Post-production professionals: a PNYA conference about job security

Jose Antunes

12 months ago

Post-production professionals: a PNYA conference about job security The current WGA strike has brought film and television production to a virtual standstill, creating further challenges for post-production professionals. A conference aims to discuss a situation that can grow worse.

Scheduled for Thursday, June 8 at 4:00pm EDT, the free video conference from Post New York Alliance (PNYA) deals with a question that is now being faced by many professionals in the industry: what’s next? Can post production professionals who’ve relied on scripted productions pivot to unscripted? What are the pathways? Do skillsets for documentaries and scripted features overlap? Where do they differ? Is there enough work to go around? What about the future? Don’t miss this episode of Post Break for a chance to gain crucial advice on navigating a rocky employment market.

In fact, the current WGA strike has brought film and television production to a virtual standstill, creating further challenges for post-production professionals whose job security was already threatened by shrinking slates and cost-cutting measures imposed by networks and streamers. With potential strikes looming from SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild, the situation could grow worse.

Under the title Scripted to Unscripted, Post-Production Pathways, the Post Break video conference from PNYA will discuss “how to stay nimble with work opportunities in turbulent times” as post production professionals are facing a shortage of work opportunities. Is it possible for post people who have been relying on the steady flow of scripted productions to now pivot to unscripted? What are the pathways? Where do the skills for documentaries and scripted features overlap? Where do they differ? Is there enough work to go around?

Scripted to Unscripted, Post-Production Pathways

In the next edition of Post Break, producer/writer/editor Mike Noble will talk with director/producer Celia Aniskovich and film editor Jamie Kirkpatrick about the impact the strike is having on post pros—and what they can do about it. Jamie and Celia, both have experience going from scripted series and films to unscripted documentaries and reality.

Here is some more information about the guests and moderator:

Celia Aniskovich is a New York-based director and producer. She began her career in live broadcast news as an NBC page before transitioning into narrative and documentary filmmaking. She has directed, produced, developed and consulted on numerous US and UK projects, and her films and series have been broadcast around the world. How to Fix a Drug Scandal, which Aniskovich co-produced, reached the top five most-watched shows on Netflix three days after its 2020 premiere. Fear City: New York vs the Mafia, which she field produced, became the number one most-watched show on Netflix 24 hours after its premiere. She also produced the successful Surviving Jeffrey Epstein for Lifetime.

In 2021, Aniskovich released Spy Affair, a 6-part podcast series for Wondery Originals based on the story of alleged Russian spy Maria Butina. She also wrote, directed and produced Burn It Down!, a feature documentary about Woodstock 99 for MRC Studios/Rolling Stone that had its world premiere at the 2021 BFI London Film Festival. She executive produced and directed Fruitcake Fraud, a feature documentary for Discovery+ (nominated for a Realscreen Award), and produced Beanie Mania¸ a film for HBO Max. Her latest project, the feature documentary Call Me Miss Cleo, premiered in December 2022 on HBO Max. Aniskovich has worked on multiple Emmy-nominated programs and is repped by WME. She graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx and is a life-long Mets fan.

Jamie Kirkpatrick has been at the forefront of New York’s independent film scene for over 20 years. His diverse filmography includes such notable titles as Lost in Translation, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (which had a special screening at the Obama White House), My Friend Dahmer and John Leguizamo’s recent, critically-acclaimed, directorial debut Critical Thinking. Other recent credits include the Western Old Henry, the cinematic musical Beau and the highly anticipated comedic crime drama Providence. His enthusiasm for cinematic storytelling is matched only by his dedication to the craft of film editing, his encyclopedic knowledge of the works of Krzysztof Kieslowski and his well-documented weakness for a good doughnut. He has also worked extensively in network television and commercials and has directed two award-winning short films, The Regular and Squeeze.

Moderator:

Mike Noble started his career in documentaries, film and television in Washington, DC, where he was editor and associate producer on a number of documentaries, including the Emmy-winning Korean War Stories with Walter Cronkite. He worked at Discovery Communications and served as supervising editor for a number of series across multiple networks and was also a post supervisor at Discovery’s production center. He is now a freelance producer/editor/writer based in NYC and has recently edited episodes of Murder in the Heartland, The Price of Glee, and the acclaimed crime documentary Fruitcake Fraud. His latest work can be seen on Murder at Carter County Mines, currently streaming on Discovery+ and MAX.

What: Scripted to Unscripted, Post-Production Pathways

When: June 8, 4:00 pm EDT.