In This Issue:

• Director's Notes
• Message from Allison

NEWS

• Featured Member Posting: Creative Content Producer (CBS Interactive) - LA
• 2016 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program listings now available online
• Get 1 year of FREE Harvardwood membership by hosting a summer intern!
• Sign up for Harvardwood NYC's first Creative Collage

FEATURES

• Where Are They Now? Series Q&A with Naomi Funabashi '12 (Mandeville Films, Heyday Films)
• Industry Successes
• New Members' Welcome
• Alumni Profile: Kurt Crowley '06 (Associate Conductor, Hamilton the Musical)

CALENDAR & NOTES

• Calendar
• Become a Harvardwood member to access our community of 6,300+

Director's Notes

It's spring, the season of growth and rejuvenation! In other words, it's the perfect time of year to roll up your sleeves and give back to the community with Harvardwood Helps. We're hosting two community service events this month, the Great LA River Cleanup on April 16th and the Writers' Workshop with InsideOUT Writers on April 21st!

And Hamilton fans — that is, EVERYBODY — don't miss this month's alum profile of Kurt Crowley '06, who is Associate Conductor on the Grammy-winning musical!

— Dona

Message from Allison

Happy Spring! Once you're done with your taxes, make sure you head to this month's Harvardwood Masterclass, The Secret Rules of the Set, led by Harvard alum Liz Ryan on April 20th!

Now that the Harvardwood Summer Internship Program listings have been published, we're looking for folks with extra space in their homes to volunteer to host our summer interns. If you can offer free or discounted housing for students interning in Los Angeles or New York in Summer 2016, we'll give you a YEAR of free Harvardwood membership. Thank you!

— Allison

Featured Member Posting: Creative Content Producer (CBS Interactive) - LA

CBS Interactive is looking for a Creative Content Producer to assist in conceptualizing, writing, and publishing content on CBS’ digital platforms. The ideal candidate will have previous experience as a writer and content producer for digital entertainment properties and understand how to create content that is highly engaging, shareable and original.

We are looking for a talented teammate who understands television and can write knowledgeably and passionately about a wide range of shows. Brainstorming ideas, building original graphical and video-based content, and writing short and long-form articles are all key parts of the role. An understanding of social media and its role in storytelling is essential. If you understand TV, write clean, compelling copy, and can take an idea from inception to execution quickly, this is the role for you.

APPLY HERE

2016 Harvardwood Summer Internship Program listings now available online

The 2016 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, company visits, industry panels, and speaker series.

You must be logged in to access the HSIP listings and apply for the internship opportunities through this program! 

Get 1 year of FREE harvardwood membership for hosting a summer intern

Sign up for Harvardwood NYC's first Creative College

We've been looking for a way for Harvardwood members in New York to get to know and support one anothers’ creative work. And so we've come up with something new—the very first ever Harvardwood Creative Collage! Bring in some poems you're working on, a part of that novel-in-progress, a scene you're working on for acting class (yes, you can bring a scene partner with you), your latest painting or photograph or even sculpture (if portable!), a song you've written, that standup set you're working on—everything creative is welcome!

Each Creative Collage will star 8 "presenters", getting 8 minutes each for their work. After the presentations, there will be a reception with wine and cheese. Sign up and participate in this unique event, as either a presenter or an audience member.

Where Are They Now? Series Q&A with Harvardwood 101 Alum Naomi Funabashi '12 (CE, Mandeville Films)

In the #HWire blog's "Where Are They Now?" series, we check in with Harvardwood program alums to find out what they've been up to and to showcase their accomplishments since participating with Harvardwood!

Naomi Funabashi was an English concentrator in the Class of 2012, and she will soon be the new CE at Mandeville Films. She was previously a Coordinator at Heyday Films and participated in Harvardwood 101 during her sophomore year at Harvard College.

Q. When did you decide you wanted to work in show business?

A. I've always loved storytelling—it's why I became an English major and why I was such a bookworm growing up. Books were my first love, but as I got older I also started to really enjoy being in a theater and watching films with an audience. I'm inspired by the idea that a story could be powerful enough to unite thousands of people and move them to the effort of bringing that story to life—an effort that, in turn, moves the millions more who watch it.

Like a lot of people, I never really realized that working in the industry was a path open to me, until I learned about Harvardwood and went on the 101 J-term trip my sophomore year. That trip and the people I met on it completely changed my idea of what was possible.

Q. How did you get your first job in the industry?

A. ​My first internship was at Walt Disney Animation Studios and was possibly one of the happiest summers of my life. I'm a huge animation nerd and grew up during the Disney Renaissance, so it was a dream come true to go to work every day. I learned about that internship through Harvardwood as well, and after I'd applied reached out to a recruiter who had a Harvardwood connection. To this day, I still can't believe it worked out.

My first full-time job in the industry was at CAA and came about after I'd interned there the summer after I'd graduated from Harvard. I was fortunate enough to have met a lot of people who graciously gave me their time and offered a lot of great advice. I did my best to prove I was willing to work hard and learn as much as I could and be someone who made the most of an opportunity, and luckily they hired me back! They repeatedly told us that internships—all jobs anywhere, really, of any kind—are essentially long-term interviews, and it's true!

Q. How would you compare working at an agency to working at a studio?

A. At an agency, it's definitely more business-minded. You get to find and connect the creative pieces to material, but you don't get to develop the package into the final product. I learned so much at my time at CAA, but in the end I definitely wanted to get my hands dirty with the story itself, so I moved to the creative side at a production company.

READ THE COMPLETE Q&A WITH NAOMI FUNABASHI

Industry Successes

Dave Eilenberg AB '97 has been named the new President of ITV Entertainment! Eilenberg was previously the Senior VP of unscripted development for TNT and TBS. 

Past Most Staffable TV Writer & HWP TV alum Jonathan Bird JD '05 is one of this year's Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) New Writers Fellows! The CAPE New Writers Fellowship, which discovers and nurtures AAPI writers launching their careers in television and film, takes place over the course of six weeks in Los Angeles.

Screenwriter Adam Perlman AB '04 is a Producer on Showtime's new hit show Billions! Adam was also on the 2015 Black List for his script Septillion to One. Congrats, Adam!

New Members' Welcome

Harvardwood warmly welcomes all members who joined the organization over the past month, including:

• Matthew Disler, Boston/On-Campus, College
• Jennifer Dixon, Chicago, GSE
• Jillian Dukes, Boston/On-Campus, College
• Katie Fell, Boston/On-Campus, Staff
• Caroline Giuliani, LA, College
• Steven Glovsky, Boston/On-Campus, College
• Susan Hackley, Boston/On-Campus, Staff
• Jonathan MacLeod, Boston/On-Campus, EXT
• John Malinowski, Boston/On-Campus, College
• Meagan Michelson, Boston/On-Campus, College
• Scott Roberts, Boston/On-Campus, College
• Michael Ross, LA, College
• Arturo Rossi, LA, EXT
• Michael John Simkin, NY, FOH
• Courtney Svoboda, Other U.S., HLS

FOH = Friend of Harvardwood

Alumni Profile: Kurt Crowley '06 (Associate Conductor, Hamilton) 

by Kristen Strezo

Kurt Crowley AB ’06 remembers one of the first times he felt the life of Leonard Bernstein collided with his. Crowley was an undergrad cleaning Eliot House on dorm crew when he discovered a small staircase and a sign that read ‘to tower and music room’.

Crowley’s interest piqued. He was studying music and comparative religion at Harvard. So, he did what any music student would do. He dropped his broom and climbed the small staircase.

Upstairs, he discovered a demure room with gratuitous sunlight, a baby grand piano and a picturesque view. Crowley walked to the piano. He hovered over it. He played the first tune that popped into his head. It was “Mambo” from West Side Story. Then, he headed back down the stairs.

Not long after, Crowley learned that the piano was once owned by one of Eliot’s most famous former residents: Leonard Bernstein AB '39, DMU '67. Crowley saw it as some sort of confirmation, a connection that something special could come out of his Harvard experience—whatever it was. “It was just such an auspicious moment,” Crowley says. “That’s when I felt like — okay, Harvard, something feels aligned here.”

Years later, Crowley found his way to Broadway, much like his musical inspiration, Leonard Bernstein — as Associate Musical Director and Associate Conductor for Hamilton.

The musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is set in the United States pre-and post-Revolutionary War, and follows Alexander Hamilton as he grows into the leader he would become. Set to a hip-hop soundtrack, the play has made an impact since its arrival on Broadway in August of 2015. 

The Hamilton score won a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater album and before it hit Broadway, the Hamilton Off-Broadway production won seven Drama Desk awards, including one in 2015 for Outstanding Musical. The success has led Crowley to perform at the Grammys, the White House, and a TEDxHelena talk in his hometown.

Contributing to a Broadway production was a dream Crowley has had since he was a child. “It feels like a bolt of lightning, like, I can’t believe it is happening,” he says.

Crowley credits Grammy and Tony award-winning musical director Alex Lacamoire for helping shape his professional life. Crowley first met Lacamoire when he urged him to audition as the musical director for the In the Heights musical touring production. “That one encounter has shaped me the most over the past five years, because [Lacamoire] has brought me along with a lot of the projects he’s done,” Crowley says.

Hamilton was the most recent example. Crowley remarks, “I see how talented Alex and Lin are and it is extremely humbling.”

Still, Crowley identifies that, Broadway fantasies aside, mounting a hit musical is work. “You get there, and it’s a real place with real people and then it becomes, now we’re here doing the show every night… working to keep the show at the same level as when it opened. And it takes a lot of planning, organization, administration.” 

While he says he is still involved in Hamilton, his latest work has taken him to France. Crowley is Music Supervisor on Carmen la Cubana, an Afro-Cuban take on Bizet’s opera, Carmen. The production, adapted as a musical, will open in Paris this April.

Kristen Strezo is an award-winning writer and journalist. She's written for online and print news sources such as Harvard Magazine, Flagpole and Penn Stater Magazine. Follow her on Twitter: @strezo_is_write

Calendar

FEATURED EVENT | Harvardwood Masterclass with Liz Ryan: The Secret Rules of the Set - Wednesday, April 20th

In the next Harvardwood Masterclass, THE SECRET RULES OF SET, Liz Ryan AB '81 (ROSEWOOD, AQUARIUS) discusses the behind-the-scenes details of producing both indie movies and big TV shows, in addition to the Directors Guild - Producers Training Program and how it helped launch her career.

Liz Ryan currently works as Production Manager on the hit Fox TV series Rosewood. As one of the lucky shows to win a California Tax Incentive Package, after shooting the pilot in Miami, the show is now based in Manhattan Beach. Prior to her work on Rosewood, Ryan was production manager on the NBC show Aquarius and on the indie movies A Sort of Homecoming, Ancient Warriors, and John Sayles’ Go for Sisters.

Ryan’s career began as a Directors Guild - Producers Trainee in New York City, where she quickly moved from Trainee to Second Assistant Director (AD) to First AD. As an AD she worked alongside some of the top directors in the business, including Woody Allen, Brian DePalma, Christopher Guest, Frank Darabont and David Fincher, among others. Her credits include Brokedown Palace, The Green Mile, and Waiting for Guffman, along with such TV shows as NYPD Blue, The Office, and Freaks and Geeks. An expert at motivating a crew toward a creative vision while keeping the project on schedule, she organized as many as 12,000 extras; major war scenes involving helicopters, explosions and squibs; dogs, children and water sequences; and in foreign countries where virtually no one spoke English. With her specialty action and stunts, she was featured in Premiere Magazine as one of the very few female First A.D.s ever to work on major studio movies.

Herself writing and directing through Kodak’s 35mm-DGA Project, Ryan’s short film, Awestruck, won awards internationally.

View Liz Ryan's complete bio and RSVP for this event.

Los Angeles

Harvardwood & Berklee: American Chamber Music at the Walt Disney Concert Hall - Tuesday, April 12th

Join Harvardwood and our friends from Berklee at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for diverse chamber music by American composers, including a premiere by Brad Lubman, a noted conductor of contemporary music. Performers (listed below) include violinist Johnny Lee AB '01!

Arrive early for a complimentary wine reception. ONE TICKET LEFT, SO RSVP NOW TO CLAIM IT!

Harvardwood Heads To... Last Three Thursdays in April at the Love Song Bar in DTLA - Thursday, April 14th

FREE -- the last Three THURSDAYS in APRIL -- Join Alum singer-songwriter Sara Melson with special guests (Ben Lee, Marjorie Faire, Miranda Lee Richards) for her April Residency at the cozy, intimate and romantic Love Song Bar, adjacent to the Regent Theater in downtown LA, for cocktails and live acoustic music. Performances start at 7:45, with Sara on at 8:45pm.

Harvardwood Helps at the Great LA River Cleanup - Saturday, April 16th

Volunteer with Harvardwood Helps at the Great LA River Cleanup on April 16th! This fun outdoor event is attended by A TON of volunteers! As long as you RSVP to us below, Harvardwood Helps Director Stacy Cohen will get in touch with you to give her contact info, so you can track her down the day of and try meeting up with other Harvardwood volunteers.

The Bette Davis Picnic Area is located at the upstream end of the scenic Glendale Narrows, the central and longest natural area of the LA River. The picnic area features wonderful tall old sycamore trees and a beautiful 1938 historic bridge. The River has sloped concrete sides and an earthen bottom with tall trees, sandbar islands, and lots of birds, including ducks, stilts, egrets and herons.

Harvardwood Heads To... HAA's Spring back to Harvard at Dodgers Stadium - Saturday, April 16th

What better way to jumpstart the spring with a trip to Dodger Stadium? Join your fellow alumni, between six and twenty-five years out of College, and their loved ones for a Dodgers vs. Giants game! Take your seats with family, friends, and classmates in the All you Can Eat Right Field Pavilion, where you will enjoy all you can eat hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, soft drinks, and water. This is a rare chance to get together with Harvard alumni with inexpensive tickets for a one of the best rivalries in baseball, so don't miss out!

Spring Back to Harvard is a new series of events sponsored by the HAA and taking place in cities across the U.S. for the first time this spring. These events aim to reconnect Harvard College grads and their families with the alumni communities in their cities, with a focus on alumni between six and twenty-five years after graduation.

Harvardwood Heads To... Ruby Clouds at the Whisky A Go Go - Sunday, April 17th

The World Famous Whisky A Go-Go presents Ruby Clouds live on Sunday, April 17 at 7PM. She is the founder of Mariachi Veritas de Harvard. Her brother is a master electric guitarist and songwriter who has released five albums of his own. Ruby Clouds’ dreamy sounds have serenaded audiences in the U.S. and Mexico and earned recognition from various songwriting contests including the Cantautor Latino Contest and MusicaUnsigned. This is an all-ages show. E-mail [email protected] for tickets.

Harvardwood Helps at InsideOUT Writers - Thursday, April 21st

On April 21st, Harvardwood writers will volunteer at the InsideOUT Writers' (IOW) weekly Writing Circle to work with IOW program alums. This workshop will be led by the Chairman of the IOW Board of Directors, and Harvardwood volunteers will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with the class participants to help with their creative writing assignments.

The mission of InsideOUT Writers is to reduce the juvenile recidivism rate by providing a range of services that evolves to meet the needs of currently and formerly incarcerated youth and young adults. Using creative writing as a catalyst for personal transformation, these young people are empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully re-integrate into our communities, becoming advocates for their future.

Harvardwood Heads To... The Ivy Plus Society's Spring Fling - Saturday, April 23rd

Have a fling with The Ivy Plus Society this April at the hottest spot in Santa Monica, Bodega Wine Bar. Our flirtation begins with the finest and brightest young alumni and the involvement only deepens with Bodega's delicious happy hour (exclusive for our members). Specials include $4 beer, $6 wine and $6 appetizers. Throw in the modern decor and stunning crowd and you've got yourself an official Spring Fling.

New York

The First Harvardwood Creative Collage - Wednesday, April 13th

We've been looking for new ways for Harvardwood members to get to know and support each others' creative work. And so we've come up with—the very first ever Harvardwood CREATIVE COLLAGE! Bring in some poems you're working on, a part of that novel-in-progress, a scene you're working on for acting class (yes, you can bring a scene partner with you), your latest painting or photograph or even sculpture (if portable!), a song you've written, that standup set you're working on—everything creative is welcome! 

Each Creative Collage will star 8 "presenters", getting 8 minutes each for their work. After the presentations, there will be a reception with wine and cheese.

SF/Bay Area

C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to The Merch Table: Licensing & Merchandising for Creative Artists - Thursday, April 14th

Join 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 On Your Terms: Managing Your Rights to Keep Your Work Available - Wednesday, April 27th

Authors of all kinds are routinely asked to sign contracts that carve up their copyrights and determine where, how, and by whom their works can be published. This panel of copyright attorneys examines some of the ways authors can ensure that these agreements don't end up standing between their work and their audience. Join us and we'll work on demystifying embargoes, licenses, negotiations, rights reversions, and terminations of transfers. Be empowered to shape your own contracts!

London, UK

Harvardwood Heads To... White Walls: A Memoir about Motherhood, Daughterhood, and the Mess in Between - Sunday, April 17th

Join us for an evening about mothers and daughters, hoarding, and healing. Judy Batalion grew up in a house filled with endless piles of junk and layers of crumbs and dust; suffocated by tuna fish cans, old papers and magazines, swivel chairs, tea bags, clocks, cameras, printers, VHS tapes, ballpoint pens…obsessively gathered and stored by her hoarder mother. The first chance she had, she escaped the clutter to create a new identity—one made of order, regimen, and clean white walls. Until, one day, she found herself enmeshed in life’s biggest chaos: motherhood. This event is the only London date on Judy’s book tour.

Become a Harvardwood member to access our community of 6,300+

Harvardwood members enjoy full access to our website, where they can share good news with the community of 6,300+, post to our Facebook page, recruit Harvard alums for their job openings, promote screenings and concerts, share their artwork and films, and more. One of the most popular pages on our website is our Jobs Board, which we update regularly with the latest and hottest industry jobs exclusive to the Harvardwood community. To be in the loop, all you have to do is join Harvardwood for just $3.75/month!

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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.