By Kameron Bain.
Kameron Bain worked on the sight and sound marketing team as an integrated content marketing intern this summer. Kameron received his bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in marketing from Morehouse College. His internship was facilitated through the Academy Gold Rising program created and led by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Learn more about the program here.
During my senior year at Morehouse College, I often envisioned how my first summer as a graduate would pan out. The opportunity to participate in the Academy Gold Rising program and intern with Xperi did not arise until only a few weeks before graduation.
While exploring different careers in entertainment, I didn’t initially consider the craft of filmmaking as the most interesting part of the film business which I wanted to pursue. As a business student, one of my senior finance projects was understanding and theorizing the pros and cons of studio acquisitions and how that would set up the new financial strategy for the post-pandemic theatrical release model.
My deep affinity for licensing models and Microsoft Excel suggested I wasn’t an aspiring Stanley Kubrick or Spike Lee, but a “studio suit” barreling down the path of Kevin Feige or Will Packer. I have since leveled with the fact that I wasn’t just a creative director with a vision, but a creative business mind as well! I am grateful for the direction of the Academy Gold Rising program empowering me to understand more of the “business” of the film business.
Working at Xperi and understanding the entire landscape of film has shown me that the industry is still in need of innovators and thought leaders to bridge the gap between evolving content consumption groups (those who stream, those who use cable, those who go to the movies, etc.) who make up most of the Gen Z demographic and my future audience base. Companies like Xperi recognize this importance too.
To call this summer an immersive experience would be an understatement. As I continue to work on multiple projects with my new family of Goldies (my fellow Academy Gold Rising classmates) and finish writing my own films, I feel so much more prepared as a budding producer to take on the future of film that will undoubtedly be faced with consistent technological innovation and major industry change.
Catheryn Mallari, Kameron Bain and Molly Cody at Kameron’s Academy Gold Rising Graduation
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