Creatives from The Last of Us, Outer Banks, Ms. Marvel,
Daisy Jones and the Six, and more at WonderCon 2023!
For this year’s WonderCon, excited film, television, and video game fans dove into the world of entertainment at Impact24 PR’s Panel Superblock Series, the ultimate destination for a behind-the-scenes look at projects like “The Last of Us,” “Outer Banks,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Daisy Jones and the Six,” “Doom Patrol,” and more!
The “Scene Breakdown: Behind the Camera of Film and TV Shows” panel gave attendees a look at what it takes to bring a project to life. The panel featured showrunner/ executive producer Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar, Bel-Air), VFX Supervisor at FuseFX Art Codron (Outer Banks), editor S. Robyn Wilson (A Black Lady Sketch Show), production designer Cabot McMullen (Shrinking), executive producer Rachel Watanabe-Batton (Sneakerella), composer Andrew Morgan Smith (The Old Way, The Owl House), and was moderated by actor Chris Villain (Mystery Incorporated).
Panel Pics
“All you need is a piece of paper, an idea, and a pen or pencil. You can change your world or the world that way. Writers often think they need to come up with something that they’ve never seen,” explained showrunner Anthony Sparks. “That can be a great idea, but what tends to get you some new traction as a new writer is writing about something you’ve been running away from or are scared of. Put your experience and stories on paper.”
The “3rd Annual “It’s Alive!”: Designing Sci-Fi, Horror, and Comic Book Genre Film and TV” panel saw entertainment creatives give insight into bringing thrilling and often chilling words to the screen. The panel featured production designer John Paino (The Last of Us), cinematographer Jules O’Loughlin, ASC ACS (Ms. Marvel Episodes 4 and 5), editor Tayor Joy Mason (Dahmer: Monster, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), executive producer/ co-creator Elle León Nostas (Mark of Death), composer Stefan L. Smith (Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham), and producer Christopher Kaminski (Cobalt Knight), and was moderated by voiceover artist and actor Queen Noveen (Redfall).
Panel Pics
“They’re making the path and we’re making environments. All of this has to be developed with the game in mind,” said “The Last of Us” production designer John Paino about his work in the series. “We always went back to concept art.”
The final panel in the Superblock Series, “All in the Details: Costume, Makeup, Hair, and Production Design for Film and TV,” focused on the magic of transforming actors and sets for entertainment. The panel featured makeup department head Rebecca Wachtel (Daisy Jones and the Six), hairstylist/ wig maker Justi Embree (Missing), costume designer Jennifer May Nickel (Gotham Knights), production designer James Bolenaugh (Kevin Can F**k Himself), and costume designer Carrie Grace (Doom Patrol, The Boys Episodes 1 and 2), and was moderated by voiceover artist and actor Queen Noveen (Redfall).
Panel Pics
“When you read a book, you kind of imagine the characters in your head,” said “Daisy Jones & the Six” makeup department head Rebecca Wachtel on starting the series. “Once I knew who was cast, I couldn’t wait to bring the characters to life.”
The Impact24 PR Panel Superblock Series at WonderCon 2023 provided an unparalleled behind-the-scenes experience for attendees as industry professionals from various departments gave them exclusive insight into the making of popular films and television shows. Attendees left with a newfound appreciation for the artistry that goes into their favorite projects.
The panels will be exclusively available on Impact24 PR’s
YouTube channel in April 2023: https://www.youtube.com/@impact24pr.
About Impact24 PR:
This panel was produced by Impact24 Public Relations and its team members. Impact24 PR is dedicated to highlighting behind-the-camera and behind-the-curtain talent, and supports many of the industry’s leading creatives. From makeup artists and composers, to cinematographers, VFX companies, production designers, and more. Impact24 is deeply committed to representation and inclusion in the entertainment/art space, and actively works to eradicate gaps within the industry, and further. For more information on the company and panelists, visit www.impact24pr.com or on Instagram (instagram.com/impact24pr) and Twitter (twitter.com/impact24pr).
*** info courtesy of Impact24 PR
*** photos courtesy of Peter Chamalian, Impact24 PR
WonderCon: Anaheim
Comic-Con took over the show in 2002 and moved it from Oakland to downtown San Francisco in 2003. After 15 years as a Bay Area event, WonderCon was forced to move to Anaheim in 2012, due to construction at its San Francisco home, the Moscone Center. Since 2012, the event—now called Comic-Con International Presents WonderCon Anaheim—has been held in southern California, at the Anaheim Convention Center. While it is still the hope to one day return the show to its San Francisco and Bay Area roots, WonderCon Anaheim has continued to grow in its southern California home.
WonderCon Anaheim has continued to grow in its southern California home. In 2016, WonderCon moved to Los Angeles for one year while the Anaheim Convention Center was undergoing construction on a new building. The show returned to Anaheim in 2017, and in 2018, 66,000 fans packed the newly expanded Anaheim Convention Center from all over the globe.
WonderCon is the sister show to Comic-Con, embracing all the main aspects of SDCC, including comics, movies, TV, animation, the Masquerade, and more. The event has grown in all aspects over the years: more attendees, more exhibitors, more programming, and more fun. In its current Anaheim-based incarnation, WonderCon continues to be a must-attend event on the comic book convention schedule.
