Group Effort Initiative

*IATSE Locals 705 and 80 Approved Program

WEBSITE:
groupeffortinitiative.com

Group Effort Initiative (GEI) was launched and financed by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively in August 2020 and strives to help underrepresented communities get real experience towards lasting careers within the entertainment industry.

In June 2021, GEI absorbed Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Evolve Entertainment Fund (Evolve), a public-private partnership dedicated to building career pathways into film, television, and music for women, people of color, and low-income Angelenos through paid internships, focused mentoring, and an ongoing series of workshops and panels. The merger of GEI and Evolve has expanded the reach of Evolve within and beyond Los Angeles to other cities in the United States and around the world, and has opened corporate, creative and below-the-line opportunities to participants over the age of 18.

Currently, GEI offers paid internships, on-set production assistant (PA) opportunities, entry-level job opportunities, education, and mentorship.

• The success of GEI is unmatched (as of June 30, 2022):

  1) 709 corporate paid internships secured

  2) 62 entry-level corporate positions offered to our participants at partnering companies, all of which were accepted

  3) 85 production partnerships in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Cleveland, Boston, and New York City

  4) 121 production assistant positions secured for our participants that stemmed from the above production partnerships

  5) 39 educational programming events

  6) over 250 partnering companies across the country and in Canada

  7) 1,000+ participants served

• Participant Demographics (as of June 30, 2022):

  1) 90% of GEI participants are people of color

  2) 33% of GEI participants are members of the LGBTQ+ community

  3) 55% of GEI participants are first-generation college students

  4) 3% of GEI participants are part of the trans community

  5) 12 GEI participants are former foster youth

  6) 60% of GEI participants are female, 32% are male and 8% are non-binary

For participants that are currently enrolled students or recent graduates based in the Greater Los Angeles area, GEI submits candidates to internships in Fall, Spring, and Summer seasons. All internships are paid, either directly through the company or through GEI subsidization:

For recent graduates and others looking for full-time corporate positions in entertainment in the Greater Los Angeles area, GEI submits candidates to company partners looking for assistants, coordinators, or other entry-level/junior positions. There are also opportunities to be submitted to freelance, part-time, or temporary roles across areas of the industry:

For those available to work full-time and interested in on-set roles in the Greater Los Angeles area, GEI submits candidates to production assistant positions on film, scripted television, and unscripted television sets. Please Note: Production Assistant roles typically require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, have a valid Driver’s license, and be able to work long hours if needed (12+ hour days, some weekends, etc.):

all our offerings:

Paid Internships:

GEI connects participants to meaningful, paid internships across the entertainment industry. GEI participants have worked in a wide variety of positions: Brand Strategy, Development, Digital Marketing, Editorial, Feature Management, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Membership and Industry Relations, Post-Production, Public Relations, Social Media, Talent, and TV and Film Production. Through these internships, participants get professional experience and develop the connections to expand their network and learn from industry leaders.

On-set Production Assistant
(PA) Opportunities:

GEI partners with productions across the United States and Canada to provide production assistant opportunities to participants in a variety of departments including Art, Assistant Director, Camera, Costume, Editorial, the Production Office, Set Design, and VFX.

Entry Level Job Opportunities:

GEI helps participants secure entry-level jobs and navigate the professional world once they graduate from college. GEI also provides an optional one-on-one coaching program to assist participants with their career path.

Education:

GEI curates educational experiences for participants, including soft skills training, professional development training, career path exploration, panel discussions with entertainment executives, and workshops that refine particular skill sets. GEI also partners with organizations like Streetlights and the Half Initiative to provide intensive PA training for its participants.

Mentorship:

GEI recognizes that personal relationships are crucial to advancing in the industry and closing the opportunity gap. Starting in 2022, GEI participants will be matched with mentors from the entertainment field for one year to expand their network. The mentorship program serves to expose participants to industry professionals and enable them to engage with entertainment leaders to strengthen their professional development, networking and personal growth.