gilman, Deadcon, directed by Caryn Waechter, and Amateur Night, directed by Joe Syracuse and Lisa Addario and starring Jason Biggs. Most recently she shot the fantasy horror film Dust Bunny, directed by Bryan Fuller and starring Sigourney Weaver and Mads Mikkelsen, for which she received a nomination for Best Cinematography at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Nicole has also shot episodes of Epix’s critically acclaimed series, Perpetual Grace, LTD., the neo-noir thriller series helmed by Steve Conrad & Bruce Terris, and starring Ben Kingsley, Jimmi Simpson, Jacki Weaver, and Luis Guzmán. Nicole received a Children and Family Emmy nomination for her work on Netflix's One Piece; this marked her second collaboration with director Marc Jobst with whom she worked on Netflix sci-fi series, Jupiter’s Legacy.
In addition to working in commercials, features, and television, Nicole garnered recognition for her documentary work on Girl Rising, which earned her an Emmy nomination, and Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. In addition, she has also shot spots for Apple, Nike, Pepsi, Toyota, Target, Sony, and Honda, just to name a few.
