Making of "Undergrads" Web Series w/ James Franco
UNDERGRADS closely follows every aspect of the lives of various undergraduate students at anonymous colleges across the US to present what it’s like to be a college student in America today.
Created and executive produced by James Franco; the series, including the recently Austin, Texas centered “Undergrads South” intends to capture a behind-the-scenes look at college life and the unique experiences of undergraduates as they struggle to balance their personal lives, school obligations and movie-making dreams.
Getting a web series off the ground isn’t as easy as it seems, even with a name like Franco’s. This panel will cover what it takes to go from idea to final product, the struggle to bring the truth - even to the Internet - and will also discuss how Hollywood is hungry to come to your own backyard and tell stories.
See the world premiere of the pilot episode of “Undergrads: South” shot in Austin, Texas and meet the undergraduate students lucky enough to be a part of it as well as a special screening of “Undergrads: West" and "Undergrads: North".
Presenters
JAMES FRANCO’s metamorphosis into the title role of the TNT biopic JAMES DEAN earned him career-making reviews, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture made for Television. He also received nominations for an Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award for this memorable performance. Franco earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award and recognition from numerous critics’ associations for his starring role in Danny Boyle’s critically acclaimed drama 127 HOURS. His performance alongside Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant’s MILK earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in David Gordon Green’s comedy PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, where he starred opposite Seth Rogen. He is also known for his starring role as Harry Osbourne in Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN trilogy.
Franco was most recently seen starring opposite Danny McBride and Natalie Portman in David Gordon Green’s comedy YOUR HIGHNESS. He also recently starred as famous poet Allen Ginsberg in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s HOWL, Ryan Murphy’s EAT, PRAY, LOVE alongside Julia Roberts and was a part of an all-star ensemble cast in Shawn Levy’s comedy DATE NIGHT. He will next be seen in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the newest take on the Planet Of The Apes franchise, and has been in production for Sam Raimi’s OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL since July of this year.
Franco’s additional credits include George C. Wolfe’s NIGHTS IN RODANTHE; Paul Haggis’ IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH; Karen Moncrieff‘s ensemble drama THE DEAD GIRL; Tommy O’Haver’s drama AN AMERICAN CRIME; John Dahl’s THE GREAT RAID; Robert Altman’s THE COMPANY; as well as CITY BY THE SEA opposite Robert DeNiro and the Martin Scorsese produced DEUCES WILD. On television, he starred in the critically acclaimed series FREAKS AND GEEKS.
He wrote, directed and starred in the features GOOD TIME MAX and THE APE. HERBERT WHITE, a short film in which he wrote and directed starring Michael Shannon, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010. THE FEAST OF THE STEPHEN, also written and directed by Franco, premiered and won a TEDDY award at the Berlin Film Festival. Additionally, Franco directed SATURDAY NIGHT, a documentary on the week-long production of a “Saturday Night Live” episode, which originally premiered at SXSW and THE CLERKS TALE, which premiered at Cannes. Franco recently wrote and directed a biography on poet Hart Crane called THE BROKEN TOWER which premiered at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival. Franco’s most recent film SAL premiered at the 2011 Venice Film Festival. It also showed at the 2011 Carmel Film Festival and the 2011 Austin Film Festival.
Joy is the head of development for the “Austin Film Collective” and her own “Gohring Productions,” where her mission is to bring Austin-based talent into the Hollywood mainstream. She is currently directing “Undergrads: South” for James Franco’s Rabbit Bandini Productions.
Joy has several projects in development, including the animated TV series “Gladys,” based on the sassy 88-year-old woman from Austin who calls into the “Ellen DeGegeneres Show.” This summer, Joy will direct the feature mockmentary “WooMen” and is attached to direct “The Flaming Jerk” and “Sugar Baby.”Joy’s highly acclaimed sci-fi comedy web series can be seen at http://www.babelgum.com/DATEAHUMAN. Her sexy “Bri-Squared Chat Show” w/ Jorge Garcia (Lost) will be released next month and her short "18," starring Portia Doubleday ("Youth in Revolt") is currently airing on PBS. “Mental” - Winner for Best Short at the 2011 Cannes Indie Film Festival - will be released this fall.
Joy is a University of Texas Alumni and an America Film Institute’s “Directing Workshop for Women” (2009) Alumni. Prior to AFI, Joy was a nationally touring stand-up comic and the star of two TV series on the Oxygen Network, “Ripe Tomatoes” and “Good Girls Don’t…”
joygohring.com
Vince teamed with actor James Franco and manager Miles Levy to form Rabbit Bandini Productions in 2003. As partner and executive in charge of production, he was an integral part of such films as HOWL, THE BROKEN TOWER and SAL playing an invaluable role in bringing the creative vision to the screen while supervising physical production. Vince currently has 4 films in production, a biopic on Linda Lovelace starring Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Jessica Parker and Peter Sarsgaard; THE ICEMAN about notorious hit man Richard Kuklinski, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed book CHILD OF GOD (directed by Franco); and TAR starring Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain and Zach Braff. Later this year Rabbit Bandini will shoot William Faulkner’s drama AS I LAY DYING, a biopic on one of the greatest football players ever, Joe Namath; and a Harmony Korine project titled SPRING BREAKERS starring Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens.
In theaters this year will be THE BROKEN TOWER from Focus Features, SATURDAY NIGHT an in depth, behind the scenes look at the making of Saturday Night Live from Oscilloscope, and a bio pic on the late actor Sal Mineo called SAL from the Tribeca Group.
Saturday, March 10
