On Thursday, May 7, a wide range of film and TV professionals gathered on the Universal Studios lot for IndieWire and USG University’s “Consider This” panel, an FYC event that also served as a forum on mentorship and getting started in the industry.
Presented in collaboration with the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the event featured artisans from some of the season’s most acclaimed series as well as veteran professionals currently participating in the MPTF’s mentorship program. Representing the first category were costume designer Kathleen Felix-Hager (“Hacks,” “The Paper”), makeup department head Golden Shyne (“The Burbs”), composer Jeff Beal (“All Her Fault“), and production designer Stephen Lineweaver (“Ted“).
The MPTF mentor lineup consisted of hair and makeup artist Darrell Redleaf, property master Hope Parrish, production coordinator Lois Walker, and cinematographer Richard Walden. All eight panelists contributed lively stories about how they got started in the business and what inspired them to pursue and sustain their careers. For some of the panelists, the event represented a kind of homecoming.
“It’s fun to be back at Universal, because one of the very first shows I did was ‘Monk’ with Tony Shalhoub,” Beal said. Hager’s first job also happened to be on a Universal project: the Kevin Costner spectacle “Waterworld.” “ I really was very green and didn’t know anything, but was with a group of people that were very generous with their talents and their time,” Hager said, adding that a prominent costume designer took her under her wing and passed the torch.
“ There is something to be said for the relationships that you foster when you start to work,” Hager said. “The trajectory isn’t straight. The job that you’re offered may not be the exact job that you have in your head, but it all leads to something, and each job is about relationships and the people that you meet. I think what’s so special about film and television is that there are so many opportunities to foster really amazing relationships with people.”
It’s a theme that was echoed throughout the night, as each of the panelists stressed the importance not only of finding mentors and role models early in one’s career, but of paying it forward later when the roles are reversed. “I’m here because when I first started out all the old guys were kind to me,” Walden said. “They would help me and show me the ropes, and now I figure it’s my turn.”
IndieWire partnered with Universal Studio Group for USG University, a series of panels celebrating the outstanding artistry and artisans behind the 2025–2026 television season across NBCUniversal’s portfolio of shows. USG University, a Universal Studio Group program, is presented in partnership with the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
