EXCLUSIVE: The MBS Group, an affiliate of Hackman Capital Partners and the world’s largest studio operating and production services company, has partnered with the award-winning nonprofit Ghetto Film School (GFS) to offer students the opportunity to participate in its MBS Illumination Training program. The program was first offered to GFS students in New York in 2022 and shortly after branched into the GFS LA campus,and as of June 2023, Illumination Training has begun workshops for GFS London cohorts.
The Illumination Training program concentrates on developing the essential working skills needed to attain below-the-line crew positions. Because the programs are practical—and the instructors are seasoned industry professionals, who are committed to mentoring participants in the long term—Illumination Training bridges the gap between learning about the industry and entering it.
The partnership between Ghetto Film School and Illumination Training is continuing to evolve, as Illumination Training will be providing the lighting and grip equipment for the upcoming International Thesis Projects that will be shot in the Dominican Republic this upcoming summer. The equipment will come from MBS Equipment Company, a division of The MBS Group.
Illumination Training programs in partnership with GFS have included Lighting and Grip workshops at Radford Studio Center in Los Angeles, Kaufman Astoria Studios and Silvercup Studios in New York, and most recently at The Wharf Studios in London.
“We’re honored to be partnering with Ghetto Film School in all of its locations,” said Irene Phan, Senior Vice President at The MBS Group, who spearheads the Illumination Training program. “Together, through training, support and other resources, we’re diversifying our creative landscape by providing pathways to meaningful employment for those who otherwise wouldn’t have access. There is nothing more rewarding than that.”
The MBS Group and Illumination Training are committed to the growth of GFS students and ensuring they’re prepared for the industry. At the culmination of the Ghetto Film School fellowship, students travel internationally to shoot their International Thesis Project. GFS students traveled to Iceland in the summer of 2022 and felt well equipped to produce and work on their films based on the training they received from the Illumination Training.
GFS is a nonprofit founded in 2000 to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great storytellers. With locations in New York City, Los Angeles and London, GFS equips students for top universities and careers in the creative industries through two tracks: an introductory education program for high school students and early career support for alumni and young professionals. GFS annually serves over 8,000 individuals, 14-34 years of age