Breaking Into a Career in Hollywood

Breaking into the movie business isn't easy, but 2007 Scarsdale High School alumni Patrick Brescia is off to a good start. Below he shares the story of how he got his first job and then moved onto to new opportunities.

What has been your career path in Los Angeles?

After graduating from Boston College in 2011, my goal was to work at a talent agency. I had interned at a local agency in Boston, but after graduating I wanted to take the leap and move to LA. My first job was at International Creative Management (ICM) where I started in the mailroom. Over the next few years, I held several roles, ultimately becoming the assistant to the head of the Media Rights division at ICM.

After ICM, I went to work at 3 Arts Entertainment which is a talent management/production company. I worked in their branding division which connects celebrities with brands and endorsement campaigns. While at 3 Arts, I participated in a meeting with a start up called Kernel. The business model seemed extremely new and exciting. They are changing the way marketing and promotion campaigns are developed as well as creating a market place for consumer products within various entertainment sectors.

Explain what Kernel does and how it is funded:

Kernel started approximately a year and a half ago. There are 10 full time employees as well as a handful of consultants. Kernel is a digital media company that engages audiences throughout the entire entertainment property lifecycle. From pre-sale to post event, Kernel targets audience's involvement with offerings such as early access tickets, branded merchandise, exclusive digital content, and customized VIP experiences. Fans get behind-the scenes videos, interviews, and social media interaction. We currently have deals with 20th Century Fox and Sony but there are contracts out to all major studios. Our lead investor is the founder of Whole Foods. We first gained success when Sony turned to Kernel to stream The Interview during the cyber hack scandal at the studio. Online streaming wasn't in the original business model however our extremely talented web developers worked tirelessly for 5 days straight to accomplish the task for Sony.

What is your role at the company?

I work in business development at Kernel.

In what way did your Scarsdale education prepare you for the work you are doing now?

My Scarsdale education has been invaluable. Not only does Scarsdale prepare you for college, but also it teaches you the skills to thrive in the real world. We are fortunate enough to have the best teachers, and inspiring role models, who motivate Scarsdale students to set goals and achieve them. Growing up in Scarsdale I was surrounded by smart, driven mentors and peers. That passion and dedication has led me to where I am today on the path towards my goals.

Would you recommend a career in the movie business to students or recent grads? What's the key to getting your first job and establishing yourself in Los Angeles?

The movie business is extremely challenging, but very exciting. I would recommend the industry to people who have a strong dedication for film and television but who have patience and understanding that it is a long road ahead. The key to getting your first job in LA is to meet anyone and everyone you can. I reached out to all my contacts to see who I could meet in Hollywood/LA. I took a one-way trip west and set up as many coffees, lunches and dinners as I could. It was that networking that lead to my first job in Hollywood.

How can people here use Kernel or experience what it does?

Kernel targets super-fans of major franchise movies and IP to create a fan club community. Last week we went to Comic Con to promote our movies with Fox and Sony where we engaged with our target demographic. These fans are extremely passionate and we plan to give them an opportunity to get even closer to their favorite content. Our core business started within the movie industry but we are expanding into areas such as television, sports, comedy, music and video games.