Warner Bros. Kicks Off U.S.-China Exchange Program with a Two-Day Talent Management and Casting Workshop in Burbank, CA
The first program in the series focused on talent management and casting, and featured eight China-based film professionals participating in a two-day curated program at Warner Bros. to discuss U.S. casting practices, learn the latest casting technology, and meet with local executives, agents and managers across entertainment. The Warner Bros. program is in partnership with China State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and supported by the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. It marks the first in a series that will cover other pertinent topics, with an overall emphasis on best practice sharing.
“This Exchange Program provides an innovative opportunity for continued support of the longstanding relationship between Warner Bros. and China,” said Gillian Zhao, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. China. “This best practice sharing effort reflects Warner Bros.’ ongoing commitment to fostering growth within the Chinese marketplace.”
The Film Bureau of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) pays great attention to the program and has held rounds of discussion with Warner Bros. regarding the topics of the workshop. The talent management and casting program in Burbank follows a recent trip to China made by Kristy Carlson, Senior Vice President, Casting, Warner Bros. Pictures, where she met with local casting and talent management representatives.
“The opportunity to share best practices across the casting landscape allows for a unique cross-cultural flow of ideas and collaborations that haven’t always been possible in the past,” said Kristy Carlson, Senior Vice President, Casting, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The launch of the Warner Bros. U.S.-China Exchange Program supports Warner Bros.’ commitment to continued growth in the region and follows a number of recent significant business collaborations, including the opening of Warner Bros. China’s Beijing office earlier this year and, most recently, participation at the Beijing International Film Festival.
Warner Bros. has also hosted several affiliated events on its studio lot over the past two years, including the first U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit in September 2015; the opening night screening and reception of the fifth annual China International Co-Production Film Screenings in November 2015; and, for the third consecutive year, hosted a group from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, during which participants heard from studio executives about the company’s businesses and engaged in an educational tour highlighting the lot’s production-focused exhibit, Stage 48: Script to Screen.
About Warner Bros. Entertainment:
Warner Bros. Entertainment is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms. A Time Warner Company, the fully integrated, broad-based Studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD and Blu-ray, digital distribution, animation, comic books, video games, product and brand licensing, and broadcasting.