SEPTEMBER 8 - Screening: Apple TV's "Pluribus" Pilot and Q&A with Phil Palmer, Production Sound Mixer

The Department of Radio-Television-Film presents a screening of the pilot episode of Apple TV's "Pluribus" followed by a Q&A with the series Sound Mixer, Phil Palmer. 

Tuesday, September 8
5:00pm-7:00pm
CMB 4.122

RSVP HERE

Phillip W. Palmer CAS has a career spanning nearly four decades. Beginning as a sound utility and boom operator in 1988, Palmer became a production sound mixer in 1999 and has since become a fixture on some of the industry’s most celebrated series. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for his work on Glee and earned a CAS Award for his work on the series finale of Better Call Saul, “Saul Gone,” a series that brought him numerous Emmy and CAS Award nominations throughout its run. His credits also include The Old Man, Entourage, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, El Camino and Pluribus. The Cinema Audio Society will honor Phillip W. Palmer CAS with its 2027 Career Achievement Award during the 63rd Annual CAS Awards in March 2027.

Beyond his work on set, Palmer has been an advocate for the sound community. He currently serves as treasurer of IATSE Local 695, a former vice president of the Cinema Audio Society and governor of the Sound Mixers Peer Group of the Television Academy—roles that reflect his commitment to the craft and the professionals who practice it.

SEPTEMBER 21 - The Dos and Don'ts of Location Shooting

The Dos and Don'ts of Location Shooting with the Austin Film Commission

Monday, September 21 
11:00 am - 12:30 pm 
DMC 5.208 

RSVP HERE 

The Department of Radio-Television-Film hosts the Austin Film Commission, the City of Austin and Austin PD in discussing how to get and keep locations, how to interact with the city for maximum return, and what to do if something catches on fire! 

Highly recommended for students (graduate or undergraduate) enrolled in any Production courses.

SEPTEMBER 21 - Media Industries and AI

Learn how AI is reshaping the media industry through the experiences of leading professionals working across the field. Panelists will share innovative, creative and ethical applications of AI, along with real-world examples, emerging opportunities and the challenges that come with adopting new technologies responsibly.

Monday, September 21
5:00-6:45pm
DMC 2.106 (Auditorium)

RSVP HERE

PANELISTS:

Jennifer Howell
COO
Deep Voodoo
Jennifer Howell is currently the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Deep Voodoo, where she oversees the creative direction for the innovative synthetic media and entertainment company co-founded by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Her career actually began with Stone and Parker as the Supervising Producer on “South Park” for the first 12 years of the show!

Jennifer has had an impressive career in the entertainment industry, working on many popular movies and TV shows. Before Deep Voodoo, she was the Head of Feature Film Development at DreamWorks Animation, where she managed a development slate of over 30 films, including “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Boss Baby” and “Trolls.” Her other roles have been at Paramount Television as Head of Comedy, and at the animation division at 20th Century Fox Animation, overseeing shows like “Bob’s Burgers,” “Family Guy” and “Futurama.”

Shane Metcalf
Head of Creative 
AMD

Shane Metcalf is Director and Head of Creative at AMD, where he leads the development of global campaigns, content and major live productions. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, he has worked across technology, gaming, television, music and entertainment. His work at AMD has included producing CES keynotes and collaborations with partners such as Pixar, Xbox and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Before joining AMD, Shane held roles in music television and gaming, including at Electronic Arts’ Origin Systems. He is a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s Radio-Television-Film program.

Ben Stanbury
CEO
Craftology.io

Ben Stanbury is a media and technology executive focused on the application of artificial intelligence to professional film, television, and content production. He is Co-Founder of Craftology, an AI-assisted production platform designed to help creative teams develop and produce high-quality episodic and feature content using the latest generative and production technologies. Previously, Ben served as Vice President of AI/ML at The Walt Disney Company, where he worked on emerging AI technologies, model evaluation, policy, and their application across studio workflows. Before Disney, he was Worldwide Head of Technology and CTO at Amazon Studios, leading technology strategy and operations across Amazon’s global film and television business and playing a key role in the technology integration of MGM. His work spans the intersection of creative practice, production, technology, and business transformation, with a particular focus on how AI can expand creative possibility while changing the economics, workflows, and structure of professional content creation.

Bernie Su
Head of Creative
Pickford AI

Bernie is a Peabody and three-time Primetime Emmy award-winning director, producer, and interactive storyteller pushing the boundaries of narrative storytelling. He is the creator and showrunner of Whispers, Pickford.ai's groundbreaking interactive mystery series where audience prompts influence the show’s real time scene generation. He also serves as Pickford's Head of Creative.

His Emmy-winning works include Jane Austen adaptations The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved—capturing YouTube's first two Primetime Emmys and Artificial, the live interactive sci-fi series that became Twitch's most decorated original series, winning a Webby, Peabody, and Primetime Emmy.

Bernie also creates and directs commercials and branded entertainment campaigns, working with Maybelline, Samsung, Olay, New York Life, and Old Spice. He is a sought-after speaker on generative AI's transformative impact, ethics, and risks across the creator economy and traditional entertainment industry.

Kenny Ye
Strategy Executive 
CAA

Kenneth Ye is a Corporate Strategic Development Executive at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA.). Based in Los Angeles, Ye develops corporate strategies and execution plans that help drive CAA’s growth and diversification efforts. Ye focuses on new business creation efforts for the Agency, covering topics such as talent venture and innovation, AI deployment in enterprise and production, and early stage investing across media and entertainment. Ye serves as an Investment Director in FRAME1GAMES, CAA’s first-of-its-kind investment fund and incubator for independent games.

Prior to joining CAA in 2021, Ye served as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, managing teams on large-scale technology transformations and innovation, as well as global strategy in consumer brands and businesses. He also was a former advisor and strategist for such organizations as the Estee Lauder Company and the U.S. Federal Government. Ye graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics.

OCTOBER 15 - Ray Mansfield, Producer

Producer: "Get Out," "BlacKkKlansman" 
Founding Partner: QC Entertainment 

Thursday, October 15
11:00am-12:30pm 
CMB 2.102 

RSVP HERE

RAYMOND MANSFIELD is a veteran producer, financier, and a founding partner of QC Entertainment (Quality Control). Over a 25-year career, Mansfield has worked across the full lifecycle of film and television - financing, development, packaging, production, and sales/distribution - helping filmmakers bring distinctive, director-driven projects to market. 

Since launching in 2015, QC quickly became a go-to company for producing and financing filmmaker-driven film and television. QC is the Academy Award-nominated production company behind "Get Out" and "BlacKkKlansman," with both films earning back-to-back Best Picture nominations and Academy Award–winning screenplays while also becoming major critical and commercial successes. 

Mansfield is currently in post-production on "Casket Girls," a horror feature directed by Justin Dyck inspired by the historical “casket girls” sent from France to New Orleans in the 1700s, starring Gabrielle Union, Mike Colter, Raúl Castillo, Matt Frewer, Thomas Lennon, and more. 

In addition, Mansfield is a producer on "Death Boom," a feature-length documentary directed by Jessica Chandler and currently in post-production, produced alongside Eli Roth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions. 

He recently produced the documentary "Vice Is Broke," which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by MUBI for an August 2025 release. 

Mansfield also serves as Executive Producer on Richie Mehta’s true-crime series "Poacher," which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and launched on Amazon Prime Video in February 2024, going on to win 6 Critics Choice Awards in India. 

Recent releases also include SXSW 2023 Audience Award (Midnighter) winner "It Lives Inside" (written and directed by Bishal Dutta, released by NEON), Lionsgate’s "Antebellum" (starring Janelle Monáe), Netflix hit "The Wrong Missy" (with Happy Madison), David Stassen’s mockumentary "Maximum Truth," Ike Barinholtz’s satire "The Oath," time travel rom-com "Time Freak" and Zoe Lister Jones’ Sundance premiering musical dramedy "Band Aid." 

Prior to QC, Mansfield co-founded and served as Co-President of Movie Package Company (MPC), where he raised over $250 million for film packaging and structured risk-mitigated investment opportunities, while negotiating worldwide distribution deals, IP deals, and above-the-line talent deals. 

Early in his career, Mansfield worked at 3 Arts Entertainment. 

He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's Department of Radio-Television-Film. 

Across his career, Mansfield has produced, executive produced, or served as a production executive on projects recognized by the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA, AFI, and major guilds, with premieres and honors at leading festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, Berlin, and SXSW.