The EPIC Conference - IN FULL
Join the community of Global Entertainment Industry Professionals and learn from industry practices around the world. In this series are 55 videos from the Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry Conference. Watch and learn from the Pillars of CREATE, PERFORM, DESIGN and PRODUCE from the best of the best in the Global Entertainment Industry
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Mega Ceremonies: You Only Get One Shot!
1h 1m
In an Olympic Ceremony, an Expo Opening, or a Large Arena Event, you only get one shot at getting it right, and often with millions of people watching. Five Currents, one of the leading ceremony content creators and producers in the world, is at the cutting edge of doing it right with five Olympi...
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PERFORM: We Come From Away: Four Actors Journey Into the Global Hit
1h 7m
Come From Away is a global hit. The story about the humanity of regular people in the wake of 9/11 has touched audiences around the world. It also has a great impact on the actors in the show. This unique session brings together actors from both the Broadway and Australian productions of Come Fro...
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Collective Creativity: The 7 Fingers, Sum of Its Participants
1h 3m
Gypsy Snider’s extensive and remarkably varied career as an artist, choreographer, stage director, and Co-Founder of the award-winning contemporary circus collective The 7 Fingers is truly an exceptional story of vision, resilience, and found success.
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Dance Outliers: Keeping Dance Forms from the Street Alive & Authentic
1h 0m
Hip-Hop culture has its roots in post-civil rights America. Pantsula and Gumboot has its roots in post-Apartheid South Africa. Malambo stems from the cultural expression of the gauchos in the countryside of Argentina. In this session, three trailblazing artists, choreographers, and show-makers ta...
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Producing for the Cultural Moment
1h 5m
In commercial theaters, shows need to be succeed financially, not just artistically. But what are the responsibilities of a producer beyond the economics? These Broadway producers are engaged in creating shows that are socially responsible, as well as economically viable. How do they choose proje...
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Innovation of Human Performance: Circus and Multi-Disciplinary Spectacles
1h 2m
Calling all performers, creatives, circus professionals, dancers, & actors! Don’t miss this insightful session with Boris Verkhovsky, acrobatic and human performance designer for Cirque du Soleil for 27 years. Boris will share what he has learned through the process of creating some of the most i...
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Working Through Mental Health and Finding Success
1h 3m
Pearl Sun (Come From Away) and Bret Shuford (Wicked) meet together on this exclusive panel to openly address mental health and their own personal experiences.
Onstage, backstage or in the creative realm, the stigma of discussing mental health is still present in corners of the world, in some com...
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Creating Safe Spaces in High Risk Storytelling
1h 1m
As storytellers on the stage or on screen, we are often required to take perilous risks in the form of physically high-risk moments or emotionally intimate scenes. It is more important than ever that the creative spaces where we do our jobs are safe, both physically and emotionally. We may be ask...
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Demystifying Casting: Influence on the Creative Process
1h 1m
Many of our conventions about casting are evolving. Casting leaders contribute to moving the dial, advocating for artists, and broadening the range of creative reflection. In this session, five prominent leaders in the field stemming from Broadway, Circus, Cabaret, West End and Regional Theatre c...
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Imagining the Space: The Creative Process of a Scenic Designer
40m
Jae Hun You (YouJam) creates spaces that embrace cutting edge creativity.
His scenic designs have been featured in Olympic Ceremonies, K-Pop Arena Mega Concerts, Theatres, Parks, Expositions, Pavilions; and his architectural work transforms cityscapes with ethereal signatures. At the forefront of... -
Creating Mega-Spectacle: Protecting the Message While Raising the Scale
53m
Lulu Helbæk has created some of the most iconic Olympic Opening Ceremonies in the world. What is the process of building mega-spectacles viewed by millions? How do we protect the creative process and our key message when the scope is colossal? Come hear Lulu speak in her session: “Creating Mega-S...
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Spectrums of Light: Working Across Genres in Lighting Design
36m
Chris Moylan works as lighting designer across all kinds of genres; live events, TV shows, outdoor festivals, concerts, installations, theatre, arena shows and corporate events. In his session in the DESIGN Pillar, Chris will show a number of case-studies and shows how he adapts his work practice...
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Design Tools: CAD
1h 9m
Vectorworks is a very powerful tool for designers in all areas. It allows you to communicate your design clearly and completely to shops and your crew, as well as directors & choreographers.
In this session, Vectorworks’ Jim Woodward will explore the power of the program, reveal some hidden gems ... -
Fresh Avenues in Opera: How Directors Are Making Opera New and Vital
1h 5m
When President Biden quoted one of Gene Scheer’s operatic songs at his inauguration, he shined a spotlight on Opera. Since its origins in Italy in the 16th century, Opera has been a foundational genre and is a beloved art form around the world. Despite what some have reported, Opera is not dead. ...
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Collective Creativity: The 7 Fingers, Sum of Its Participants
1h 3m
Gypsy Snider’s extensive and remarkably varied career as an artist, choreographer, stage director, and Co-Founder of the award-winning contemporary circus collective The 7 Fingers is truly an exceptional story of vision, resilience, and found success.
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The Language of Light: Storytelling with Lighting Design
1h 5m
Lighting plays an integral part of any live performance. The choices made by lighting designers are the brushstrokes on a painting that can make or break a production. How do lighting designers support the storytelling process? What are the steps in their creative process? Natasha Katz, Dawn Chia...
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Propared: Reinventing Live Event Project Management
51m
As managers of performing arts, the sheer complexity of our work combined with the unique nature of our industry present workflow challenges that are not easily solved. Join Ryan Kirk, retired production manager and co-founder of Propared, to discuss new ways to bring unity and efficiency to the ...
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Bringing Art and Creativity to Public Spaces in War Zones and Beyond
1h 18m
In this fascinating EPIC mainstage session, Samantha Robison (USA), Founder of Awareness and Prevention through ART (AptART), together with Safen Muhammad (Kurdish Region of Iraq), share an incredible photo and video retrospective of their vital and inspiring projects dedicated to creating art an...
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Send in the Clown: Learning from Play, Laughter and Failing Big
49m
Not just for performers! Everyone in entertainment can learn from leading clown, comedic designer, writer, and director Shannan Calcutt’s session on Learning from Play, Laughter and Failing Big. Be part of this this delightful and entertaining session with Shannan and be prepared for a few surpri...
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Leading Through Change
1h 1m
How do we effectively lead through waves of change? Enter Las Vegas based Jerry Nadal. A formidable voice in the industry for over three decades, he effectively led Cirque du Soleil’s Resident Shows Division through a global financial crisis as well as natural disasters such as tsunamis and earth...
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New Management Approach: Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice
1h 0m
Narda E. Alcorn & Lisa Porter are both very successful stage managers on Broadway and around the world, as well as highly regarded educators at Yale University and University of California, San Diego, respectively. Their book and other collaborative writings have been having a huge impact on the ...
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Sustainable Practices for Productions
1h 6m
Ever wondered what you or your company could do to become more sustainable? Well, we have put the panel together for you at the EPIC Conference! In the PRODUCE Pillar, Molly Braverman (Broadway Green Alliance), Christian Bjerrum (Actor, Climate Activist with Bæredygtig Scenekunst NU in Denmark), ...
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Maximizing Your Full Potential and Mastering the Artistry of Life
1h 1m
We are all storytellers. And as artists we excel at bringing those stories to life. But what of the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, and who we think we are supposed to be? Join life-long creative and high-performance Coach Lisa Hopkins in this interactive live coaching session. Whethe...
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Productions on the High Seas: The Rising Tide of Entertainment on Cruise Ships
1h 17m
It’s challenging enough putting up a show on land, but producing a show in the middle of the ocean? At sea, there are unique challenges to both the creative and the production process. Joyce Arbucias, Richard Hester, Marahscalh Stanton, and Mark Pawsey have created or run some of the most impactf...
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Dance Outliers: Keeping Dance Forms from the Street Alive & Authentic. V2
1h 1m
Hip-Hop culture has its roots in post-civil rights America. Pantsula and Gumboot has its roots in post-Apartheid South Africa. Malambo stems from the cultural expression of the gauchos in the countryside of Argentina. In this session, three trailblazing artists, choreographers, and show-makers ta...
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Bringing Design to Life: Hamilton’s Costumes, From Inspiration to Implementation
58m
Paul Tazewell won a Tony Award for his amazing costume design for the mega hit Hamilton. To bring his drawings, sketches, and vision to life needed the support of numerous people: stitchers, drapers, and dressers. Paul joins two of the important collaborators: the current and the original wardrob...
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Managing The Company: The Essential role of Broadway’s Company Managers
1h 12m
The Broadway company manager serves an essential, but rarely acknowledged role. They care for the entire company from housing and travel to payroll and healthcare, juggling both creative needs and fiscal responsibility. These leaders are vital for artists and artisans to do their work. These comp...
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TOUCH COMPASS: Shifting the Narrative
1h 10m
Touch Compass’s Artistic Direction Panel highlights the presence of disabled artists on our stages and increasing disabled representation across the industry. Alongside examples of Touch Compass’s existing works, this conversation illustrates how to shift the narrative to celebrate and honor dive...
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That Strange Thing I Do: Creating Special Effects Onstage
54m
Jeremy opens up at the EPIC Conference in his session aptly titled “That Strange Thing I Do: Creating Special Effects Onstage”. Join this session in the DESIGN Pillar as Jeremy raises the curtain on his world of Special Effects and the weird and wonderful things he has done in over 50 Broadway pr...
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Mehmet Ünal Ensemble
22m
Constantly fueled by the question of “What’s Next?”, Istanbul composer Mehmet Ünal and artist/producer Kerem Demirayak explore the fascinating creative space of music and sound composition.
Fusing A.I. algorithms, traditional and invented instruments, new media and the Metaverse, this remarkable...
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Directing with Diversity
1h 2m
As our society evolves, it is critical that our theatrical and artistic expression of that society evolve and change. We have been far behind representing the true nature of our humanity in how we tell stories in the theatre. How do we move past entrenched conventions that shroud this nature?
In...
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Producing Your Own Work: Ken Davenport
33m
Before Ken Davenport won a Tony Award for producing the hit Kinky Boots, and another Tony Award for producing the revival of Once On This Island, he was producing his own work off-Broadway (Awesome 80s Prom, My First Time). He knows the resources needed to get a show done and the great value of s...
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Devising the Director and Stage Manager Collaboration in the Global Context
53m
Ong Keng Sen has won the most prestigious awards in Singapore for his artistic achievements. A Fulbright Scholar, his work embraces a mixture of Western and Eastern performance traditions, creating brand new imaginative works. His unique “process-oriented” projects bring together wide ranges of p...
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Gilles Ste-Croix – A Life Behind and Beyond the Making of Cirque du Soleil
1h 18m
There’s not a person in the entertainment and performing arts world that has not heard of Cirque du Soleil. Founded in 1984, the Canadian circus company from Quebec, Canada, changed the face of theatrical and contemporary circus across the world and forged the entry of a new cultural register whi...
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IATSE: Professional Stagehands Union
58m
Every incredible design need quality craftspersons to implement it. Behind the scenes, stagehands, props, carps, electricians, and more create the magic and maintain the vision of designers. In North America, stagehands are represented by the labor union IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrica...
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Your Body is Your Instrument: Maintenance and Care for Performers
51m
Heidi Green (physical therapist for numerous Broadway shows, tours, and dance companies, including The Lion King and Spider-Man) & Taaj Jaharah (movement coach for Broadway, Film/TV actors and athletes, including members of the NBA) impart their knowledge and recommendations for the care and main...
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Fearless, Impassioned. All In. & Telling The Stories We Need Now
1h 4m
Fearless, Impassioned. All In. Giuliano Peparini – Artistic Director.
Giuliano Peparini was principal dancer of the Ballet National de Marseille at 24 years old and has become a much sought after director and choreographer for ballet, circus, film, and television around the world. His visionary ...
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Show Calling and Production Stage Management at Scale
1h 7m
Join Gareth Hulance and Jorge Tapia Briggs for an exclusive backstage look into the world of running large-scale ceremonies and stadium shows. This pair, who have worked together on shows all over the world, share their process, their communications from the ground to the show call booth, and all...
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Projection Mapping: The Creative and Technical Approach
1h 5m
Projection Mapping is used in all genres of entertainment, from Olympic Ceremonies, to Broadway, to Theatre, to Live Events, to Outdoor Art Installations. But what is this art form? How does a great Projection Mapping Project manifest? What do the Creative people need to know and understand? How ...
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Words & Music: Speaking Across Languages and Cultures Through Song
1h 7m
Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty are the multi award-winning lyricist/librettist & composer behind the beloved hit shows: Ragtime, Once On This Island, and Anastasia. Their work has delighted and moved audiences in numerous countries around the world. This powerhouse duo will discuss their collabor...
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The Writer’s Voice I & II
1h 4m
The Writer’s Voice I: Serving the Underserved
Douglas Lyons is an actor, writer, director, composer, and playwright. His play Chicken and Biscuits was his playwrighting debut on Broadway, but Douglas has appeared as an actor on Broadway and across the USA. He’s a multi-faceted artist, drawn to t...
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The Language of Choreography & Composition as a Dramatic Narrative
1h 12m
The Language of Choreography: Communicating Culture and Story Through Movement
Don’t miss this exclusive interview with Tony and Olivier Award winning choreographer, Sergio Trujillo. Born in Colombia and raised in Toronto, Sergio is the first Hispanic ever to win the Tony Award for best choreogr...
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The Essential Role of Hair & Make-Up
49m
Hair and Make-Up aren’t just accessories, they add to storytelling and character in important ways. The magical moment when an actor’s hair and make-up are complete is powerful and transformational. These superstar hair and make-up designers discuss their techniques to reveal character, tell stor...
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The Future of Automation in Entertainment: TAIT
57m
Gemma Hodgson, Jim Love, and Kevin Taylor from TAIT take us through the current advancements in automation technology for the arts and entertainment realm. With more and more automation being integrated into our theatrical systems, what will the future hold in our world? Tune into this session to...
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Little Amal & Beyond the Boundaries of Puppetry
1h 24m
Little Amal: The Refugee Story Told by a 7Ft Puppet
Craig Leo’s experience with The Handspring Puppet Company goes far beyond “The War Horse” for which he is the associate director of puppetry.
Through his work in circus arts, dance, music, and theatre, he has trained literally hundreds of perfo... -
Audio Engineers & Design: Technicians & Artists_v2
57m
Unlike other design disciplines, the sound design is partly created live during a show. The cast can change, a performer isn’t 100%, perhaps there’s a sub in the band, even the size of the audience, or the weather can have a huge impact on the sound of a show. It’s no wonder that most sound desig...
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Billy Porter: Superstar, Artist & Activist _v2
48m
Billy Porter speaks from the heart in an exclusive interview at EPIC. As an outspoken activist since his early days in theatre and working on Broadway, Porter’s rise to stardom has offered him an even bigger platform to share his views on race, politics, gender equality, and more.
Art and artist...
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The Chameleon & The Life and Legacy of Actor _v2
1h 2m
The Chameleon: An Actor’s Career Crossing Circus, Broadway, Film, and Directing
Lorenzo is a multi-hyphenate artist who has worked as a circus performer all over the world, Broadway, Film & TV actor, as well as movement director (Frozen, Beetlejuice), and documentary film director/producer on Ci...
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Break Through the Noise: Press & Marketing in 2022 and Beyond _v3
59m
As a founding partner of Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Inc., Chris Boneau has navigated more than 400 theatrical productions across the globe through the crowded media landscape. The strategic press and marketing campaigns he has developed tell stories that build awareness and develop audiences. They get p...
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A Dancer’s Life & Pursuing Your Dream, Inspiring A Generation _v2
1h 5m
A Dancer’s Life: Living a Latin Legacy
The child of ballet dancers, Isaac Hernández was taught by his parents at an early age. He has gone on to become one of the world’s elite dancers, receiving numerous awards and recognition not only in his native Mexico, but in Europe as well. Now as a fathe...