Washington, DC -- "Community" creator and executive producer Dan Harmon joins director and executive producer Joe Russo; series producer Jake Aust; supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Mark Binderl; and director of photography Gary Hatfield for a 2011 NAB Show session titled "Community: Intelligent Comedy Meets Innovative Production," on Tuesday, April 12 at 2pm in the Content Theater. The 2011 NAB Show takes place April 9-14 in Las Vegas.
After lampooning everything from "The Godfather" to "Pulp Fiction" to "Dungeons and Dragons," NBC's sophomore series "Community" continues to stockpile fans. Its nimble cast, inspired writing and quirky performances have made the series a favorite with consumers and critics alike. Behind the scenes, imagination is also part of the show's success, with the production team utilizing an innovative file-based production workflow, allowing producers to keep the series both flexible and economical.
"Community: Intelligent Comedy Meets Innovative Production" will detail all of the elements that have made the series a creative force in the world of broadcast television. Panelists will discuss how the series leverages Twitter and social networking to deeply engage audiences, detail the benefits and challenges of running an in-house production workflow, and offer insight into the creative inspiration of the show's offbeat storylines and meta-humor.
Dan Harmon serves as creator and executive producer of the comedy series "Community." He started his career in stand-up and went on to improv and then sketch comedy before moving to Los Angeles, where he began writing screenplays with fellow Milwaukeean Rob Schrab. The pair's first deal was with director Robert Zemeckis, for whom they wrote "Monster House." They later founded Channel 101 and partnered with Sarah Silverman to create her Comedy Central series, "The Sarah Silverman Program," with Harmon serving as head writer for multiple episodes. Then, as part of a blind deal with Sony and inspired by his experience as a community college student, Harmon pitched "Community" to various network executives. NBC picked up the show immediately.
Joe Russo is the executive producer and director of "Community." Russo, along with his brother Anthony, played a key role in the success of the critically acclaimed show "Arrested Development." The pair directed 16 episodes of the series, including the pilot, for which they won an Emmy. The duo was later asked by filmmaker Steven Soderbergh if he could produce their crime comedy "Welcome to Collinwood." Joe Russo's other credits include directing the pilot episode of NBC's "LAX," ABC's "What About Brian," and FX's "Lucky." In 2006, he returned to his feature roots by directing the comedy "You, Me and Dupree" for Universal with his brother.
Jake Aust serves as producer for "Community." He previously worked on "The Office," where he began in 2005 as post-production supervisor. Aust worked his way up to associate producer and then co-producer, before being named producer in 2008. His other credits include "LAX," where he served as post-production supervisor, the short film "Never Better," and independent film "Pieces."
Mark Binder currently works as supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer for the NBC series "Community." He attended Cal Arts, where he studied composition. A BMG Artist, he composed music and scored films before moving into post-production sound. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Madagascar," "Star Trek," and "Paranormal Activity"are among his postproduction credits.
Gary Hatfield was named director of photography on the 2011 season of "Community," after serving as the camera operator/2nd unit DP on the series' first season. Prior to working on "Community," he spent more than a decade working as a camera operator on a variety of feature films, including "Iron Man," "We are Marshall," and "Crazy/Beautiful," and as a camera operator/second unit DP on features like "Terminator: Salvation," "Semi-Pro," "Waist Deep," and "The Hitcher." Hatfield has also directed photography on projects with music groups, such as Tool, System of a Down, and 30 Seconds to Mars, and has just recently completed work on the pilot, "Council of Dads."
About the 2011 NAB Show
The NAB Show, held annually in Las Vegas, is the world's largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. With nearly 90,000 attendees from 151 countries and more than 1,500 exhibitors, the NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for digital media and entertainment. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, the NAB Show is home to the solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.
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About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.