From STUDENT to PROFESSIONAL

Get to know the Office of Industry Relations

by Ifetayo Olutosin

The film and television industries have a reputation for being difficult and uninviting, a stereotype that, ironically, is perpetuated by scathing portrayals in films and television shows. The women who run SCA’s Office of Industry Relations (IR) are determined to prove that doesn’t have to be the case. Bonnie Chi, Sandrine Cassidy, and Lisa Fox play an important role in student and alumni life at the School of Cinematic Arts, as they are charged with establishing everyone who goes through its programs as professionals. Industry Relations staff help students and alumni land internships, festival runs, and those first jobs that will launch their careers.

Cassidy is the Senior Director of Film Festivals, Distribution & Talent Development, and works with students to distribute their projects on the festival circuit and through other opportunities like streaming services, airline lineups, and network showcases. Fox is the Media Talent Development Manager. A former agent, she helps students with their internship and job searches and oversees the First Jobs program, which helps graduates land entry-level jobs during their first five years as professionals. Chi is the Assistant Dean for Business of Entertainment and oversees the entire office. She and Cassidy have been with the office since it was established in 1998 and she was instrumental in creating the Business of Cinematic Arts (BCA) programs that are run in conjunction with the Marshall School of Business.

Together with their staff, they ensure that every SCA student has opportunities that will serve as a bridge from the classroom to the film set, game studio, executive suite, university lecture hall—or all other workplaces that need talented cinema creators and scholars. All together, they work to ensure that those who come into their office know that they will have all the resources and support they need to succeed.

“The goal of our office is to make sure our students and alumni feel safe, seen, and cared for.”

— Lisa Fox

Media Talent Development Manager,
SCA Office of Industry Relations

The IR staff think of themselves as an agency team: the students are the clients and IR works to see them through from beginning (getting acclimated with information about their industry), middle (finding internships, attending and submitting to film festivals) to end (finding that first professional job). The main goals of the office vary depending on the students' needs. Of course, everyone they interact with is at a different level and they accommodate that as well. However, the emphasis on care never changes. For Cassidy, the focus is on helping students find their artistic voice, build confidence, and expand their network, as well as guide them through the filmmaking process.

Chi gives students the tools they need so that they can achieve their goals, designing workshops and boot camps focused on resume building, interview skills, and networking. She makes sure to emphasize the importance of internships to students, calling them “fifteen week job interviews,” and highlighting the fact they should always have their “professional development goggles on.”

Fox works with students to obtain their dream job, or just “a fabulous job,” that will serve them at their current skill set and also provide them with room for growth.

Beginning, Middle and End

Regardless of whether they’re a freshman who has never made a film, or a graduate student with many projects under their belt, every SCA student can benefit from a relationship with IR. At the undergraduate level, there are a variety of opportunities each year. In their first year, students can go to group meetings and become acclimated to the programs and resources available, while also getting their resumes in order. During the second year, the team believes that students are ready for an internship. This means that they should update their resume, and speak to the office to get help finding an internship that fits their needs and skills. In the third year, internships and filmmaking should be at the forefront of students' priorities, so that in the fourth and final year, they can meet with Fox to prepare for life after graduation. During this ultimate year, Fox works with students as they look for internships or jobs, and build their contact list through LinkedIn and social media.

Cassidy also works with graduating students to help them submit their work to the School’s First Look Showcase, and other festivals around the world, including Sundance, SXSW, Toronto, Berlin, and others.

Graduate students are also encouraged to engage with the Office of Industry Relations in each year of their program, to benefit from all the same services. And students from across the School’s divisions are all served by IR.

Chi, Cassidy, and Fox enjoy working together and camaraderie and teamwork are central to the way they operate. But the thing they love most is seeing former students thrive and flourish throughout their careers, and being part of a supportive team of background enablers of what they are watching on the screen. Nothing makes their faces light up more than the thought of giving back to students and making sure they have what they need to be the best versions of themselves. Regardless of their field of study or area of interest, it benefits all SCA students to get to know IR.

Office of Industry Relations Programs

First Look Showcase

Aimed at helping alumni from underrepresented communities expose their work to industry gatekeepers, these events are usually held in collaboration with agencies (the office has held diversity showcases at CAA, UTA and other agencies), studios (a successful Women Behind the Lens events at Paramount) and production companies.

Diversity Pitch and Screening Events

This showcase began as a screening of the year’s best student work. But now there’s an award ceremony, as well as a networking event where students can mingle with industry executives. To add more value for students, Sandrine Cassidy, Senior Director of Film Festivals, Distribution & Talent Development, is developing new programming that will allow students to get feedback on the work directly from industry professionals.

Resume Bootcamps, Career Talks, and
Career Fair

Every month throughout the academic year, the IR staff offers workshops and talks that cover everything from building a resume and interviewing for a job to planning a career path. They frequently invite accomplished guest speakers to answer students’ questions about how they built a career. IR also holds an annual Career Fair that is attended by dozens of media companies.

First Jobs

Founded in 2017 by USC alumnus Aaron Kaplan, CEO of Kapital Entertainment, First Jobs is designed to help recent alumni (1 to 5 years past graduation) gain entry-level opportunities with leading industry companies. This program services every major in the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) and BCA program. Interested alumni (and graduating students) should contact Media Talent Development Manager Lisa Fox and/or attend one of the office’s monthly career talks (see below). In its first five years, First Jobs has filled more than 1,000 paid jobs with SCA alumni with 68 First Jobs alumni returning to the program as employers, to hire other alumni.

Meet the Staff

BONNIE CHI

Assistant Dean, John H. Mitchell Business of Entertainment Programs / John H. Mitchell Professor
SANDRINE CASSIDY

Senior Director of Film Festivals, Distribution & Talent Development
LISA FOX

Media Talent Development Manager
KELLIE BROOK MALONE

Internship Coordinator
O'SHEA" MYLES

Film Festival Coordinator
PATRICK FRITZ

John H. Mitchell Business of Entertainment, Program Administrator
DEREK HORNE

Film Distribution Coordinator
KAIYLN BONDONI

Industry Relations Office Coordinator