Hollywood & Games Adds EA, LucasArts Panel

Author: by Staff

The organizers of the 2007 Hollywood and Games Summit have announced a new spotlight panel featuring LucasFilm VP/LucasArts president Jim Ward and Electronic Arts LA boss Neil Young discussing the sharing of production processes between games and film. The panel for the Los Angeles-based June event, to be called 'Shades of Gray: Sharing Management and Production Processes Between Films and Games', will be moderated by Newsweek editor N'Gai Croal, and is described as follows by the event organizers: "Game studios have sometimes looked to the Hollywood production structure to model its own processes and its creative talent; but how far can the analogy go before the unique aspects of each industry require different tactics? To what extent can sharing become a two-way street, and game management and production processes inform film production? This discussion, moderated by... Croal, brings together two of the most influential voices in the field from two leading entertainment forces with extensive experience working between the industries, Lucasfilm and Electronic Arts." Overall, the second annual Summit, co-created by the CMP Game Group (owner of Gamasutra) and The Hollywood Reporter, is intended to "...allow leaders from their respective industries to interact and discuss best practices for strategically marketing original IP via both media to greatest effect." An expanded agenda is now available on the event's website, including more specifics on Hollywood & Games' two keynotes, 'The Interactive Parallel Universe' by Clive Barker (Hellraiser), and 'Driving Mythology Forward' by 300 producer Thomas Tull, who, it's confirmed, will be "...joined by Brash Entertainment CEO, Mitch Davis, who describes how his film-centric game studio synchronizes with the movie industry to complete the audience's experience." Another notable new H&G roundtable panel is 'How Talent Can Successfully Cross the Digital Divide', which is a panel discussion moderated by Prince Of Persia creator Jordan Mechner, and including Kim Libreri, Vice President Advanced Strategy, Digital Domain; Yuri Lowenthal, Actor, Afro Samurai, Gilmore Girls, Prince of Persia; Yannis Mallat, CEO, Ubisoft Montreal, and Susan O’Connor, Game Writer, Gears of War. The panel's overview description explains: "If film, television, animation, and games are converging on a production, marketing, and retail level, where does that leave the individual creative talent that make these industries work? A film and game director moderates this discussion between a TV voice actor, a film visual effects artist, a game writer, and a game studio CEO who manages talent on several official and unofficial film and game properties." Full information on the event, which takes place at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel on June 26th and the 27th, is available at the official website.