2024 Convention Schedule
October 7 – December 1
Art Directors Guild Imaginator Award Winner Exhibition: Harrison Ellenshaw
University Library 2nd Floor WalkwayCome see the Art Directors Guild exhibition honoring this year’s Imaginator Award Winner Harrison Ellenshaw, the matte painter and video effects pioneer who helped create the looks of such movies as Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Tron, Fantasia, and Cinderella.
October 7 – December 1
Art Directors Guild Exhibition: Unfrakking the Future
University Library 1st Floor GallerySee the hopeful visions of the future created for Hollywood film and television by the members of the Art Directors Guild. The exhibition features art from films and televisions shows such as Transformers, Star Trek, Back to the Future, and many more!
October 15
Exhibition Room
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room ACome peruse an exhibition of student-produced comics, buy some hand-crafted items from Cal State LA artists, pick up some comics and books from vendors, or get some EagleCon branded merchandise.
Tuesday,
October 15th
9:45AM – 10:45AM
The Hidden Path to a TV Writer’s Room
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)So, you know how to write for TV and have some great samples... now what? How do you go from there to writing for a TV show in a writers' room? No one really talks about the in-between, yet it's where aspiring writers spend most of their time, often with no real idea of the steps they need to take and with no gameplan -- until now. Nikhil S. Jayaram, WGA member, working writer for TV and film, and author of the book The TV Writer's Hidden Path, will walk you through what moves you need to make, and in what order, to give yourself the best chance at breaking in as a TV writer and landing your first Staff Writer gig.
Panelist: Nikhil S. Jayaram, writer (Star Trek: Prodigy, The Mysteries of Laura)
Panelist: Aaron Waltke, showrunner (Star Trek: Prodigy) and writer (Trollhunters, Wizards)
Panelist: Bret VandenBos, writer (Hunters, MacGyver) and producer (Walker)
11:00AM – 11:50AM
Arts Careers in the Entertainment Industry
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Come hear from members of the Young Artists Committee of the Art Directors Guild about careers in the art departments of the entertainment industry, how to prepare for them, and what to do to get hired.
Moderator: Flora Ortega, production designer (God’s Country, WWE Evil)
Panelist: Sarah M. Gonzales, graphic designer (American Born Chinese, For All Mankind, Kindred)
Panelist: Vanessa Plaza Lazo, production designer (The Way, Dirty Diamond)
Panelist: Caitlin Miller, graphic artist and designer (For All Mankind, Beef, videos for Bad Bunny and Megan Thee Stallion)
Panelist: Wade Morrison, production designer (Freakish) and props (Oddly Satisfying Science, Grey Area)
11:00AM – 11:50AM
Intersectionality in Speculative Fiction
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Description: Students from Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies present on the current state of intersectionality in speculative fiction texts in popular culture.
Assistant Professor Dr. Pau Abustan, WSGS, Intersectional Disability Justice Dreaming in Animal Crossing New Horizons.
Isabella Benavides (Liberal Studies Major, WGSS Minor), The Final Girl: How Women's Experiences Shape the Horror Genre.
Carlos Perez Castellanos (Sociology Major, WGSS Minor) Utopian Gender & Complexity of Identity in Steven Universe.
Wendy Marroquin (WGSS Major, Pan African Studies Minor), Promised Neverland: The Parallel Universe of Reproductive Justice and Gender Expectations.
12:20PM–1:25PM
Special Screening: Fragility in the Flesh
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Come see the Golden Eagle Film Festival’s award-winning short film Fragility of the Flesh and participate in a discussion with the director, writer, and crew who created it.
Panelist: Alexander Grey, writer and director
12:20PM–1:25PM
Unfrakking the Future in Comics
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Comics creators talk about how they weave hope into the sometimes gloomy visions of catastrophe and apocalypse in order to imagine how we can build more inclusive and sustainable futures.
Moderator: Zen of H.C.M.P., editor, graphic artist, and letterer Panelist: Don Nguyen, illustrator (Marvel Upper Deck, Pablo the Gorilla)
Panelist: David Avallone, writer (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, The Twilight Zone)
1:45PM – 2:50PM
Imaginator Award Presentation: Harrison Ellenshaw
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)The Imaginator Award is presented every year to a member of the Art Directors Guild for wondrous achievement in visual conceptualization. This year’s winner is the legendary Harrison Ellenshaw, the painter, matte artist, and visual effects pioneer who created some of the most iconic visuals in speculative fiction from the past half-century.
Award Winner: Harrison Ellenshaw, matte artist (Star Wars: A New Hope, The Black Hole) and visual effects (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Tron, Escape from L.A.)
Moderator: Professor Patrick B. Sharp, Department of Liberal Studies
3:10PM – 4:15PM
Virtual Production and Visual Effects
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Learn about the process and art of virtual and visual art from one of the industry’s leading creators.
Panelist: Kathryn Brillhart, virtual production supervisor (Fallout, Rebel Moon, Black Adam) and visual effects production manager (The Suicide Squad, Star Trek: Picard)
Moderator: Professor Dalila Droege, Television, Film and Media Studies
3:10PM – 4:15PM
The Cal State LA Comics Collective
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Hear from the comics creators from Cal State LA whose work is on display at EagleCon as they discuss their process and the importance of their work in the Cal State LA community.
Moderator: Professor Zachary Vernon, Department of Art
Panelist: Frank Forte, storyboard artist (She-Hulk, Lovecraft Country) and comics creator (Undead Evil, Zombie Terrors)
Panelist: Paty Romero, Cal State LA animation student and creator of Lily and the Witches’ Coven.
Panelist: Daniel Rodriguez, Cal State LA animation student and creator of Sub-Culture.
4:35PM – 5:40PM
Butler Award Presentation: Dr. Dawnn Lewis
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Award is given to a creative artist whose work exemplifies the spirit of Cal State LA alumna Octavia E. Butler and her amazing legacy in speculative genres. This year’s awardee is Dr. Dawnn Lewis, whose career in live-action acting ranges from the movie I’m Gonna Get You Sucka to tv shows such as A Different World, iZombie, and The Boys. As a voice actor, she has brought to life characters in animated shows such as Futurama, The Simpsons, and Carmen Sandiego. Most recently, she has been the voice of Captain Carol Freeman on Star Trek: Lower Decks for the past five seasons. Come hear her talk about her life and career in speculative genres!
Awardee: Dr. Dawnn Lewis (Star Trek: Lower Decks, Futurama, iZombie)
Moderator: Dr. Libby Lewis, Department of Pan-African Studies
Wednesday,
October 16th
11:00AM – 11:50AM
StarPunk and the Utopian Possibilities of Space
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Panelist: Dana Kippel, writer and director (Black Sun)
12:20PM – 1:25PM
Speculative Poetry in the 21st Century
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Join distinguished poets from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association for readings of their work and a discussion of the current state of speculative poetry.
Moderator: Wendy Van Camp, poet (The Planets, Eccentric Orbits)
Panelist: Pedro Iniguez, poet (Mexicans on the Moon, Fever Dreams of a Parasite)
Jean-Paul L. Garnier, publisher of Space Cowboy Books and editor of StarLine Magazine
Denise Dumars, poet (Cajuns in Space, Mars Maundering)
Bree Wernicke, author (“Fairy Tales for Drowning Girls,” “Human Habits”)
1:45PM – 2:50PM
Visual Concept Development
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)How do you take an idea or a script and develop into a fully fleshed out visual language that tells a story or sells a product? Experts from the Art Directors Guild explain their process and discuss their favorite projects.
Moderator: Professor Zachary Vernon, Department of Art
Panelist: Matt Cunningham, vehicle and weapons designer (Borderlands, Star Trek: Picard, The Suicide Squad)
3:10PM – 4:15PM
Agents of Inclusion
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)What role do agents play in the entertainment industry? To what extent does diversity, equity, and inclusion impact the industry, and how can students prepare themselves now for the job market? Come hear Dr. Christopher Bell talk about his research and experiences on DEI in the animation field of animation.
Moderator: Dr. Christopher Bell, emBELLishment Consulting
Panelists: TBA
3:10PM – 4:15PM
The Future of Gaming
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Where is the world of gaming going? As the industry moves beyond the old Dungeons and Dragons model, what is the future for tabletop and video games?
Panelist: DM siRod (Rodney Campbell), professional Dungeon Master and TTRPG player
Panelist: Shane O’Loughlin (Venture Forth podcast, Night of the Full Moon, Ready or Not)
Panelist: Rebecca Hausman (Venture Forth podcast, Path to Nowhere, Valiant Force 2)
4:35PM – 5:40PM *UPDATE
Prism Award Presentation: Edward James Olmos
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)The Prism Award is given to creators who have made outstanding contributions to diversity in speculative genres across media. This year we honor legendary actor and Cal State LA alumnus Edward James Olmos. Among his many acting credits, Olmos has been a central character in two of the most important science fiction stories of all time: he was Gaff in the film Blade Runner (1982) and Admiral William Adama in the series Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009). Come hear him discuss his illustrious career and his life at Cal State LA.
Awardee: Edward James Olmos, actor (Blade Runner, Battlestar Galactica, Stand and Deliver, Mayans M.C., Miami Vice)
Moderator: Dr. Stephen Trzaskoma, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters
*Edward James Olmos has to postpone his visit to Cal State LA due to a family emergency. We will have alternative programming from 4:35-5:40, and watch this space for updates about when Mr. Olmos will reschedule.
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Special Screening: No More Time
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Join Director and Cal State LA Professor Dalila Droege for a screening and discussion of her 2022 film No More Time.