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The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the 2019 class of Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP). Sponsored by HPA, YEP was developed to provide talented individuals early in their careers in the media content industry with connection, mentoring and opportunities for engagement. The announcement came during the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®) 2018 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2018) in Los Angeles. The class was chosen by the YEP advisory committee from a group of passionate and driven applicants motivated to develop lasting relationships with industry leaders and other young professionals.  

The YEP program provides a unique framework for young professionals to network and learn from peers and mentors.  YEP mentors, who volunteer their time and expertise, are industry leaders who bring extensive knowledge to their mentees. Over the course of the year, YEP class members participate in a variety of events including the HPA Tech Retreat, HPA Awards, exclusive mentoring events and a number of YEP peer–driven events. 

The 2019 YEP Class 

• Zach Beggs, 3Ball Entertainment
• Daniel Brown, Premiere Digital Services
• Michelle Diaz, Pixelogic
• Caroline Gilmore, ABC Studios
• Bonnie Gross, Encore Hollywood
• Jordan Hunter, Disney
• Claire Iannelli, FotoKem
• Dominic Koponen, Panavision LightIron
• Daniel Larsh, DoctorPedia
• Kimberly Martinez, ABC Studios
• Elizabeth Peterson, Johnny Anarchy
• Zoe Pinczower, Netflix
• Clare Runciman, Home Los Angeles
• Karen Singer, Viacom
• Harmeet Singh, Dolby Laboratories
• Colette Speer, New Media Hollywood
• Jessica Wan, Pixar Animation Studios
• Zachary Witherspoon, LightIron
• Iris Wu, Ambidio
• Katherine Yo, Disney

In keeping with tradition, the YEP class gathered at SMPTE 2018 for their first official event.  Roundtable discussions, connection with mentors and peers, and expert-led presentations were followed by presentations by technology partners Avid, Cinnafilm, Dolby, Microsoft, Sundog and DTS/Xperi.  Remarks from HPA Vice President Chuck Parker, incoming SMPTE President Pat Griffis and Kari Grubin, chair of HPA Women in Post responsible for incubating the program, kicked off the day.

Loren Nielsen, co-chair of the YEP committee, noted, “Witnessing YEP’s evolution has been nothing short of inspiring for the committee. The level of engagement has grown and the events have taken on their own energy from the talented YEPs organizing them. Each year, our applicants have been outstanding. We have been delighted to see our talented 2017 and 2018 YEP classes step up as industry participants and leaders in their own right.”

In closing the day, Parker noted “The YEP program is great source of pride to all of us at HPA.  We are thoroughly impressed with the caliber of the class as well as their eagerness to connect with mentors and peers to make this an engaging and valuable experience. YEP membership is the future of HPA, and the HPA future is bright.”

About the Hollywood Professional Association
Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses andindividuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation andfinishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic mediacontent. Through their partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers®(SMPTE®), the leader in the advancement of the art , science and craft of the image, sound, andmetadata ecosystem, the HPA continues to extend its support of the community it represents.Information about the HPA is available at www.hpaonline.com.

About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®) 
For the past 100 years, the people of the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers (SMPTE, pronounced “simp-tee”) have sorted out the details of many significant advances in entertainment technology, from the introduction of “talkies” and color television to HD and UHD (4K, 8K) TV. Since its founding in 1916, the Society has earned an Oscar® and multiple Emmy® Awards for its work in advancing moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. The Society has developed thousands of standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines, more than 800 of which are currently in force.

SMPTE’s global membership today includes 7,000 members, who are motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students. A partnership with the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA®) connects SMPTE and its membership with the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide the expertise, support, tools, and infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television programs, commercials, digital media, and other dynamic media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at http://www.smpte.org/join.