In this issue:

• Director's Notes
• Message from Allison

News

• Featured Member Posting: Film, TV, Digital, & Marketing Summer Internships - LA
• 2015 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program listings now available online
• Get 1 year of FREE Harvardwood membership: Host a summer intern!
• Harvardwood joins Harvard's Global Month of Service (APRIL 18th EVENT IN LA)
• Celebrate Arts First Weekend with Harvardwood in Cambridge
• LAST CALL: Short story and poetry submissions to The Seven Deadly Sins, an original anthology
• NY & Toronto members, subscribe to your chapter blog for the latest events and announcements

Features

• Harvardwood Artist Showcase: Susan Bin AB '16 (Freelance Artist with Facebook's Art & Animation Team)
• Industry Successes
• New Members' Welcome
• Member Profile: Colleen McGuinness '99 (Comedy Writer-Producer, About a Boy, 30 Rock)

Calendar & Notes

• Calendar
• Join our Member Directories at www.Harvardwood.org

Director's Notes

Harvardwood, let's welcome spring—and Harvard's Global Month of Service—by pitching in at the Great LA River cleanup on April 18th with Harvardwood Helps! This will be a great way to do some good for the environment while having fun in the sun with fellow Harvardwood members. We're grateful to the Director of Harvardwood Helps, Stacy Cohen, for finding these opportunities for our community!

If you're not in Los Angeles, you can still socialize with Harvardwood members—in person at a host of great events we have in Boston, New York, Toronto, and other chapters this month or online via our member directories. Scroll to the bottom for instructions on how to make sure your profile is visible in our member directories.

However, we understand if you're too busy to socialize right now because you're getting ready to submit your taxes short story or poem to The Seven Deadly Sins, Harvardwood Publishing's first original anthology. The submission deadline is easy to remember: April 15th!

— Dona

Message from Allison

Students, it's time to get cracking on your applications for summer internships in the arts, media, and entertainment! The 2015 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program (HSIP) opportunities are now available online (you don't need to be a Harvardwood member to access the listings, but you do need to be logged in to the site). We're also excited to host two Harvardwood events in Cambridge this month: our annual "I Was a Showbiz Intern" Panel with the Harvard Office of Career Services AND a special Harvardwood Arts First Reception. Thank you to Dona for organizing!

And if you are able to host a HSIP participant this summer, get in touch with us! Accommodation hosts receive a free year of Harvardwood membership for our student interns, many of whom need free or discounted summer housing to help defray the costs of unpaid summer internships. Thank you!

— Allison

Featured Member Posting: Film, TV, Digital, & Marketing Summer Internships - LA

Legendary Entertainment offers an exciting summer internship program providing students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working for an industry leader in entertainment and media. We currently have openings available in our Film, Television, Digital, and Marketing divisions. At Legendary, every intern has the opportunity to play an integral role in their department’s success and to attend a variety of events aimed at developing their relationships and their knowledge of the entertainment industry. Our interns should be prepared to work in a fast-paced and creative team environment. Start and end dates are flexible based on the individual student's schedule, but you will be required to commit between 8-12 weeks to our program. Hiring decisions are based on your major field of study, past work / internship experience, and any extracurricular activities... View full posting and apply.

Want to see more summer internship opportunities? Check out the 2015 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program list of opportunities (more information below)!

2015 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program listings now available online

The 2015 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program (HSIP) list of opportunities is now available! Started in 2003, HSIP provides a list of summer internship opportunities in the arts, media and entertainment to interested Harvard students. In addition, HSIP facilitates career-related activities throughout the summer for participating students and companies in NYC and LA. Past program events have included film screenings, industry panels, and speaker series—we're already lining up a few exciting events for HSIP LA this summer!

Speaking of those exciting HSIP events in LA... we're looking for a volunteer to help manage HSIP 2015! The volunteer will help coordinate additional career-related activities throughout the summer for participating students and companies in NYC and LA (and/or other cities in which there is critical mass). This is a great stepping stone for a volunteer who is interested in joining the Harvardwood Board of Directors in future! To apply, please email your resume and a brief statement (1 paragraph) indicating why you're interested in this volunteer position to [email protected].

Get 1 year of FREE Harvardwood membership: Host a summer intern!

Harvardwood joins Harvard's Global Month of Service (APRIL 18th EVENT IN LA)

Harvardwood and the Harvard Club of Southern California hope you will join us again this year for Harvard's Global Month of Service! During this, our seventh year participating in the global initiative, we invite you to add your name to those of over 750 local alumni who have participated since the program’s inception. In addition to the list of service events provided by the HCSC, Harvardwood Helps is hosting an event on April 18th: The Great LA River Cleanup!

All Harvardwood Helps participants must RSVP and sign a mandatory waiver for the Great LA River Cleanup—you can find all the information you need and RSVP here!

Celebrate Arts First Weekend with Harvardwood in Cambridge

Current Harvard students and members of the Harvardwood Boston chapter are invited to celebrate the beginning of Arts First Weekend with Harvardwood on Thursday, April 30th! Harvardwood is hosting a special Arts First Reception from 5-7pm at Grafton Street Pup & Grill—right across the street from campus. Look for us in the Bar Alcove, as we kick off Arts First Weekend and celebrate the student performers and participants! This event is co-sponsored by the Office for the Arts at Harvard.

All current students and/or Harvardwood members: FREE RSVP | Non-members: $5 | RSVP TODAY

LAST CALL: Short story and poetry submissions to The Seven Deadly Sins, an original anthology

Forget about your taxes—the bigger date looming this month is the submission deadline to Harvardwood Publishing's first original anthology, The Seven Deadly Sins! Pick one (or several!) juicy sins and send us your original short story or poem on that theme for consideration in this anthology. The deadline for submission is 11:59pm Pacific Time, April 15, 2015; the entry fee is $15 per work. Learn more about the Harvardwood Publishing anthology and submission guidelines!

NY & Toronto members, subscribe to your chapter blog for the latest events and announcements

From time to time we have AMAZING offers—free tickets to premiere screenings of new movies and to off-Broadway shows, special discounts, short notice events (and, of course, reminders about some of our upcoming events that you may not have noticed). But with our switch to the new website and its software, we're no longer sending out the e-mails we used to send. Instead, to be in the loop for these and other opportunities, sign up to get RSS feed updates from your chapter blog! Don't miss out—there's some wonderful stuff on the way!

• Subscribe to the Harvardwood NYC Chapter blog
• Subscribe to the Harvardwood Toronto Chapter blog

Harvardwood Artist Showcase: Susan Bin AB '16 (Freelance Artist with Facebook's Art & Animation Team, Harvardwood Student Outreach Coordinator and Intern)

Susan is a current Harvard undergrad who has been working on a visual development portfolio for feature animation after an internship with DreamWorks Animation this past summer. Her first experience in the entertainment industry was through a J-termship at The Jim Henson Studios with Harvardwood 101. This past year, she's worked with Facebook as an artist-designer on unannounced projects, pursued mentorships with talented artists such as Scott Watanabe (Art Director of Big Hero 6), and illustrated for webcomics. She is currently in consideration as a finalist for Blue Sky Studios' Visual Development Summer Internship.

Susan was invited to participate in two art books with current campaigns on Kickstarter as Staff Picks. The first is a Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire tribute art book with 100+ emerging and professional illustrators that will be showing at Gallery Nucleus this summer. The second is a Ladies of Literature art anthology dedicated to female authors and characters; it has already stretched over its goal with $25,000. As part of their online campaign, Ladies of Literature will release an artist interview spotlight on her to be available here.

Check out Susan's art portfolio, art blog, and store & merchandise. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.

Industry Successes

Dan Masterson '12, a performing singer-songwriter, will release his 3rd EP, Atlas, on April 11th with a show at the Hard Rock Cafe, Boston, followed by a special performance on April 12th at the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. Listen to his new single, “Atlas,” pre-order the album, and get tickets at www.danmastersonmusic.com.

Jonathan Bird HLS ’05 executive produced with Spike Lee the feature directorial debut of Julius Onah, THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE, starring Wilmer Valderrama, Columbus Short, Alicja Bachleda, Jesse Spencer and Paz de la Huerta in a Lower East Side crime thriller, releasing April 3rd by eOne in theaters iTunes and VOD.

Unfriended will hit theaters nationwide on April 17, 2015! The movie was written by Nelson Greaves '10 and co-produced by Greaves and Adam Sidman '10. Other Harvard folks involved in Unfriended include Andrew Wesman '10 (editor), Sean Goller '12 (DIT), Matthew Bohrer '10 (actor), and Sungmi Choi '06 and Couper Samuelson '02 of Blumhouse Productions. Attend a Harvardwood Unfriended screening + Q&A with some of the filmmakers in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 19th at AMC Universal Citywalk 19!

New Members' Welcome

• Anthony Buda, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Steven Cinoman, FOH, NY
• Aimee Corrigan, GSE, Boston/On-Campus
• Lauren Estevez, HLS, Boston/On-Campus
• Eunice Dove, HBS, Boston/On-Campus
• Harumi Furuya, College, NY
• Kimberlee Garris, College, NY
• Rachel Harner, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Anna Harnick, College, LA
• Russell Horton, KSG, NY
• Kang Lee, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Liz Maynes-Aminzade, Faculty, Boston/On-Campus
• Alyssa Moore, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Samuel Moore, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Jamie Muresanu, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Noam Osband, GSAS, Boston/On-Campus
• Joule Voelz, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Isabella Wager, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Kyle Whelihan, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Erin Williams, College, Boston/On-Campus
• Steve Wimberly, College, ATL
• David Wolf, EXT, LA

*FOH = Friend of Harvardwood

New AND current members, we are psyched that our great Directors of Membership Experience, Lano Williams and Donna Mandosa, are planning some cool and original ideas for Harvardwood meet-ups in the coming months. Be sure to check our calendar and weekly newsletter for updates.

Member Profile: Colleen McGuinness '99 (Comedy Writer-Producer, About a Boy, 30 Rock) 

by Sara Lynne Wright

“A lot of recent graduates, especially Harvard students, want to do the responsible thing and have a job lined up when they move to Hollywood, but it’s really hard to do that unless you already live here.”

Comedy writer-producer Colleen McGuinness has practiced what she preaches.

As a writer for film and television, including 30 ROCK and ABOUT A BOY, she has no shame admitting that when she first moved out to L.A., she was unemployed.

Half-Korean and half-Irish but raised by her Irish-Norwegian grandparents since she was six months old, Colleen says the feeling of being an outsider is part of what has fueled her to write.

While at Harvard, Colleen did a Radcliffe externship, comparable to what’s now Harvardwood 101. During spring break, she lived with the director Claudia Weill, who showed her that there were warm, helpful people in LA. Claudia introduced her to such legends as Ed Zwick and Marshal Herskovitz and took her to a taping of FRIENDS. She was instantly in love with being on set.

When she asked their advice, the entertainment professionals she met encouraged Colleen to move out to LA when she was done with school.  She did, and proceeded to line up meetings with anyone who could point her to a gig. One was with Glenn Padnick, then head of television for Castle Rock.

Glenn had seen a production of GUYS AND DOLLS that Colleen directed in what was then the Hasty Pudding Theatre (now the New College Theatre). It was the first time in ten years that undergraduate females had performed on that stage, setting a new precedent for co-ed student productions in that space.

But Glenn didn’t know that he had a position for Colleen. He revealed that Castle Rock’s receptionist was leaving, but figured that as a Harvard grad she wouldn’t want that job. “I’ll do it.” Colleen replied immediately. Glenn was pleasantly surprised.

Hence, Colleen’s other piece of advice to Harvard graduates is to forget they went to Harvard, at least for a little while. “It’s a cliché, but it’s important to be willing to start at the bottom.”

After a few months of answering phones at Castle Rock, Colleen became a development assistant to Richard Brener at New Line Cinema.

She wrote at night and on weekends, including the script for a short comedy film (not based on personal experience, Colleen wryly disclaims) about a girl whose roommate may or may not have caught her masturbating.

Her boss Richard, along with other New Line executives including Michael De Luca, Mark Ordesky, and Donna Langley, read the script, schedule, and budget for the short. Then they all wrote personal checks to fund the short film, which Colleen went on to direct. That short and a feature script she wrote got her an agent. (Don’t bother looking for the short online - she couldn’t risk her Catholic grandparents seeing it.)

She went on a lot of feature meetings, but of course movies take a long time to make. Not to mention she wasn’t getting paid. So she asked her feature agent if she could sign with someone for TV. She did. That’s how she got her start as a TV writer on a Darren Starr show for NBC, MISS MATCH, starring Alicia Silverstone.

This got her on track to be a one-hour television writer. She wrote on three other one-hours, including MERCY, starring Taylor Schilling.  The last was a show called LOVE BITES. Run by WILL AND GRACE writers like a half hour comedy, with both a story room and a punch-up room, the experience on that show showed her she’d love to write half hour comedy.

So Colleen wrote a comedy spec script and was then told that 30 ROCK was hiring. She flew out to New York to interview with Tina Fey and got the gig, which landed her back in her native land of New York in what turned out to be a dream job. She worked on the two final seasons of the show (six and seven), gaining the valuable experience of “landing the plane” of a longstanding hit series.  

As a producer-writer on 30 ROCK, Colleen shared in nominations for a 2014 Emmy, a PGA Award, and two WGA Awards.  She, along with the rest of the staff, was a recipient of the 2012 Comedy Award for Best Comedy Writing.

Colleen continues to work with other Harvard graduates.  She is currently developing a comedy pilot with Universal Television, to be executive produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock AB ‘95, and is writing a comedy pilot for FX, to be executive produced by Matt Damon AB ‘92 and Ben Affleck.

Sara Lynne Wright has worked for iconic producer Mike Medavoy at Phoenix Pictures and with the writing staff of USA’S hit show WHITE COLLAR. TRIXIE’S SCORE, which she wrote and starred in, is distributed by Shorts International.

Calendar

FEATURED EVENT: Harvardwood Presents: NYCB & ABT Dancers on LIFE IN THE CORPS - 4/13/2015

Our culture loves to focus on the glamorous stars of ballet, but the heart of any great ballet company is its corps, and the members of the corps of companies like American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet are some of the most brilliantly gifted dancers on the planet. In this intimate Harvardwood event, four of these extraordinary artists—Lydia Wellington (above) and Harrison Coll of NYCB, and Skylar Brandt and Sean Stewart (side) of ABT—will talk about life in the studio and onstage, from the sweaty nitty-gritty of daily class, rehearsal, and performance, to the transcendent experiences dance uniquely offers. ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Boston

Harvardwood Heads To... Kuumba's 45th Reunion! - 4/10/2015 - 4/13/2015

Calling all Kuumba alumni! Please review the below flyer for information about Kuumba's 45th Reunion Celebration. For more information, visit www.kuumbasingers.org. Events will take place on Friday, April 10th through Sunday, April 12th.

Alumni prior to '10 & Spouses: $75
Alumni '10 to '14: $60
Children: $60

Harvardwood Heads To... Dan Masterson (COL '12) EP Release Party - 4/11/2015

Boston-based piano-pop-rocker Dan Masterson releases his new EP, ATLAS, just one year after his sophomore EP, LEARN TO LIVE drew accolades from press and spins from independent radio nationwide. Listen to the new single, "Atlas" at www.DanMastersonMusic.com. Also performing are fellow The Last Band Standing finalist and The New England Music Awards nominee We Were Astronauts, talented singer-songwriter, AJ Edwards, Jane's Great Dane, and entertainer extraordinaire,THA CAPITAL G.

Harvardwood Heads To... "Is Anybody Listening?" new documentary by Paula J. Caplan - 4/25/2015 (VERMONT)

"Is Anybody Listening?" is a powerful and moving film that gets the non-veteran world interacting with the Veteran as a human being and gives the Veteran the chance to speak and feel safe doing so, something which too rarely happens, Ultimately, both sides are helped to connect, which is essential for us all.
— Shad Meshad, Founder and Director, National Veterans Foundation. View the trailer.

Harvardwood & the OCS Present: I WAS A SHOWBIZ INTERN Panel - 4/29/2015

Come hear from your fellow peers about what it's really like to work in the entertainment business. Get tips on how to find your first opportunity, what different jobs are like, and how to make a great first impression. Hear a panel of former interns discuss how they found their internships, where they interned and what they did, and how they were able to leverage the experience and contacts they gained!

Harvardwood Arts First Reception - 4/30/2015

Members of the Harvardwood Boston/On-Campus chapter are invited to help us celebrate Arts First Weekend at Harvard and the students who make it happen! This event is co-sponsored by the Office for the Arts at Harvard. Please join us for a light reception at Grafton Street Pub & Grill from 5-7pm. We will be in the Bar Alcove of the venue. Cash bar.

Harvardwood Heads To... "Is Anybody Listening?" new documentary by Paula J. Caplan - 4/25/2015 (VERMONT)

"Is Anybody Listening?" is a powerful and moving film that gets the non-veteran world interacting with the Veteran as a human being and gives the Veteran the chance to speak and feel safe doing so, something which too rarely happens, Ultimately, both sides are helped to connect, which is essential for us all.
— Shad Meshad, Founder and Director, National Veterans Foundation. View the trailer.

Los Angeles

C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Film Financing Basics - 4/8/2015

Join CLA and Pierce Law Group LLP attorneys David Albert Pierce and Azita Mirzaian for an overview of how film financing works. From development funds to completion loans and everything in between, learn how a film project receives financing and the legal framework that drives the process. Topics to be covered include a bird’s-eye view of traditional models of financing, securities laws, crowdfunding, tax credits, the role of completion bonds and sales agents, and recent trends that are changing the financing landscape.

Harvardwood Helps at the Great LA River Cleanup - 4/18/2015

In honor of Harvard's Global Month of Service, Harvardwood Helps is pitching in at the Fletcher Drive & Bowtie Parcel, located in the scenic Glendale Narrows, the central and longest natural area of the LA River. The site features historic Fletcher Drive Bridge (completed in 1927). The soft bottom river is home to ducks, cormorants, herons, and egrets. The site is just across from the beginning of the River’s Recreation Zone begins, where both kayaking and fishing are allowed from Memorial Day to Labor Day. All participants must register in advance and sign a waiver.

Harvardwood Film Festival: Unfriended Screening + Q&A with the Filmmakers - 4/19/2015

SAVE THE DATE for this screening of Unfriended on the film's opening weekend (Sunday, April 19th, 5:40pm showing) at the AMC Universal Citywalk 19 in Universal City! After the screening, writer-producer Nelson Greaves, producer Adam Sidman, and perhaps a few other Harvard alums involved in Unfriended will join us for a Q&A. Ushering in a new era of horror, Universal Pictures' UNFRIENDED unfolds over a teenager's computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance for a shaming video that led a vicious bully to kill herself a year earlier.

Harvardwood Heads To... The Ivy Plus Society's Spring Fling - 4/22/2015

It's time to go back to our roots and celebrate each other Ivy style. Join The Ivy Plus Society at the magnificent SkyBar at the Mondrian this April and enjoy the views from the top of Los Angeles. This breathtaking rooftop bar is the best way to break the ice and get in the spirit of Spring. Buy One Get One Free tickets are blooming so grab them before they are all picked.

C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Art & Merchandising - 4/22/2015

Clothing, posters, pillows, candles, keychains, stickers, dolls - the list of merchandise items is long, varied, and represents a major revenue stream for artists and rights holders. Copyrights, trademarks, trade dress, and rights of publicity – these and more are implicated in the wild world of merchandise. What do artists need to know before allowing their work to be used on merchandise? What are the different kinds of agreements that artists can make with merchandisers? Are there ways for artists to enforce their rights if they discover unauthorized use of their work? Join CLA and attorneys Scott Burroughs and Stephen Doniger for a presentation covering the intellectual property and contract issues involved in using visual art on merchandise.

Toronto

Harvardwood Co-Hosts A SIX-STRING HISTORY OF AMERICA - 4/8/2015

The Harvard Club of Toronto and Harvardwood Toronto are pleased to present: A Six-String History of America with historian, guitarist and singer/songwriter Jay Pilzer. He describes his most recent book, also titled A Six-String History of America,  as "a series of essays that look at American history through the lens of guitars, the guitar industry, and the music made on them."

Washington, DC

Harvardwood Heads To... The 2015 Books Alive! Washington Writers Conference - 4/25/2015

Let’s head to the Books Alive! Conference, Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 8am-5pm (plus Friday 4/24 Opening reception). Featuring:

• One-on-one pitches with up to three author agents
• Morning and afternoon panels
• Morning coffee and box lunch 

Registration includes the chance to pitch your idea or manuscript to your choice of up to three professional agents. Conference organizers will work to match your project with the most appropriate agent(s).

New York

Harvardwood Heads To... Furuya Sisters Concert Series Spring 2015 SEASON OPENING CONCERT - 4/11/2015

Come listen to the Furuya Sisters' masterful performances of beautiful classical music, sure to bring you great joy and pure relaxation! The Furuya Sisters Concert Series Inaugural Fall 2014 Season swept across the Tri-State Area, attracting intense media attention and eliciting interest of both Governors of NY and NJ as well as enthusiasm of audience members! Legendary Actor Billy Gray tells everyone: "I'm a big fan of these sisters. You can't go wrong at one of their concerts they come to play. You'll be happy you went!"

Harvardwood Heads To... Dan Masterson (COL '12) EP Release Party - 4/12/2015

Boston-based piano-pop-rocker Dan Masterson releases his new EP, ATLAS, just one year after his sophomore EP, LEARN TO LIVE drew accolades from press and spins from independent radio nationwide. Listen to the new single, "Atlas" at www.DanMastersonMusic.com. This special acoustic set will celebrate not only his new music but also his debut performance in Manhattan. Come be a part of this unique show.

SF/Bay Area

C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to The Merch Table: Licensing & Merchandising for Creative Artists - 4/16/2015

Join Dawn Newton and Daniel Schacht of Donahue Fitzgerald LLP for a discussion of the essential legal and business concerns that creative artists need to consider when entering into a licensing agreement. This workshop will cover legal questions and common deal points for merchandising agreements for clothing, souvenirs, and the like.

C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to How to Blog Your Book - 4/29/2015

Get basic information on how to set up your blog and the essential plug-ins and other options necessary to get the most out of each post! Based on Nina Amir’s bestselling book, How to Blog Your Book, Writer’s Digest Books, 2012. Admission price includes a signed book valued at $12.99! Nina Amir will autograph copies of your book following the Q&A session.

Join our Member Directories at www.Harvardwood.org

Part of Harvardwood's mission is connecting members of the Harvard University community who believe in the power and purpose of the arts, media, and entertainment. In addition to the members-only features and benefits the Harvardwood website offers, we've created various directories where you can find folks who work in the same industry or live in the same area as you. Tap into the Harvardwood network by finding your chapter, or join one of the following directories.

• General Member Directory
• Acting Directory
• Filmmakers' Directory (Directors & Producers)
• Music Directory
• Writers' Directory

Note: Only dues-current Harvardwood members will appear in the directories. Become a Harvardwood member or log in and renew your membership dues!

DISCLAIMER

Harvardwood does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content or advertisements (collectively "Materials") contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the services contained in this e-mail. You hereby acknowledge that any reliance upon any Materials shall be at your sole risk. The materials are provided by Harvardwood on an "AS IS" basis, and Harvardwood expressly disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied.