The “Producers on Producing” series, a product of the PGA’s One Guild Task Force, is an ongoing set of events highlighting diversity and inclusiveness in entertainment. The PGA joined with the WGA for this panel discussion featuring industry leaders in conversation. Sponsored by Cast & Crew. Event Panelists:
Moderator: Deborah Calla
Deborah Calla is a member of the Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America. Since 2010, Deborah chairs and produces together with Allen Rucker the Media Access Award (MAA), an awards event founded by Norman Lear and Fern Field, honoring people in the entertainment industry who advance the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities. She served as the chair of the PGA Diversity Committee from 2004 to 2018, and in that position, helped create several programs including the PGA Diversity Masters Workshop. Also, together with Lydia Dean Pilcher, Deborah launched the PGA’s Women’s Impact Network and stayed as its west coast chair for 3 years.
Katherine Beattie
Katherine Beattie has been working in television for over a decade. She started her career at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, but quickly realized her heart was in scripted, so she quit her stable job to become a background actor. She held various assistant jobs on series for Showtime, ABC and Freeform before landing at NCIS: New Orleans where she served as the Script Coordinator for the first 3 seasons. She is currently an Executive Story Editor on season 6 and regularly travels to New Orleans to produce episodes. When she’s not writing Katherine enjoys extreme sports and is semi-famous on the internet for becoming the first woman to land a backflip on a wheelchair.
Glen Mazzara
Glen Mazzara is a television writer/creator/showrunner who is currently developing Stephen King’s Dark Tower novels as a series for a streaming network. His most recent work was A&E’s series, Damien, based on the classic horror film, “The Omen.” Before that, Mazzara was Executive Producer and Showrunner for AMC's record- breaking series, The Walking Dead, which earned him two Saturn awards and was listed as one of AFI’s Top Ten TV Programs of 2012. Mazzara is co-chair of the WGA’s Inclusion & Equity Group and has been working to improve television employment opportunities for writers of diverse backgrounds.
Brandon Sonnier
Brandon Sonnier was born in Houston, Texas, and attended USC where he graduated with a B.A. in Cinema-Television, Production. At the age of 20, Sonnier became one of the youngest filmmakers ever to have a feature film premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, The Beat (2003). In 2011, Sonnier teamed up with Brandon Margolis and together got their start writing broadcast television with the prestigious NBC/Universal Writers On The Verge program. Together, the Brandons are a diverse and versatile writing/producing team who are entering their second season as Creators/Executive Producers/Co-Showrunners of Sony/Spectrum Originals' Bad Boys spinoff series L.A.'S Finest starring Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union.
Tim Zajaros
Tim Zajaros is a producer and co-founder of Armory Films, a Los Angeles based film finance and production company that creates, develops, produces, and finances high concept and commercially viable content. Current projects include: Charlie Day’s directorial debut El Tonto (post-production); The Peanut Butter Falcon starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and Zack Gottsagen (currently topping the indie box office at $20million); Raja Gosnell’s live-action Santa: The Adventure Begins (pre-production); and Don Handfield’s sci-fi comic book series The Dark Age.
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The Producers Guild of America protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media.
The PGA has over 8,000 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by facilitating members health benefits, encouraging enforcement of workplace labor laws, the creation of fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts.
The Producing Team consists of all those whose interdependency and support of each other are necessary for the creation of motion pictures and television programs.
Executive Producers
Producers
Co-Executive Producers
Supervising Producers
Senior Producers
Line Producers
Co-Producers
Associate Producers
Segment Producers
Field Producers
Story Producers
Production Managers
Visual Effects Producers, Supervisors, & Coordinators
Post-Production Supervisors & Managers
Production & Post-Production Coordinators
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