James L. Brooks, Producer of TV’s The Simpsons, joins AFI Conservatory as Artistic Director.
LOS ANGELES --
James L. Brooks -- the producer of The Simpsons and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, mentor of Cameron Crowe and Wes Anderson and triple Oscar winner for directing, writing and producing Terms of Endearment -- is the new artistic director of the AFI Conservatory, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
AFI president and CEO Bob Gazzale told THR, “He was our number one choice in our quest to replace the irreplaceable Frank Pierson [who died in 2012].The artistic director is an important kind of spiritual voice not only for the Fellows [as AFI students are called] but the faculty. Robert Wise did it for about 12 years.”
Brooks' uniquely protean gifts make him ideal for a school that grants degrees in six areas: writing, directing, producing, editing, cinematography and production design.
"Jim is a master at writing and producing and directing, and he has a hell of a lot to say about the other three," Gazzale reportedly said. "He's not only lived in the world of movies but TV and can speak to storytelling across all these mediums."
Brooks will meet the incoming students when classes start in August.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
