Easily one of the most recognizable faces and voices in Hollywood, Scott Weinger AB '98 has been in entertainment since a toy commercial at age 8. He was a series regular on the hit ABC TV show Full House and provided the voice of Disney’s Aladdin in the original feature film, sequels, and TV series. After graduating from Harvard, Scott transitioned to writing and producing TV shows (Galavant, Black-ish). For the past five seasons he has reprised the role of Steve Hale in the hit Netflix series, Fuller House. He and his wife Rina have a 9-year-old son.

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We're excited to welcome Rideback's President of Film, Jonathan Eirich AB '03, who is a BAFTA and Golden-Globe-nominated producer. Rideback, formerly known as Lin Pictures until 2018, produces premium film and television content for global audiences, including the live-action box office hit Aladdin for Disney; the highly-acclaimed The Two Popes for Netflix; and the hit sequel IT: Chapter 2 for New Line. Rideback additionally develops television series for network, cable and OTT, and recently produced the Fox series Lethal Weapon, based on the hit feature film franchise.

Jonathan Eirich AB '03 (Producer)

Jonathan Eirich is President of Film for Rideback, the film and television company known for producing tentpole live-action and animated content for global audiences. 

Eirich is a BAFTA and Golden-Globe-nominated producer who has overseen production for live-action films such as Disney’s billion-dollar box office hit Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie; Netflix’s Death Note, directed by Adam Wingard; and the Netflix three-time Oscar-nominated film The Two Popes, directed by Oscar-nominated Fernando Meirelles. In 2019, Aladdin became the second-highest grossing live-action musical film of all time.

Before joining the Rideback team in 2015, Eirich spent nine years as a development and production executive at DreamWorks Studios, most recently as Senior Vice President where he oversaw the Steven Spielberg-directed and Oscar-nominated Bridge of Spies. Some of his previous films at the studio include Need for Speed, Transformers 2, I Am Number Four, and the 2011 Oscar-nominated The Help.

Prior to becoming a senior executive at the studio, Eirich was the creative assistant to Chairman Stacey Snider during her transition from Universal Studios to DreamWorks in 2006, after spending a year at Creative Artists Agency. His first jobs in the industry included an internship at Gold Circle Films during the production of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and working as production assistant on the initial episodes of the hit TV series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Eirich attended Harvard University where he majored in Literature and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2003.

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How do you write a good one-hour drama pilot that sells? Learn from one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful writers: series creator and producer Thania St. John AB '83! In this two-hour class, Thania will break down in detail how to craft a strong one-hour drama script.

Thania St. John AB '83

Starting her television career on the iconic 21 Jump Street, Thania St. John went on to create two network TV series of her own and to write and produce over twenty popular and award-winning dramas such as Roswell, Huff, Eureka, Drop Dead Diva, Grimm, Chicago Fire, Covert Affairs and Project Blue Book. She has written over two dozen pilots for broadcast as well as premium networks.

Currently teaching two TV writing classes at AFI and a Sundance Co//ab pilot writing intensive, Thania has also guest-lectured at UCLA, USC, NYU and Ithaca College, and led seminars at the Rio de Janeiro Film and Television Festival and numerous WGA and Harvardwood-sponsored events. She also has a private consultancy for script and portfolio building.

Thania earned an AB in American History and Filmmaking from Harvard University and an MFA in Film and Television Production from UCLA. She’s served two terms on the Board of Directors of the WGA, West and is a founding officer of the WGA PAC.

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In the next engagement of Harvardwood's Social Impact Entertainment series, we speak with Jennifer Gottesfeld MPP '19 from Participant Media. Participant Media is a B Corp certified film production company founded in 2004 by Jeffrey Skoll dedicated to entertainment intended to spur social change. The company has produced, financed, or co-produced over 100 films. Its films have been nominated for 73 Academy Awards, and have won 18, including Best Picture for Green Book and Spotlight.

Jennifer Gottesfeld MPP '19

Jennifer Gottesfeld works at the intersection of social impact and entertainment. Currently an impact strategist at the production company Participant Media, Jenn thinks about how to use film and television as a vehicle for culture shift. Additionally, as a Creative Executive in Film Independent's Project Involve fellowship, she is thinking about how to intentionally integrate social impact messaging into the fabric of storytelling. Jenn has spent her career working on systemic change in areas like health, civic engagement, and equity with a strong focus on human-centered design. She has worked in film, government, non-profits, and the private sector trying to achieve these ends doing everything from working on Partners In Health's Ebola response in West Africa to improving corporate social responsibility at Goldman Sachs to producing tutorial videos with Resistance School to train people running for office. Jenn is originally from LA, though spent most of the last decade away and only recently returned. She holds a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA from UCLA. She is also a certified yoga and meditation teacher. 

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Whether you are preparing for auditions, brushing up your basics, or just dipping your toe in the water of Shakespeare, come learn a dynamic and visceral approach to Shakespeare’s text. Through group exercises and individual work, you will learn foolproof tools with which to approach Shakespeare’s text. As we isolate the tools, you can put them into your actor’s “toolbox” and have them at your disposal for auditions, rehearsals, and performances. 

Ian Hersey EdM '07 has performed on stage, film and television; including a recent critically acclaimed performance of Nick Bottom at The Shakespeare Theater of NJ. He was assistant director to Dan Sullivan on Cymbeline and James MacDonald on King Lear both at The Public. He’s directed various Shakespeare plays at Stella Adler, The Atlantic School and NYU Grad Acting. Shakespeare Text/Dialogue Coaching credits include The Old Globe, The Public, Juilliard, Williamstown, Shakespeare on the Sound, 52nd Street Project, and The Flea. At The Public, he was the Shakespeare Initiative Associate.

Ian holds a master’s in education from Harvard University, and has taught at Brown, Barnard, The Atlantic, New World, SUNY Purchase, The Actors Center, The Public, R.Evolucion Latina and The Shakespeare Society, as well as prisons, community centers and other institutions. He received a Fox Foundation Fellowship and studied with Ron Van Lieu, Lloyd Richards, Olympia Dukakis and Earle Gister among others. 

Register for this event at the link below. Harvardwood members, friends, and non-members are ALL welcome, but every attendee must register for themselves individually. So if you're inviting others to join you for this panel, please forward them the link to this page so they can sign themselves up. Thank you!

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Harvardwood is thrilled to welcome acclaimed director Rodrigo Garcia AB '82, who has helmed an impressive list of both feature and TV projects. In addition, Rodrigo is the Co-CEO of Indigenous Media. Attend this event to talk with one of the most vital filmmakers of our day! We love to open our events to questions from the attendees, so please come prepared to engage in discussion with Rodrigo.

Rodrigo Garcia AB '82

Mexican director Rodrigo Garcia has directed a variety of independent films, including the award-winning “Nine Lives”; the three-time Academy Award-nominated feature “Albert Nobbs,” starring Glenn Close; and “Mother and Child,” starring Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and Samuel L. Jackson. In 2000, Rodrigo’s first film as a writer and director, “Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her,” won the Un Certain Regard Award at the Cannes Film Festival. “Last Days in the Desert,” starring Ewan McGregor, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and this past January, “Four Good Days,” starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis premiered at Sundance as well, which was written and directed by Rodrigo.

Among his television credits are the cable series “In Treatment,” on which he served as executive producer and showrunner for the first season and received a Writers Guild of America Award in the New Series category. Other TV credits include “Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “Carnivȧle” and “Big Love,” for which he directed the pilot episode and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. Garcia also directed the pilot for CBS’s hit drama ”Bull” starring Michael Weatherly and the upcoming ”Party of Five” reboot from Freeform and Sony Pictures Television.

Garcia is also the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Indigenous Media, a next generation digital studio focused on producing original content for digital and emerging platforms worldwide. He is Co-Creator of WIGS, the digital drama channel offering over 180 episodes of scripted content. For WIGS, Rodrigo wrote and directed the WIGS series "Blue," starring Julia Stiles, and “Christine,” starring America Ferrera.

Register for this event at the link below. Harvardwood members, friends, and non-members are ALL welcome, but every attendee must register for themselves individually. So if you're inviting others to join you for this panel, please forward them the link to this page so they can sign themselves up. Thank you!

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Purchase ticket   $5.00 Members & Friends

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