SXSW 2012: Conference Lineup Includes Seth MacFarlane, Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, & More

A whole flurry of SXSW announcements today, and we've got the conference lineup for you here.

The SXSW Film Conference features over 120 sessions and runs Friday, March 9 - Tuesday, March 13, 2012. A sampling of panels follows below, as well as the complete panel breakdown, by date and title. New for 2012, SXSW Film launched The Digital Domain, an additional programming track in the Film Conference that examines how web-based media and platforms are used to share content by creatives from a range of fields, particularly dealing with new approaches to storytelling. The Digital Domain sessions will be open to all Film, Interactive, Gold and Platinum badges, and will take place in the Austin Suite of the Austin Convention Center from Saturday, March 10 - Tuesday, March 13, 2012. For more information on The Digital Domain, visit http://sxsw.com/film/talks/digital_domain.

Some interesting talks on tap. Here is the full announcement:

Key panels announced for the 2012 SXSW Film Conference include:

 

• A Conversation with Seth MacFarlane

As the creator of Family Guy and one of the co-creators of American Dad!, Seth MacFarlane has brought his boundary-pushing brand of humor to millions each week. Join Seth for a no-holds-barred discussion about his groundbreaking work in TV, his recent foray into the music world with his debut album and his transition to Hollywood with his upcoming directorial debut Ted, a live-action/CG-animated comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.

(Sunday, March 11, 11:00am, Vimeo Theater, Austin Convention Center)

 

• Funny or Die: Future of Comedy & Everything Else

An intimate look into the corruption, lies and deceit that transformed a website into the most powerful media company in the world! How FOD transformed into a new model media company and how comedy pretty much rules the world...and everything else.

(Sunday, March 11, 3:30pm - Room 18ABCD, Austin Convention Center)

 

• Meat is Might: Epic Meal Time Rules the Web

Join the Epic Meal Time team in a discussion of the key factors to their initial success and continued expansion throughout the digital and entertainment sphere.

(Saturday, March 10, 3:30pm - Room 18ABCD, Austin Convention Center)

 

• Restoring History: 100 Years of Universal Films

Experience the process of restoring, archiving and curating a centennial of movie magic with Universal's Centennial titles. (Monday, March 12, 11:00am - Paramount Theatre)

 

• We Are Legion: Digital (R)Evolution

Armed with colleagues from the filmmaking and digital communities, writer/director Brian Knappenberger weighs in on the challenges of making the film WE ARE LEGION: The Story of the Hacktivists (official selection SXSW 2012), the roots of the "hactivist" collective Anonymous, and their current battles with Hollywood.

(Tuesday, March 13, 11:00am - Room 18ABCD, Austin Convention Center)

 

The panels released today join over 40 previously announced sessions for the 2012 SXSW Film Conference, including A Conversation with Joss Whedon, the return of Jeffrey Tambor's Acting Workshop, a dialogue with Lena Dunham, Judd Apatow and more on the HBO series Girls, A Conversation with Cliff Martinez, and The Business of Kevin Smith among others. For full panel descriptions and participants, browse the schedule at http://schedule.sxsw.com.

 

 

COMPLETE FILM CONFERENCE LINEUP BY DAY:

(Moderators listed in parentheses)

 

Friday, March 9

Beginners Guide to SXSW Film (Agnes Varnum, Austin Film Society)

Don't Forget About Me! Remember Everything at SXSW (Mark Channon, Memory School)

Future of Entertainment: Viewer Becomes User 

Man Vs. Algorithm: Online Video Curation Face-Off 

The Opening Act: Making of the SXSW Film Bumpers

Speed Tweaks: How Fast Can Audiences Drive Edits? 

                                                     

Saturday, March 10

A Conversation with Joss Whedon (Adam B. Vary, Entertainment Weekly)

Alternative Film Events: Site Specific & Beyond (Delicia Harvey, Aurora Picture Show)

Beyond The 1 Sheet - Pen to Paper Returns (Charlie Loft, AllCity Media)

Brothers Gonna Talk it Out (Christy Lemire, AP/Ebert Presents At The Movies)

Casting on a Budget: Get the Best & the Rightest (Josh Pais) 

Collaborations in Film: Writers & Producers 

Coppola vs Kittens: Pro Filmmaking's Online Future (Adam Glickman, The IdeaLists)

Creating the Code: A BBC Transmedia Documentary 

DSLR Gear: Film Production in a Carry-On (Or Two). (Lan Bui, The Bui Brothers)

Entertainment After Transmedia (Zak Kadison, Blacklight Transmedia)

Everything is a Remix; So Steal Like An Artist 

Saturday, March 10 (cont'd)

Festribution: Film Festivals as Distributors (Sean Farnel, Ripping Reality)

Hollywood Lessons: What I Learned The Hard Way (John Lang, Rough & Tumble Films)

Iron Sky: Forging the Future of Film 

Meat is Might: Epic Meal Time Rules the Web 

Mentors - Artist Development 

Mentors - Managers & Agents 

Mentors - Open Call 

Mentors - Press & Bloggers 

Mentors - Publicity 

Rewards! Emotions! Design with the Brain in Mind (M. A. Greenstein, The George Greenstein Institute)

The Evolution of the Douchebag in Modern Cinema (Robyn Sklaren)

Tough Love: Why You're Still Not Festival Ready (Amy Dotson, IFP)

Warp'ed Filmmaking - More Execution, Less Budget (Barry Ryan, Warp Films/Warp X)

Your Film's Unique Digital Distribution Strategy (Richard Lorber, Kino Lorber)

 

Sunday, March 11

3 R's of Horror: Remakes, Reboots & Rediscoveries (KW Low, Dread Central Media)

A Conversation with Seth MacFarlane 

Arts Criticism 140 Characters At A Time (Linda Holmes, NPR)

Can a Social Web of Things Keep TV Cords Connected 

Does HTML5 Offer a Montage Moment for Web Cinema? (Ingrid Kopp, Shooting People)

Empowering Filmmakers: Marketing/Distribution Keys (Marc Schiller, BOND Strategy And Influence)

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Grants (Dianne Debicella, Fractured Atlas)

Filmmaker's Guide to Capitol Hill Politics (Jody Arlington, Impact Arts + Film Fund)

Funny or Die: Future of Comedy & Everything Else 

The Great Cinematography Shootout (David Lowery, Sailor Bear Films)

Harnessing the Crowd - Internet Funding 101 (Erica Labovitz, IndieGoGo)

In The Cloud: Your Film in a Post-Ownership World (Susan Margolin, New Video)

Jeffrey Tambor's Acting Workshop (Jeffrey Tambor)

Lights, Camera, Social Action! 

Mentors - Industry Buyers 

Mentors - International 

Mentors - Legal 

Mentors - Producers 

Mentors - Sales & Acquisitions 

Multiplatform Storytelling: Frontline War Stories 

Putting a Carbon Footprint in Your Production Bid (Steffen Gentis, Proximity/BBDO)

Reinventing the Graphic Novel for the iPad 

Shooting and Editing the Non Scripted Feature (Barry Jenkins, Futurestates)

Welcome to the Pitching Palace (Bonnie Orr, Palm Tree Productions)

 

Monday, March 12

A to Z Doc Distribution: Emphasis on E for Education (Elizabeth Sheldon, Kino Lorber)

AICN Presents: Todd & The Book of Pure Evil (Harry Knowles, Aint It Cool News)

Art and Advertising: Two Sides of the One Sheet (Roger Erik Tinch, Tinch Co./Reelizer)

Branded Documentary: Cause Marketing's Best Media? 

The Business of Kevin Smith (Bob Moczydlowsky, Topspin)

Changing the Channel: The New Golden Age of TV 

The GeekFamily Guide To the Movies (Jason Cranford Teague, Wired/GeekDad)

How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love VOD (Orly Ravid, The Film Collaborative)

HTML5 for Film: Leading Edge or Bleeding Edge 

Monday, March 12 (cont'd)

In Search of the Muslim Sassy Gay Friend 

In The Cut: Editing a Killer Feature Sample (Kyle Henry, Northwestern University)

Market Place Live (Charlie Bloye, Film Export UK)

Mentors - Distribution 2: Narrative 

Mentors - Distribution 1: Documentary 

Mentors - Distribution: Open Call 

Mentors - Production 1 

Mentors - Production 2 

The Power of Super 8 Film (Phil Vigeant, Pro 8mm)

Print to Portal: Turning a Film Mag into a Brand (Danny Miller, The Church of London)

Restoring History: 100 Years of Universal Films 

Sony in 35mm: Options and Applications (Mike DesRoches, Sony Electronics, Inc.)

Timing is Everything: How to Maximize Your PR (Lewis Kay, PMK*BNC)

Tweaking Your Living Room to Director Standards (Chris Armbrust, THX, Ltd.)

WebOriginals: Televisions New Guinea Pigs 

WTFair Use?! An Interactive Fair-Use Workshop (Deena Kalai)

 

Tuesday, March 13

A Conversation with Cliff Martinez (Brian Satterwhite, Nuance Music)

A Conversation with Mark Mothersbaugh (Doreen Ringer-Ross, BMI)

Artists Scoring Film: New Trends in Composing (Robert Kraft, Fox Music Inc)

Bringing Sexy Back: Where's the Line Today? (Lisa Vandever, CineKink)

Clearing Rights: What "Borat" Wrought (Dan Satorius, Satorius Law Firm PLLC)

Dig Deep: Libraries, Archives and Filmmaking (Jo Angela Oehrli, University of Michigan Masters)

Diversity Counts: Auteur's, Actors and Audiences (Vicente Williams, Producers Guild of America Diversity Committee)

DIY: Short Film Distribution. Who's Got This? (Liz Shannon Miller, GigaOM.com)

Girls Revealed (Alex Karpovsky)

The Great White Whales of Music Docs (Warren Cohen, VH1 Networks)

Making it Happen: Financing an Independent Film (Aaron Kaufman, Quick Draw Productions)

Maximizing Film Revenues (Dan Satorius, Satorius Law Firm PLLC)

Mentors - Filmmakers 1: Documentary 

Mentors - Filmmakers 2: Narrative 

Mentors - Programming 1: Narrative 

Mentors - Programming 2: Documentary 

Mentors - Writers 

Movie Screens with Frickin' Laser Beams

The Not So Sexy Side Of Music For Film & TV (Dominique Preyer, Hear It - Clear It Music Supervision)

Richard Linklater and Randall Poster in Conversation (Randall Poster, Search Party Music)

Second Screen Dashboard: Cover Live Events Better 

Shoot, Share, Repeat: Capture History in Real Time (Jonathan Klein, Getty Images)

To 3D or Not to 3D. That is the Question. (Jeffrey Merrihue, MOFILM)

We Are Legion: Digital (R)Evolution (Brian Knappenberger, Luminant Media)

When Filmmakers Meet Interactive Teams (Amit Breuer, Amythos Media)

The World is Watching: An Int'l Sales Workshop (Andy Whittaker, dogwoof)

 

COMPLETE DIGITAL DOMAIN LINEUP BY DAY:

 

Saturday, March 10

Fact Checkers Unit: Making a Web Series

The creators of award winning web series Fact Checkers Unit talk partnering with NBC, MTV, Samsung and a whole host of celebrities to produce an unusual production. Learn how this project went from Sundance short film to hit online series.

 

Fleshlife: The Making of a Webseries

A behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of creating "safe-for-work" web content for the Adult Sex Toy Industry.

 

Condition ONE - The Future of Mobile Video

In this session, the producers of the film, Hell and Back Again, will demo Condition ONE, a new immersive video application built for the iPad.

 

SU2C: Reinventing the PSA

In this panel, SU2C will discuss how entertainment brands, celebrities, technology & cancer research can intersect to drive non-profit campaigns into mainstream culture.

 

Sunday, March 11

Prototyping The Future

Lance Weiler and FUTURESTATES unveil participatory storytelling project WISH FOR THE FUTURE and lead a rapid prototyping lab with audiences.

 

Screaming with Laughter: FEARnet TV's Holliston

FEARnet debuts its first original series "Holliston," a new type of horror sitcom. The panel will explore the path taken to make a show about two friends chasing the dream of becoming successful horror movie filmmakers.

 

Screw the Big Screen, We Have the Web!

The battle between web and TV is vicious. Hear from three heavy hitters in the interactive video business and find out what works and what doesn't.

 

The Rise of Co-Created Storyworld Communities

Learn what co-created storyworlds are, discuss the benefits/risks of a shared storyworld model, explore ways to leverage the community to help grow the story universe contextually and commercially, and examine the legal implications of co-creation.

 

Monday, March 12

The Best of DocLab

Caspar Sonnen, Curator and New Media coordinator at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, showcases the best examples of interactive documentary storytelling and other digital non-fiction projects that defy definition.

 

Dreams of Your Life: A Darkly Playful Experience

Commissioned in parallel with feature doc DREAMS OF A LIFE, www.dreamsofyourlife.com, was developed by agency Hide & Seek, as a thought-provoking & immersive experience to engage users in the themes explored by the film. This panel will explore the creative process between the commissioner, digital agency, novelist and photographer, from idea to execution, right through to audience.

Monday, March 12 (cont'd)

Next Gen Content: A Conversation w/ Maker Studios

Join Maker Studios as they discuss the studio's history, strategic growth, talent and their thoughts on the future of online video content.

 

Times Are a'Changin: Digital Storytelling Today

Technology has created a new breed of storytellers. Find out how the storytelling paradigm has shifted in this new digital age.

 

Tuesday, March 13

1,000 Voices: Redefining Creative Collaboration

Girl Walk // All Day creators talk about the changing definition of creative collaboration and preserving your voice on big group projects.

 

Funny Or Die's How To Succeed In Videos By Trying

Sit down with writers, directors and producers from Funny Or Die to find out how they make the videos that make you laugh.

 

Let's Big Happy: Fox Digital Music & Comedy Series

Join us for a screening of Fox Digital's hilarious new comedy, Let's Big Happy, along with a Q&A with the creators and stars.

 

Make a BTS Web Series and Survive

Forget using the web to promote your film and start focusing on creating content that supports your film. 

 

Your Web Series: From Concept to Distribution

Learn how to make your own web series. Discussion to include concept, target audience, budget, distribution and contracts.