Lucy Heavens is a comedy writer known for her series development work and script writing for TV series out of the UK, Europe and the USA with Disney and Nickelodeon. She has a background in comedy, performance and voice over work and works mainly in animation and cartoons. She is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Biography courtesy of: IMDb Mini Biography https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9473090/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm Fusion presents this three part series to audiences in collaboration with NYU's Student Animation League, an organization for students to learn together and share their passions for all things animation. We were thrilled to be able to bring this series to life and hear from some incredible women in animation! Fusion + SAL = <3 In this episode, Lucy and moderators explore: Working in international film industries, from Cape Town to the UK to the USA Comedy writing inspiration, realism vs absurdism, and staying true to your strengths Writing for adult shows vs children’s shows What it takes to be an effective showrunner Pitching comedic TV shows and building a successful pitch deck Finding like minded people to create with and the importance of positive, collaborative dynamics And more! WHO ARE WE? Fusion Voices is the official podcast of Fusion Film Festival, New York University's premiere student-run film festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, television, and new media. SAVE THE DATE! Fusion Film Festival will take place this year April 7-9, 2022! Fusion will reward NYU student work and hold panels and masterclasses with top industry professionals including Fusion's 2022 Woman of the Year. This is also an extra special milestone because Fusion is celebrating its 20 year anniversary. CREDITS: Producers: Kitty Bailey, Julia Adelman, Sequoia Sherriff, Johanna Xue, Bak Sathiaseelan, Julia Wang, Schuyler Barefoot Moderators: Yasmin Madrigal and Kitty Bailey Host: Schuyler Barefoot Sound Editor and Mixer: Alora Lindsey "Dreamer". by Vodovoz Music Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ex28rjYDk Special thanks to our faculty advisor Susan Sandler and the Fusion Voices team: Schuyler Barefoot, Sam Whitley, Maya Gavant, and introducing Riley Foster and Alora Lindsey. Follow Fusion on Instagram @fusionfilmfest

Julia Pott is an award-winning British animator / illustrator living in Los Angeles. She graduated with an MA in animation from the Royal College of Art and her films have screened at festival worldwide including Sundance and SXSW. She is the creator and executive producer of Summer Camp Island on HBO MAX. She was named one of the 25 new faces of film by Filmmaker Magazine + is an ADC Young Gun. Clients include Channel 4, Toyota, Oreo, J. Crew, Hermes, Madewell, Rachel Antonoff, MTV, Cartoon Network, Bat for Lashes + Glamour. - Biography courtesy of https://www.juliapott.com/about We apologize for the occasional audio glitches-- this recording was done through Zoom, so we thank you for your patience as we navigate panels and events during Covid times! Fusion presents this three part series to audiences in collaboration with NYU's Student Animation League, an organization for students to learn together and share their passions for all things animation. We were thrilled to be able to bring this series to life and hear from some incredible women in animation! Fusion + SAL = <3 In this episode, Julia and moderators explore: The experience of being the creator of and showrunner for a children's animated TV show "Summer Camp Island" British vs. American film and animation Finding creative inspiration from books to live action to childhood memories How to approach mature themes through children's television How to stay energized during busy television work schedules Creative transitions and more! WHO ARE WE? Fusion Voices is the official podcast of Fusion Film Festival, New York University's premiere student-run film festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, television, and new media. SAVE THE DATE! Fusion Film Festival will take place this year April 7-9, 2022! Fusion will reward NYU student work and hold panels and masterclasses with top industry professionals including Fusion's 2022 Woman of the Year! This is also an extra special milestone because Fusion is celebrating its 20 year anniversary! CREDITS: Producers: Kitty Bailey, Julia Adelman, Sequoia Sherriff, Johanna Xue, Bak Sathiaseelan, Julia Wang, Schuyler Barefoot Moderators: Julia Wang and Kitty Bailey Host: Schuyler Barefoot Sound Editor: Riley Foster Additional Mixing by: Schuyler Barefoot "Dreamer". by Vodovoz Music Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ex28rjYDk Special thanks to our faculty advisor Susan Sandler and the Fusion Voices team: Schuyler Barefoot, Sam Whitley, Maya Gavant, and introducing Riley Foster and Alora Lindsey. Follow Fusion on Instagram @fusionfilmfest

Shauna McGarry grew up in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and graduated from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. An award-winning tv writer, Shauna currently writes for “Katy Keene.” Other TV writing credits include “BoJack Horseman”, “Tuca & Bertie” (for which Shauna’s episode “The Jelly Lakes” won the 2019 Annie Award for Best EpiSodic Writing), “Craig of the Creek”, “Jeff and Some Aliens", “Bajillion Dollar Properties", "Take My Wife", “Anger Management”, “South of Nowhere” and “24”. Shauna is in development with an original pilot for FX networks. In her free time, Shauna serves as a board member at the non-profit micro-cinema and media school, Echo Park Film Center, where she has taught media arts for 15 years. A recent experimental film, “It Could Be Anything,” was commissioned by the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. A comedic storyteller, Shauna's stories have been featured on various stage and radio shows, most recently at Risk! and The Moth MainStage. She co-hostED and produced two long-running LIVE showS in Los Angeles: "Radio Picture Show", a storytelling show and "I Present two", A showcase of short films and art. her solo show, “L.A. Homebody,” ran at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, having premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival where it received the Encore Award. - Biography courtesy of shaunamcgarry.com Fusion presents this three part series to audiences in collaboration with NYU's Student Animation League, an organization for students to learn together and share their passions for all things animation. Shauna is also an NYU and Fusion alum, so we were especially excited to get to chat with her! We were thrilled to be able to bring this series to life and hear from some incredible women in animation! Fusion + SAL = <3 In this episode, Shauna and moderators Bak, Kitty, Julia, and Sequoia explore: Writing for animated television in Hollywood (the process of building a show, behind the scenes, inside the writers' room, networking, rising up the ranks, etc.) BoJack Horseman and adult animation vs. kids' animation Film school (esp. the animation department) Fostering diverse perspectives and healthy work environments for all creators and audiences How to stand out as a writer in a competitive industry and more! WHO ARE WE? Fusion Voices is the official podcast of Fusion Film Festival, New York University's premiere student-run film festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, television, and new media. SAVE THE DATE! Fusion Film Festival will take place this year April 7-9, 2022! Fusion will reward NYU student work and hold panels and masterclasses with top industry professionals including Fusion's 2022 Woman of the Year! This is also an extra special milestone because Fusion is celebrating its 20 year anniversary! CREDITS: Producers: Kitty Bailey, Julia Adelman, Sequoia Sherriff, Johanna Xue, Bak Sathiaseelan, Julia Wang, Schuyler Barefoot Moderators: Sequoia Sherriff, Julia Wang, Kitty Bailey, Bak Sathiaseelan Host: Schuyler Barefoot Sound Editor and Mixer: Schuyler Barefoot "Dreamer". by Vodovoz Music Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ex28rjYDk Special thanks to our faculty advisor Susan Sandler and the Fusion Voices team: Schuyler Barefoot, Sam Whitley, Maya Gavant, and introducing Riley Foster and Alora Lindsey. Follow Fusion on Instagram @fusionfilmfest

Kirsten Johnson (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer whose career spans over fifty films across two decades. Her film Dick Johnson Is Dead premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2020 where it won the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-fiction Storytelling. In Kirsten’s own words, Dick Johnson Is Dead is “a film in which my father dies over and over again in the hope of keeping him alive forever.” Please welcome our special guest host, Lucy Walkowiak (she/her), co-head of the Fusion Film Festival submissions department. In this episode, Lucy and Kirsten talk about: Dick Johnson Is Dead Cameraperson Putting Kirsten’s personal life on camera Young filmmakers What drew Kirsten to documentaries Filming in a conflict zone and a maternity ward Making personal connections with documentary subjects The future of documentaries You can watch Dick Johnson Is Dead on Netflix. WHO ARE WE? Fusion Voices is the official podcast of Fusion Film Festival, New York University’s premiere student-run festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, TV, and new media. CREDITS Producers: Lucy Walkowiak & Maya Gavant Guest Host: Lucy Walkowiak Hosts: Schuyler Barefoot & Carly Kline Sound Editor: Sara Gabriela Long Sound Mixer: Nina Leitenberg “Dreamer” by Vodovoz Music Productions: https://youtu.be/N4ex28rjYDk Special thanks to our faculty advisor Susan Sandler and the Fusion Voices team: Nina Leitenberg, Roni Polsgrove, Aspen Nelson, Schuyler Barefoot, Carly Kline, Maya Gavant, Sam Whitley, and introducing for the first time: Sara Gabriela Long!

“When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else.” - Toni Morrison Julia Furlan (she/her) is an independent podcaster and reporter. She hosted the Vox Media podcast, “Go For Broke.” Before Vox, she was the head of the BuzzFeed News PodSquad and hosted a series of podcasts for NPR. Julia is also a professor at The New School and NYU Alumni! In this episode, Julia, Carly, and Schuyler explore: Being a woman in the podcast industry Power dynamics and women solidarity in the workplace The role of media and entertainment in representation and activism Advice for young women and non binary people entering the podcast industry You can follow Julia on Twitter (@juliastmi) and listen to Go For Broke on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Correction: In the episode, Carly said Purl was one of Pixar’s first shorts. In fact, Purl was the first release in SparkShorts, a special animated short film series produced by Pixar which gave employees a chance to develop animated shorts in limited time and budget. The series began in 2018. Pixar has been making shorts since 1984. WHO ARE WE? Fusion Voices is the official podcast of Fusion Film Festival, New York University’s premiere student-run festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, TV, and new media. SAVE THE DATES: April 1-3 2021. Fusion will reward NYU student work and hold virtual panels and masterclasses with top industry professionals including Fusion’s 2021 Woman of the Year, Issa Rae! CREDITS Producers: Nina Leitenberg Hosts: Schuyler Barefoot & Carly Kline Sound Editor & Mixer: Nina Leitenberg “Dreamer” by Vodovoz Music Productions: https://youtu.be/N4ex28rjYDk Special thanks to our faculty advisor Susan Sandler and the Fusion Voices team: Nina Leitenberg, Roni Polsgrove, Aspen Nelson, Schuyler Barefoot, Carly Kline, Maya Gavant, and Sam Whitley!

Celebrate International Women’s Day with the very first episode of Fusion Voices! Aidan Devore Haley (she/they) and Julia Moser (she/her) are the co-founders of the sketch comedy group UR GOOD in which they write and star in their own skits, and run a website that features satirical and humorous writing. Aidan is the co-head writer of Views from NYU, the university’s student-run late night talk show since 2017. Julia is also a writer and actor in Views, where the pair met. In this episode, Aidan, Julia, Carly, and Schuyler discuss Identity and representation in sketch comedy Perks of being student comedians Adam Sandler (of course) Being funny during COVID-19 (Zoom comedy) Advice for aspiring comedians Views from NYU: Insta: @viewsfromnyu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgHnoyY0kR8C8_8jjKhO7dQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viewsfromnyu/ UR GOOD: Insta: @urgoodcomedy Twitter: @urgoodcomedy Website: urgoodcomedy.com WHO ARE WE? Fusion Voices is the official podcast of Fusion Film Festival, New York University’s premiere student-run festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, TV, and new media. SAVE THE DATES: April 1-3, 2021. Fusion will reward NYU student work and hold virtual panels and masterclasses with top industry professionals including Fusion's 2021 Woman of the Year, Issa Rae! CREDITS Producers: Aspen Nelson, Carly Kline, & Schuyler Barefoot Hosts: Schuyler Barefoot & Carly Kline Sound Editor & Mixer: Nina Leitenberg “Dreamer” by Vodovoz Music Productions: https://youtu.be/N4ex28rjYDk Special thanks to our faculty advisor Susan Sandler and the Fusion Voices team: Nina Leitenberg, Roni Polsgrove, Aspen Nelson, Schuyler Barefoot, Carly Kline, Maya Gavant, and Sam Whitley!

Welcome to FUSION VOICES: the brand new official podcast by FUSION FILM FESTIVAL, New York University Tisch School of the Arts' premiere student-run festival that celebrates women and non-binary creators in film, TV, and new media. Our first season premieres MARCH 8, 2021, international women's day! We have some exciting episodes coming up featuring conversations with documentary filmmakers, podcasters, student comedians, and more. Until then, please enjoy the full audio from Fusion Film Festival's conversation with our 2020 Woman of the Year, ELIZA HITTMAN. This Zoom webinar took place on January 22, 2021, where Eliza was presented with the 2020 Woman of the Year Award by Tisch Dean Allyson Green. She then took questions from Time Magazine film critic Stephanie Zacharek and from the live webinar audience. Eliza Hittman is an award-winning filmmaker, born and based in Brooklyn, NY. Her latest film, the critically acclaimed Never Rarely Sometimes Always,  was released by Focus Features this spring following its international  premiere in competition in the Berlin Film Festival where it won the  Silver Bear Grand Jury Award. The film had its US premiere in  competition at Sundance where it won a special jury prize. Hittman  recently won Best Screenplay from both the New York Film Critics Circle  and the National Society of Film Critics, among the many end-of-year  accolades the film has received. Beach Rats, her previous film,  premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film  Festival, where she won the Directing Award. It premiered  internationally at Locarno in the Golden Leopard Competition and was the  Centerpiece Film at New Directors / New Films. Beach Rats was  released domestically by NEON Rated, and was a New York Times Critics'  Pick. It was the winner of the Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement  in Casting, Outstanding Screenwriting in a U.S. Feature at Outfest, and  the London Critics’ Circle Film Award for Young British/Irish Performer  of the Year. In 2018, it was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best  Male Lead at the Independent Spirit awards and a Breakthrough Actor  Award for the Gothams Awards. Her micro-budget feature film It Felt Like Love premiered at Sundance in 2013 in NEXT and was a New York Times Critic's  Pick. She earned an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and is  currently an Assistant Professor of Film/Video at Pratt Institute. She  is the recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from Lincoln Center, and a  2018 Guggenheim Fellow. NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS SYNOPSIS: Written and directed by Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is an intimate portrayal of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania.  Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn  (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) embark across  state lines to New York City on a fraught journey of friendship, bravery  and compassion. NYU community can stream Never Rarely Sometimes Always at no charge here: https://stream.nyu.edu/media/1_un1c7jb0 Also available on HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime. Event produced with the support of the NYU Production Lab. Thank you to Fusion Film Festival's faculty advisor, Susan Sandler, and the Fusion Voices team: Schuyler Barefoot, Maya Gavant, Carly Kline, Nina Leitenberg, Aspen Nelson, Roni Polsgrove, and Sam Whitley.