PrePro, the mentorship program designed to expose culturally diverse students to careers in postproduction and music and sound for brands and ad agencies, is now accepting applications for its Fall 2017 session. Co-sponsored by AICE and AMP, the program is expanding to the Chicago market with this new session and is actively recruiting post production and music companies to participate. Full details on PrePro can be found here.
PrePro is open to students between the ages of 18 and 23. The program matches eligible students with working professionals, who provide hands-on learning opportunities in editing, audio mixing, visual effects, music scoring and related disciplines. In addition, mentors share up-close looks at the day-to-day operations of their companies and provide guidance that can help them obtain the skills needed to land an entry level position. “The kinds of professional relationships developed through PrePro will be invaluable when these mentees are ready to launch their careers,” said PrePro co-organizer Gloria Pitagorsky, president of AICE’s New York Chapter and EP and managing director of audio post studio Heard City.
PrePro’s inaugural session, which kicked off in New York this past January, saw approximately 20 students from high schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx paired with mentors from such companies as BANG Music, Big Sky Edit, Blast, Bodega Studios, Butter Music & Sound, COPILOT Music + Sound, Cutters, Exile Editorial, Freefolk, Groove Guild, Heard City, Human Music and Sound Design, KYLE, Northern Lights, PS 260, The Mill and Uppercut.
Jon Desir, executive producer at Optimus in Chicago and co-organizer of the program, is heading up the expansion of PrePro to Chicago for the upcoming session, working with Optimus producer Terra Zenteno. He noted that the PrePro committee is in discussion with Free Spirit Media, a non-profit group that provides arts education, access, and opportunity in media production to over 700 underserved youth in Chicago every year. Simultaneously, Desir is working to build a roster of potential mentors from Chicago-area post and music studios. (For more on the benefits of being a mentor, click here.)
“After our successful first run in New York, Chicago is ready to follow suit,” said Desir. “Growing a more diverse talent base for the postproduction and advertising music and sound industries is needed now more than ever. We’re confident there’s going to be tremendous support in our community and in various communities outside of post that are related to production overall.”
Commenting on the program’s value to mentors and companies, Marlene Bartos, managing director of Yessian Music in New York, past national president of AMP and a PrePro mentor herself, noted that “this is such a positive program for our community. We can give a young person a chance to discover all the wonderful opportunities in our industry and have a positive impact, while also bringing in new and diverse talent. It’s a win/win for all parties.”
Kevin Costner to receive MPSE Filmmaker Award; Greg Hedgepath named recipient of MPSE Career Achievement honor
Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) will present Oscar®-winning filmmaker and actor Kevin Costner with the 2025 MPSE Filmmaker Award, bestowed annually to a filmmaker of distinction. And supervising sound editor Greg Hedgepath will receive the Career Achievement Award for his prolific career in sound editing. Both awards will be presented during MPSE’s 72nd Annual Golden Reel Awards Gala on February 23, 2025 at the Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
The MPSE Filmmaker Award is bestowed upon an individual outside the sound community whose career has demonstrated a great appreciation and understanding of the impact of sound editing. The MPSE Career Achievement Award is presented to a person whose career has made a significant impact on the sound community through exemplary work, service or leadership.
“Kevin Costner has captivated audiences with his powerful storytelling throughout his illustrious career,” said MPSE president David Barber. “From epic Westerns to poignant dramas, his use of sound as an integral component of his cinematic storytelling has stirred our emotions and immersed viewers in the worlds he’s created for decades. This passion for sound is abundantly clear in his latest ambitious project, the Horizon saga. We are thrilled to honor him with the Filmmaker Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the art of storytelling through sound in film and television.”
Barber added, “Greg Hedgepath is a true titan in the world of sound. His contributions to cinema are immense, spanning decades and encompassing a remarkable range of genres. From the heart-pounding intensity of ‘Speed’ and ‘Twister’ to the nuanced drama of ‘Selma’ and ‘Straight Outta Compton’, Greg’s work has consistently elevated... Read More