Posted: May 13th, 2022

Socw 6520 Week 7 Blog

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
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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
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redistributed without the prior written consent of ManifestWorks. ManifestWorks Curriculum Guide 7/31/20
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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: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay, 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: 2024 – Online Assignment Homework Writing Help Service By Expert Research Writers, 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.
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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, ManifestWorks 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,
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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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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 direction 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.
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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
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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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● 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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Program timeline and foundation building
Program Track 1: The Arc of Production
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Program Track 2: Production Assistant Hard Skills
Program Track 3: Non-industry Specific Soft Skills
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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 by
1
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. Write my Essay Online Writing Service with Professional Essay Writers – 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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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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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
Room 2: Interviewed by Alumni and Industry Professionals
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Room 3: Interviewed by ManifestWorks Staff Members (Program Manager)
Track B:
Room 1: Interviewed by Alumni and Industry Professionals
Room 2: Interviewed by Alumni and Industry Professionals
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.
Components included:
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
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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.
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Class 1: Advertising Agency; Networking Basics
2
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.
Components included:
Forums, panels, experts Speaking:
● Ad agency’s role in a
production
3
-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
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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.
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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.
Outcomes: Participants will leave with an understanding of (A) 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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
Pre-Class emails: Instructor discretion to send callsheets
4
Work assigned: Create folders in Google Drive to store callsheets; upload recent callsheets; start
filling out Network Tracker Sheet (GSheet)
Components included:
Forums, panels, experts Speaking:
● On-set production panel: how it
works on set
5
● production company
6
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.
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-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
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
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redistributed without the prior written consent of ManifestWorks. ManifestWorks Curriculum Guide 7/31/20
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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.
Outcomes: Participants will leave with an understanding of (A) 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)
Components included:
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking:
● Rental house coordinator
7
● Production supervisor
8
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
Benchmarks, homework, and
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
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-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
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Class 4: The Writer; Petty Cash
Purpose: To (A) understand how the screenwriter’s vision translates on set, how sides are utilized by
11
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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
Components included:
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking:
● Production
manager/producer/coordinator
12
● Writer
13
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
Benchmarks, homework, and
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
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-Benchmarks:
Individual participant benchmark meeting to
address performance on all work thus far:
● email signature
● network tracker
● thank you notes
● punctuality and attendance
● indispensability
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
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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.
Outcomes: Participants will leave with an understanding of (A) 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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
Components included:
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking:
● Studio host
15
● Line producer
16
● Union department head
(typically a location manager)
17
Activity/immersive -Studio tour
18
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
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
-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
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redistributed without the prior written consent of ManifestWorks. ManifestWorks Curriculum Guide 7/31/20
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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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
Components included:
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking:
● production designer
19
● Office manager/office PA
20
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
Benchmarks, homework, and
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
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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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 800 AM)
Components included:
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)
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
24 DP provides presentation adhering to volunteer guidelines
23 AD provides presentation adhering to volunteer guidelines; should talk about how to create a schedule
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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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
25
Components included:
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking: editor
26
-Interview Prep & Recruiting
-Introduction to Resumes and cover
letters
Soft skills -Social media #2 : brings in a recruiter
27
from a company (HR representative) to
reinforce and specify what was
addressed in social media#1
Technology -Final computer lab
28
Benchmarks, homework, and review -Review and revise resume and cover
letter (assigned)
Final individual benchmark meeting to
29
address performance on all work thus
far:
● Review all benchmarks
● Final review of indispensability
benchmark
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
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
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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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
30
Components included:
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking:
● Composer
31
● Financial planner
32
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)
Psychological/emotional -Grounding/mindfulness exercise
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.
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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)
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00AM)
Skills incorporated:
Forums, Panels & Experts -Speaking: studio head
34
-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
35
Interviewing 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.
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redistributed without the prior written consent of ManifestWorks. ManifestWorks Curriculum Guide 7/31/20
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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
Call: 8:30 AM (all participants should be ready to enter the facility at 8:00 AM)
Half-day
Program components:
Forums, Panels & Experts Speaking: Director
36
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
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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
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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
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
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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.
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Opportunity Funds
Appendix:
Intake form
Informed consent
SOAP
37 The support advisory board has not come into fruition yet.
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
36
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.
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
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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:
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
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