At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards this fall, recent SF State graduate and Television Academy intern Jasmyne Foo appeared live on the air to present eight trophies. It was a proud, yet rare, moment in front of the camera for her. While she once aspired to be a performer, her studies at SF State inspired her to move into producing.
Over the summer, Foo (B.A., Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts, ’17) was one of 54 college interns selected for the distinguished, highly competitive paid internship in Los Angeles. The Television Academy placed her at A. Smith and Co. Productions, renowned for shows like American Ninja Warrior and Hell’s Kitchen. She worked for eight weeks on several unscripted programs including TV One’s Unsung. Her tasks included conducting research, brainstorming and preparing pitches and reels.
Aside from the skills she learned, Foo also gained insight on the work ethic expected in Hollywood. “Everyone has a part to play,” she says. “Learn to respect people who have gotten where they have gotten. Absorb from them. Be there at all times when needed.”
Staying humble
Foo came to SF State as an international student from Malaysia. Previously unfamiliar with the media landscape in America, she developed a passion for working behind the camera from production and crew courses for the State of Events and Under SF shows. She also worked in the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department’s equipment cage and editing lab.
“I became enamored by the work that makes talent, talent!” Foo recalls.
She also discovered a welcoming community.
“The thing about SF State is that everybody was willing to let me shape myself. My classmates and friends and the BECA professors and staff were wonderful,” she says. “They helped me stay humble and remember where I came from. They took the time to invest in me. I don’t think I’d have gotten that anywhere else. They were all my mentors who guided me and were so willing to share their knowledge and experiences with me.”
After the internship, Foo has remained in Los Angeles. She is now a remote associate producer for Emeryville-based Northbound Films.
Her dream job is to be a executive producer for film and television: “I’m drawn to content that makes people think, that is inspiring, uniquely personal and that has heart in it.”
All the while, she remains grateful for her breakthroughs at 1600 Holloway Avenue.
“San Francisco State enabled me to come out of my shell,” she says. “Going to San Francisco State gave me a new family, and I found a new home.”
— Matt Itelson
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Photo: From left: Television Academy interns German Flores, Jasmyne Foo, Sidne Phillips and DeAndre Allen-Toole served as trophy presenters at the 69th Emmy Awards. Photo courtesy of the Television Academy Foundation.