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PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2013: AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM {LONG VERSION}

Summary

One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 30th William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This PALEYFEST 2013 seminar honors "American Horror Story: Asylum," a dramatic suspense series with revolving storylines.

Betsy Scolnik (vice-president, The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles) offers opening remarks before introducing moderator Denise Martin (senior editor, Vulture). Martin brings executive producer Dante Di Loreto to the stage who sets up the episode "I Am Anne Frank: Part 2," which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 110644).

After the screening, Martin moderates the following panelists: executive producers Di Loreto and Tim Minear; executive producer/creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; and cast members Jessica Lange (Sister Jude Martin), Lily Rabe (Sister Mary Eunice McKee), Sarah Paulson (Lana Winters), Frances Conroy (The Angel of Death), Evan Peters (Kit Walker), and Naomi Grossman (Pepper). Later they are joined by actress Kathy Bates, who is set to be a cast member on the upcoming "American Horror Story: Coven."

The panelists touch on such topics as: why Murphy included a storyline involving an Anne Frank impersonator; the "bizarre" musical numbers featuring Lange and Rabe in the second season; the unexpected popularity of Grossman's character; the visual effects and costume design used to enhance Conroy's character; Lange and Conroy's "special bond" while working together; Rabe's passion for recurring guest star Ian McShane (Leigh Emerson), and her portrayal of a demonically possessed character; the emotional coda for Lange's character in the season finale; the producer's deliberations about "a happy ending" for the first and second seasons of "American Horror Story"; Murphy's thoughts on "emotional horror"; and information on the upcoming third season of the show, "American Horror Story: Coven."

Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: how Lange's history playing institutionalized characters prepared her for "American Horror Story"; the meaning behind the second season's final line of dialogue; Bates' upcoming role on the show's third season, and her previous work with Lange; the creative origins of "American Horror Story," including Murphy's idea for the show's "anthology" format; the show's "repertory" style of casting; Murphy's opinion on the horror genre and its relationship to television; and comparisons between characters from the first and second seasons.

Details

  • NETWORK: N/A
  • DATE: March 15, 2013 7:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:47:53
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: 109843
  • GENRE: Seminars
  • SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
  • SERIES RUN: N/A
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Betsy Scolnik … Host
  • Denise Martin … Moderator
  • Dante Di Loreto … Panelist
  • Naomi Grossman … Panelist
  • Frances Conroy … Panelist
  • Evan Peters … Panelist
  • Tim Minear … Panelist
  • Lily Rabe … Panelist
  • Sarah Paulson … Panelist
  • Brad Falchuk … Panelist
  • Jessica Lange … Panelist
  • Kathy Bates … Panelist
  • Anne Frank
  • Ian McShane