In June, Los Angeles Film School graduates continued to pursue diverse careers in the entertainment industry, contributing to iconic film franchises, a prestigious television series, and one of this year’s most anticipated video games . Discover the latest achievements of our alumni in June!
Royal Palm
Jesse Sternbaum (2004 Film) is a producer on the Apple TV+ comedy/drama Royal Palm with Kristen Wiig. Since graduating, Jesse has accumulated over 60 credits in film and television as an assistant director, producer and production manager. Other credits include Dirty John (Unit production manager/First assistant director) and Iron Man 3 (as deputy director).
Plot
Left by her husband and friends in the late 1960s in Palm Beach, Florida, Royal Palm follows Maxine Simmons (Wiig) as she attempts to rebuild her identity. She’s trying to find her way into the rarefied space of the city’s best country club, the Palm Royale. However, Maxine soon discovers what it takes to succeed in the glitzy world of the city’s wealthy elite.
The good doctor
Veteran of cinema 2004 Tristan Thai And Daniel McNamara (Recording Arts 2016, Audio Production 2020) has just finished the series finale of The Good Doctor. Thai worked as a writer and MacNamara as a sound effects editor. Daniel’s previous credits include work in the sound department on major projects including Spider-Man: Through the Spider-Verse, I know what you did last summer (TV series), and Unreal.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
Alex Cook (2017 Film) is an Associate Producer leading the Belgrade-based UX/UI team on one of the most anticipated video games of 2024, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Aleks says: “I’m very excited about the release later this year. This is Ubisoft’s most important IP and a sought-after setting since the release of the first Assassin’s Creed: Japan. He recently shared some thoughts about his time at LA Film School: “Even though I have moved from filmmaking to advertising to video games, I still apply the knowledge I learned at LA Film School to lead my teams and achieve the desired vision. »
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Original Soundtrack
Renato “NATO” López (Recording Arts, 2012) is audio engineer, mixer and co-producer of Will Smith’s new single, Light Em Up, with Sean Paul. The single is featured on the soundtrack of Smith’s new film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which premiered in theaters on June 7.
Old students Adam Shattuck (2017 film) has been steadily building a name for himself as a cinematographer since graduating in 2017. He put his cinematography talents to good use in the Los Angeles unit for Black Eyed Peas ft. Becky G, El Alfa – Tonight on the Bad Boys Soundtrack: Ride or Die.
Shattuck worked for Riveting Entertainment as part of their post-production team and then worked for several different rental houses where he was involved in numerous music videos, documentaries and commercials. He has enjoyed success with several films shown at Tribeca, Sundance, AFI and more. Some of his credits include:
- Cinematographer – “Merman” – LA Times short documentary shown at Tribeca ’23, AFI ’23, OutFest ’23, Sundance ’24, 12+ other festivals
- Cinematographer – “Kylie” – LA Times Short Documentary Screened at Tribeca ’22, AFI ’22, Sundance ’23, 15+ Other Festivals
- Cinematographer – “Will.I.AMG”, a partnership between Mercedes Benz AMG and Will.I.Am
Mandi Macias
Recent graduate and triple threat Mandi Macias (Music production, 2023) was featured in LAWeekly for her new track, “F* UR F150.” Released on June 20, the single follows her 2023 EP, Teenage Eulogy, which garnered over a million streams. Macias is already a veteran of many legendary Los Angeles venues, including the Troubadour and Whiskey A-Go-Go. You can catch her performing at the Viper Room on July 5, where she’s kicking off what she’s dubbed “Empowered Girl Summer.”
Industry Roundup: June 2024 in Review
IATSE, Studios Reach Agreement in Principle on Hollywood Basic Deal
The deal includes a 15% compound pay increase, AI protections and triple pay for filming days longer than 15 hours.
Inside Out 2 Sets World Animation Record With $295 Million Opening
“Inside Out 2” also marks the second highest domestic animation opening weekend ever with $155 million here in the United States.
List of 2024 Tony winners (full list)
The 77th Tony Awards air Sunday on CBS and Paramount+. Among the nominees for this year’s honors are Rachel McAdams and Angelina Jolie.
Netflix Unveils Albuquerque Studios Expansion, Says Hub Generated $900M for New Mexico Production
The company launched the hub in 2018, marking its first purchase of a production studio complex. This included eight soundstages across 28 acres with productions including The Avengers, Break the badAnd Sicarius.
How legal issues can hurt the valuation of a music catalog, even if it brings in millions every year
Artists like Diddy and R. Kelly, with millions of streams and hundreds of thousands of equivalent album units each year, may struggle to sell music catalogs due to legal issues.
We love finding out what our alumni are working on in the entertainment industry. If you’re an LA Film School alum and have an upcoming project, tell us! Connect with us and send your project details!