MIC: Austin Media Industry Panel

Austin Entertainment Industry Panel 

When: Monday, December 4, 2023 - 5:00-6:15 pm CT

Please join us for a Q&A session where panelists Alfred Gomez (Director, Programming & Development, Blind Nil), Jennifer Hutchins (Producer), Laura Kincaid (Director of Operations, ATX TV Festival), Attia Rasul (Content Hub Editor, Atmosphere TV), and Vince Robinette (Controller, Amazon Studios and 20th Century Fox/Disney) discuss their career trajectories, the scope of their work, and their views on the current state of the media industry.

This event will occur in person and on zoom. If you plan on attending, please fill out this form.

Speaker Biographies 

Alfred Gomez (Director, Programming & Development, Blind Nil)

Alfred is a central-Texas based creative developer and producer spearheading a robust original content slate at Blind Nil, an emerging production company housed under Magnolia founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines. In his current role as Director of Programming and Development at Blind Nil, he established and oversees an expansive slate spanning across lifestyle, food, home and design, as well as branded content and commercial projects. As an integral member of the launch of the production company itself, Alfred has developed and produced a number of series and specials for the highly anticipated premiere of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Magnolia Network - titles include Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, First Time Fixer, Silos Baking Competition, Art in Bloom with Helen Dealtry and many more.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Alfred graduated from UT Austin with degrees in Radio-TV-Film and Fine Arts. Prior to Blind Nil, Alfred worked at Megalomedia where he helped build a slate of unscripted development projects with networks at TLC, Science Channel, History and A&E.

Jennifer Hutchins (Producer)

Jennifer Hutchins has produced over 70 television series, films, pilots & branded content for most of the major networks, distributors & streamers including over 100 episodes of "Criss Angel Mindfreak" (A&E), "Ghost Hunters International (SYFY) and "The Car Show", starring Adam Carolla (Fox Sports). Her most recent docu-series "That Animal Rescue Show" with Academy Award winning directors Richard Linklater & Bill Guttentag is airing on Paramount+.

Jennifer's highlighted feature films include, "Most Likely To Die" distributed by Mar Vista Entertainment, "Time Toys" directed by Mark Rosman (A Cinderella Story) starring Ed Begley Jr. & Greg Germann and "Unfollowed" a screenlife film produced by Timur Bekmambetov. Her most recent films in post are, "Spyral", a documentary about a family's battle with undiagnosed mental illness with 2x Oscar winning director Bill Guttentag & “Switch Up” produced by Elizabeth Avellan & directed by Tara Pirnia.

She is the founder of Austin Entertainment Business (AEB), the founding chapter of All Entertainment Business. AEB is a community of entertainment pros in all facets of the biz. We root for the underdog and provide insights to help filmmakers, television and media level up! AEB's audience is over 25,000 entertainment pros and growing in Texas and globally, in a mere few years since its formation.

Laura Kincaid (Director of Operations, ATX TV Festival)

Laura Kincaid is the Director of Operations for ATX TV, which celebrates television by creating content and producing events throughout the year. ATX TV is a place of discovery and curation for both the people who make and consume TV to experience the medium together as one community. She oversees logistics for the annual ATX TV Festival, a four day event that brings together fans and industry professionals, as well as ATX TV’s year-round events and Membership Program.

Laura was formerly the Senior Marketing Coordinator at the Texas Film Commission, a division of the Office of the Governor, where she worked with film festivals, non-profits, and events across the country. She is a native Austinite, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Radio-Television-Film, and has co-edited numerous short films - as well as one very long documentary in French, Arabic and Portuguese, none of which she speaks.

Attia Rasul (Content Hub Editor, Atmosphere TV)

Attia Rasul is a proud University of Texas alum, currently working in the media and entertainment industry. Rasul worked for Women in Film and Beige Video Corporation before landing a position as an Entertainment Producer at Atmosphere TV, an Austin-based streaming company. After launching Atmosphere TV’s first-ever Entertainment News channel, Rasul moved up to her current role as the Content Hub Editor. Her current role has allowed her to dive deep in the world of content and product marketing. She oversees the progress other streaming service’s homepage and the preservation of its 45+ channels. Rasul works closely with the marketing, product, and production teams at Atmosphere TV, allowing her to build a diverse, interdepartmental skill set. Rasul also has launched her own entertainment and pop culture podcast called Amateur Popcast with Attia & Nico, streaming on all major platforms.
 

Rasul earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Dance Honors; she also acquired minors in Media and Entertainment Industries and Arts Management and Administration. Her undergraduate Honors’ thesis focused on "The Misrepresentation of Muslim Women in Media and Entertainment Industry." During her time at UT, she wrote and directed several plays and a short film. Her work was presented by the university at The Cohen New Work Festival 2021.

Vince Robinette (Controller, Amazon Studios and 20th Century Fox/Disney)

Vince Robinette was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Father Judge High School and Temple University, graduating from Temple in 1991 with honors and a BBA in Accounting. In 1992 Vince moved to California to start his career in Accounting for the Walt Disney Company. 

While working at Disney, Vince wanted to further his education. He began law school at Southwestern University School of Law and in 1996, he received his Juris Doctorate. Following his law school graduation, Vince moved back to the east coast where he got a job with The Honorable Sandra Mazer-Moss in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He quickly realized his love for the west coast and moved back to the Los Angeles area where he worked in Insurance Defense at the law firm of Gilbert, Kelley, Crowley and Jennett in Los Angeles.

After spending a few years in law, Vince returned to his accounting roots. He is currently a Lead Accountant/Controller for Television and Feature Films. Vince has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment business and has worked with all the prime-time networks and film studios all over the US and a show in the United Kingdom.

Vince’s resume includes some of the highest rated television shows, “Friday Night Lights”, “Felicity”, “Alias”, and “Fringe”. He has an extensive network of contacts and has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest named producers and cast. His expertise extends to being a consultant for many networks such as Netflix, Amazon, BBC to name a few. He also specializes in film tax credit and grant states including New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Mexico, California, Texas and International markets in the UK, Canada and Mexico.

Vince is currently working with Amazon Studios on the Series “Outer Range” and “The Old Man” with Fox/Disney Television.

In addition to Vince’s Film and Law career he has mentored many high school and college graduates with accounting interests or degrees. The mentoring has led to hiring many of these students and helping them start their careers with entry positions into the Entertainment Industry. He currently has 3 former Westlake High School students with college degrees on his accounting teams.

In 2000 Vince married his Texan wife, Chele. They have 3 children Ryan (22), Drake (19) and Reagan (16). They live in Austin, Texas in the Westlake Area. Vince is passionate about this industry, thrives on working hard, crunching numbers, and finding ways to save the networks money! His mentoring has opened a new door to share how accounting can be fun and help others understand all the different jobs and aspects of the television and film business.