USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering Announce the Five Winners of The Next MacGyver Competition at an Event Co-Presented with The Paley Center for Media
Winners Received $5,000 Each and Were Paired with Professional Hollywood Mentors to Develop an Original TV Series Starring a Female Engineer
Contact: Amy Blumenthal at (213) 821-1887 or amyblume@usc.edu; or Robert Perkins at (213) 740-9226 or perkinsr@usc.edu
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – July 28, 2015 — The five winners of the “The Next MacGyver” competition, a global crowdsourcing initiative to inspire greater interest in the field of engineering by challenging contestants to create a TV series with a female engineer protagonist, were announced today by MacGyver creator Lee Zlotoff, with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering during an exciting live pitch event co-presented with The Paley Center for Media. Each of the winners received $5,000 and was paired with a successful Hollywood TV producer who will mentor them in creating an original TV pilot script. Expert engineers will also be involved in helping to develop the engineering-focused storylines.
Julie Ann Crommett, who leads Google’s efforts to improve the perception of computer science and engineering in media, emceed the event. Judges and mentors included: Wanda Austin (Aerospace Corporation), Madeline Di Nonno (Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Clayton Krueger (Scott Free Productions), Maja J. Matarić (USC Viterbi School of Engineering), Tracy Mercer (Revelations Entertainment), Gabrielle Neimand (Take Fountain Productions), Roberto Orci (Star Trek), Debbie Sterling (GoldieBlox), Valerie Weiss (PhD Productions), Lee Zlotoff (MacGyver creator), and Anthony E. Zuiker (CSI franchise).
During the judge’s deliberation, Bloomberg Associates’s Katherine Oliver took the stage to moderate a lively panel discussion on the process of taking a TV show concept from idea to pilot with the following panelists: Ann Blanchard (CAA), Marci Cooperstein (ABC Family), Danielle Feinberg (Pixar Animation Studios), and Ann Merchant (Science and Entertainment Exchange).
The United Engineering Foundation, Google, and the Ford Motor Company sponsored the event.
The five winners, together with their mentors, are:
Name: Beth Keser
Mentor(s): Lori McCreary, CEO and Founder of Revelations Entertainment; President of Producers Guild of America (Madam Secretary, Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman); Tracy Mercer, VP of Development, Revelations Entertainment
TV Concept Title: Rule 702
TV Concept Artwork: Rule 702 11×17 by Luke Freeborn .jpg
Name: Jayde Lovell
Mentor(s): Roberto Orci, Writer/Producer (Star Trek, Scorpion, Sleepy Hollow, Hawaii Five-O, Fringe)
TV Concept Title: SECs (Science and Engineering Clubs)
TV Concept Artwork: SECs_conceptArt_11x17_Michael Penick.jpg
Name: Miranda Sajdak
Mentor(s): Clayton Krueger, Senior Vice President of Television, Scott Free Productions (3001: The Final Odyssey)
TV Concept Title: Riveting
TV Concept Artwork: RIVETING_TimSzabo_FACTORY_04bFLAT.jpg
Name: Craig Motlong
Mentor(s): Anthony E. Zuiker, creator and executive producer of the CSI franchise
TV Concept Title: Q Branch
TV Concept Artwork: Q Branch_Matthew Zikry.jpg
Name: Shanee Edwards
Mentor(s): America Ferrera, actress/producer (Ugly Betty, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants); Gabrielle Neimand, Take Fountain Productions
TV Concept Title: Ada and the Machine
TV Concept Artwork: Ada and the Machine by Zoe Chevat.jpg
*The engineer mentors are to be determined.
Yannis C. Yortsos, dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, said, “We hope that ‘The Next MacGyver’ will help change the conversation about engineering, break down stereotypes and attract young women of all backgrounds to engineering and science.”
“The Grand Challenges for Engineering in this century, some of which will be necessary for our planet’s survival, will only be solved if we can attract a diverse pool of bright people to engineering,” said NAE Executive Officer Al Romig. “Hollywood can play a major role in changing negative stereotypes and helping young people imagine themselves as engineers.”
The competition was inspired by the hugely successful “MacGyver” series, launched 30 years ago in 1985, which followed the adventures of fictional government agent Angus MacGyver, who resourcefully used his engineering skills to solve problems in each episode.
“I literally could not tell you how many times people have come up to me and said ‘I became an engineer or I went into the sciences because of MacGyver,’” said Lee Zlotoff, creator of the series.
Details on all twelve of the finalists, including their story concepts, and concept art can be found at TheNextMacgyver.com.
Photos available upon request.
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The USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 graduate schools of engineering, USC Viterbi — situated in the nation’s entertainment capital in Los Angeles — has enjoyed close ties to the film and television industry, as well as its fellow USC School of Cinematic Arts, the nation’s #1 cinema program. USC Viterbi’s own interdisciplinary work with USC Cinema include the nation’s top video games program (USC Games), and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), a U.S. Army-funded research center that has resulted in cutting-edge work in virtual humans and motion capture technologies, including the Oscar-winning visual effects of films like “Avatar,” “Spiderman 2” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” USC Viterbi is also home of the Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC), a NSF-supported Engineering Research Center at the crossroads of media, entertainment, and engineering.
The National Academy of Engineering
The mission of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. The NAE is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an independent, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to provide objective analysis and advice to the nation on matters of science, technology, and health. http://www.nae.edu
The MacGyver Foundation
The MacGyver name is synonymous with innovation, ingenuity, and thence the well-being of the nation by using only the resources at hand, particularly in the face of a crisis. The MacGyver Foundation aims to encourage and support individuals and organizations throughout the world that utilize self-reliance, non-violence, and sustainability to improve people’s lives. http://macgyverglobal.com/foundation/
Lee Zlotoff
Lee Zlotoff is an award-winning writer, producer, and director of film and television. Among his more than 100 hours of television credits, he was the creator of the hit series “MacGyver” as well as the writer/director of the indie hit film “Spitfire Grill,” which won the coveted Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Mr. Zlotoff, who has also been a regular contributor to Make magazine, looks to further STEM education through MacGyver-based curricula and initiatives to help create the next generation of problem-solvers.
The Paley Center for Media
The Paley Center for Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. Drawing upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the leaders of the media community, the Paley Center examines the intersections between media and society. The general public can access the collection and participate in programs that explore and celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities, and the leaders who are shaping media. Through the global programs of its Media Council and International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral setting where media professionals can engage in discussion and debate about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry. For more information, please visit paleycenter.org
