Scriptwriting and Story Design MFA alumni receive exclusive mentorships

Two alumni of The Creative School’s first Scriptwriting and Story Design MFA cohort were awarded Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) mentorships. Victoria Sullivan obtained a 40-week mentorship with LoCo Motion Pictures, which just finished production on a short-form series for Crave. Meanwhile, Chantele Sitaram received a 20-week mentorship with marblemedia, a media company started by RTA alumni Mark Bishop and Matthew Hornburg and is now part of Blue Ant Media. 

As part of her mentorship through the CMPA, Sullivan will be attending the upcoming Prime Time conference (external link)  in Ottawa, having the opportunity to experience an industry market and take advantage of the networking and pitch opportunities.

Creating long-lasting industry connections

While completing her MFA in Scriptwriting and Story Design, Sullivan participated in RTA in LA, a course offering a window into the Los Angeles-based media industry's business, organizational and creative practices. It’s centered on television production with significant discussions on transmedia and feature films, culminating in an intense two weeks in Los Angeles working in small tutorial groups with current US industry professionals. 

Sullivan was inspired by the speakers at the Los Angeles intensive, who shared their career journeys in the television industry, which eventually led to her admission into the CMPA program. 

“Without hearing how those industry professionals started their careers through internships, I would not have been so eager when Professor James Nadler called out to the Scriptwriting and Story Design program regarding internship opportunities at marblemedia,” said Sullivan. “My supervisor during my internship at marblemedia, RTA grad Sam Schleifer, referred me to Lauren Corber (founder/president of LoCo Motion Pictures), who was searching for a mentee this year.”

Sitaram also completed an internship at marblemedia in early 2023, which was critically important in making connections and applying her interest in development and production. 

“By building positive relationships with my colleagues, I was lucky enough to have been considered for a mentorship opportunity with the company, which began in September 2023,” she shared. 

Learning first-hand from Canadian producers 

As Coordinator at LoCo Motion Pictures, Sullivan felt honored to be mentored by Founder and President Lauren Cober, who’s also an International Emmy-nominee and producer of several successful shows including How to Buy a Baby and The Communist’s Daughter, and the talented Director of Production Palmer Baranek.

“Through their production work on the series I Hate People, People Hate Me (external link) , which launched on CBC Gem on November 7, and My Dead Mom (external link)  for Bell Media, which will launch on Crave in 2024, I learned about the different stages of bringing a series to life,” Sullivan explained. “The term "producer" represents a wide range of job requirements that evolve with the production. Seeing two talented Canadian producers' work firsthand was an invaluable experience for advancing my understanding of the Canadian media landscape and the producer's role within it.”

The mentorship provides a real-world glimpse into the working relationship that creators and scriptwriters have with a producer or production company. 

“I'm so grateful for the knowledge about how the system works, the importance of relationships, the opportunity to learn from Lauren and Palmer, and being able to interact with broadcasters as we fulfill the expectations of delivering a show,” she expressed. 

Charting a way forward for diverse producers

Sitaram was mentored by Diane Rankin, EVP of Commercial Strategy & Content Financing, Production & Distribution at Blue Ant Media, thanks to the CMPA Mentorship Program for Diverse Producers. 

“This mentorship focuses on increasing the diversity among producers and fostering inclusivity in the screen-based production industry,” said Sitaram. “This initiative allows CMPA members to work with producers who reflect Canada's diverse makeup.”

Sitaram expressed her gratitude for this valuable learning initiative, noting that she feels more prepared for a future in the industry by getting a real-world glimpse into development, production, and the overall creative process in content creation. 

“Though there is still a lot to learn, I feel better supported by the colleagues and mentors I have gained along the way. Specifically, being part of the CMPA Mentorship Program for Diverse Producersmeans so much,” she said. “There is no question that the industry has a long way to go concerning increasing diversity in all areas - from development to casting to production and more. With programs like this one, I hope that we can continue to foster inclusivity and create a more equitable and accessible landscape across all areas of production.”

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