Universal Studio Group and IndieWire Present USG University: Consider This, a Celebration of TV Craft in Los Angeles on May 22
Emmy season is ramping up, and now's the time to dive deeper into the creation of some of your favorite shows. Join Universal Studio Group and IndieWire for 'USG University: Consider This, an evening celebrating the art of TV storytelling through craft on May 22.
IndieWire will also be partnering with USG for its tentpole FYC campaign, USG University, which encompasses a slate of virtual panels with producers, actors, and artisans from shows such as 'The Four Seasons,' 'The Americas,' 'Saturday Night Live,' 'Hacks,' 'Happy's Place,' and more. The first virtual panel will launch on IndieWire on May 19, with two a week rolling out in the weeks after that.
More from IndieWire
Newport Beach TV Fest to Honor 'Landman' with Outstanding Drama Series Award
Bingeing, Weekly, or Batches? Is There a Right Way to Roll Out a Series on Streaming?
(Open to TV Academy and guild members.)
This partnership aligns perfectly with IndieWire's in-depth, sharp awards coverage as well as Future of Filmmaking, our new content vertical and newsletter designed to help anyone in the film and TV industry to navigate a entertainment career.
The May 22 event, moderated by IndieWire's Jim Hemphill, will take place in person in Los Angeles and gather talent from 'Hacks,' 'A Man on the Inside,' 'The Four Seasons,' 'Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,' and 'The Umbrella Academy,' all NBC Universal-produced shows.
A reception will immediately follow the panel event.
USG University (a Universal Studio Group program) is presented in partnership with Roybal Film & TV Magnet and IndieWire's Future of Filmmaking. USG University is a vehicle to support Roybal, one of the finest High schools for preparing students for a career in below-the-line roles in film and TV, with immersive opportunities to learn about TV craft with an aim for helping students to picture themselves working as a TV artisan.
The specific talent on hand for the May 22 event is Everett Burrell, visual effects supervisor of 'The Umbrella Academy'; Sue Federman, editor of 'A Man on the Inside'; Shaye Ogbonna, executive producer and writer of 'Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist'; Mailara Santana, art director of 'The Four Seasons'; and from 'Hacks,' makeup department head Debra Schrey and hair department head Aubrey Marie.
Upon confirmation of your attendance, details will be provided to you about where the event is taking place. Doors will open at 4:15pm PT on the 22nd, with the panel discussion start at 5:00 and the reception following immediately after.Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
'Hacks' shocking season 4 finale has me convinced season 5 will be the show's best yet
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. "Hacks" season 4 finale just wrapped up on Max, bringing to a close a chapter of the hit comedy drama that has, frankly, been treading water at times. Don't get me wrong, the show remains excellent. A relatively stale season of Hacks is still one of the funniest things on TV or the best streaming services. But now I'm more excited for the future of the show than ever, because the end of season 4 — including its shocking climax — has me hopeful that this show is ready, like its main character Deborah, to finally get back to its peak. Spoilers for "Hacks" beyond this point Let me reiterate: At no point has this show been bad. But the first two seasons of "Hacks" are some of the best from a comedy series ever. They were brilliant, fresh and constantly had you on alert for what was coming next. The past two seasons, though? Well, as Deborah made the transition from the queen of standup to the queen of late-night TV, the show entered a bit of a holding pattern. In retrospect, this holding pattern may have occurred because the show knew it didn't want Deborah's story to end there. But it still felt like the show's writers were finding excuses to keep the late-night show storyline going. That storyline ended with a bang in last week's penultimate season 4 episode, and now Deborah can't work at all, let alone on a late-night talk show. That penultimate episode marked the end of one era of "Hacks," and this season finale is all about transitioning to the next era of the show. We see Deborah and Ava leave Hollywood and Vegas behind to recreate their Vegas years in Singapore. We get the not-so-subtle metaphor of the Tropicana imploding while everyone watches. But with the episode about to end, Ava and Deborah seem ready to split again, continuing the push-pull, will-they-won't-they of their mother-daughter/mentor-mentee relationship that we've seen all season long. The cycle seemed set to repeat, with Ava headed back to Los Angeles with her tail between her legs and Deborah once again a "hack," but this time in Singapore instead of Vegas. However, "Hacks" chose that moment to remind us why this show is so good. Ava wakes up to Jimmy calling to say that TMZ is reporting that Deborah is dead. That's the kind of twist "Hacks" used to hit us with. I was immediately brought back to season 1, when Ava spends a whirlwind, possibly perspective-changing night with a guy in Vegas, only to find that he'd jumped to his death while she was getting coffee. Of course, Deborah isn't dead, something we knew given that the show was renewed for season 5. But she's is pissed about the TMZ obituary saying she killed late-night TV and then retired to Singapore, and she's ready to get back to the top of the comedy world — consequences be damned. That's a show I'm looking forward to watching, and it's why I can't wait for "Hacks" season 5. Stream "Hacks" now on Max 'Your Friends and Neighbors' season finale proves there are no consequences as long as you're rich and look like Jon Hamm 'The Last of Us' season 2 finale live — reactions, who survived, recap and more 'The Studio' season finale cements it as the best comedy of the year so far — and I can't wait for season 2


New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Dan Bucatinsky details his cherished bond with ‘Hacks' co-stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder
The curtain has closed on another season of 'Hacks.' Dan Bucatinsky, who plays Rob, the executive producer of 'Late Night with Deborah Vance,' on the comedy/drama, is getting candid on wrapping Season 4 — and the best part of filming the Max series. 'It was the relationship that I was able to form with Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder,' the actor, 59, exclusively told The Post at the 2025 Astra Awards. 'That friendship is one that I will cherish. Being able to get to know them off camera, then get to play with them on camera, was a dream.' 9 Dan Bucatinsky in 'Hacks.' Max 'So much of my job on that show was playing the guy whose job it was to wrangle these two forces,' Bucatinsky explained. 'I'm a dad of two, so I was playing dad a little bit on the show as well. But the gift really was being part of that community that felt very strong both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.' The show follows the friendship between Smart, 73, who stars as legendary Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance, and comedy writer Ava Daniels, who is played by Einbinder, 30. 'They move very, very fast, and there is so much material being shot, and they are shooting multiple episodes at the same time,' he explained to the Post. 9 Dan Bucatinsky as Rob in 'Hacks.' Max As for their downtime, the 'Scandal' alum and his costars 'would hang out in this little greenroom area' by their chairs. 'We would talk. We would keep each other warm,' he recalled. 'We would go get tea. We would go get snacks. We would ask each other advice about everything. Recommendations of movies and documentaries and doctors. And talk about our kids and our pets. And it was really an opportunity in between scenes to really get to know one another.' 'Hacks' has been renewed for Season 5, with Smart recently expressing why she thinks it's a good time to wrap up Deborah Vance's story. 9 Dan Bucatinsky shares behind the scenes photos of shooting Season 4 of 'Hacks.' danbucatinsky/Instagram 9 Dan Bucatinsky behind the scenes of 'Hacks.' danbucatinsky/Instagram 'I think we've pretty much decided that five seasons is [it], and I think that would feel right,' she told E! News earlier this month. 'You never want to overstay your welcome.' Smart's portrayal earned her three consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy and three SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Bucatinsky, meanwhile, also has another onscreen role in mind. 9 Dan Bucatinsky posted videos to Instagram from his time shooting Season 4. danbucatinsky/Instagram 9 Dan Bucatinsky while shooting 'Hacks.' danbucatinsky/Instagram 'I want to play a villain,' he told The Post. 'I want to play a criminal, a villain or a cop. Maybe not a cop that is a criminal or a villain, but why not?' For 'The Comeback' alum, he would love to star opposite in a criminal cop thriller with a handful of A-listers. 'I loved working with Corey Hawkins so much on '24: Legacy.' I'd love to work with him again. But Lisa Kudrow has been a friend and partner of mine for 20 years, so I always love working with her again,' Bucatinsky detailed. 'I've really been lucky to work with a lot of great, strong women, and I really hope that continues because I am a fan of so many. Kristen Bell. I'd love to work with Kristen.' 9 Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep as Kay Graham in 'The Post.' 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection Top-notch craft service tables are important to him, too. And his favorite was on 'The Post,' which was directed by Steven Spielberg. 'I think that he managed to make an unbelievable craft service that I had never seen before,' he said of Spielberg on set of the 2017 film that told the story of The Washington Post exposing the Pentagon Papers. 'It was like being in a restaurant every single night and every single day and at lunch! It was exciting. And you'd expect nothing less from Spielberg and Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. It better be good.' These days, when Bucatinksy isn't acting in a hit television show, he's watching Bravo's 'Housewives' franchise. 9 Miranda Otto and Dan Bucatinsky in '24: Legacy.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 9 Dan Bucatinsky at the 2025 Astra TV Awards. Getty Images The 'Under the Tuscan Sun' vet weighed in on Garcelle Beauvais leaving 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' after five seasons and Rachel Zoe announcing she is joining the cast for Season 15. 'Every season is an opportunity for a new piece of chemistry that either will work or it will explode and I'm sure they are hoping it will explode,' he stated. 'I'm a big fan. I've watched for years, and years, and years. I'm friends with some of them. I'm friends with Garcelle. So, I'm rooting for the franchise, and I'm rooting for all the women.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
How ‘Materialists' Finds True Love in New York City
Location work is not usually considered one of the 'creative' departments on a film. Of course, they work with the director and the production designer to find spaces that will work for specific scenes that can't or shouldn't be shot on a set, but theirs is the unsexy work of negotiating contracts with owners, securing all the needed permits, and handling the crew's impact on locations. Yet director Celine Song credits a great deal of the push-pull yearning of her second feature, 'Materialists,' to that location work. New York City is not the easiest place to shoot, but it was important to Song for the film to reflect the realities of what it's like to live in New York. The apartments and streets in which the characters fight and make up and make out are characters in and of themselves. 'Location management in this film is a creative position. We were talking pretty creatively — my DP, my line producer, my production designer, and my location manager — we're all trying to solve problems together,' Song told IndieWire on an episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. More from IndieWire 'Saw' Franchise Rights Acquired by Blumhouse, Reuniting James Wan with Horror Series A New Blu-ray Collection Opens the Warner Bros. Animation Vault - and Finds 50 Treasures Inside Location manager Joe Mullaney and his team even helped Song realize something about the characters that was embedded in the script, but no one had quite articulated. 'Joe was the first to notice — because he has to permit every time a character smokes — that Lucy [Dakota Johnson] never smokes with Harry [Pedro Pascal]. She only smokes with John [Chris Evans]. And of course eventually the actors figured that out, too, but Joe was the first,' Song said. 'It's a very specific perspective.' The perspective was an extremely important one for 'Materialists,' which is so specific to New York and yet contains a much wider historical scope. It begins with and then later checks in on a very early, prehistoric marriage, after all, and Song and Mullaney were delighted to find a corner of Central Park where a bridge could echo the sense of a cave, and visually merge the two storylines at the end. ' It requires Joe's lifetime, his whole career, of building trust in New York City. He needs to have a good reputation for being somebody who can be trusted to give you their space. So I'm relying so much on his work even before my movies, you know?' Song said. But something that pervades both of Song's movies, 'Materialists' and 'Past Lives' is how living in New York forces the characters to move through the echoes of millions of other people's lives. Visually, that sense was something no amount of B-Roll or establishing drone footage could create. The characters had to be in and of the city. It's part of the romance Song wanted to create. 'Public spaces in New York are the most romantic places, because you know that you're not the first couple to have an argument there. Like, [on] every corner of New York City, someone has peed there, someone has slept there, someone has had a huge argument there, and someone has kissed there,' Song said. 'We're shooting in New York City, which is expensive and difficult — just like living in New York City. But [it's] romantic and rewarding — just like New York City. We were sort of acknowledging, well, if you're doing it, you might as well do it.' That meant going all out on streets and stoops, especially in relation to John. His apartment isn't exactly conducive to heartfelt conversations, but Lucy's isn't that much better, either. And the fact that they can't be fully comfortable or private in the spaces they live changes how the characters move through the world and desire each other. ''Materialists' is about the way that the cynic and the romantic are in conversation, and in a bit of a tussle,' Song said. 'New York City is exactly that. To live in New York City, you have to be a romantic because the quality of living is not high enough for it to be possible for anybody who is not romantic in some way… but on the other hand, part of surviving in New York City is that you have to have a healthy dose of cynicism, too. [The city] just encapsulates that amazing balance. [So] it was always fundamentally a thing that we wanted to shoot in New York City.' 'Materialists' is now playing in theaters. To hear Celine Song's full interview, subscribe to the on , , or your favorite podcast platform. Best of IndieWire The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in June, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme' Nightmare Film Shoots: The 38 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'The Wages of Fear'