Tom Sito to Speak at USC Law Event

The USC Gould School of Law and the Beverly Hills Bar Association are co-hosting the 2009 Institute on Entertainment Law and Business conference, "Lemons to Lemonade: Squeezing the Upside in Troubled Economic Times."

Press Release from USC

WHAT: The USC Gould School of Law and the Beverly Hills Bar Association are co-hosting the 2009 Institute on Entertainment Law and Business conference, "Lemons to Lemonade: Squeezing the Upside in Troubled Economic Times."

The program will include in-depth examinations of the newest opportunities in animation. The following industry questions will be addressed at a special session:

* Does animation's future depend on continued technical development or a refocus on storytelling and character?

* What opportunities exist for creators of new media, such as animated webisodes or short-form flash animation on the Web?

* Will the newest Snow White come from a students on a Mac or a seasoned analog veteran?

WHO: The event will feature Thomas R. Sito, president-emeritus of the Hollywood Animation Guild, vice president of the International Animated Film Society and adjunct animation professor at USC School of Cinema Arts.

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 17. The session on "New Opportunities for Animation" will begin at 9 a.m. The doors open for registration at 7:30 a.m. The keynote lunch address will begin at 12:45 p.m.

OTHER PANELISTS:

* Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, is the keynote lunchtime speaker. Bruce M. Ramer of Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc. will lead a discussion with Iger on the current landscape of the entertainment industry.

* The heads of four major talent agencies: Jeffrey Berg (ICM), Jim Berkus (UTA), Ari Emanuel (WME) and David O'Connor (CAA). Moderated by Karen Stuart of the Association of Talent Agents, they will participate in discussion on "The Future of Agencies: How They Will Adapt, Change and Survive."

* Irving Azoff, the CEO of Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., will lead a presentation on "The New Music Landscape" with J. Eugene Salomon, Jr. of Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc.

WHERE: Registration and morning sessions will take place at USC's Bovard Auditorium; lunch will be held at USC's Town and Gown; and afternoon sessions will be offered at the USC Gould School of Law.

COST: Free for the media. The cost for the conference is $340 for the general public. Students will be charged $100 for the conference.

MORE INFORMATION AND PROGRAM SCHEDULE: Call USC Law's Continuing Legal Education office at 213-743-1772 or log on to http://law.usc.edu/cle/entertainment/ <http://law.usc.edu/cle/entertainment/>.