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SoC | EPICS: Fireside Chat with Casey Bloys, Chairman & CEO, HBO & Max Content (Friday, October 6th 2023, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm CDT)

When: Friday, October 6th 2023, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm CDT

Location: Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center, Rm 235, 1949 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States of America

The Fireside Chat will provide an informal yet structured opportunity for students to engage with Casey Bloys and learn about his experience in a more conversational way. Jacob Smith, Professor and Associate Chair Department of Radio-Television-Film & Director, MA in Sound Arts and Industries and Laura Myers, Director of EPICS (External Programs, Internships, & Career Services) will moderate the event. Light refreshments will be provided.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to engage with Casey and learn more about the entertainment industry!

SoC | EPICS: Telling Your Story + Networking (Wednesday, November 1st 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CDT)

When: Wednesday, November 1st 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CDT

Location: Frances Searle Building, FSB 3-417, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States of America

This session will help you develop your personal value proposition for your written material/online profile and your Elevator Pitch for live/verbal interactions. We will explore online professional networks such as LinkedIn and engage in dialogue focused on live networking events and opportunities. Tools, techniques, and recommended best practices for both settings will be shared and utilized in hands-on exercises as part of this session.

SoC | EPICS: Career Options! Industry Research & Finding Internships, Jobs, Freelance (Wednesday, November 8th 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CST)

When: Wednesday, November 8th 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CST

Location: Frances Searle Building, FSB 3-417, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States of America

As we approach prime internship and job application season, this is an ideal time to refine your career strategy in order to identify and create opportunities for yourself. Whether you are new to the career development process or are already implementing your plan, this session will provide you with new resources and strategies to take your career development to the next level. We will dive into industry resources, key job boards, and best practices for managing your priorities and taking full advantage of the most relevant opportunities for your search. We will also discuss strategies for pitching yourself in order to create your own opportunities.

SoC | EPICS: The Resume! Creating the best version for your needs (Wednesday, October 11th 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CDT)

When: Wednesday, October 11th 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CDT

Location: Frances Searle Building, FSB 3-417, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States of America

Do you already have a great creative resume, but are wondering how to tailor your experience to a new role? Are you wondering what the difference is between a resume and CV? Bring your current resume or start fresh with a blank page. Our experienced career advisors will walk you through best practices for standing out in a hiring pool and editing your resume to your desired industry. In this workshop, we will breakout into groups where you’ll polish or create your resume. At the end of the working session, you’ll be armed with the tools and knowledge to continue tailoring your resume for success in your job search.

SoC | EPICS: Designing Your Career (Wednesday, September 27th 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CDT)

When: Wednesday, September 27th 2023, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm CDT

Location: Louis Hall, Louis Hall Room 119, 10 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States of America

This workshop is based off of the work of the Stanford Life Design Lab that helps individuals design their lives and careers! A career design or strategy is a conscious series of choices an individual makes based on priorities, values, and individual goals. Based on those choices, you then can create steps to move forward in achieving your goals for your professional life. This workshop will challenge students to think creatively and gain clarity about what they want for their future both professionally and in life!

SoC | EPICS: Industry Days @ Chicago International Film Festival (Thursday, October 12th 2023, 5:00 pm CDT – Sunday, October 15th 2023, 4:00 pm CDT)

When: Thursday, October 12th 2023, 5:00 pm CDT – Sunday, October 15th 2023, 4:00 pm CDT

Location: tbd

EPICS is pleased to partner once again with the Chicago International Film Festival by offering a limited number of complimentary passes to all aspects of the 2023 edition of INDUSTRY DAYS at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival. Industry Days runs from October 12-15 in downtown Chicago. The primary day for Northwestern student attendance is Friday, October 13.

Industry Days is the Chicago International Film Festival’s hub for filmmakers and industry professionals to connect, share ideas, and be inspired. Meet with executives, agents, and producers in the Decision-Maker Roundtables, informative panel conversations, master classes, networking events, and more.

Please note that the Industry Days Passes DO NOT include access to any Festival Screenings, only to Industry Days programming. If schedules allow, Northwestern students who attend Industry Days on October 13th may have the opportunity to connect with the festival organizers and staff between panels and presentations.

Since its inception, Industry Days has hosted an impressive lineup of film executives, entertainment professionals, and major talents, including Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen, Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan; Oscar-nominated composer Terence Blanchard; producers Dede Gardner, Ted Hope, Gigi Pritzker, James D. Stern, and MACRO CEO Charles D. King; and veteran distribution executives Michael Barker, Richard Lorber, and Tom Quinn. Representatives from the following companies have attended panels and talks: Cinetic Media, CAA, Gravitas Ventures, IFC Films, Kartemquin Films, Kickstarter, Icarus Films, Magnolia Pictures, MPI Media, Music Box Films, Netflix, Neon, The Orchard, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Preferred Content, the United Talent Agency, and William Morris Endeavor.
**SCHEDULE OF EVENTS TBD**

SoC | EPICS + Sound Arts & Industries: Discovering Your Personal Strengths (Tuesday, September 26th 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT)

When: Tuesday, September 26th 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT

Location: Frances Searle Building, FSB 1-483, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States of America

In order to advocate for yourself and thrive in collaborative environments, it is important to develop both self-awareness and understanding of others. During this workshop, we will explore the personal combination of strengths that make you unique and gain insights to leverage those strengths in your professional life. You will be using CliftonStrengths® to identify your top five strengths to evaluate your professional presence, articulate the value you bring to the table, and gain additional perspective to become an impactful professional and creative in the world of sound arts and industries.

SoC | EPICS + MFA: 2023 Writers Panel – New Work and New Writers in a Changing World (Friday, June 2nd 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT)

When: Friday, June 2nd 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT

Location: Annie May Swift, Helmerich Auditorium, 1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States of America

All are invited to attend the culminating weekend of events for the MFA Writing for the Screen & Stage program presented in partnership with EPICS. This year’s event will highlight the writer’s strike, the massive changes in the NY theatre world, DEI, and more in this changing world.

The panel will be co-moderated by the Director and Associate Director of the MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage program, Zayd Dohrn and Erin Courtney.

Panelists include:
• Lizzie Stern:

Lizzie writes plays, tv scripts and essays, and is the Literary Director at Playwrights Horizons, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning off-Broadway theater company. She is a member of EST/Youngblood and an alum of Clubbed Thumb’s ECWG, and her plays have been produced in New York and Istanbul. At Playwrights Horizons, Lizzie curates programming and serves as a dramaturg, helping writers craft their stories with clarity and confidence. Lizzie is also Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Playwrights Literary Magazine, Almanac, and runs a Financial Literacy Program for artists. Born and raised in New York. BA from Williams College.

• Ayana Parker Morrison

Ayana Parker Morrison (she/her) is a digital and theatrical Creative Producer. She was the inaugural Producing Fellow with New York Theater Workshop’s 2050 Administrative Fellowship and an alum of the WP Producer’s Lab 21-22′ cohort. Select producing credits include JOAN with Colt Coeur, TENDER NAPALM at HERE Arts Center, SAINTS OF FAILURE, a solo show performed in Fort Greene’s Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, and NY Times Critic’s Pick EUREKA DAY with Colt Coeur. Ayana is currently producing BEES AND HONEY at MCC, co- producing WET BRAIN with MCC and Playwright’s Horizons, and line producing SELF PORTRAITS by Phillip Howze with the Bushwick Starr.

• Harry Lengsfield

Harry Lengsfield is a manager at Grandview. Originally from New York, Lengsfield began his career at WME before transitioning into management at LBI in 2014 where he worked across a range of talent and literary clients including Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Bill Monahan, Jon Glazer, Todd Field, and Antoine Fuqua, amongst others. In 2022, Harry moved to Grandview to continue his career in management with a primary focus in developing writers and filmmakers across features, tv, and theatre.

SoC | EPICS: Literary Development Speaker Panel – Preparing for the Theatre Industry (Wednesday, May 10th 2023, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm CDT)

When: Wednesday, May 10th 2023, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm CDT

Location: Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center, Rm 201, 1949 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States of America

Join EPICS (External Programs, Internships, and Career Services) for an in-person panel and hear from Theatre Professionals who work in Literary Development. They’ll share how they successfully entered the industry, their career path, and current trends. Topics will include Season Selection, Commissions, and the dramaturge’s role in the rehearsal room.

This event is intended for any SoC undergraduate or graduate student interested in playwrighting, professional dramaturgy, literary management, and producing for theatre.