PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2012: 29TH ANNUAL WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES {LONG VERSION ANAMORPHIC}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 29th William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television’s creative community. This evening honors "The Vampire Diaries," the drama series about a comely high school student and her love/hate relationship with a pair of handsome, bloodsucking brothers, based on the book by L.J. Smith.
Host Becky Levikow (assistant director of development, The Paley Center for Media/Los Angeles) offers opening remarks and introduces moderator Debra Birnbaum (editor-in-chief, TV Guide magazine). Birnbaum brings executive producer/writer Julie Plec to the stage, and she introduces the episode "1912," which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 107441.)
After the screening, Birnbaum introduces the panelists: Plec; and cast members Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes), Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore), Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore), Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert), Matt Davis (Alaric Saltzman), and Kat Graham (Bonnie Bennett).
The panelists discuss topics which include: the "Originals," the group of the world's first vampires; the sympathetic mass-murdering character of Klaus (Joseph Morgan); Klaus and Caroline's relationship "based on manipulation"; the cast's experience filming at Evander Holyfield's palatial home; Damon's upcoming injurious actions against Rebekah (Claire Holt) and her violent revenge; the "soft side" of Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and of the other vicious vampires; the possible return of Esther (Alice Evans) and her diabolical plans for her many children, the Mikaelson siblings; Elena's connection with Elijah because of their "similar morals"; "fan fiction" written by Davis and the many alternative character pairings; the character of Katherine (also played by Dobrev) and her strong self-preservation instincts; the friendship between Bonnie and Elena and the rift between them after Stefan turned Bonnie's mother to save Elena's life; the friendship between Caroline and Bonnie; the appearance of Torrey DeVitto, Wesley's real-life wife, on the show as Meredith Fell; Davis' nervousness in romantic scenes with his friend's spouse; Wesley's enjoyment in playing "bad Stefan," and his character's overall journey; the balance of light and dark in both Salvatore brothers; the brothers as the show's real "soul mates"; their cumbersome prop rings and the actors' failed attempts to steal them; plans for the Stefan/Elena/Damon love triangle to "come to a head" by season's end; suggestions for an episode set in Europe, inspired by "Gossip Girl," in which Elena finds a non-vampire love interest; speculation on the characters' survival by the end of the season; their favorite plots twists, including a shockingly violent moment from the kindly Elena; their interest in more historical flashback scenes, with comparisons to "Forrest Gump" and his presence in famous moments; the long-awaited Damon/Elena kiss scene; whether the actors' suggestions have ever made it into the show; Plec's observance of social networking to gauge the audience's feedback and reaction to certain twists; the challenge of managing the "loud" fan suggestions and opinions; the importance of staying "true to character" even at the risk of angering some viewers; and further exploration of the death of Elena's parents, including an upcoming flashback to her pre-vampire life.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: Bonnie's many doomed love interests; Dobrev's experience playing two very different characters in Elena and Katherine; acknowledgement of executive producer Kevin Williamson; thinking of every episode as "its own new movie"; the "epic love story" between Damon and Stefan and the bonding, rather than separation, over their shared feelings for Elena; the show's lucky presence in "the explosion of vampire zeitgeist" in pop culture; advice from the actors to take advantage of positive opportunities; the frequent rejection in Hollywood and the long, arduous process of creating a successful show; Somerhalder's first unsuccessful audition with the network; the cast's talent and future prospects; hopes for a karaoke scene, inspired by the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical episode; and the show's significant changes from the original novel, including the decision not to immediately turn Elena into a vampire.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: March 10, 2012 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:49:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 107118
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Becky Levikow … Host
- Debra Birnbaum … Moderator
- Julie Plec … Panelist
- Candice Accola … Panelist
- Paul Wesley … Panelist
- Ian Somerhalder … Panelist
- Nina Dobrev … Panelist
- Matt Davis … Panelist
- Kat Graham … Panelist
- Torrey DeVitto
- Alice Evans
- Daniel Gillies
- Claire Holt
- Joseph Morgan
- L.J. Smith
- Kevin Williamson