SDCC 2021: Entertainment is Female Panel

One of the benefits of San Diego Comic-Con being a virtual convention is that the panels are not flashes in a pan. You don’t have the dilemma of passing on one to see another. Or if you had summer plans, panels are still there for people to watch when time allows. Here at Fangirls Going Rogue, we want to help optimize your time. Which panels are a right fit for you? These short reviews will hopefully aim you in the right direction.

The Entertainment is Female: A Conversation with Female Executives panel aired on July 23, 2021 and is the third iteration of the panel. From its description:

From the production companies that brought you Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Walking Dead, Lumberjanes, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, women executives discuss the development process and how they approach adapting IP during a pandemic. Moderator Tiffany Smith (actress, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) along with panelists Jeannette Francis (Bad Robot), Sam Crawley (Skybound Entertainment), Aubrey Lee (Lord Miller), Grey Cusack (formerly of Hasbro Studios), Nikki Baida (Lord Miller), and Mette Norkjaer (BOOM! Studios) will partake in a Q&A.

Who is this panel for?

If you have an interest in seeing women talk about storytelling and working in Hollywood, this panel seems like the right choice. More importantly, if you have an interest in seeing key decision makers talk about development and production in film and television, this is also a great choice. There isn’t much talk about how being a woman excludes the panelists. They all showcase that they are independent problem-solvers at the top of their game. Not all these women have the same philosophy, as in a discussion about what projects to take: Jeannette Francis sought passion projects, Metter Norkjaer discussed mining her company’s IP library, and Nikki Baida and Aubrey Lee talked about finding the right format for a particular idea.

For people who are trying to break in as a writer or creative, the panel tackled the question: What does Hollywood want right now? The notion that authentic stories with strong emotional undercurrents was shared by all the panelists. Genres specifically mentioned included horror, prestige, musicals, comedies, Young Adult, and water cooler shows. The ideas on pitching projects were particularly insightful.

If you had a chance to check out Entertainment is Female: A Conversation with Hollywood Executives drop us a comment below or share your thoughts with Fangirls Going Rogue on social media. Links below.

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