Alterman Talks Comedic Path

Joking about his career in film and television, Comedy Central veteran Kent Alterman spoke about the changing character of the entertainment industry in McShain Lounge Monday night.

Alterman, who is now head of programming and development at Comedy Central, described his career's unexpected path while giving advice to prospective producers and directors in the audience. The event was sponsored by the Georgetown University Lecture Fund.

"The theme of my life is that my career is a reflection of someone who never had a road map," he said. "There is no right or wrong way to start."

After beginning his media career in marketing, Alterman said he eventually decided to become more involved in the creative process and took up a position at Lifetime Movie Network.

"I do have a sensitive side," he joked.

After working at Lifetime, Alterman  joined documentarian Michael Moore to work on his television show, "TV Nation."

These experiences led to Alterman's career in film, which has included working as an executive producer of "Elf" and director of "Semi-Pro."

Alterman spoke about changes to the entertainment industry as a result of Internet piracy and streaming.

"If you look at it historically, every time there's a new invention, the Chicken Littles of the world run around saying the sky is falling," he said.

Alterman did acknowledge, however, that the fast-paced progression of technological change in piracy today vastly impacts the ability of studios to produce commercially viable content.

Despite these obstacles, Alterman said he remains firm in his belief that the entertainment industry will survive.

"All comedy that is good is rooted in truth," he said. "Stories and telling them will never go away.

Correction: A previous version of this article omitted that the Lecture Fund sponsored the event.