From dating and drag competitions to real estate and commercial fishing, contemporary life offers a virtually unlimited supply of subjects for unscripted entertainment. But why do some topics work better than others—and how do creators of unscripted shows turn audiences into devoted fans. Hear from top producers of unscripted programs about how they turn real people and everyday events into compelling characters and engaging storylines, what work roles are involved, and where you can find opportunities to break in.
Giselle Bailey, Director and Executive Producer (HBO's Seen & Heard)
Brian Balthazar, Founder and Executive Producer, Balthazar Entertainment; Head of Development, Glass Entertainment Group
Sara Helman, Vice President, Development & Production, TLC
Moderator: J. Max Robins, Executive Director, Center for Communication
Giselle Bailey, Director and Executive Producer (HBO's Seen & Heard)
Giselle Bailey is an award-winning Jamaican-American director. Rooted in the spirit of her Jamaican heritage, she gravitates to stories about subcultures, rebellious spirits that shift the status-quo, and icons of pop culture.
Giselle’s work moves across documentary, conceptual art, branded content, and visual effects— allowing her to shape stories as a director, creative director, producer, and writer. Her recent projects include the HBO 2-part documentary Seen & Heard; Netflix’s Ladies First; Hulu Hair Tales; the HBO feature The Legend of the Underground, and the video installation Shadow Work, exhibited at Fort Mason’s Gallery 308.
She was named to DOC NYC’s celebrated 40 Under 40 list and is an alum of the Concordia Fellowship. Her work has been recognized by the IDA, NAACP, Critics’ Choice Awards, and supported by organizations such as Firelight Media, the Ford Foundation, and Sundance among others. She has been featured in outlets including The New York Times, Vogue, Rolling Stone and Good Morning America.
Brian Balthazar, Founder and Executive Producer, Balthazar Entertainment; Head of Development, Glass Entertainment Group
As an executive producer and founder of Balthazar Entertainment, Brian Balthazar draws upon more than twenty years of television experience both behind and in front of the camera to develop and produce unscripted lifestyle programming.
The early years of his eclectic career history centered on morning news and talk, including launching the fourth hour of the TODAY show with Kathie Lee and Hoda, serving as co-executive producer of The View, and appearing as a features reporter for NBC News. He then pivoted to a role as a network executive at Scripps Networks interactive, where he oversaw countless lifestyle shows for HGTV, including Flip Or Flop, Love it or List It, Christina On The Coast, and House Hunters.
Concurrent to all these roles, he managed to make regular appearances as a pop culture, entertainment and lifestyle guest on more than 50 talk shows and series, including the Today Show, The Wendy Williams Show, The Talk, CNN programming and more.
Today, he blends his continued passion for lifestyle programming and his ongoing role as a trend and pop culture expert for syndicated and network television, while leading a production team in the creation and delivery of series and specials for HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Plus and more.
Sara Helman, Vice President, Development & Production, TLC
Sara Helman joined TLC in October 2015 as the Vice President of Development & Production. She oversees Development strategy and Programming initiatives, as well as love and relationship, family and lifestyle content for the network. Helman has worked on a wide variety of shows, including the 90 Day Fiancé spinoff series, The Hunt for Love and The Last Resort, Match Me Abroad, My Strange Addiction, Milf Manor, Seeking Sister Wife, Smothered, I Love a Mama’s Boy and Unexpected. Helman first started at Discovery in 2003 as part of the Development team for Discovery Kids, then went on to develop and produce hit programming for Animal Planet, Food Network, and Destination America. Helman graduated from the University of Michigan where she double majored in English Literature and Film Studies.
Moderator: J. Max Robins, Executive Director, Center for Communication
J. Max Robins is a veteran journalist, media analyst and producer with extensive editorial experience in a variety of sectors in the industry. Before joining the Center for Communication in 2014, Max was the Vice President/Executive Director of the Paley Center for Media. Prior to this, Max was the editor-in-chief of “TV industry bible," Broadcasting & Cable. Before joining B&C, Max was senior editor and columnist at TV Guide. Prior to TV Guide, he was TV editor and columnist at Variety.
Max’s work has appeared in myriad publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and New York. He has commented on media-related issues for many major news outlets, including NBC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC and NPR. You can follow Max on Twitter at @jmaxrobins.
Presented with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and Student Success Center, Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The Center's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Accessibility: Center for Communication provides reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. Requests for accommodations for Center for Communication events should be submitted at least two weeks before the date of the accommodation need. Please email community@centerforcommunication.org for assistance.
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