Ever wondered how writers and directors take their vision and translate it into an engaging experience for audiences who are attuned to the physics and engineering aspects of the story? Why some storylines, special effects and visual effects resonate, while others fall flat?

In the panel, our speakers will explore how writers, directors, scientists, engineers and the production team work together to create compelling stories that balance real-world physics with on-screen portrayal.

Registration will close on Feb. 20, or when all spots are filled

Sign up here

Meet the Panel

Theodore Adams III '86 - Moderator

Theodore A. Adams III '86 is an engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and award-winning filmmaker. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and now serves as president of the Rice Engineering Alumni Board and on the Association of Rice Alumni Board.

His work includes award-winning feature film, "TRI," and numerous award-winning short films including "Othello-san," "Sweet Distraction," "The Charles Effect" and "Tyndall Typewriters." He was the executive producer on an award-winning Chilean documentary, "Imaginarius," and made his directorial debut for a documentary with his recent film, "When We Were Saints."

Jai Jamison - Panelist

Jai Jamison is a writer and director based in Richmond, Virginia. He served as an executive story editor on The CW’s "Superman & Lois," where he directed episode 311, titled, “Complications,” and most recently wrote and directed the penultimate episode of the series, episode 409, titled, “To Live and Die Again.”

In 2016, his film, "TRI," an action sports drama about triathlons, led to his selection for the Shoot Magazine New Director’s Showcase. His most recent short film, "Slave Cry," was The Commonwealth Award Winner at the 2019 Virginia Film Festival and screened in the 2021 Pan African Film Festival. He’s also written comic books for DC Comics and Boom Studios, including "Creed: The Next Round" in collaboration with LaToya Morgan, Michael B Jordan and Outlier Society.

Brandon Easton - Panelist

Brandon Easton is an award-winning TV and comic book writer with a diverse slate of credits. He broke into TV with 2011 Warner Bros.’ "ThunderCats" reboot and went on to write for "Transformers: Rescue Bots," Marvel’s "Agent Carter" and Netflix’s "Transformers: War for Cybertron." His graphic novels, including "Shadowlaw "and "Watson and Holmes," have won multiple Glyph Awards and earned an Eisner nomination. Brandon has adapted iconic properties like "Vampire Hunter D" and "Iyanu: Child of Wonder" into TV series and co-wrote the action-thriller "Takeover" starring Quavo. A former Blizzard writer for "Overwatch 2" and "Hearthstone," he’s recently wrote "Robotech: Rick Hunter" for Titan Comics.

Stanford Carpenter - Panelist

Stanford W. Carpenter is a cultural anthropologist, comic scholar and comic creator. Whether it’s through the lens of ancient worlds, Afrofuturism or the ethno-gothic, he conducts ethnographic research among comic creators with an archeological sensibility that teases out the relationships between people, places, time and things. His research is reflected in his writing, art, and civic and community engagement programming. He is currently developing scholarly programming for Houston’s Comicpalooza. His forthcoming book for Fantagraphics Press explores the cultures and histories of Black comics, creators and characters. He sits on the advisory board of Abrams ComicArts Megascope imprint and is a co-founder and former chairman of the Black & Brown Comix Arts Festival (BCAF).

Say hello to a new year with Rice alumni, parents and friends, and make new memories. Register today to enjoy the festive company of the Rice community!

REA Winter Social
Friday, Jan. 26th

6:00-9:00 p.m.

Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering on Rice University Campus

6100 Main St. 

Houston, TX 77005

Dressy casual. Festive attire is encouraged.

Tickets
Alumni, parents and guests: $30
Recent alumni (’13-’23): $20

Please note there is a $10 increase for walk-ups.

Food and drinks are included in the ticket price.

Register here

Please register by Friday, January 19, 2024.