It's not only about Brangelina

In the media we hear enough about the "stars" in the entertainment industry. Actors seem to get all the headlines, whether it is a break-up, a recent jail sentence or a new baby.

But the people managing the entertainment industry make Hollywood tick. Whether it is the producers building the support needed to bring a movie to fruition or agents positioning their clients to land the lead role in a movie, thousands of people behind the scenes are working to keep the industry rolling.

Carnegie Mellon University is known to many for educating stars such as Holly Hunter, Cherry Jones and Patrick Wilson, as well as many others who are seen on stage and screen. But to advance their careers these stars need managers, and this weekend Carnegie Mellon will graduate its first class of students in the Master of Entertainment Industry Management (MEIM) program.

The MEIM degree, one of the only programs in the country to train future entertainment industry leaders, blends a management-focused education with immersion into the entertainment industry using a bi-location format--one year in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon and one year in Los Angeles.

Following commencement this Sunday, the MEIM program will send eleven graduates into the film and television fields. Some of the students have already found employment within the industry with places such as Overture Films and Fox Broadcasting Company, while others have launched their own businesses, leveraging the connections they have made and the knowledge they have gained through the MEIM program.

Eric Sloss