New Talent Accelerator Industry Standard Launches to Diversify Post-Production Fields (Exclusive)

Last year, MakeMake Entertainment managing director Jennifer Sofio Hall and veteran impact producer Bedonna Smith helped launch MakeMake Residencies, a nine-month paid program for people from historically excluded backgrounds to build careers in post-production.

Now the two women are continuing that work with a new independent venture, Industry Standard, a talent accelerator for early- to mid-career professionals. “While there are a wealth of rewarding roles in post-production, the field collectively faces challenges regarding the visibility and accessibility of these careers,” Sofio Hall and Smith said in a joint statement. “Industry Standard exists to serve as a utility to match talent with opportunity and to bolster the momentum generated by these connections. By investing in the next generation of artists and producers and expanding pathways for engagement, everyone wins.”

Using MakeMake Residencies as a pilot, Industry Standard’s first program is Experience, again a nine-month paid program placing participants in specific fields. Whereas the MakeMake residents were embedded within the MakeMake Entertainment ecosystem of brands, participating companies in Experience include RadicalMedia, Story Syndicate, Union Editorial, Library Films, Campfire Studios and mindbomb films. The Netflix Fund for Creative Equity will continue to support the residencies.

“While I had been exposed to aspects of professional editing, it was never at the scale offered by this residency,” MakeMake editorial resident Moh Rahman, who now is serving as an associate editor on a documentary feature, said in a statement. “Over the course of nine months, I was able to edit alongside some of the best editors in the field, operate against deadlines, incorporate feedback from multiple sources and collaborate with other editors and assistants. I received one-on-one guidance from an acclaimed documentary editor while working together on an active project. I was able to cut scenes for a series streaming on Netflix and a documentary feature which premiered at Sundance. Now I have credits on my IMDb page for projects that people in my life have actually seen. To say this residency has been a priceless opportunity would be a massive understatement.”

Applications are open now through May 17 for Industry Standard’s Experience residency, which will run from August 2024 through April 2025, with participants selected in July.