SCAD names acclaimed television producer Leigh Seaman as senior executive director of SCADFILM

ATLANTA, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is pleased to announce award-winning television executive Leigh Seaman's appointment as senior executive director of SCADFILM, the leading program for professional engagement in film, entertainment and the digital arts.

Seaman, who is credited with creating over two dozen series, including TLC's groundbreaking Emmy-nominated show "Trading Spaces," will extend the SCADFILM programming and events across digital arts, entertainment, film, television, animation, gaming and new media, including AR and VR, to advance the university's reputation as a preeminent source of knowledge — and an unparalleled resource — in the film and television industry.

"SCADFILM is a beacon for Georgia's entertainment industry, and we're delighted to welcome renowned producer Leigh Seaman as Senior Executive Director," said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. "Leigh knows the industry inside and out. She's a true media polymath whose vast knowledge and network directly connect SCAD students with employers year-round."

Seaman brings expertise in series television, documentary, news, scripted and branded entertainment, including commercials, documentaries, syndicated radio, digital shorts, on-demand features, corporate education, unscripted reality and news segments. Her work has been seen on major broadcast and cable television networks, The Rachael Ray Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show, and internationally on BBC, Sky, Discovery International, Reuters Television, Delta Air Lines and Air France.

SCADFILM offers exclusive access to industry influencers, leading resources, private masterclasses and certifications. This year, SCADFILM's preeminent programming expands with a new series of signature festivals in Atlanta: SCAD aTVfest, SCAD ForwardFest, SCAD AnimationFest, SCAD GamingFest.

Under Seaman's leadership, the expertise of SCADFILM guests spans creative disciplines. In November, SCADFILM hosted Oscar-winning screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher for a masterclass with SCAD students, as well as fashion designer Zac Posen for a screening and discussion about his documentary, "House of Z," which welcomed more than 500 guests.

In response to the growth of the entertainment, animation, game and AR/VR popularity, SCAD continues to expand its academic offerings, resources, technology, events and programming to keep students and alumni in step with, and ahead of, multi-billion dollar industries.

With world-class production facilities in Savannah and Atlanta, SCAD is Georgia's only university specializing in camera-ready film and television work. SCAD's School of Entertainment Arts houses the nation's only full-time, in-house university casting office, placing more than 250 students in film and television roles to date, including for Netflix, HBO and Hulu productions. SCAD also hosts the largest university-run film festival, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, which draws over 55,000 guests and film industry stars to Savannah each year.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors, as well as minors in more than 75 disciplines across its locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning. With more than 35,000 alumni worldwide, SCAD demonstrates an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of nearly 14,000, comes from across the U.S. and more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2017, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD as the top university in the United States and in the top two universities in the Americas and Europe. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni placement rate. In a study of Spring 2016 SCAD graduates, 98 percent were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. For more information, visit the official SCAD blog.

SOURCE SCAD