PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2014: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media’s 31st William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television’s creative community. This PALEYFEST 2014 seminar honors “American Horror Story: Coven,” a dramatic suspense series with revolving storylines. Rene Reyes (director of public programs and events, The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles) offers opening remarks before introducing moderator Tim Stack (senior writer, Entertainment Weekly). Stack then introduces the episode “Burn Witch, Burn,” which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 113992).
Stack moderates the following panelists: executive producers/creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; executive producers Dante Di Loreto and Tim Minear; and cast members Jamie Brewer (Nan), Emma Roberts (Madison Montgomery), Angela Bassett (Marie Laveau), Sarah Paulson (Cordelia Foxx), Frances Conroy (Myrtle Snow), Denis O’Hare (Spalding), Evan Peters (Kyle Spencer), Gabourey Sidibe (Queenie), and Kathy Bates (Madame Delphine LaLaurie). Michael Chiklis, who will be appearing in the show’s fourth season as Dell Toledo, also joins the panel.
The panelists touch on such topics as: how Murphy lured Oscar-winner Bates and Oscar-nominees Bassett and Sidibe to join "a televised horror show"; why Murphy felt compelled to focus the season on "female empowerment in a variety of forms"; the reasons behind the show’s increased popularity; the show’s appeal to its female cast members; the impetus for the selection of witches as the season's focus; the challenge for the primary male actors to portray mute characters; why Murphy feels compelled to make each season "the exact opposite" of what it was before; what went into the show's latest aesthetic; the experience of shooting on location in New Orleans during the summer; a notable guest appearance on the show by musician Stevie Nicks; technical challenges posed by such special effects as a disembodied but animated head; and hints about the shows next season, “American Horror Story: Freak Show.”
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: Murphy's attempt to make recurring cast members into a modern-day version of Orson Wellles' Mercury players; previous cast members who will return for “Freak Show”; why producers felt it necessary to bring the show’s eye-popping costumes to a new level; possible future themes for the show to explore; Paulson's preference for playing characters with "extreme" physical problems; and some of the acting challenges faced by the cast throughout the show’s history.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: March 28, 2014 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:43:17
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 113989
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Tim Stack … Moderator
- Jamie Brewer … Panelist
- Dante Di Loreto … Panelist
- Emma Roberts … Panelist
- Tim Minear … Panelist
- Angela Bassett … Panelist
- Ryan Murphy … Panelist
- Sarah Paulson … Panelist
- Brad Falchuk … Panelist
- Frances Conroy … Panelist
- Denis O'Hare … Panelist
- Evan Peters … Panelist
- Gabourey Sidibe … Panelist
- Kathy Bates … Panelist
- Michael Chiklis … Panelist
- Stevie Nicks
- Orson Welles