Company: Nicholas Britell - Lake George Entertainment LLC
Location: NYC
Start Date: June 1st, 2022
Type of Position: Executive/Personal Assistant - Full-Time Salary Position - Hybrid
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Minimum Years of Experience: 1-2yrs

Job Description:

Open Position working with Composer Nicholas Britell / Lake George Entertainment LLC

Harvardwood is pleased to launch Two by Two, an occasional Q&A from two alumni who interview each other. Our participants are longtime Harvardwood volunteer Megan Goldstein (Vice President, Film & Television Music at BMG) and Harvardwood Advisory Board member Robert Kraft (musician, producer and former President of Fox Music) who discuss music, creativity, and the gift of no and the curse of yes.

These are highlights from that interview.

Megan Goldstein: The first thing I want to bring up is that I remember you speaking in one of my classes at Harvard.  The class was Broadway-focused on writing and creative and the music industry through Broadway. I don't know if this is ringing any bells for you.

Robert Kraft: Totally ringing bells! I also remember telling the story at the beginning of class, which is kind of appropriate for us to kick off this conversation. It was ironic for me to be the guest speaker at a class at the Harvard music department. As a Harvard freshman, I had wanted to be a music major because I was a musician, full stop. I had thought about going to different schools but got into Harvard. My brothers said, “If you get into Harvard, you go,” but it didn't change what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in music and in the music department. And to get into the music department, you had to audition for Elliot Forbes, who was the chairman at the time, may he rest in peace.

I went to my audition, and though I had written songs and been in a band since I was in fifth grade, I was asked to read a Bach Prelude. I was a terrible sight reader. I started to read and fumble through, and Mr. Forbes said, “You know, let's just stop.” I told him that I was there to focus on my interests, which are Black American artists. I loved Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Muddy Waters, and I loved the Rolling Stones who played Willie Dixon songs. When I started to tell him how much I wanted to study that, he said, “You're in the wrong place. The music department's not for you.”

Thankfully, I was taking a freshman seminar in visual and environmental studies, and I was really happy to be admitted to that department. Fortunately, things have changed. White Eurocentric teaching is dead and buried, and now there's a Quincy Jones Chair of African-American Music at Harvard.

MG: That’s a pretty upsetting story. I do think it has changed, or at least started to change. That said I also found it was a bit of a struggle to find the right place to study what I was hoping to study. I was a double concentrator, anthropology and music, not because I had any interest in anthro, but because I was very interested in film. I went to film school afterwards for grad school at USC, but at Harvard, all the film-related classes were in anthropology. So I ended up in this concentration, which I had no interest in, because all the classes that I wanted to take were housed there. But to speak to diversity of perspectives in the music department, I definitely think I had a better experience than you did. One of my favorite classes in the music department was on Middle Eastern instruments like the actual technical writing and playing of these instruments. It was one of the best classes I took while I was there. We had to learn to play them a little bit. It was awesome. Looking back, I feel there was a lot of interesting classes that were pretty great.

RK: That’s really the exact opposite of my experience. In this way, you were exposed to non-European music. There's a recent academic debate – of which I couldn't possibly quote all the pros and cons – that music theory is racist. It's kind of been flaming online for a couple years that there's a professor who is very much in favor of the idea that if you're going to be in a music department, you need to understand Eurocentric music. Then there's this kind of counterpoint to that, which is exactly what you did, which includes micro tones and Middle Eastern music and whole other traditions.

I really loved my time at Harvard. I played exactly the music I wanted to play. And hearing what you did, you solved the problem. In my junior year in visual and environmental studies, I wrote a paper on Leonard Bernstein’s score for On the Waterfront – that's about as close as I came to film music – and how it was kind of the antecedent to West Side Story, which Bernstein wrote it in 1956. But I didn't have any clue that film music is where I'd end up. I thought it was just a cool thing to write about. I then went on to start a band in New York and just do what I wanted to do, which was trying to be Led Zeppelin. Which didn't work out.

MG: Well, in your defense. it worked out okay!

RK: You went from music and anthropology; you could have ended up following in the steps of Margaret Mead.

MG: I didn't want to at all. In fact, I remember as I went through the anthropology department really hating anthropology! Like you and I think so many people, when I got into Harvard, I didn't expect it to happen. I, too, was going to go to NYU, to New York, and do music and film. That's where I wanted to be. And then this thing happened to me. So I thought, I’m going to go there, because I guess that's what you do when this happens to you. When I got there, I thought I needed to be a history major and “get serious.” Everybody does that when they arrive, they forget about what they want to do and who they are because they're in this place that's scary and serious and smart or something. I had always been a musician. I always played in bands. I also studied classically, but jazz was what I really liked in high school.

After I arrived at Harvard, I thought, “My extra credits will be music and theater and dance and film. but I will study straight.” I was unhappy, and I hated it. I also came from a high school where I had to take some remedial classes, like writing, because I didn't come to Harvard ready the way I should have, and I was miserable. I thought, “What am I doing?” And I just switched to music. And I just loved old film, the history of film. It was just my whole thing. And Harvard had nothing. Now they have a film major ...

RK: Sort of, I think it’s part of the visual environmental studies.

MG: Yes, but I think they have something more focused that they didn't have when I was there, more film centered, because they didn't have anything at all, really. Once I decided what I was going to do, it was like no one could stop me. I just found the classes and made the major be what it was going to be. I took the classes that I loved in anthropology, the film classes, I took this Brazilian documentary film related to literature class, just incredible classes that were really small. They were the best part of my whole academic experience.

I appreciated the music theory classes and all the piano, too, because I had always been a musician. But my theory background was somewhat limited. The piano was really good for me. I came out being able to conduct, write and arrange music in a much more sophisticated way.  It allowed me to have church gigs, write music and be a band member in a more supportive and integral way than I had been going in. So it all kind of worked out. But it was a long process of figuring out that you just kind of have to do what you want to do. Which is, for some reason, really hard. Sometimes.

Welcome! Launched in 2022, Seattle - Vancouver is Harvardwood’s first joint Canadian-American chapter.

• Meet & Greets (in both Seattle & Vancouver)
• Workshops (Online & In-Person)
• Literary & Creative Salons (Scrawl-Crawls in B.C. & Washington, Writing Exchanges, Photography & Themed Outings, Video & Animation Tours, etc.)

YOUR CHAPTER HEADS: 

From Laguna Beach (Orange County), California, Jennifer Bao Yu "Precious Jade" Jue-Steuck is an author, screenwriter, children's novelist, researcher, and columnist. Adopted from Taipei (by an American family from Los Angeles), Jennifer is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Harvard University, where she was a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholar.

Mario Pochat is CEO and founder of FAME (www.myfame.org), an educational platform for digital entertainment teaching the art and science behind movies and video games. Mario received a national award for opening VANAS, the first “cloud school” in Canada (www.vanas.ca). A recipient of the “10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians,” he is a member of Passages Canada and Historica Canada.

Sugar23 is looking for an assistant to two managers – one literary and one crossover. Candidates must have at least one-year agency or management company experience – ideally someone that wants to ultimately work in representation.  Looking for self-starters, entrepreneurial spirits, team players and creative thinkers. This is a job where your input will be valued and you will be looked at as part of the team. S23 is a dynamic and fast-growing media company with a great culture and room for internal growth.  Interested applicants should send a CV to [email protected] and when submitting please make the subject of your email: Sugar23 Management Assistant Position.

Company: HBO
Location: Remote or New York, NY
Start Date: June 6th
Type of Position: Full-Time, Internship
Minimum Education Level: Students must be currently enrolled in a college degree program for the full duration of the internship
Minimum Years of Experience: 

Job Description: 

Documentary interns are immersed in the world of programming. Interns experience the seat of a programmer by reviewing and considering films submissions and learning what fits our programming needs at the time of their internship. Intern multi-tasks by working both independently, brainstorming on creative ideas and seeing it to fruition, participate in project meetings and working alongside multiple team members within the department in various ways.

Company: Showtime
Location: New York, NY
Start Date:
Type of Position: Full-Time
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor's degree
Minimum Years of Experience: 2 years

Job Description: 

The Showtime Sports Junior Producer will be a creative, skilled, hard worker deeply immersed in the world of social media content and strategy. We are looking for someone to assist a larger content team on shoots, campaigns, and activations centered around combat sports, documentaries and podcasts. Interest in sports, digital marketing, social media content distribution and a readiness to learn and adapt are all vitally important!

Company: Popculture.com
Location: Remote
Start Date:
Type of Position: Full-Time
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor's degree
Minimum Years of Experience: 2 years

Job Description: 

The Writer will be primarily responsible for writing daily news desk articles that include but are not limited to reality tv news, celebrities, and general trending news. Since this is an evening and weekends role, the majority of content will be television-based. The writer will work with the PopCulture editorial and content team, in a fun and fast-paced media-centric agile environment. As a writer, you will be responsible for producing a set amount of articles each day while also being able to recognize content lanes that continue to grow PopCulture’s influence in key areas.

Company: CBS Sports
Location: New York, NY
Start Date:
Type of Position: Full-Time
Minimum Education Level: 
Minimum Years of Experience: 1 year

Job Description: 

Do you love CBS Sports and Communciations? This Communications Coordinator will contribute to the overall publicity efforts for CBS Sports across all platforms on properties that include the NFL, college basketball and the NCAA Tournament, college football, PGA TOUR, global soccer (including UEFA, Series A, Concacaf, NWSL), SRX, PBR, WNBA as well as outside packages!

Company: Disney
Location: San Francisco, CA
Start Date: 
Type of Position: Full-Time
Minimum Education Level: 
Minimum Years of Experience: 1

Job Description: 

Company: Hulu
Location: New York, NY
Start Date
Type of Position: Full-Time
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor's
Minimum Years of Experience: 1

Job Description: 

HARVARDWOOD WRITERS COMPETITION RELEASE

As a condition of entering the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition, I/we hereby certify that: 

1. I/we am/are the author(s) of the script which I/we have submitted to the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition.  The script has never been produced (in the case of plays, non-equity readings/productions are acceptable) nor have any rights in the script been disposed of to a third party by option, sale or any other means.
   
   
2. I/we am/are the sole and exclusive owner(s) of all rights thereto and there are no disputes regarding ownership of the submitted script.  I/we have full authority to submit the script to the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition.
   
   
3. I/we guarantee that the submitted script does not invade the privacy or defame or otherwise violate the rights of any person, living or dead, and is not obscene.  
   
   
4. I/we will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Harvardwood, its officers, board members, affiliated companies and sponsors, individually and collectively, including their heirs, personal representatives, officers, directors, successors and assigns, from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, judgments, liabilities and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, including without limitation other contestants, based on any script or other materials submitted by me/us to Harvardwood.  We hereby release Harvardwood, its officers, board members, affiliated companies and sponsors, individually and collectively, from any liability arising from the actions of other contestants.
   
   
5. I/we shall be solely responsible for taking all necessary steps to establish and protect my/our copyright in the submitted material, and Harvardwood shall have no obligation with respect thereto.
   
   
6. I/we hereby grant Harvardwood the nonexclusive right to use my/our name in connection with any and all publicity and promotional activities regarding the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition.
   
   
7. I/we understand that this is a Writers’ Competition, not an evaluation service and that the judges are not obligated to provide any feedback to the contestants regarding their script submission(s).
   
   
8. I/we hereby agree to abide by the decisions of the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition judges with regard to all matters and decisions, including those decisions involving their sole discretion, relating to the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition.
   
   
9. I/we understand that Harvardwood makes no promises that my/our script will be produced or that I/we will gain representation as a result of entering the contest.
   
   
10. I/we have read all of the contest rules and release, understand them, and have complied with them. I/we understand that failure to adhere to the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition rules and release will result in disqualification from the contest.
    
    
11. I/we understand that Harvardwood, its officers, board members, affiliated companies and sponsors, individually and collectively, including their heirs, personal representatives, officers, directors, successors and assigns accept no liability whatsoever for loss or non-receipt of my/our script or for the unauthorized use of all or part of my/our script by any person.
    
    
12. I/we understand that Harvardwood will not return and is not obligated to return my/our script or any other materials I/we have submitted to the Harvardwood Writers’ Competition.

The rights and obligations of Harvardwood and ourselves will be determined and interpreted according to California law.

Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship Original Announcement (Sept. 2021)

APPLY HERE

Harvardwood is pleased to announce the Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship for graduating seniors or recent Harvard alumni working or seeking to work in the arts, media, and entertainment fields. The multiyear gift, generously donated by Harvardwood Co-Founder Mia Riverton Alpert ’99 and her husband, producer and media entrepreneur David Alpert ‘97, includes a $24,000 per-artist grant, awarded annually, to support one or more recent graduates from the College for one year as they pursue their artistic projects. Each Alpert Harvardwood Fellow will also be paired with a mentor in their field of interest to help guide their creative endeavors and will receive additional assistance through Harvardwood.

The Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship will be awarded annually to a different artist or artists. Grant funds can be used at the grantee’s discretion. The purpose of the funds is to provide the opportunity for an individual to choose the pursuit of artistic endeavors without consideration of financial need for the duration of the grant period. There is no restriction on the artistic field; musicians, dancers, visual artists, actors, writers, filmmakers and artists/creators in all disciplines are encouraged to apply. 

“Creating more equitable access to careers in the arts has been a lifelong passion for us and was a motivating force behind Harvardwood’s founding 22 years ago.  David and I are honored to support the next generation of emerging Harvard artists as they begin their professional journeys,” said Mia Riverton Alpert.

Harvardwood President Allison Kiessling said, "We have long known that to have a greater impact we need to invest more deeply in individual artists. This fellowship will allow Harvardwood to amplify our efforts to promote diversity, equity and the positive impact of new voices in the arts. We are incredibly grateful for the Alperts’ generosity."

The Fellowship selection committee is comprised of Harvardwood board members, other industry professionals, and Harvard University staff with expertise in various artistic disciplines.

Read last year's Crimson article on the Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship here. Read about the 2022-23 HALF winners here!

2023-24 Fellowship Winners

Harvardwood is pleased to announce that filmmaker/visual artist Uzo Ngwu (AB ‘23) and conductor/composer Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg (AB ‘21) are the recipients of the second annual Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship. In addition to receiving a $24,000 grant to support their work, each Fellow will be paired with a mentor in their field to offer professional guidance and support during the term of the Fellowship.

Ms. Ngwu will spend her fellowship year focusing on completing the production of her 2D animated film  MMANWU, which began as her thesis project. Uzo will be mentored by renowned filmmaker Mark Osborne. Mr. Osborne is known for his work in both animation and live-action directing. He gained acclaim for co-directing the highly praised film Kung Fu Panda, which garnered an Academy Award nomination and earned over $630 million worldwide. Mr. Osborne's other notable achievements include his award-winning stop-motion animated short More and his contributions to the popular TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as being a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship. His diverse portfolio showcases his talent and creativity in both animation and live-action storytelling.

Mr. Wenzelberg will spend his fellowship year continuing in the second year of the National Master in Orchestral Conducting program in Amsterdam, as well as participating in the 2023 Mahler Competition in Bamberg, Germany and pursuing conducting opportunities in Europe. He will also pursue avenues to advance his original opera and senior thesis, NIGHTTOWN, which has just won a 2023 ASCAP Morton Gould Composer Award and whose premiere recording will be featured in the 2023 Bloomsday Film Festival in Ireland. Benjamin’s mentor will be conductor Alan Gilbert (AB ‘89). Mr. Gilbert is principal conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and music director of Royal Swedish Opera. He was music director of the New York Philharmonic from 2009 to 2017 and principal conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra from 2000 to 2008. He holds the title of conductor laureate with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic.

In addition to the two Fellows, Harvardwood named six finalists who will each receive a $500 grant to support their work. The finalists are writer Josette Abugov  (AB ‘23), mixed media artist Treasure Brooks (AB ‘22), comedian Emma Choi (AB ‘23), performer/writer Ashley Cooper (AB ‘21), musician/composer Devon Gates (AB ‘23), and dancer Osazi Al Khaliq (AB ‘23). 

2024-25 Eligibility

To apply, individuals must be current Harvard College seniors or have graduated from Harvard College within the past two years (i.e. class of 2022, 2023 or 2024), complete the application form, provide a resume, a work sample or portfolio, an introductory video, an artist statement (in written, audio or video format), a letter of recommendation, a creative plan with an overview of envisioned projects to be completed or substantially developed during the term of the Fellowship, and a projected budget for the term of the Fellowship. The finalist round will include a video interview. Individuals who have previously been beneficiaries of Harvardwood grants or scholarships or have participated in Harvardwood programs are eligible if they meet the other terms of eligibility.

Applications will be accepted starting on October 7, 2023 and will be due January 9, 2024 (letter of recommendation due Jan. 23, 2024), with the grant announcement in March 2024. Unless Fellowship funds need to be utilized at a particular time for project-related expenses, funds will be distributed monthly to the Alpert Harvardwood Fellows beginning in June 2024 and ending in May 2025.

APPLY HERE

 Zadoc Angell AB '03 began his career as a TV Literary Agent at Paradigm, where he worked for seven years. Transitioning to Literary Management in 2010, Zadoc joined forces with manager Dave Brown and grew a team of literary managers which they brought with them to Echo Lake in 2013. You can read about his new Co-President position here.

- - - -

written by Brandon Boies

If I proclaimed that growing up on a 400-acre dairy farm could lead to an exciting and successful career as a television literary manager, there might be a few objections. Not from Zadoc Angell. I had the pleasure of talking with Zadoc, who was recently named Co-President of Echo Lake Entertainment’s Management Division, to discuss his life story, passions, and overall career as a TV literary manager. He was very personable, extremely motivated, and – as you may have guessed – grew up on a dairy farm in rural New York. 

That’s where we began our conversation. After all, it seemed a bit unexpected to start in a small-town setting and eventually take a career path that would adventure toward the glamorous lights in Los Angeles. Even Zadoc understood the unlikelihood of his own journey. “Few people ever got away,” he said. However, he always felt in tune with his creative side. “I always loved television and storytelling. I was just exploring all of these interests in a place that wasn’t very accommodating.” 

The answer to his problem? Applying to and attending Harvard, where he would study VES (Visual and Environmental Studies) with a focus on film. He reflected on his time there and how he enjoyed the city. More notably, he discussed how his upbringing paired nicely with the challenges he faced being in such a new place with the pressure Harvard creates. “I had this insane farmer work ethic. You have to have a really strong work ethic. And in my case, today, that means to keep fighting for my clients.”