On December 10th, JHRTS members enthusiastically welcomed the independent producer and founder of Kapital Entertainment, Aaron Kaplan, for an open-format event at CAA’s Ray Kurtzman theatre. Kaplan spoke with great humor and candor about his professional journey from his days as a WMA agent to the formation of his production company and the incredible success Kapital Entertainment has achieved in the four and a half short years since its creation. In a member-driven event, Kaplan answered questions about his creative process as a producer, his views on new content platforms, and what motivated him to enter into a two-year first-look deal that gives Kapital Entertainment priority development access to the entire content library of the Venezuelan cable network Radio Caracas Televisión. Kaplan also shared exciting footage from an Australian format that he is currently developing for U.S. audiences called “Secrets & Lies”, and spoke about how he was able to secure a 10 episode series commitment from ABC without having yet attached a show runner, director or star to the project. A truly engaging guest, Kaplan filled the evening with laughter and fascinating insight.
-Amy Coughlin
JHRTS Next Gen Panel
On November 12th, we held our “Next Generation: 35 Under 35” Panel in association with The Hollywood Reporter at UTA’s screening room. The esteemed panelists represented some of the best and brightest of television, and provided more than 170 JHRTS members with a unique glimpse into the future of the industry. Matthew Belloni of The Hollywood Reporter moderated the panel and invited questions from our members, which kept the conversation directly geared towards our audience’s interests. Our panelists, Ben Davis (AMC), Michelle Lee (True Jack Prods.), Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Pavun Shetty (Chernin Ent.), Lindsey Springer (Dreamworks TV), and Andy Weil (Universal TV) shared their insights and advice, giving our members an idea of how to prepare for and continue to have a successful career in this challenging but exciting industry! This annual panel is a huge draw for members, and we were proud to provide such a special opportunity for them learn from these inspiring executives.
– Kirsten & Katie
Photo by Chyna Photography