Press Release from David Whealy and Associates
Entertainment legal services practice David Whealy and Associates and veteran producer Patrick Condon have organised for 22 students from the prestigious Chapman University Carol Dodge Film School (LA Film School) to visit Sydney and take part in a whole host of industry events between 7-17 June this year.
David Whealy explained, “The LA Film School is one of the world’s top schools, ranked by the Hollywood Reporter as the 13th best film school in the world in 2012 (AFTRS was ranked 20th by way of comparison) and the idea for the trip came about after discussions with my good friends Patrick Condon and Harry Ufland, also a teacher at the LA Film School.”
Ufland, currently teaching his fifth semester at the LA Film School, was the EP who packaged the iconic Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Blade Runner movies in addition to being one of Hollywood’s most prolific agents.
Whealy continued, “The intention is for the tour to become an unprecedented bi-annual alternating event where the LA students will come to NSW one year and AFTRS and NIDA students will have the hospitality reciprocated in alternate years in Los Angeles to meet LA film students, A-list US writers, directors, producers, actors, LA agents and studio executives. This is an historic and tremendous coup for NSW and Australia as the next generation of Hollywood directors and producers will be viewing NSW locations and the next generation of Australian writers, actors, directors and producers will be meeting the Hollywood A-list as part of a dedicated program. The proposal has been tremendously well received in Hollywood.”
As part of the inaugural event David Whealy and Associates in conjunction with Patrick Condon, Jack Thompson and Harry Ufland have organised a wide range of events for the students whilst they are in Australia. These include a day with AFTRS involving a high profile script read through session with A-list actors, and tours of NIDA, SPAA, The Actors Centre, Moneypenny, Animal Logic, Fox Studios Australia and Essential Media’s production set tour in connection with the TV series Rake.
Whealy added, “We have also organised a dinner function at Mezzaluna restaurant to be sponsored by AUSFILM with the invitee guest list including the Federal Arts Minister and The NSW Premier so this event will be profiled at the highest levels within the Australian entertainment industry. The ultimate aim for the tour is that the LA Film School students learn as much as they can about the Australian film business and begin a dialogue between the next generation of American filmmakers and the current and rising generation of Australian filmmakers to promote the making of films for both countries utilising the talent, services and locations of each.”
For more information on the LA Film School go to: http://chapman.edu/dodge