Professional Development

Each year, the USC School of Dramatic Arts provides its students with professional opportunities that help establish and sustain their careers as creators, performers, designers and cultural innovators. It is our goal that each student graduates with the relevant skills, context and training to meet the ever-changing Spotlight@SDA Series demands and expectations of the entertainment field. featuring Bryan Cranston

The 2018-2019 Professional Development initiatives include: The School’s long-range plan for Professional SDA Career Center services for auditions and production of Development at The School recently announced self-tapes, consultation on demo reels its innovative new Career Center. and websites, guidance and support SDA involves the Launched in the fall of 2017, the in choosing headshot photographers, development of fresh Career Center offers management- and resume advice and counsel. Over programming that style for graduating actors, as well as the past year, the Career Center has will require significant enhanced opportunities and resources counseled over 200 students, curated annual enhanced for the School’s graduating playwrights, over 40 professional development support, with a designers and stage managers. The workshops/panels, and sent students management-style-style services are on auditions for HBO, Showtime, long-term goal of available to the School of Dramatic Arts Netflix, ABC, FX, Nickelodeon, raising $3 million. graduates for one year upon completion USA Networks and Freeform. of their degree. The School appointed faculty member Dan Shaner as head of SDA Career Series the School’s Career Center. Professor Every spring, the School will schedule a Shaner teaches a professional seminar series of events in which leading industry at both the graduate and undergraduate figures — casting directors, agents, levels and is a professional casting producers, directors, artistic directors, director with over 25 years of experience new media practitioners, thought leaders in film, television, and new media. and alumni — will lead a series of open Additionally, the Career Center forums to offer guidance, mentorship programming will continue to include and inspiration in fields as diverse as career counseling, workshops, visiting acting and performance, design, stage artists, information sessions, the School’s management, new media and writing. robust Career Series offerings and These curated events showcases the a thriving internship program. New breadth and depth of post-college services will consist of job postings options for students, and help immerse and referrals, submissions and follow them in every aspect of the entertainment up on appropriate projects for actors industry. They also highlight internship that do not have other representation, and behind-the scenes opportunities mentorship opportunities, coaching for all students and SDA alumni.

at a threshold of unprecedented advancement Select giving opportunities include: ANNUAL Supports one professional development event $10,000 Fully sponsors the Spotlight@SDA series for one year $25,000 Provides funding for Career Series programming for one year $50,000

ENDOWMENT* Endows one annual professional development event $200,000 Names and fully endows Assistant Professor and Director of Career Center $1.5 Million Names and fully endows the Career Center Programming $3 Million

* Pledges payable over five years

Going Pro: A Career Development Fair others. Additionally, the School held the first-ever Each year, the School will partner with Center Theatre Spotlight@SDA in New York City, featuring Academy Group, LA Stage Alliance and UCLA TFT on Award and three-time Tony Award winner Kevin Kline Going Pro: A Career Development Fair, a day-long in conversation with three-time Emmy and Tony Award event designed to help current undergraduate and nominee and SDA faculty member Kate Burton. graduate-level students get ready to transition to a professional career in the theatre. The event includes Regional Theatre Auditions free workshops, speed mentoring sessions, resource Over the past few years, the School has established tables and a networking reception featuring leading a strong relationship with various local and national figures from Los Angeles-based theatre companies. theatres, many of whom now come to campus each Past fairs included representatives from Actors spring to audition our senior students (and in some Equity, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, cases alumni) for summer and fall theatre opportunities. Local 33 Union for Stagehands and Screen Actors Companies include Williamstown Theatre Festival, Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Center Theatre Group, Artists, and artistic directors, directors and casting Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, directors who provide advice and open auditions National Players, Dramatic Adventure Theatre, Independent Shakespeare Festival, Pacific Repertory New Media Summit Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and more. Each year, the School produces a New Media Summit, which introduces students and SDA alumni to leading Salon Series content creators and curators, and explores the huge Open to all senior students, the School’s Salon Series range of opportunities in new media for dramatic invites guest artists and alumni to campus to discuss artists, including YouTube, internet UGC (user-generated their careers and open networks with existing SDA content), green screen and motion capture, ADR, students in intimate classroom settings. With no more voice-over for actors, animation, and new technologies than 20 to 30 students in each session, the Salon Series in design for theatre, concerts and events. provides a friendly and nurturing environment for our students to learn from and connect with professionals Spotlight@SDA Series working in the field. Past guests include: Isaiah Johnson The Spotlight@SDA series brings some of the industry’s (Starred as George Washington in the national tour most influential artists to share advice, perspective and of Hamilton), Chris Andrews (Agent with Creative experience with our students through informal Q&A Artists Agency, and member of the USC School of sessions, workshops and master classes. Throughout Dramatic Arts Board of Councilors), Melissa Leo this series we have welcomed beloved actors Bryan (Academy Award-winning actress), Tony Birkley Cranston, Blair Underwood, Lisa Kudrow, Pulitzer (Television studio casting executive), and Danny Prize-winning theatre critic Hilton Als, writer/ producers Feldman (Artistic Director Pasadena Playhouse). Vince Gilligan and SDA alumnus Danny Strong, among