The Heroes of Hollywood Podcast

7 | “Reality” Call to Action: Lisa Fox & Desa Philadelphia, USC School of Cinematic Arts

Top Line: USC School of Cinema's Lisa Fox & Desa Philadelphia talk its one-of-a-kind First Jobs program & staffing the industry with an inclusive lens. Description: Welcome to The Heroes of Hollywood Podcast, hosted by Michelle Eunice a USC Master's student in Public Relations & Advertising, a USC Sony Pictures Fellow for Media Impact in Film, and a USC Annenberg Graduate Fellow. This podcast is a component of her USC Master's Thesis exploring how pipeline programs can help more Historically Black College and University(HBCU) & African American students enter into executive and above the line roles in the TV and film industry. Today's podcast features Lisa Fox, the Media, Talent Development Manager at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and Desa Philadelphia, the Communication and Development Writer at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Lisa and Desa discuss the school's one-of-a-kind First Jobs program & staffing the industry with a diversity, equity, and inclusion perspective.

6 | Hollywood Hope with Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment

Top Line: Nicole Brown, President of TriStar Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment discusses diversity, inclusion & the makings of "The Woman King." Description: Welcome to The Heroes of Hollywood Podcast, hosted by Michelle Eunice a USC Master's student in Public Relations & Advertising, a USC Sony Pictures Fellow for Media Impact in Film, and a USC Annenberg Graduate Fellow. This podcast is a component of her USC Master's Thesis exploring how pipeline programs can help more Historically Black College and University(HBCU) & African American students enter into executive and above the line roles in the TV and film industry. Today's podcast features Nicole Brown, the President of TriStar Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment. In 2019, she made history as the first Black woman to run a live-action film label at a major studio when she took the helm of TriStar Pictures. In 2022, TriStar Pictures released four films including the breakout epic, The Woman King. In this episode, Nicole discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion at the highest ranks in TV & Film, tokenism, meritocracy, and why the industry needs to make sure the best of the best rise to the top.

5 | Inclusion Anyone? Visibility & Pipeline Programs with Director, Pete Chatmon

Top Line: Pete Chatmon directs fan faves like ABC's "Black-ish" & Hulu's "UnPrisoned." He shares why diverse director programs are key to visibility. Description: Welcome to The Heroes of Hollywood Podcast, hosted by Michelle Eunice a USC Master's student in Public Relations & Advertising, a USC Sony Pictures Fellow for Media Impact in Film, and a USC Annenberg Graduate Fellow. This podcast is a component of her USC Master's Thesis exploring how pipeline programs can help more Historically Black College and University(HBCU) & African American students enter into executive and above the line roles in the TV and film industry. Today's podcast features the accomplished writer, producer, and director, Pete Chatmon. Pete discusses why diverse writer and director programs, like the Sony Pictures Diverse Directors, the HBO All Access, and the Disney ABC Directing programs are vital for visibility in the industry, particularly for people with limited adjacency to the TV & film industry. Pete is an alum of these programs which helped further position him to direct TV shows like ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," "Black-ish," HBO Max's "Insecure," AppleTV+'s "Mystic Quest," and Hulu's "Reasonable Doubt" and "UnPrisoned.

4 | "Who Knows You" is the Name of the Game in TV and Film with Paige Simpson, VP, 21 Laps

Top Line: Paige Simpson, VP of TV Development at 21 Laps shares why it's critical that people know YOUR name at the decision making table in TV & film. Description: Welcome to The Heroes of Hollywood Podcast, hosted by Michelle Eunice a USC Master's student in Public Relations & Advertising, a USC Sony Pictures Fellow for Media Impact in Film, and a USC Annenberg Graduate Fellow. This podcast is a component of her USC Master's Thesis exploring how pipeline programs can help more Historically Black College and University(HBCU) & African American students enter into executive and above the line roles in the TV and film industry. Today's podcast features Paige Simpson, Vice President of TV Development at 21 Laps Entertainment, the production company known for producing "Stranger Things," "The Adam Project," and "Night at the Museum." Paige discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion behind the scenes in the TV and film industry and why the most important thing is who knows YOU... when the decisions are being made at the executive tables.

3 | Billionaires & Bottlenecks: Entertainment’s Chokehold with Jaia Thomas, Diverse Representation

Top Line: Jaia Thomas, Entertainment & Sports Attorney + Founder of Diverse Representation shares why diverse executives are needed in the industry. Description: Welcome to The Heroes of Hollywood Podcast, hosted by Michelle Eunice a USC Master's student in Public Relations & Advertising, a USC Sony Pictures Fellow for Media Impact in Film, and a USC Annenberg Graduate Fellow. This podcast is a component of her USC Master's Thesis exploring how pipeline programs can help more Historically Black College and University(HBCU) & African American students enter into executive and above the line roles in the TV and film industry. Today's podcast features Jaia Thomas. She is a Sports & Entertainment Lawyer and the Founder of Diverse Representation, a database of African-American agents, attorneys, managers and publicists working in the sports and entertainment industry throughout the United States. Jaia shares why Diverse Representation is important in TV & Film and why more diverse executives are needed in the industry.