On The Scene: AMC Network’s Annual Summit

For the first time in three years, AMC Network hosted their annual summit in Brooklyn, NY.

At this conference, talent and network executives were invited to participate in moderated discussions centered on the legacy company’s content, its past, its present and its future, as well as to discuss the new and epic worlds coming to AMCN’s platforms, as well as introduce the next seminal characters, which will capture the hearts and minds of viewers.

 As part of the event, AMC Networks’ President of Entertainment and AMC Studios, Dan McDermott (who hosted the event), was joined by cast and creatives from across AMC brands, including AMC, AMC+, Acorn TV, BBC America, Shudder, WE tv and ALLBLK. AMC Networks kicked off the morning by renewing Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for a second season. The new series is expected to premiere on Sunday, October 2.

The first panel that took place was The World is a Dumpster Fire – Let’s Build New Ones moderated by Chris Hardwick. Scott Gimple, Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead talked about several topics surrounding The Walking Dead’s universe. “With ‘The Walking Dead’… it’s a strange fantasy for the audience, that everything stops. That all of the things of society fall away and it’s just us with each other and we’re tested. We find out who we are. I think that was a weird fantasy that people dove into, to be tested that way and to look beyond this life. And I think they liked having those questions every week and they still do which is like ‘what would I do’. That certainly pulls you away from your everyday life.”

Gimple also went over the production changes over the years as the show has been filmed in digital since the third half of the tenth season. “Digital has been with us for a while. It’s only gotten better and better. It’s a huge part of production design, it’s a huge part of making that world,” said Gimple.

During the Love and Connection in the Black Community panel, the panelists that consisted of MC Lyte (‘Partners in Rhyme’), Da Brat (‘Brat Loves Judy’), David Shanks (‘61st St’), Colman Domingo (‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ ‘West Philly Baby’), Angela Simmons (‘Growing Up Hip Hop’), Diallo Riddle (‘Sherman’s Showcase’), Nikki Love (SVP, Development & Production, ALLBLK), they all talked about the importance of black and diverse talent that are on today’s landscape of television.

“Because the world would usually like to deny that part of ourselves, actually. So we need more love – we need to show accurate depictions and complex depictions of our families. It is our job as creators, as people who perform these roles, I think – it’s a responsibility we didn’t ask for but we have it,” said Colman Domingo on why it’s important to highlight this in TV and films.

Black people continue to struggle for quality roles on both the small and big screens, despite having won Academy Awards in acting, screenwriting, music production and other categories. “What we have here is a cast of people who are willing to do what’s right over what’s ‘sellable’ or ‘satiable,'” said MC Lyte on avoiding Black stereotypes. The topic of the next generation of Black queer content also came up as every panelist were passionate to talk about this since representation matters. “I think you have to be creative and I don’t know what that is- I mean, maybe it’s me and my wife having a baby. Whatever it is, I’m willing to show it so people can relate to it and understand what it’s about,” said Da Brat.

There were other great panels that took place such as Horror as a Safe Space, and AMCN’s Next Legacy Lineup Panel that I enjoyed too. It was a great event to not only mingle with the key executives of the AMC Network, but to also see them talk about the franchises that they are part of. The panels were not live streamed at the summit so you would have to be there in person to witness this.