Northwestern alumni turned Hollywood bigwigs left Los Angeles’ dazzle for Evanston’s drizzle Friday to impart their collective wisdom on NU’s Tinseltown hopefuls.
Five professionals from various aspects of the entertainment industry discussed personal experiences and industry trends with about 100 students as part of the School of Communication’s 125th anniversary celebration.
The School of Communication hosts one such event each quarter in hopes of giving students the opportunity to interact with professionals in the real world, said Mary Kate Barley-Jenkins, the school’s director of communications.
“(The alumni in attendance) are currently working in their respective fields and can give a high level of advice to students,” she said.
The alumni themselves sparked the idea for the program when they approached Peter Miller, the school’s associate dean, at a Los Angeles event in September. They mentioned how much they benefited from alumni talks when they were in school, and Miller suggested that they visit campus.
Alumnus Eric Bernt, who wrote screen plays for “Romeo Must Die” and “Virtuosity,” remembered the time, when he was still a student, that “Pretty Woman” director and NU alumnus Garry Marshall returned to NU.
“The fact that he went here, and was willing to talk to me really influenced me,” he said.
Director and screenwriter Bill Bindley said he hoped by attending the event he could convey the importance of tenacity and perseverance to the students.
“I want to educate people about operating in the business and inspire them to pursue their dreams,” he said.
Attendees said they were open to such inspiration — not to mention a chance to network with the successful alumni.
“I went because I’m not sure what career I’ll end up with,” said Dannah Budny, a Communication freshman. “But I’m interested in TV and movies, and I wanted an inside look at the entertainment industry.”
The three-hour event began with an introduction by each of the five speakers. Each detailed his or her occupation and the major trends in the industry.
Bernt described his path from dropping out of the Medill School of Journalism to founding NU’s Niteskool Productions, to becoming a successful screenwriter. He also said that producers recently have been looking less for original screenplays and more for adaptations from sources such as comic books or novels.
“People want a finished product with quantifiable value before they spend money,” he said.
Laverne McKinnon, vice president of development at CBS Television and the only female speaker, described how the network’s breakout hit, “CSI,” was almost canned and would never have aired had her team not insisted on recutting the pilot three times until audiences liked it.
Other presenters — including Vice President of Fox Film Music Mike Knobloch, agent Jeff Jacobs and Bindley — explained the problems for Hollywood today that increased technology and consolidation within the entertainment industry pose.
“It’s a pretty crappy climate for us music guys right now,” Knobloch said in reference to decreased album sales that have resulted from music piracy.
After the introduction and general session, speakers broke up into groups based on their fields and students circled, focusing in on those with careers that interested them.
“I felt that the speakers were interested in giving us information and advice instead of listing off their accomplishments,” said Communication freshman Emily Cash. “The panel was informative and engaging.”
