BWW Reviews: Getting the T with aTVfest

Something quite magical is happening in Georgia. For almost 10 years the state has made a mark for itself in the Film and Television industry.

With the expansion of Tyler Perry Studios and an over a 500% increase of production since 2008. Georgia is on a steady rise.

SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) hosted their 4th aTvFest at SCAD Atlanta. A four day festival celebrating some of the best in film and television. Over the course of four days, actors, writers, producers, directors, casting directors, entertainment lawyers, agents, gathered in the rooms at SCAD, to share with guests and the student body words of wisdom to aid in the navigation of the entertainment industry both in, and outside of Atlanta.

"Don't wait for opportunity..." urged Scott Foley (Scandal) "Make your projects, make your films."

Why leave? Its number three in the country for production, creating several jobs for the residents as well as recent graduates.

While attendees were not limited to panels throughout the festival, they were also able to checkout never before seen episodes of some of televisions hottest shows ( American Crime, Bates Motel, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER and Banshee) to name a few.

As an attendee jumping from screening to screening I found myself elated by the amount of scripted television out there. These shows are not only pushing the boundaries of social norms but its original and provocative content is changing the way the viewer engages in television.

Shonda Rhimes is ruling Thursday nights on ABC with her hit shows Greys Anatomy, SCANDAL and How to get away with murder. The fast paced worlds of her complex characters and their speedy allocutions, keep her audiences both excited and anxious.

"(Scandal) Is very word specific, and Shonda had an agreement with all of the actors she said, 'You must say every word that we write on the page, you can say them how ever you want, as long keep the pace up...and put whatever intention you have behind it, but every word must be said,' This is the world that Shondra created and the world that we bought into and it works, it works beautifully." said Foley.

BATES MOTEL creators and writers Carlon Cuse and Kerry Ehrin knew it was all about originality when it came to bringing Hitchcocks infamous characters Norman and Norma Bates to the small screen.

"Norma Bates is one of the most famous characters in the history of cinema but we don't know anything about her, 'says Cuse' we had the opportunity to invent and imagine who this woman would be... and I think that was one of the things that attracted us most to doing the project."

When AMERICAN CRIME hit the small screen in 2015, show runner John Ridley (12 years a slave) noticed it was an instant hit. It's solid cast coupled with controversial and heavy content got the series renewed for season two. Show new comer Angelique Rivera knew that she had become part of a very special experience.

"It's surreal, especially with the caliber of the show and the quality of the writing and the people behind it John and Michael (J. McDonald) it's something that you don't expect when you first move to LA so I felt incredibly blessed and grateful to be a part of it." beamed Angelique.

ATVfest, was not only a way to expose the unique content hitting your television but also to reinvest audiences in a medium that for a moment seemed to be getting washed away by Reality tv. Grab your family, your bestie, your roommate and scroll through your channels or your que. Find out what it means to be a gladiator, explore what drove Norman Bates to become the the infamous Hitchcock character we all know, or learn to have more compassion for the human experience.

Television was predicated on the notion to have audiences escape from everyday life, now audiences can invest in everyday experiences, finding a connection, not a separation.

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