A coalition of leading media companies, including Amazon Studios, Disney, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal/Telemundo Enterprises, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery have signed on as Founding Partners of the Roybal Film and Television Production Magnet Fund, which was established by George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Creative Artists Agency’s Bryan Lourd, to support The Roybal Film and Television Production Magnet, a specialized academy created to drive transformational change across the industry by building a more inclusive pipeline of historically underrepresented college- and career-ready students pursuing below-the-line careers in film and television.
These companies join the previously announced Founding
Partner THE HISTORY Channel ® /A&E Networks ®, along with Netflix and Sony
Pictures Entertainment, in collectively committing more than $4 million to the
school, which officially opened in August with 150 students.
Charlie Collier, Chief Executive Officer, FOX Entertainment;
Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer,
NBCUniversal; and Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Global Head of
Inclusion at Paramount and Executive Vice President, Public Affairs,
Nickelodeon, have joined the Roybal Advisory Board, and will work alongside
board members George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Bryan Lourd, Kerry Washington, Eva
Longoria, Mindy Kaling, Don Cheadle, Nicole Avant, Working Title Films founders
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Jim Gianopulos, and Paul Buccieri, President &
Chairman A+E Networks Group. Additional members are to be announced at a later
date.
“People of goodwill will always carve out common ground to
meet the needs of our students, our workforce and our school communities,” Los
Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “We are grateful to
have the support of these extraordinary industry leaders to create
opportunities for our students.
The coalition will also provide Los Angeles Unified teachers
with access to renowned storytellers, along with industry professionals and
experts, and hands-on experience for students from underserved communities and
create a pathway to employment within the industry.”
Charlie Collier, Chief Executive Officer, FOX Entertainment;
Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer,
NBCUniversal; and Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Global Head of
Inclusion at Paramount and Executive Vice President, Public Affairs,
Nickelodeon, have joined the Roybal Advisory Board, and will work alongside
board members George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Bryan Lourd, Kerry Washington, Eva
Longoria, Mindy Kaling, Don Cheadle, Nicole Avant, Working Title Films founders
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Jim Gianopulos, and Paul Buccieri, President &
Chairman A+E Networks Group. Additional members are to be announced at a later
date.
“People of goodwill will always carve out common ground to
meet the needs of our students, our workforce and our school communities,” Los
Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “We are grateful to
have the support of these extraordinary industry leaders to create opportunities
for our students.
The coalition will also provide Los Angeles Unified teachers
with access to renowned storytellers, along with industry professionals and
experts, and hands-on experience for students from underserved communities and
create a pathway to employment within the industry.”
Helping to expand access and accelerate the progress of
diversity and inclusion in below-the-line professions, an illustrious group of
artisans, including costume designers Ruth Carter and Emilio Sosa; production
designers Wynn Thomas and Korey Washington; hair and make-up artist Howard
Berger; cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt; lighting director Danny Gonzalez;
supervising sound editors Bobbi Banks and Glenfield Payne; film editor Michael
Tronick; animation artist Vicky Pui; and visual effects producer Brooke Breton;
have joined as inaugural members of the Roybal Industry Council, bringing their
expertise to the development and delivery of career pathways.
Overseen by Principal Blanca Cruz, the Roybal Film and Television
Production Magnet provides Los Angeles Unified teachers with access to renowned
storytellers, along with industry professionals and experts, and supports
students with a robust academic education and practical training, providing a
foundational understanding of the media and entertainment industry, while
preparing them for below-the-line professions. The magnet opened with ninth-
and 10 th -grade students and will include grades 11 and 12 over the next two
years, with potential opportunity to expand the pilot program to more schools
throughout the Los Angeles area.
The Roybal Film and Television Production Magnet was founded
in 2021 by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington, Mindy
Kaling, Nicole Avant, Eva Longoria, Working Title Films founders Tim Bevan and
Eric Fellner and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Co-Chairman Bryan Lourd in
partnership with Los Angeles Unified, with a mission to build a more inclusive
pipeline of historically underrepresented college- and career-ready students
interested in the film and television industries.
The school is supported by the Roybal Fund, a 501(c)(3)
fiscal sponsored by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). All donations
are tax deductible. EIF is a Charity Navigator 4-Star Charity that meets all 20
BBB Charity Standards and carries the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.