Production Assistant Curriculum GuideFeaturingManifest

Production Assistant Curriculum Guide
Featuring:
Manifest
ManifestMore
ManifestSupport
Introduction 3
About ManifestWorks 3
Values 4
A strength-based, trauma-informed curriculum 4
The three programs 5
Governance and Staff 6
Best practices 6
Metrics and Evaluation 7
Manifest Production Assistant Program 7
Mission 7
Outcomes 7
Measuring success 7
Curriculum philosophy 8
Curriculum structure 9
Core pillars 10
Elements of building the program 10
Program timeline and foundation building 11
Program Track 1: The Arc of Production 11
Program Track 2: Production Assistant Hard Skills 12
Program Track 3: Non-industry Specific Soft Skills 13

Week-by-week 13
Orientation 13
Interviews 15
Class 1: Advertising Agency; Networking Basics 15
Class 2: Getting ready for set work, Part A 16
Class 3: Getting ready for set work, Part B 17
Class 4: Writer; Petty Cash 19
Class 5: Studio Visit, Line Producer and Location Managers 20
Class 6: Being an Office PA; Presenting your professional story
21
Class 7: Assistant Director (AD) and Director of Photography
(DP) 22
Class 8: Editor and interview preparation 23
Class 9: Music and Special Effects; Personal Finance 24
Class 10: The Studio; Formal interviewing preparation 25
Class 11: Graduation 25
ManifestSupport Program 26
Overview/outcomes 26
Measuring success 26
Program Structure/components 27
Therapeutic approach 28
The information contained in these documents is confidential,
privileged and only for the information of the intended recipient
and may not be used, published or
redistributed without the prior written consent of
ManifestWorks. ManifestWorks Curriculum Guide 7/31/20
2
Clinical supervision/Interns/staff 28
Support advisory board 29

Appendix: 29
ManifestMore Program 29
Mission 29
Measuring success 29
Methodology 29
Components 30
appendix: 31
3
1. Introduction
About ManifestWorks
ManifestWorks grew out of the experiences of volunteers at a
LA County juvenile hall in the first decade
of the 21st century. Kids locked up there were poor, often from
foster care, disproportionately minority,
and uniformly without access to opportunity. Many of them
ended up in adult corrections. With multiple
vulnerabilities, those impacted by child welfare, housing
insecurity, and the justice system face direct
health consequences; more than two-thirds have mental health
or substance abuse diagnoses, less than
half receive adequate medical care, and virtually all have been
exposed to violence while living in
high-risk neighborhoods (Hilton Foundation, 2011). Pervasive

barriers (a dearth of relevant skills, criminal
records, a scarcity of professional mentors) limit prospects for
finding and holding meaningful
employment. Finding a pathway to real jobs and a hopeful
future was the founding vision of
ManifestWorks.
Since opening our doors in 2014, we have found the cycles of
institutionalization and generational
poverty can be overcome. Given our knowledge that stable
employment, a supportive community, and
sustained professional relationships are the most concrete ways
to reduce risk and improve long-term
outcomes following extensive system contact, ManifestWorks
offers a unique opportunity towards
well-being and personal and professional self-actualization. Our
program connects participants with
living-wage careers, through our initial 3-month training and
placement program focused on Hollywood
careers.
In 2019, we expanded career and well-being programming for
alumni (ManifestMore) and began life
skills management (case management) and counseling
(ManifestSupport) for all ManifestWorkers before,
during, and after they participate in the PA training program
(Manifest).
Although we also focus on well-being and building a sense of
the future, we use the salaries of our
applicants against those of our alumni to measure our success.
Given that liveable-wage opportunities
change individuals, their families, and communities,
ManifestWorks is committed to the well-being and
long-term wealth acquisition for our alumni, breaking cycles of
generational poverty and system

involvement.
Values
ManifestWorks is designed to instill specific core values into
our participants, and we judge our program
success against the values of our organization:
Professionalism We believe in the habits of punctuality,
initiative, and competence—and a
commitment to a growing skillset.
Indispensability We believe hard work, attention to detail, and
performing beyond expectations is
a crucial ingredient for professional success.
Transformation We believe in the power of personal growth and
relishing the rewards of hard
work.
4
Community We believe in ongoing relationships and that we are
all made better in the service
of each other.
Integrity We believe in being responsible with our words and
our actions and honoring

both, always to the best of our ability.
Vocation We believe in the power of meaningful work and its
impact on ourselves, our
families, and our communities.
A strength-based, trauma-informed curriculum
While we push our participants hard—this is our ultimate belief
in the quality of their character—we also
know that trauma is—sadly—a unifying experience for many of
those we serve. As such, our program has
been designed to acknowledge lessons around trauma-informed
care. At its core, ManifestWor ks is a
strength-based curriculum: What are the unique values and
experiences our participants bring to their
professional selves and how can ManifestWorks support these
virtues for professional success?
As we continue to align the curriculum with current thinking
around serving those impacted by trauma,
our sensitivity to our participants will never diminish their
potential, cast them as victims, or allow their
difficult past experiences to calcify into a professional story
that undermines a dynamic future.
We know trauma ultimately is about deep wounds to one’s
psychological well-being, wounds rooted in
significant abusive experiences, or core issues of identity being
devalued. The result is complex trauma,
caused by events that are ongoing, often in the context of a
caregiver or trusted adult and impacting
personal, social, and psychological development, including
abuse, domestic violence, or community
violence. The result of this is often rage, manifesting itself in
behaviors, self-contempt, and despair that

undermine a chance at a pro-social existence. Prison and
homelessness are often, statistically, inevitable
outcomes.
To be responsive, ManifestWorks is committed to creating an
environment built on supporting
participants in the program:
Safety We commit to an environment that is physically and
psychologically safe for all
participants, with clear expectations for behavior among all
staff, visitors, and
participants and immediate, transparent outcomes for those in
violation of
organizational policies.
Trust Even as we challenge participants to face new experiences
daily, our consistent
approach and reliability need to be evident.
Empowerment Work is not the place to address personal issues.
However, at ManifestWorks, even
as we teach professional decorum, we provide a balance
between giving personal
voice and teaching self-regulation around sharing and trust-
building. Individual skills
and aspirations are acknowledged and balanced with what is
professionally
appropriate. In some ways, ManifestWorks is a bridge from
program and
institutionalization to professional success, and we exist to
facilitate that transition.
Community The fellowship of a shared journey, and a
connection to a common experience is an
enormously important component of our program. Shared meals,

group exercises,
5
and cognitive-behavioral skill building are crucial. With
mentors, with peers, and with
colleagues, ManifestWorkers are buoyed by a community that
recognizes them for
their potential.
Institutional trauma-informed care involves clear trauma
competence among all those interacting with
traumatized people. It involves culturally and linguistically
appropriate interactions, environments, and
scaffolding and it requires a foundation in trauma-informed
philosophy. Because we are preparing our
participants for professional success—inevitably in work
environments oblivious to trauma, our goal is to
prepare our participants for a world that will treat them
differently than they have been treated before
AND where they will face the same expectations as all their
peers for professional decorum. We see this
as a positive, even while it can be challenging.
We know the workplace is not one sensitive to these needs, and
we see our goal as providing respect
and service while ready-ing participants for a future where
triggers will be challenged. Ultimately, our

experience has been that clear expectations, professional skills,
and personal scaffolding open doors.
And with these open doors and success in the workplace, alumni
begin developing different personal
narratives. In short, transformation.
The three programs
Since the origin of the ManifestWorks Production Assistant
Program, the organization has grown
significantly. In order to offer continued support to the alumni
who have graduated from the pioneer
program, and to ensure that all members of the ManifestWorks
community have access to the support
services they need, the organization has broadened its scope.
ManifestWorks is now an umbrella for
three tiers of programs, including Manifest (the PA program,)
ManifestMore (the alumni program,) and
ManifestSupport (the social services program.) In broad strokes,
the programs do the following:
Manifest: serves to train, support, and equip individuals
impacted by institutionalization with the
necessary skills to embark careers in the entertainment industry
— starting as production assistants.
ManifestSupport: works to ensure all members of the
community have access to the support services
they need by offering life skills and therapeutic services to the
participants who ask for additional
assistance.
ManifestMore: is continued education programming offered to
the alumni of Manifest.
Governance and Staff

ManifestWorks is governed and operated by the following
bodies:
The Board of Directors:
The board is the primary governing body for ManifestWorks
and adheres to the legal and
fiduciary duties outlined for a 501(c)(3) organization. The
governing board should be composed
of people with professional experience in the industry,
professional engagement, or
lived-experience among the communities served by
ManifestWorks, in addition to alumni of the
Manifest program.
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The Advisory Board:
The Advisory Board functions as a resource and support system
for the three programs, but
primarily for Manifest and ManifestMore. The Advisory board
is composed predominantly of
industry professionals that are key members of ManifestWorks’
network. Advisory board
members host classes, mentor our participants and alumni and
go above and beyond to share
their time and expertise with the ManifestWorks community.

Staff:
Executive Director oversees organizational strategy and
partnerships, fundraising, and new programming
initiatives.
Operations Director oversees all day-to-day operations for the
organization as well as the development
and instruction of the computer & technology component of the
ManifestWorks job training program.
Workforce Development Program Manager oversees admissions
and the job training program, working
directly to guide participants on their professional journey.
Participant Support Program Manager, ideally a licensed social
worker, works to ensure that all students
have the resources they need to be effective participants of the
program.
Best practices
Beyond our commitment to our mission, ManifestWorks
maintains that programming remains current
with best practices methodology.
Metrics and Evaluation
ManifestWorks consistently measures all aspects of our
programs to ensure outcomes are consistent with
objectives. Both quantitative data and qualitative data guides
are relevant in our data collection. See this
outcomes report to exemplify which metrics are tracked and
prioritized.
Surveys
Baseline Manifest Survey

Occurs during application process and collects baseline data.
Follow-Up Manifest Survey
Occurs 6 months after graduation
Annual Alumni Survey
Occurs annually in March
Support Intake Survey
Occurs once applicants are accepted into the Manifest Program,
prior to the first class
ManifestMore Program Surveys
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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q88qZb8FnmEmc25yp6G
4CujWT4AdtLCLTM5AOJvyweA/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RTcYabrLy4YGzbYHg7t-
COJhVPMG-gSHrzjCr3S70u0/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XrIFE2H_iTIdvcxL6Bvg3aJd
hH13vjG2Qc1ngl9vZps/edit
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Tei-u9bGsM8c8XQTN1u-
cgD5FgfiSqpTvG3XsrOf1HM/edit#responses
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/6/folders/1EJ1Qtrnmsn6JU9_g
KwFVpFLGPLybIHlj
The below sections on Manifest, ManifestSupport, and
ManifestMore each detail how that program

measures success.
2. Manifest Production Assistant Program
Mission
Through immersive learning, real-world work experience, and a
network of supportive professional
mentors, ManifestWorks connects those impacted by foster care,
homelessness, and incarceration with
job opportunities and provides ongoing life and professional
skills to support long-term success.
Outcomes
The program teaches the core skills of being a successful set PA
while exposing participants to the
various trades open to them as their careers develop. While our
participants’ introduction of these
positions will be cursory, graduates of ManifestWorks will
understand the different roles played by others
on set and around production, from concept to completion.
Our goal is to prepare everyone who is ready for work. But
those who fail to commit to being ready, or
bringing their best, will often need to return to us when they are
ready. At the program’s end, alumni of
ManifestWorks must be people who can create opportunities for
themselves. They must honor their
potential with their excellence. And they must create goodwill
so that subsequent classes can earn the
same chance. We produce alumni who can outperform everyone
else on set, and we do this by setting
expectations. There’s a reason: the preparation if followed, will
keep those in the program on their
freelance job for another day. Indeed, the immediate goal of

ManifestWorks is to prepare participants to
1) excel on their first day of work, and 2) have the skills to find
their next job. And just to note: once we
compromise our expectations, it is very difficult to resurrect
them.
Applicants entering the program report averaging $285 per week
in wages. 12 months later, alumni are
earning $1,172 per week.
Measuring success
Although the metrics of success in Manifest are plentiful, one of
the most tangible metrics of success is
the accumulation of participant’s wealth. In this respect,
success looks like participants receiving a
consistent living wage, increased employment benefits,
increased union membership, increased banking
skills and savings, and reduced reliance on welfare programs.
Perhaps equally importantly, participant
success is feeling like life has a sense of directi on and meaning.
Curriculum philosophy
Programming is always based around Professional mentors
sharing professional and wellness tips that
lead to wealth acquisition. The life skills and connections from
our network of partners throughout the
entertainment industry lead directly to living-wage jobs and
long-term career advancement.

8
As a whole, the 12-week program:
● builds on a fully immersive learning model — hands-on
doing, making, creating,
● gives participants the life skills they need to develop an
indispensable work ethic,
● puts them in the mix with industry professionals and mentors,
● Provides real-world experience on location, in production
houses, sound stages, and
post-production facilities,
● sets expectations for excellence at every level, and
● teaches them that networking is an essential part of the hustle.
Beyond the workshops, our program includes:
● paid, on-set experience,
● As-needed Life-Skills management, including counseling
● On-going career development and life skills to scaffold
professional success, and
● the support and wisdom of past participants who return to
offer help to those that follow.
Core tenants are emphasized repeatedly. Mastery is required to
remain in the program:
● The value and importance of professionalism: appearance,
punctuality, and decorum;
● The keys to successful communication: email, texting, note-
taking, spoken conversation,
listening;
● Personal brand management: social media, performance, on-
set interaction;

● Networking: Introductions, follow up, building and
maintaining contacts, developing a contact
schedule;
● On-set communications: lingo, protocols, walkie usage;
● On-set actives: lock-up, set up/break down of sets (pop-ups,
chairs, etc.), protocols;
● Production skills: creating and distributing callsheets,
problem-solving, asking for assistance
(when to), menu books;
● Finances: petty cash, receipts, reimbursements;
● Office PA skills: phone decorum, tracking projects, copying,
shipping, etc.
● Computer skills: familiarity with technology that increases
employment options.
● The key to being indispensable.
The use of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT):
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is ingrained in the
philosophy of Manifest. CBT is a therapeutic
practice anchored in the understanding that Cognition or
thinking governs behavior. As such, CBT
targets thinking errors and teaches recipients to change or
rewire their cognition. This process is then
understood to change the behavior and lead to better mental
health and positive outcomes. CBT utilizes
social learning models, repetition, and talk-therapy to help
solidify the new cognitive pathways and thus
change behavior over time.
CBT is an essential tool of the ManifestWorks teaching model
and the Therapeutic model utilized in
individual sessions. The program serves to provide hard skills
for careers in the entertainment industry as
much as it serves to empower people to be the best and happiest

versions of themselves. This comes
with substantial, individualized support to address past trauma
and institutionalization. This most often
takes form as CBT, one-on-one therapeutic service with trained
professionals. See here for more details.
Curriculum structure
Each week’s class is set and organized based on an ideal
sequence: Our 12-week curriculum physically
follows the flow of production, starting with an agency/idea and
moving to an expendables house to
privileged and only for the information of the intended reci pient
9
learn about the equipment and then to a soundstage, a
production company, etc. For the
post-production segment, we visit a music house, a post-
production house, and an editorial house.
Every class will have certain structural similarities, and
consequently, there will always be a few consistent
actions:
● Securing and confirming the location. A master calendar will
have the location for each class and
will require initial outreach to each host in anticipation of class.

● Outreach to guests: Arrangements with guests should be made
a few weeks in advance of each
class, and for new guests, a one-page pdf entitled ‘MW
Volunteer Guidelines’ is on Google
Drive. With each speaker, there should always be an effort to
engage participants as much as
possible. This can mean working with each speaker to real -
world interactions that put the
speaker’s lessons into practice. If coordinating with the speaker
doesn’t make sense, those
exercises can be developed separately.
● For speakers representing specific trades (writers, producers,
Assistant Directors, Directors of
Photography, etc.) explaining their craft through the film
threaded throughout the program.
● Emails to class. To make the best use of class and to guide
participants as they progress through
the curriculum, many instructional elements are teased in
advance. The emails to class are largely
unchanged from session to session. The email template,
contained in each week’s curriculum
folder, can be revised and edited as needed. Corresponding
documents—one-pagers—are
distributed with these materials
● Meals: while the producer is responsible for ordering all
meals, the instructor must review each
order to ensure it fits within the budget for the class, along with
the general guidelines for food.
Generally speaking, meals in class should feel like staff meals
at production companies. The
catering arrangements that are established by production
company receptionists or office PAs
should reflect on the food choices and arrangements made by

the participants for class meals.
● Assignments of class roles and responsibilities: For each
class, four participants are selected to
role-play the producer, the location manager, the talent
manager, and the assistant director. The
selected participants will be assigned a set of responsibilities,
similar to the role of the position
they’re playing. Stand out participants will be selected to role
play Class 1, and will then act as a
support system for the leaders of the next class. Descriptions
and protocols for each are
described below.
○ The Producer
○ The Location Manager
○ The Talent Coordinator
○ The Assistant Director
Core pillars
The program is composed of three key elements presented
interchangeably, and typically, each element
progresses independently throughout the program.
Synergistically, the three components become the
core pillars of ManifestWorks’ curriculum. The components are
as follows:
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bR6nN9Po9ec62__VT12XP_COmM/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bEXC3qKjR7MNTZXT07
o06srFhqqoS2pX0fXe3tZ1cME/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PbedqfacLLfJw_xVkrKw
Z__VlOk132aHhzmVFCeAYJw/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jhk-
gOIxm32pmnVt1jCMO5XbKTfXanNbKL15SL45fuQ/edit?usp=s
haring
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z-
MBdyXlF1p_y09hunvOLoanFceSW7-4r-
ZJXzlD6HI/edit?usp=sharing
● The Arc of Production
○ Classes follow the process of production: Idea, eg.
client/agency to Execution
e.g. production company, soundstage, expendables house to
Completion e.g.
post (e.g. editorial, music, and visual effects [vfx]). These
elements introduce and
reinforce the big picture of production and the role the PA plays
in each,
including specifics of jobs, how professionals interact on-set,
various career
opportunities related to the position. This is the foundation of
understanding
that a PA is an entry-level position to Hollywood; guests’ tales
of their own
professional pathways reinforce that pathway.
● Hard skills of being a PA
○ An understanding of the various hard skills specific to PA
jobs essential to being

professionally proficient, and allowing our participants/alumni
to show up to
work prepared to excel and make themselves indispensable from
their first day
on set: start paperwork, making callsheets, completing time
cards, using petty
cash, professionalism, on-set gear, using walkie talkies,
punctuality, the on-set
hierarchy, etc.
● Soft skills and life skills
○ Skills that are useful for career and life at any point and not
specific to jobs in the
production industry. This includes things like computer use,
how to ask for work,
how to tell your story, how to network, etc. in addition to sound
fiscal
management and other skills crucial for wealth acquisition in
life.
Elements of building the program
At the beginning of each program, this day-by-day spreadsheet
color codes the below objects to ensure
that the program is well balanced and dispersed with all
program component:
These are various “module types” that make up the
ManifestWorks Program:
● Forums, panels, and experts
○ Speakers brought in to teach from lived experience and
expertise
● Curriculum/hard skills

○ Hard skills necessary for PA work
● Activity/immersive
○ Activities that require engagement from participants
● Benchmarks, homework, and reviews
○ Assignments, reviewing work, and meetings with instructors
to discuss
performance/wellbeing
● Soft skills
○ Universally applicable skills
● Technology
○ Computer and tech instruction (i.e., using Google Drive 101
or professional
social media practices)
● psycho/emotional
○ Meditations, wellness tools and resources from
ManifestSupport
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https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16o5eSUqvsWjt8OtxFB
Oddjxe5IRsR-odlk4KJjRv4rI/edit#gid=1550365198
Program timeline and foundation building

Program Track 1: The Arc of Production
12
Program Track 2: Production Assistant Hard Skills
Program Track 3: Non-industry Specific Soft Skills
13
Week-by-week
As noted above, Manifests’ curriculum is flexible and subject to
change dependent upon the availability
of guests, instructors, and locations. That said, the guide below
is an ideal program structure based on
the programming of previous cohorts and the above chronology.
As the Manifest program has multiple purposes (preparing

participants for careers in the film industry
AND personal development) most classes have multiple
purposes and outcomes. The daily purpose(s)
and outcomes(s) related to film industry skill development are
delineated by letters. The daily purpose(s)
outcomes(s) related to personal development are delineated by
numbers.
Orientation
Purpose: To (1) outline expectations of the program, (2) explain
what ManifestWorks is and is not, (3)
allow the applicants to withdraw from consideration if the
program isn’t what they expected and (3)
introduce the basics of punctuality, professional email
expectations, and following instructions.
Outcome: Orientation will result in a more focused group of
potential interviewees. Orientation will help
participants further their understanding of the program before
they commit to participate.
Process:
No later than one week before interviews begin, all qualified
applicants are invited to an orientation by1
email.
Location: Home-Site
Call: 9 AM
At the orientation, we will:
1. Review work eligibility documents (passport or ID and social
security)
2. Introduce the ManifestWorks staff and their roles.

3. Give an overview of the program (what the program is and is
not.)
4. Play an ice-breaker game that asks participants to make
connections with others according to
different criteria.
5. Outline benchmarks for participation, including
professionalism, attendance, and punctuality
6. Review the participant contract and program expectations.
Each candidate will leave with an
unsigned participant contract — that will be collected at Class
#1 if they are invited to be
program participants
7. Learn about professional email addresses, with instructions
on setting up new email accounts in
Gmail.
8. Give a brief overview of participant leadership roles.
9. Explain the utility of the weekly call sheet.
10. Go over how applicants can secure an interview.
1 A qualified applicant is someone who has successfully
submitted an application and completed the applicant
survey.
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https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NNLMpvtIE-

s_NthqYpi2e6xy2c2WPLWIpTyw49sVrQQ
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrjFjlZtQh6tOVun
bbeispE4bftqmSEjAQEePX0WIxKcU-ow/viewform
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrjFjlZtQh6tOVun
bbeispE4bftqmSEjAQEePX0WIxKcU-ow/viewform
Pre-Class materials: Invitation to orientation email.
Components included:
Curriculum/hard skills -Introduce program and benchmarks
-MW staff roles
Activity/immersive - Ice-breaker game
Benchmarks, homework, and review -Briefly address participant
roles for
class
-Instructor email (assigned)
● Every attendee who wishes to
secure an interview must send
an email during the week to the
instructor from a professional
Gmail address
Psychological/emotional -Popcorn/team building
-Integrity - What is a ManifestWorker?
-How you make connections with
people (and how to introduce yourself)

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AGrH1R77T28q0rZEInTo
fsvKSCjM9FxhST7Lp9jIB4Y/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15MPr0sXZQLiVqbTW5Inmy
vTGMImuiH-M
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmdsMPj3-
WRw3qanCej9nFh3yMzOwcJ22Me7c08gtlU
Interviews
Purpose: To screen each candidate through the lens of
ManifestWorks staff, mental health professionals,
Manifest alumni, and industry professionals for each applicant’s
match with ManifestWork’s ability to help
them move into a living-wage career.
Outcome: The interview team should leave with a clear as
possible sense of which program applicants
would make a good fit for the program and where (if
appropriate) to refer those who are not accepted.
Process:
To be eligible for an interview, applicants must:
1. Complete and submit the application and the accompanying
survey
2. Applicants must attend orientation (opportunities to interview
without attending orientation are
at the sole discretion of the Program Manager)

3. Upon completion of the orientation, the applicant must send
the program instructor an email
from a Gmail account stating their interest in an interview
a. (Applicants are given instructions on how to do this here)
b. Once the email is received, the instructor will reply inviting
them to an in-person
interview
i. The Program Manager will assign interview time slots with
some consideration
for applicant conflicts
4. Prove that they’re eligible to work by showing work-
eligibility documents (I-9)
The interviews:
Location: Production Company
1. Applicants must arrive on time to be accepted. A volunteer
will check-in applicants at the front.
2. Applicants are interviewed by three categories of
interviewers:
a. Two members from the program: ManifestWorks staff and
ManifestSupport staff
i. Looking to see if applicants are likely to succeed in the
program
ii. Looking to identify applicant’s barriers to success and if they
can overcome them
b. A Manifest alumni
i. Looking to see if the candidate is a good fit for Manifest
based on their own
lived experience

c. An industry professional (a producer, coordinator, HR
professional, hiring manager, etc)
i. Looking to see if the industry expert can imagine hiring that
person one day
The interviewee is randomly placed into either Track A or Track
B of the interview process where they will
participate in three, 10-minute interviews. The first two
interview rooms are comprised of ManifestWorks
alumni and industry professionals, with the third room made up
of ManifestWorks staff members, the
composition of the ManifestWorks interview room is ideally one
member of the “program” staff and one
ManifestSupport staff member. Typically the Executive Director
and the Program Manager are the final
interviews for each Track, an example is included below:
Track A:
Room 1: Interviewed by Alumni and Industry Professionals
16
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19LnIxkUAsrPO6KWzS1ij
CWZx_dGQBEcggWoZEdfiL3M/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19LnIxkUAsrPO6KWzS1ij
CWZx_dGQBEcggWoZEdfiL3M/edit?usp=sharing

Room 3: Interviewed by ManifestWorks Staff Members
(Program Manager)
Track B:
Room 3: Interviewed by ManifestWorks Staff Members
(Executive Director)
Scoring and acceptance:
Each interviewer will evaluate each applicant on an “accept” or
“decline” basis, with “accept” being
given a numerical value of “1”. At the end of the interviews, the
applicant “scores” will be tabulated.
The interview team will discuss each candidate that scored in
the low-range and the mid-range to
determine acceptance... The interview team will also discuss all
candidates that scored a wide-range of
scores (i.e, - some people thought that person was a great fit for
the program, and others strongly
disagreed.) All top-scoring participants are automatically
accepted.
The key is that each applicant is evaluated by multiple
perspectives in relatively short interviews. This
aims to keep the scoring process fair and objective.
When appropriate, the review team will discuss where they
should refer applicants who are not accepted
into the program, or what resources they can otherwise provide
them. ManifestWorks wants all program
applicants to gain something from their interview process,
whether they’re invited to join or not.
Some applicants do not appear to be ready for the program now

due to extraneous barriers in their
personal lives. These applicants are encouraged to focus on
their challenges at the moment and apply
again later when the time is right. The students who do reapply
are usually tremendously successful in
Manifest.
Questions for interviewers to keep
in mind:
-Why do you need manifest works?
-What are the barriers have you faced in
the past (internal and external)?
-Tell us about yourself.
-What are your strengths?
-Do you have any questions for us?
Benchmarks and Reviews -Employment Eligibility Documents
-Due: Gmail Address & Signature in
email
17
Intakes
After the interview process and participants have been accepted

into the ManifestWorks program, each
participant is scheduled for a short modified Bio-Psycho-Social
evaluation, otherwise known as an intake.
This serves to ensure that staff is aware of any potential
external barriers to success the participant may
be facing before they begin the program.
The intake evaluation takes the form of an in-person interview
with a ManifestSupport team member
(staff or volunteer). The interview utilizes this intake form to
guide the initial conversation. Participants are
not required to answer every question—the form should simply
be used to guide the conversation.
Although participants will not be asked to fill out an informed
consent form, they are explained the limits
of confidentiality as dictated by the overriding clinical license
holders’ professional guidelines.
18
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aGLnkzVP1-GGX-
YBpYeWV-8Iixt5cmk7ZwwuRnhdSv0/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QuYRS8qGJeh-
PLmKQYuXY1sSdckLD08L/view?usp=sharing
Class 1: Advertising Agency; Networking Basics2
Purpose: To gain (A) an understanding of the purpose of an
advertising agency, and (1) address the

basics of professionalism, networking, problem-solving, and
emailing.
Outcomes: Participants will leave with an understanding of (A)
the role of an advertising agency in the
production process, (B) the amount of time, effort, and money
that goes into the development of a
project before physical production begins and (C) how the
advertising agency interfaces with the client.
Participants will also leave with improved expertise on (1) the
importance of punctuality, presentation in
appearance and communication, (2) networking and introducing
yourself, including your handshake, eye
contact, starting conversations and asking questions, (3) the
importance of communication and problem
solving, and (4) email etiquette, to include email signatures,
refraining from reply all, proofreading before
sending, etc.
Process:
Location: An Advertising Agency
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the
facility at 8:00 AM)
Pre-Class materials: Participants will have received Week 1
email three days prior to class.
Email to be sent to networking panelists.
Forums, panels, experts Speaking:
● Ad agency’s role in a
production3

-Alumni networking panel
Soft skills -Professionalism
-Indispensability
-Introduction to Networking
-Fixing a Problem
-Introduction to Email
-Clarification vs. Help
activity/immersive -Networking Exercise
● 1:1 guest/participant ratio
needed
-Review class participant roles
● The Producer
● The Location Manager
● The Talent Coordinator
● The Assistant Director
-Sign contract (with questions)
3 Agency representative provides presentations adhering to
volunteer guidelines; should explain why people are
making commercials, how much money is being spent to make
them, and the potential for anyone in production to
threaten its success.
2 Class 1 typically resumes two weeks after interviews to allow
ample time for participant intakes

19
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p5tBh2gXvqrekKExQ4
JN8b7R-d5gDf9yVxlXT9V1q0M/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AW7iGunrV9bYCjfvZrTs
gMCJWh3_KmFNpzKqaVaDN1I/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gdh9niwq9BzVdmh_Tvw
Y2FjjuKqTcTjyI6VSmBDPfg4/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZPkK8ZwqJvc4bIu5HoHk
UPCm0jN35S17YKuNti2hbvE/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p4H8z4y-
VYkk9VqeD4MFBng4hFglg0yDMBSQ88ZvYBg
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p4H8z4y-
VYkk9VqeD4MFBng4hFglg0yDMBSQ88ZvYBg
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P-FJffJuaR-
dLLRnCTSZop4UnwPCTUn_yF-Ab9fJHqw/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xEahQdq4W_LSoKLIV3q
fIz7gzve03D5mzqAtZzGqRK8/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FhflKAS6yzS1rF9wnauD
EkP1X8lOJHTV4svB1fHhDUE/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NN5ocZS4u2gb6vnJK9Tg
GQViPtITj_rEcW-mel9UCM8/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RdTVb-
5bwcZnGMeX7615B_qzhwfp64LFBo5fqWuVgSw/edit?usp=shar
ing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bEXC3qKjR7MNTZXT07
o06srFhqqoS2pX0fXe3tZ1cME/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PbedqfacLLfJw_xVkrKw
Z__VlOk132aHhzmVFCeAYJw/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jhk-
gOIxm32pmnVt1jCMO5XbKTfXanNbKL15SL45fuQ/edit?usp=s
haring

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z-
MBdyXlF1p_y09hunvOLoanFceSW7-4r-
ZJXzlD6HI/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xGQMYAXugiyOOFDirO
C_Lir1REiuRjD5iPOGhAuqJT0/edit?usp=sharing
UPCm0jN35S17YKuNti2hbvE/edit?usp=s haring
Benchmarks, homework, and review -contracts (review)
-email signature (assigned)
Benchmarks:
1. Attendance
2. Punctuality
Notepad and pencil/pen.
3. Signed/initialed Agreement
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
Alumni and Networking Panel.
Before you can walk, you have to take a first step, right?
Sometimes, that sounds easier than it is, and so after years of
throwing ManifestWorks participants at
unfamiliar Hollywood professionals, we’ve started with a
remedial exercise in how to approach a
stranger, initiate conversation and start building a professional
network.
A panel of Alumni will start, usually before the guest arrives, to
cover two things: the value and
importance of networking (e.g. don’t wait until the end of class)
and briefly to model to the new

participants how the program worked for them and to share
some I wish I had known this on my first day
of ManifestWorks. They should answer: what is networking?
Who is in your network? What are specific,
actionable tools helpful in building a burgeoning professional
network?
As the alumni panelists are talking, the room will fill with
strange faces, and ultimately the new
participants will get to work, walking up to a stranger--a guest
of ManifestWorks joining us from some
part of Hollywood--and have a go at it. Participants are in the
program to get a job, but, we’ll start with
baby steps: a firm handshake, introduction, eye contact, basic
conversation, etc. Our guests are asked to
just observe, engage, and then give feedback that will help
participants when the stakes are a little
higher. And just to put it into practice, after 10 minutes of
talking to one person, the whole group will
pause and share feedback, before they rotate and start again
with a new face. After that, we’ll again
review what worked and what didn’t as a group, and then we’ll
eat lunch together, where actual
networking can occur.
20
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WrTDw_KcYYtrnIhOnNV
vx28D4J6-_Rjh5CT_4UenNno/edit?usp=sharing

Class 2: Getting ready for set work, Part A
Purpose: To (A) introduce participants to the role of a
production company, give a basic understanding
of on-set etiquette, on-set hierarchy, and the importance of
callsheets, and (1) reinforce the importance
of networking and basic appropriate social media use.
the role of a production company in the
production process, (B) how a production secures projects (the
bidding process,) the budget for a
production, collaborates with and carries out the vision of the
ad agency, and (C) who works for who (the
PA works for the production company, the production company
works for the ad agency, and the ad
agency works for the client.)
Participants will also leave class with improved (1) organization
skills, (2) basic introduction to GSuite and
computer technology, and (3) professional social media
practices.
Process:
Location: Production Company
Pre-Class emails: Instructor discretion to send callsheets4
Work assigned: Create folders in Google Drive to store
callsheets; upload recent callsheets; start
filling out Network Tracker Sheet (GSheet)

Forums, panels, experts Speaking:
● On-set production panel: how it
works on set5
● production company6
activity/immersive AND soft skills What you like about
yourself
● What's your superpower? Things
you like about yourself;
confident to be in a space,
seeing and being seen
-Participant questions during on-set
production panel
-Social Media Best Practices
Benchmarks, homework, and
review
-Network tracker (assigned)
-Create GSuite folders, upload and save
callsheets (assigned)
6 Head of production/partner/executive producer provides
presentation adhering to volunteer guidelines.
5 Composed predominantly of production
managers/coordinators; typically moderated by the program
manager,
should cover the importance of being early, the importance of
introducing yourself, who you should introduce

yourself to, where you go to check in, and basic tips for how to
distinguish yourself on set.
4 Callsheets are sent by the participants by the participant
producer; sent to the guests by the participant talent
coordinator; sent to the advisory board by the program manager;
sent to the board of directors by the executive
director.
21
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HJMGqQZtBIIEHZTG
chfxLQL3l8WRTrccjlNWuHfPL4k/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LztLo_R3Cc1B1pUsrv
urYaDQ-p_PjK81ntd9-pUUX6c/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dkf7NHPm610HFc24vVK
lXFMZ-ih87mMuEzJJ3FAvTZo/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RU5pGZtxB7GTt3f2ux5A
9Yt_AvC_Lq2BOmOREbm7pGg/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LztLo_R3Cc1B1pUsrv
urYaDQ-p_PjK81ntd9-pUUX6c/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pzYJwH9rLUQm8qLC9g

Vl7k-QREFTV7ONvLS_tQ23g_A/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pzYJwH9rLUQm8qLC9g
Vl7k-QREFTV7ONvLS_tQ23g_A/edit
-Error-free thank you email (assigned)
Benchmarks:
1. All participants need to bring
their completed enrollment
agreement to class.
2. All participants need to have
sent an email to the instructor
from their professional email
address with their professional
signature before the start of
class
22
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S8R9KVf7FiWhaS64m78n2
R4YyHDs6IWn2lMX1y5WTQM
Class 3: Getting ready for set work, Part B

Purpose: To learn the (A) key usage of set equipment, lingo and
walkie protocols, (B) to complete start
paperwork (I-9, timecard, etc. ) and (1) to work on writing
error-free networking solicitation/thank-you
notes.
the role of a rental house in the
production process, (B) where the physical tools of production
come from (the production company
doesn’t own everything - they rent it) and (C) the most
important production items and their use on set,
and (D) the purpose of start paperwork and how to fill it out
correctly, (E) a more advanced
understanding of how a set operates, and (F) an ability to
operate on-set equipment (including the
walkie-talkie.)
Participants will also leave (1) ready to accept gigs (understand
how to fill out payroll and time cards) and
(2) improved independence in expanding their network.
Location: Rental House
Call: 6 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility
at 5:30 AM)
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking:
● Rental house coordinator7
● Production supervisor8
Hard skills -Set lingo and set equipment on one
page

-Using Walkie Talkies in one page
-how to fill out payroll and timecards
Soft skills Thank-you notes in one page
activity/immersive -The PA Challenge (on-set gear)9
review
-Complete time card (assigned)10
-Complete i9/employment eligibility
doc (assigned)
-Write a thank-you email and cc
instructor (assigned)
-bring at least 2 receipts for expense
reports (assigned)
10 Provided by the guest from the payroll company
9 The participants are broken into two teams and are tasked
with setting up and breaking down a lunch; equipment
discussed that morning is used to execute the challenge.
8 Production supervisor provides presentation adhering to
volunteer guidelines; should introduce required
paperwork for set work
7 Rental house coordinator provides presentation adhering to
volunteer guidelines; should introduce equipment in
the rental house

23
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p5tBh2gXvqrekKExQ4JN8b
7R-d5gDf9yVxlXT9V1q0M
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15dbWwbE64kfiMoYBQn
VH59e3BJXq-JVBjUZi1j9Rnl8/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hOM4W090nBAiAtCLmme7
TxCiCoARCFaRgJUvRmG0pwE
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JfolTOvzMxMgAcAkpctqZr
hEeKAXaVvD
https://drive.google.com/open?id=14vtASJEiiPkFCKevMic2CS
BBjFObEKYQX_6M9bwG31M
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yXYeYW0U5PwT zpdUkq
4PMG-WoecgFpzsvcLdVS4cuTE/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i -9-paper-
version.pdf
https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i -9-paper-
version.pdf
-Benchmarks
1. All participants need to have

completed all of their start
paperwork with appropriate ID
2. All participants must have
written a thank you email with
the instructor in cc or bcc
Psychological/emotional
-The way you do one thing is the way
you do everything
-Grounding/mindfulness exercise
24
Class 4: The Writer; Petty Cash
Purpose: To (A) understand how the screenwriter’s vision
translates on set, how sides are utilized by11
PAs, (B) how to deal with and reconcile petty cash, and (C)
understand how the hiring process works for
PAs.
Outcome: Participants will leave with an understanding of (A)
the role of the writer in the production
process, (B) how scripts are used in productions, (C) how PAs
should interact with writers on set, (D) how
to read and breakdown a screenplay, (E) how to use petty cash,

(F) how to reconcile petty cash, (G) the
intricacies of the hiring process (holds vs. books,) and (H)
understand how to write a solicitation email.
Participants will also leave with (1) an introductory
understanding of finance for personal and professional
use.
Process:
Location: Home-Site
● Production
manager/producer/coordinator12
● Writer13
Activity/immersive -How to use a movie script as a PA (taught
by
writer)
-How to deal with Petty Cash and Expense
reports (taught by production manager)
Technology -Creating a personal budget
-Open computer lab (if time allows)14
Hard skills -Expense reports and petty cash
(see activity)
-”Booking the Job”
Solicitation emails and texts (including

holds versus bookings)
Soft skills -Social Media #1
-Personal Finance Introduction
review
-Personal Budgets (assigned)
-Petty cash summary (assigned)
14 Free time to work on computer skills and get work done
13 Writer provides content adhering to volunteer guidelines;
how to read a script
12 Production manager/producer/coordinator provides content
adhering to volunteer guidelines; should talk about
solicitation emails/texts, holds versus books, and petty cash.
The same person can cover all of these things, or you
can bring in multiple people.
11 The specific script pages worked on that day
25

https://docs.google.com/spreads heets/d/1p5tBh2gXvqrekKExQ4
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZCB39BjF4pyK0o_a6Z78yU
QaU-OpEEM-
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rdopCYScoqKzXiqUJRA2
HO-Scs8a1u_PbVYDUmN2jDo/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Co5FbZ_XK5SJ75qzT-6-
tTe5r068sEweSLympCVmphA/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Co5FbZ_XK5SJ75qzT-6-
tTe5r068sEweSLympCVmphA/edit
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kH7J_O3UDi8Xl7zFtmz_rcr
IdNzBEbmHsNX8jXxZPY8
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RU5pGZtxB7GTt3f2ux5A9Y
t_AvC_Lq2BOmOREbm7pGg
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kH7J_O3UDi8Xl7zFtmz_r
crIdNzBEbmHsNX8jXxZPY8/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OYPW6Nu3f23zVIBy
wPPhhGWW6or7iFtNExWQIJzVqCs/edit?usp=sharing
-Benchmarks:
Individual participant benchmark meeting to
address performance on all work thus far:
● email signature
● network tracker
● thank you notes
● punctuality and attendance
● indispensability

26
Class 5: Studio Visit; The Line Producer and Location
Managers
Purpose: Understanding the (A) production process, various set
positions, and the workings of a studio
lot and soundstage and (1) to introduce future career
opportunities such as the location department.
studio lot etiquette, (B) the role of the line
producer, (C) how PAs get attached to projects (D) an
introduction to the budget of production projects,
(E) the role of the location manager in the production process,
(F) how PAs should interact with the
locations department, and (G) how participations can potentially
transition into locations jobs.
Process:
Location: Studio Lot

● Studio host15
● Line producer16
● Union department head
(typically a location manager)17
Activity/immersive -Studio tour18
Curriculum/hard skills -Positions on Set in one Page
Benchmarks, homework, and review *If individual benchmark
meetings can’t
be held on class 4, they can be held
here
-What are your passions and interests?
18 Participants should be introduced to the sound stage and
sound stage etiquette, including the function and use of
elephant doors, red lights, and fire lanes.
17 Location manager provides a presentation adhering to
volunteer guidelines; should explain the location
department and give a picture of career opportunities beyond
that of a PA. If a location manager is not available,
other union positions will suffice.
16 Line producer provides presentation adhering to volunteer
guidelines; should explain what a line producer does,
budgets, and how to get hired on a show
15 Studio host provides presentation adhering to volunteer
guidelines; should provide content that demonstrates

how a studio operates
27
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1M6gPFj4SdA3SOj6mJYJ5B9
OK4DEMFIGN
Class 6: Being an Office PA; Production Designer; Presenting
your professional story
Purpose: To understand (A) how to be an office PA and the
difference between an on-set PA and an
office PA, (B) the role of a production designer and how the art

department is structured, and (1) how to
professionally tell your story.
Outcome: Participants should leave class with an understanding
of (A) how an office PA should operate
while on the job (with skill-building in-office protocol, like
how to answer phones) and (B) the difference
between working in an office and a physical setting, and (C)
how to best to set up a production lunch
and take food orders and (D) alternative career opportunities
within the art department.
Participants will also leave (1) with an understanding of their
agency over the way they articulate their
personal story and history to others.
Process:
Location: Production company
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking:
● production designer19
● Office manager/office PA20
Activity/immersive -Professionally telling your story; what’s
your deal?21
-Office manager leads: Office PA
challenge/activity
Curriculum/hard skills -How to work in the office (PA)
-Office etiquette

review
Cover letter (assigned)
Resume (assigned)22
Psychological/emotional -Week 6 grounding exercise
-Self-advocacy activity, how to stick up for
what you want; professionally saying “this
is what I need”
22 Resumes are introduced - participants are asked to start one
if they don’t have one already, but instructions for
how to make one do not occur in this class.
21 Participants are taught how to explain who they are in a
smart and professional way; should answer: what’s your
deal, something you like, and something you want to get better
at.
20 Office manager/PA provides presentation adhering to
volunteer guidelines; should talk about responsibilities and
tasks occuring in an office PA gig
19 Production designer provides presentation adhering to
volunteer guidelines
28

https://drive.google.com/open?id=15Kd9qBWzFrN_FMtBJrmaT
B_BYP7RzP45FTjvp6oGYXI
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15Kd9qBWzFrN_FMtBJrmaT
B_BYP7RzP45FTjvp6oGYXI
https://drive.google.com/open?id=11p4fAmvQDETJGszJTkX5C
oo9YqQb9Fa127KCSik4Dug
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1m2Z3EfQp5v3nZvw3bBGu6
7cUpnzwdudHnLK2K_wAJJs
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15EoCxTJwu_lBFqu1yoUH
xBJ2zA-hKynrPzgnDevfBJk/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15H8x_7EphvWoim9QNPdSB
QLS-z1f0hWkycXgx8cifa4
Class 7: The Assistant Director (AD) and Director of
Photography (DP)
Purpose: To better understand (A) the roles of the AD and the
DP.
Outcomes: Understand (A) the role of the AD in the production
process, (B) who hires the AD and who
the AD hires, (C) the makeup of the AD team, (D) the PA’s
relationship with the AD, (E) how to read a

callsheet, (F) the role of the DP in the production process, (G)
the makeup of the camera department,
and (H) how PAs should interact with the DP and the camera
department.
Process:
Location: Home-site
facility at 800 AM)
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking:
● Assistant Directors (AD)23
● Director of Photography (DP)24
Technology -Computer lab
Benchmarks, homework, and review -Ongoing work on cover
letter/resume -
first draft due next class (assigned)
24 DP provides presentation adhering to volunteer guidelines
23 AD provides presentation adhering to volunteer guidelines;
should talk about how to create a schedule

29
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2UMpX8rPqfUndQvt7mqOcx?
si=InFzLFGLT-W__vdQUh0xJQ
Class 8: The Editor; Introduction to Interviewing and Resume
Development
Purpose: To understand (A) the basics of the editorial process
and to (1) position oneself as a competitive
candidate on the job market.
Outcomes: Participants will leave class with an understanding
of the (A) role of the editor in the
production process, (B) the makeup of the editorial house, (C)
what career opportunities there are in
editing.
Participants should also leave class with a greater understanding
of (1) how to prepare for interviews and
apply for jobs, (2) improved use of social media, and (3) will
leave class with a workable resume or a
resume template.
Process:
Location: Editing location/Home-Site

facility at 8:00 AM)25
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking: editor26
-Interview Prep & Recruiting
-Introduction to Resumes and cover
letters
Soft skills -Social media #2 : brings in a recruiter27
from a company (HR representative) to
reinforce and specify what was
addressed in social media#1
Technology -Final computer lab28
Benchmarks, homework, and review -Review and revise resume
and cover
letter (assigned)
Final individual benchmark meeting to29
address performance on all work thus
far:
● Review all benchmarks
● Final review of indispensability
benchmark
29 This is the final benchmark review, and as such, will result
in participants being asked to reapply for the program if

they have failed to complete any benchmarks
28 Open time to tweek resumes, budgets, etc.
27 Program Manager should ask HR representative/hiring
manager the following questions: Do you look
at applicant social media? Is an applicant’s social media
potentially disqualifying? What are some things
that might be potentially disqualifying on social media? What
do you recommend with regard to social
media?
26 Editor provides presentation adhering to volunteer
guidelines; editor should note that you don’t need to go to
film school to be an editor and/or many editors start out as PAs
25 Contingent upon host-site availability
30
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1taDhEEf1ODnC_9jTq4gN
Tm4z-XijS5WewFNLuu1XknY/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NbaZm35UJtipdxOAL_4Q6
TWXEwfLECLepehfGIRsnyM

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RU5pGZtxB7GTt3f2ux5A9Y
t_AvC_Lq2BOmOREbm7pGg
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Co49wUQ-
gMuyt45qtvyWcaRaxEdQb9uAONqAtAwQvgE/edit?usp=sharin
g
Class 9: Music and Post-Production House; Personal Finance
Purpose: To understand (A) the scoring process, (B) the post-
production process, and to (1) gain a
broader understanding of financial planning.
Outcomes: Participants will leave class with an understanding
of (A) the role of the music production
house in the production process, (B) the role that the post-
production house plays in the production
process (D) the way that a post-production house is set up, and
(C) career opportunities in
post-production.
Participants will also (1) leave with a personal budget and
savings plan based on their current financial
situation and will (2) know how to file for benefits including;
unemployment and health insurance.
Process:
Location: Post-production/music studio
facility at 8:00 AM)30

● Composer31
● Financial planner32
Post-production house panel 33
Curriculum/hard skills -Filing for unemployment and disability
Benchmarks, homework, and review -Final production resume
completed by
the next class, bring a hard copy
(assigned)
33 Takes participants on tour to understand special effects etc.
32 Financial planner provides presentation adhering to
volunteer guidelines; should explain the importance of
building credit without accumulating debt, having six months of
savings, and knowing how much to work each
month in order to pay all bills
31 Composer provides presentation adhering to volunteer
guidelines; talks about the process of composing, plays
examples of different types of commercials or films and talks
about choices made
30 Contingent on host-site availability.

31
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qj7ds z6PfacygLaqV6PH8
bq3b4u8Ea66_W3pqKGeH5Y/edit?usp=sharing
Class 10: The Studio; Formal Interviewing Preparation
Purpose: To understand (A) what a movie studio does, and (1)
how to successfully interview to ultimately
get hired on a job
Outcome: Participants will leave class with an understanding of
(A) the role of a movie studio in
production, (which isn’t always production, but sometimes
distribution and marketing) and (B) potential
career opportunities at a movie studio
Participants will also leave with (1) improved interview skills,

and (2) a perfected resume (3) improved
confidence in telling their personal story.
Process:
Location: Corporate offices (HR department)
facility at 8:00AM)
Skills incorporated:
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking: studio head34
-Interviewing panel (HR professionals)35
Activity and immersive -interview skillset
-mock interviews with interviewing
panel
Benchmarks, homework, and review -Resume (reviewed)
Psycho/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
-The last practical application on how to
tell your story
35Interviewing panel should talk about what they look for in a
hireable candidate, and qualities they look for in an
interview and in a resume
34 Studio head (or any senior member of a movie studio)
provides content adhering to volunteer guidelines; should
note that movie studios don’t just make movies - they distribute
and market movies, and sometimes they only
distribute and market movies.

32
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p5tBh2gXvqre kKExQ4
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KxA6Xc06jlb3U-
czMgWzaMzc2N-IwtDFnOUuvkB2luM/edit?usp=sharing
Class 11: Graduation
Purpose: To give the participants an (A) opportunity to interface
with a director and (B) for the director to
give a retrospective overview of the entire production process
Outcome: Participants will leave with an understanding of (A)
what a director does, (B) how to interact
with directors on set, and (C) understanding ManifestWorks and
alumni relationships (including
ManifestMore and ManifestSupport)
Participants graduate fully prepared to take on production
assistant jobs head-on.
Process:
Location: Home-Site

Half-day
Program components:
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking: Director36
Graduation speakers:
● Commencement speaker: an
alumni
● The program manager and
executive director; to speak
about participants
● Give an award to a volunteer;
offer an opportunity to speak.
● Recognized board member;
offered opportunity to speak
Activity and immersive -Graduation reception with catered
lunch; all board members, advisory
board members, industry guests, and
potential funders invited to attend
graduation.
36 Director provides presentation adhering to volunteer
guidelines

33
3. ManifestSupport Program
Overview/outcomes
Due to the impacts of homelessness, foster care, and/or
incarceration, many of our participants face
immense barriers to success. The ManifestSupport program is
intended as a scaffolding to help mitigate
some of these barriers and increase the likelihood of our
participants’ long-term success. The term
“ManifestSupport'' is intentional, we refrain from the use of the
term ‘case management,’ as it is a highly
institutional term. We believe our participants are people, not
cases.
For some participants, non-work-related life events become the
reason they do not complete our
program. Events that in some cases, can be alleviated by social
support.
ManifestSupport starts with the premise that no-one makes it
alone. It is well known that social support is
a major factor of success. As such, the ManifestSupport team
acts as the social support system,

sometimes lacking in the lives of our participants
Once a participant has been accepted into the ManifestWorks
program, they are scheduled for a
modified Bio-Psycho-Social evaluation. The evaluation focuses
on areas of potential need and utilizes a
strength-based empowerment model. A ManifestSupport team
member then discusses the possibility of
a dedicated and individualized support plan for each participant.
The plan is crafted, only after a
participant has directly and expressly requested assistance.This
is in keeping in line with the ethos of the
organization, all support is predicated on participants being
proactive and collaborating with the team to
access assistance.
Measuring success
Beyond the metrics that Manifest helps participants achieve,
ManifestSupport quantifies success by
measuring sustained participation in on-going class, graduation,
and in cases in which therapeutic
services have been accessed, a discharge from therapy after
meeting prescribed therapeutic goals.
Due to histories of institutional care, many participants have not
experienced a healthy helping
relationship. This represents one of the many barriers to
success, participants face. In many cases they
have only experienced mandated therapy or no therapy, asking
for help from a place of empowerment is
a new concept, as such one of the ways that ManifestSupport
measures success is the level of
engagement in Support services.
Program Structure/components

Once a participant has been accepted into the ManifestWorks
program, they are scheduled for short
modified Bio-Psycho-Social evaluation. This takes the form of
an in-person interview with a
ManifestSupport team member (staff or volunteer). The
interview utilizes this evaluation to guide the
initial conversation. Participants are not required to answer
every question—the form should simply be
used to guide the conversation. Although participants will not
be asked to fill out an informed consent
form, they are informed of the limits of confidentiality as
dictated by the overriding clinical license
holders’ professional guidelines.
The evaluation utilizes a strength-based, motivational
interviewing format. At the end of the interview,
the identified areas of need are reviewed, with the participant,
and support is offered. Each participant is
34
clearly told that to receive assistance they must follow up by
email with a designated support staff

member. This model is in line with the ethos of the
organization, being proactive and collaborative in
your own success - that is ManifestWorks.
This assessment tool is multi-purposed, as follows:
● Pragmatic for ManifestWorks staff
○ Although these conversations are confidential, they help the
team’s therapists
become aware of who is having issues and with what. Foresight
can help resolve
personal hardships before they interrupt participation in the
program.
● To empower participants
○ Like the rest of the program, ManifestSupport takes a
solution-focused
approach. The same applies to accessing social services. If a
participant is
struggling with housing, ManifestSupport won’t single-handedly
end their
homelessness, but it can empower participants with the
necessary resources
they can tap into as a solution to the problem at hand
● A relationship-building tool
○ At the center of the trauma-informed approach is trust. These
vulnerable
conversations help build a sense of psychological and physical
safety for the
participants while they’re in MW’s space.
ManifestSupport primarily assists with (1) life skills and (2)
therapeutic services. Manifest participants are

offered assistance with life skills and therapeutic services. All
services must be specifically requested. This
is done to strengthen the sense of empowerment and ownership
that participants have over their lives.
They are given the opportunity to decide what their relationship
to ManifestWorks will include and what
they want to manage on their own. Agency is everything.
Life Skills
The term “Life Skills'' is intentional, we refrain from the use of
the term ‘case management,’ as it is a
highly institutional term. We believe our participants are
people, not cases.
Indeed, life skills are theoretically addressed in the Manifest
curriculum. But oftentimes personal issues
that pertain to life skills arise for participants while they’re in
the program, making specified support
necessary. For example, if a participant is housing insecure,
struggling with transportation to and from
class or work, or is struggling financially, ManifestSupport may
be able to help the participant learn the
skill set necessary to remedy the issue.
Therapeutic services
During the bio-psycho-social, it is made clear that in order for
staff to help participants with their
personal issues and mental health, they must approach staff
after their first session to ask for what they
need. In other words, the onus is on the participant to tap into
therapeutic services and other such
resources. The service and approach are determined
circumstantially, but most commonly address issues
are relational mental health such as: complex trauma, anxiety,
anger, and interpersonal violence. If staff is
not equipped to deal with the issue(s) at hand internally, they

will refer the participant to external
organizations that are equipped to assist.
Therapeutic approach
The approach to therapeutic services is deliberate. The basis of
the support is underscored by Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy, as is in line with all ManifestWorks
programs. In a limited number of one-on-one talk
35
therapy sessions, participants are taught how to identify
negative ways of thinking and reacting so that
they can address challenges and stressors in their lives in a
more productive way. If participants require
more extensive services, they are referred to support through an
external organization.
ManifestSupport services generally utilize a solutions-focused,
short term, brief therapy model. In some
cases staff is called on to address/treat complex trauma,
stemming from multiple traumatic experiences.
The decision to treat, in a more long-term model is always made
based on the best interest of the
participant.
ManifestSupport’s philosophy is based on resiliency. The

support empowers participants to find solutions
to the problems they face by using their strengths so they
emerge resilient and better equipped to
handle similar situations in the future. We don’t hand
participants anything; when participants turn to
staff for help, we will guide them in the right direction and
equip them with the tools and information
they need to identify their own solutions and make the
arrangements they need to succeed.
ManifestSupport helps participants identify and utilize their
personal strengths as a tool to improve their
areas of need.
Clinical supervision/Interns/staff
ManifestSupport is managed by the Participant Support Program
Manager, in addition to a small team of
support, including graduate school interns, volunteer post-
graduate associate level therapists and a
clinical supervisor.
The Participant Support Program Manager position may be
filled by a post-graduate clinician with a
minimum of two-years post graduate experience (in order to
supervise school interns). If not filled by a
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), then an additional
“Clinical Supervisor(LCSW)” is legally
required to supervise the therapists.
Interns—who are graduate students (can be social work,
marriage and family, or professional counseling
students)—play a key role in the ManifestSupports program.
The program should have at least one
intern onboard per cohort who will be assigned tasks by the
Participant Support Program Manager. The
intern is assigned participants who have Life-Skills needs and is
supervised weekly, in addition to

frequent check-ins. Interns document their interactions using
clinical notes (GRIP and SOAP’s) which are
reviewed by the program manager.
Support advisory board
The purpose of the advisory board is to strengthen
ManifestSupport’s therapeutic offerings and to act as
a sounding board and knowledge bank for the Support Services
Program Manager. The board is
composed of social and therapeutic service providers in addition
to individuals who have or currently rely
on these services.37
Opportunity Funds
Appendix:
Intake form
Informed consent
SOAP
37 The support advisory board has not come into fruition yet.
36
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q84Czl5w6BRveALZfdU9GlT
OUZkFYdD3/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q84Czl5w6BRveALZfdU9GlT
OUZkFYdD3/view?usp=sharing
Evidence-Based Practice List
MINDFULNESS AND GROUNDING EXERCISES
● Intro to grounding exercises
● Working list of meditations
● I am affirmatives exercise
● Simple grounding exercise
● Popcorn people
● Step into your power
● Integrity
● Week 6 exercises
4. ManifestMore Program
Mission
ManifestMore provides continuing engagement with our alumni
community through long-term,
comprehensive professional and personal support and. This
support—offered in the form of
educational/social programming, life skills support, and job
referrals—aims to assist alumni in fortifying
their wellbeing and wealth accumulation while breaking the
bonds of generational poverty, welfare
reliance, and justice system oversight
Measuring success
Beyond the metrics that Manifest helps participants achieve,
ManifestMore considers itself successful if

alumni (1) continue to empower themselves to seek the support
they need to live healthy lives and
fruitful careers, (2) remain engaged in the ManifestWorks
community, (3) offer support to other alumni or
current participants who seek it, and (4) capitalize on any job
opportunities offered to continue to fortify
professional networks and (5) wealth accumulation, (6) Overall
stability in their lives [decreased
dependence on welfare], (7) job growth [getting into unions,
moving into higher-paid positions.
Methodology
ManifestMore functions as a program that is optional for alumni
and participants of ManifestWorks.
Beyond providing workshops that further knowledge and
understanding of the entertainment industry,
ManifestMore provides ongoing life skills and professional
development workshops, opportunities for
the ManifestWorks community to come together socially, and an
access point for alumni seeking extra
support as they navigate their lives and careers.
● Where possible and when it makes sense, we will combine
activities. We will also try to provide
networking opportunities as part of any events or workshops we
hold.
● For Professional Development we will use the initial events to
gauge interest in further in-depth
courses. Ultimately, we would like to build it into an individual
mentor program.
● As part of our values, we will prioritize quality over quantity.
It is important that our gatherings
are of value to our alumni and volunteers.

● As with our core program, we will hold participants to
standards of professionalism.
● ManifestMore should be fun and build community.
37
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cB4X7OeKtR-
fwNEHeH7po0OmcWK5sUhJjNG698RCg2Y/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gN6vNCYo1us96xBTEEE7p
cxUKXquSnOz
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HsrJzA4T0dyI1XNzjklFEjE
EmwrE9mwJKa4orfydwiI
https://drive.google.com/open?id=15AlirDCDO9uRzcKvwB-
aiASZeOarqIUN
https://drive.google.com/open?id=12gOArysjw5-
NzOLR9g19SBfYFfHKkgf0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16i75BPg2RJi484KmdvxEM2
-OpJh8Gpb8
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tkbScTV8ehvgrvuHt2R0OR8
zjLd2D5dnLKgxySWn4-o
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xO11GPVv6f_ez6okcQ5OjX
mPLZcCpYGt4ui9_U7Rt30
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ImipbaeO38S2ep6aFTDc6X2
cXPSdkWH39b_qALKtUdI
Components
Professional Development:

● Production pathways, (Locations, Post Production, Sound
Engineering, Production Coordination)
● Screenwriting,
● Introduction to specific trades
Hard Skills & Certifications:
● Drivers training,
● Harassment prevention training,
● Production pathways through partner organizations
Life Skills:
● Financial literacy, (MoreMoney Program)
● Tax preparation,
● Resume building,
● Interviewing,
● Computer skills workshops
Social Services:
● Problem-solving group
● Individual therapy and case management
● Drop-in hours during workshops
Social Events:
● Networking,
● Mixers,
● Sports events
Appendix:
38

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R0VCOKvTDpQMmGvoQ
z7zNIfcuG3j4DaMqggZBDNw3Qs/edit?usp=sharing

Production Assistant Curriculum GuideFeaturingManifest

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