The People of Penn State
Welcome to the People of Penn State Podcast — the podcast from the Penn State Alumni Association that brings you the incredible stories of Nittany Lions making their mark on the world!
Each episode, a rotating cast of hosts sit down with Penn State alumni who are changing the game in business, science, sports, the arts, and beyond. You never know who you'll hear from next — but you do know it'll be a conversation worth tuning in for!
The People of Penn State
Episode 32 — Film And Video Production With Dawn L. Manning '00
Through her work in video and film production, alumna Dawn L. Manning '00 has worked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and music industry.
Some of the stars she has worked with include Will & Jada Smith, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Terrell Owens, Common, Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, and more.
On this episode of The People of Penn State, Dawn takes us through her passion for entertainment, music and sports, the projects she's worked on in her career, the challenges she's faced in production as a black woman, advice to new producers, and more.
Dawn is currently working as an EP/EIC over numerous projects at Westbrook Media -- Will and Jada Smith’s production company -- with projects ranging from documentary, scripted, VR and branded content.
Her previous work is highlighted by being EIC of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Reunion," Line Producer of Showtime’s three-part sports documentary series “Shut up and Dribble,” Production Manager of Beyoncé’s Visual Grammy performance 2017 and “Vice World of Sports," Vineland’s PGA award winning series for Best Produced Sports Programing. Her Film Producing credits include “LUV” starring Common, “Dysfunctional Friends” starring Terrell Owens and Stacy Dash and “Eden” starring Nate Parker.
Connect with Dawn on social media:
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timestamps:
0:00 — Alma Mater Open
0:20 — Intro
2:50 — Becoming a Penn Stater
3:30 — Involvement as a student
4:40 — Initial career goals
6:40 — Getting a start in the entertainment industry
11:56 — Being a cheerleader for the Washington Wizards
13:21 — Sports, entertainment and music
16:03 — Working with Terrell Owens
17:00 — Overcoming challenges in the workplace as a black female producer
21:43 — The impact of Westbrook Media
24:40 — Working on Will Smith's audio book
26:00 — Big and small budgets of production
28:50 — Using the resources you have
29:53 — Ad Read - Alumni Shop
31:02 — Lightning Round Q&A
35:30 — Outro
