Download an EVENT POSTER (pdf - 528k) which describes events which were open to the Ithaca College Community , and/or the General Public.

Listen to event Co-Chair Prof. Gordon Webb talk about the upcoming conference on local radio station WHCU (mp3 - 13:27)

The conference schedule has been announced (download pdf)

Vote for your favorite Twilight Zone Episode. The winners will be shown at the Twilight Zone Marathon on April 21, 2006 at 7:30pm in the Park Auditorium. Marathon event free and open to the public! (see vote results)

THE 2006 CONFERENCE

Our previous conference was held April 21-22, 2006, and focused on the Creative Work of Rod Serling. This was an academic conference, where people who study the work got together to share research, anedcotes, and information.

The two day conference fee was $75. Spaces were limited to 100 participants, so registration was on a first come first served basis, and we encouragde you to register early in order to insure a seat at the conference. Pre-registration by mail is closed (see the note at the top of this page). Registration costs covered your two-day conference attendance as well as breakfast, lunch, dinner at the Ithaca College Tower Club, and snacks.

CONFERENCE EVENTS

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

MARC SCOTT ZICREE
Marc is well-known as the author of the best-seller THE TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION. He and his wife Elaine have been acclaimed as exclusive Industry mentors in Hollywood, with over 100 dramatic television credits to their name, including episodes of STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION, DEEP SPACE NINE, BABYLON 5, FOREVER KNIGHT, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, TWILIGHT ZONE and SLIDERS.

Marc has served as a Producer on SLIDERS; Co-Producer on LAZARUS MAN (on which he and Elaine co-wrote multiple episodes); Executive Story Editor on BEYOND REALITY; and Story Editor on FRIDAY THE 13th - THE SERIES. Beyond this, he and wis wife Elaine have written seven pilots on assignment, including two for NBC and one each for ABC and Showtime, as well as writing & exec producing REAL STORY, a pilot presentation in association with Tom Fontana starring Armin Shimerman. Their screenplay work has included stints for New Line, MGM, Orion, the Jim Henson Company, Davis Entertainment and Chanticleer. Their work has been nominated for the American Book Award, Diane Thomas Award and the Humanitas Prize. Elaine has also had extensive experience as a writer, actor, director and producer Off-Broadway.

PREVIOS CONFERENCE SESSIONS

Rod Serling's "PLANET OF THE APES"
Gordon C. Webb (Ass't. Prof. - TV/Radio at Ithaca)

Prof. Webb examines the evolution of the screenplay for the 1967 version starring Charleton Heston. Based on several Serling drafts discovered in the "Rod Serling Archive" at Ithaca and interviews with people involved in the film, Webb's research traced the project's long journey from Pierre Boulle's novel to the screen, and settles -- once and for all -- the issue of who first conjured up the classic "Statue of Liberty" ending. Also discovered in the Archive was another, irreverent "tongue in cheek" ending penned by Serling in an apparent moment of frustration. Presentation features film clips, script samples and other visuals.

Rod serling's "THE LONER"
Tony Albarella will discuss the origins and genesis of THE LONER, Rod Serling's short-lived follow-up series to The Twilight Zone. This existential Western starred Lloyd Bridges as William Colton, and dealt with Colton's moral and psychological acclimation to a post-Civil War West. This presentation will include examples of THE LONER, which is rarely seen since it is not available commercially. Albarella's articles have appeared in magazines such as Filmfax, Outre and Radiogram, and he is the co-author of THE TWILIGHT ZONE SCRIPTS OF EARL HAMNER. He is also the editor of AS TIMELESS AS INFINITY: THE COMPLETE TWILIGHT ZONE SCRIPTS OF ROD SERLING.

"SERLING MEMORIES"
Prof. Emeritus John Keshishoglou -- the Founding Dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications -- was Serling's friend and colleague during the years they both taught in the Television-Radio Department at Ithaca. Kesh invited Serling to do guest lectures in his film classes, and later Serling agreed to teach a one-credit course in creative writing twice a year. There were also occasions when Serling taught a regular class in dramatic scriptwriting during the summer. Using rare videotapes of Serling's creative writing courses -- "Dr. Kesh" will give participants a unique glimpse of the Rod Serling few people knew.

"WRITERS' PANEL FROM HOLLYWOOD"
A live video conference session will originate at the headquarters of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGA) in Los Angeles. Planned guests include I-C alumnus and former Serling student William Froelich , president of IthacaFilms in Los Angeles writer John Furia (Twilight Zone, The Waltons), and other industry professionals who knew and worked with Rod Serling.

LIVE "TWILIGHT ZONE MARATHON"
Not the highly-edited versions shown on all-night marathons, but the original, uncut episodes from the "Rod Serling Archive" at Ithaca College. Based on an "Online Voters Poll" designed especially for this conference - the most popular episodes will be screened... introduced by a unique panel of scholars, fans and "TWZ devotees."

THE ROD SERLING VIDEO FESTIVAL
The Rod Serling Video Festival premiered in Binghamton in 1995 to promote the use of video arts technology and creativity in the classroom by students in kindergarten through grade 12. A much anticipated annual state-wide event, receiving entries from as far west as Buffalo to the eastern shores of Long Island, the festival -- through an association with International Baccalaureate North America -- will now accept student-produced videos from IB Schools in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Lawrence Kassan, Director of Special Projects at the Rod Serling School of the Arts, will discuss the festival and screen student work.

THE "TWILIGHT ZONE" SCRIPT PROJECT
Tony Albarella -- editor of AS TIMELESS AS INFINITY: THE COMPLETE TWILIGHT ZONE SCRIPTS OF ROD SERLING will discuss this project which makes Serling's original scripts available to the public for the first time. These publications were prepared using microfilm copies of the original scripts held in The Rod Serling Archive at Ithaca (see also "THE LONER" above).

Special Guests

The Rod Serling Memorial Foundation
The RSMF is based in Binghamton, NY, Rod Serling's hometown, and strives to promote and preserve the writer's contributions to the Arts and Humanities. This non-profit organization works to educate the public about Rod Serling's unique understanding of human relationships, his groundbreaking career as a writer, and his generosity as a speaker in and around Binghamton. Members of the Board of Directors will be on hand to discuss the RSMF.

Carol K. Serling
Since Rod Serling's death in 1975, Carol Serling has been the guiding force behind the posthumous preservation of her husband's work. One beneficiary of her dedication is the Rod Serling Archive at Ithaca College -- the most complete collection Serling's work in private hands.

A 1950 graduate of Antioch College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and education, Carol has served on Antioch's alumni board and board of trustees. Long active in civic and philanthropic activities, she has held various positions with the League of Women Voters and the Fair Housing Council, and has been involved with the Santa Monica Hospital on a volunteer basis for 25 years.

In 1980 Carol founded Twilight Zone magazine, and served as its associate publisher and consulting editor until the magazine ceased publication in 1989. She was a consultant for Twilight Zone--The Movie, which CBS produced in 1983 as well a Twilight Zone video package for junior and senior high schools, with scripts and a teacher's guide.

In 1993, while packing some of her husband's possessions to send to the Rod Serling Archive -- she found two unproduced scripts that Rod had written for the original Twilight Zone series. CBS used them to produce The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics, which aired in 1994 - with Carol as supervising producer. Over the years, she has also edited anthologies of original science fiction tales written by her husband and others.

Carol was named an honorary trustee of Ithaca College in June, 2001. She joined the College's Board of Trustees in 1983, and during her time on the Board she served as chair of several of committees, has participated in many alumni activities, and has strongly supported the ongoing development of the College's educational mission to commitment to excellence. She was awarded the Alumni Association's Meritorious Service Award in 1995, which recognizes distinguished achievements and contributions to Ithaca College by non-alumni.

The Alumni Association highlighted both Carol's donation of the Archives and her help in establishing the Rod Serling Communications Scholarship Fund, which is awarded to students in Communications who demonstrate outstanding creative scriptwriting ability.

SHORT FEATURE SCRIPTWRITING COMPETITION

This contest is designed to provide an opportunity for non-professional writers to honor Serling’s work by creating their own original script. The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery are classic examples of the anthology series -- where each story presents fresh, new characters. Entrants will be challenged to maintain the horror/science fiction genre while infusing their story with a strong social theme. Complete details are available here.