Episode 32 — Film And Video Production With Dawn L. Manning '00

Through her work in video and film production, alumna Dawn L. Manning '00 has worked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and music industry. Some of the stars she has worked with include Will & Jada Smith, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Terrell Owens, Common, Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, and more. On this episode of The People of Penn State, Dawn takes us through her passion for entertainment, music and sports, the projects she's worked on in her career,  the challenges she's faced in production as a black woman, advice to new producers, and more. Dawn is currently working as an EP/EIC over numerous projects at Westbrook Media -- Will and Jada Smith’s production company -- with projects ranging from documentary, scripted, VR and branded content.Her previous work is highlighted by being EIC of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Reunion," Line Producer of Showtime’s three-part sports documentary series “Shut up and Dribble,” Production Manager of Beyoncé’s Visual Grammy performance 2017 and “Vice World of Sports," Vineland’s PGA award winning series for Best Produced Sports Programing. Her Film Producing credits include “LUV” starring Common, “Dysfunctional Friends” starring Terrell Owens and Stacy Dash and “Eden” starring Nate Parker. Connect with Dawn on social media: TwitterInstagramLinkedInLearn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu. Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedIn----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Timestamps:0:00 — Alma Mater Open0:20 — Intro2:50 — Becoming a Penn Stater3:30 — Involvement as a student4:40 — Initial career goals6:40 — Getting a start in the entertainment industry 11:56 — Being a cheerleader for the Washington Wizards13:21 — Sports, entertainment and music16:03 — Working with Terrell Owens17:00 — Overcoming challenges in the workplace as a black female producer21:43 — The impact of Westbrook Media24:40 — Working on Will Smith's audio book 26:00 — Big and small budgets of production28:50 — Using the resources you have29:53 — Ad Read - Alumni Shop31:02 — Lightning Round Q&A 35:30 — OutroFor more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com