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Jairo Alvarado, who stepped right out UCLA and stepped into a job as a Warner Bros creative exec 18 months ago, is leaving next month to become a manager at 3 Arts. The 24-year old Alvarado said he wasn’t thinking of a career change before a general meeting with 3 Arts’ Tom Lassally, another Warner Bros exec who made the career transition after he exited the studio. “We discussed all the short films I advocated and spread around to agents, and it turned into a three-hour conversation with Tom saying, `You’ve got to meet Erwin,” Alvarado said. He spent another two hours with 3 Arts chief Erwin Stoff, and walked out with a job offer.
Alvarado traveled a charmed path to get to Warner Bros. He’s a local kid who was recruited in high school by the studio, which provided a scholarship that included summer industry internships. After graduation, he met with former production president Kevin McCormick, and got the job offer for a CE position. While there isn’t much glamour in those entry level executive posts, Alvarado said he said he’s helped about a dozen young directors get signed during his 18 month Warner Bros stint. He was an early advocate of Fede Alvarez’s short Panic Attack, which was acquired by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, and Ricardo De Montreuil’s The Raven, which is also in deal talks. “I’ve discovered I like finding new talent the town responds to,” he said. Stoff said the management company has made it a priority to find fresh voices, and Alvarez has a nose for it. “In his new career as a manager, he will have the opportunity to build lasting and nurturing relationships with the kind of talent he has successfully advocated in he past,” Stoff said. Alvarado starts the new career track July 19.
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Jairo is smart guy who loves film. He’ll do well in this town on whichever route he chooses…a great hire for 3 Arts!
Good for him, but it’s misleading to say he “stepped right out UCLA and stepped into a job as a Warner Bros creative exec.” If you look at his background, he was given a scholarship from the WB in high school and was able to intern there.
He showed promise in high school — no wonder he’s moving up so quickly. Great guy. I met him at a WGA event, where he was very generous with his time and showed a strong respect for writers. Need more like him.
Does anyone want to mention how he got a CE job right out college? I’ve never heard of such a thing…who is he related to?
Anyone know what the REAL deal is with this young man? One does not go straight to a CE position fresh out of film school unless… Internships throughout school that so-impressed Warner’s that they HAD to hire him skipping him above the traditional first step (Story Dept.).
umm.. ok. what’s the back story behind this story? who’s he connected to that could get him a job as a CE right out of college and then a manager 18 months later? I’m skeptical he could be the next CE/managing genius.
how did he go right from ucla to warners?
There are no rules! Instead of getting jealous and assuming Jairo is related to someone or gave out hjs, know that everything is negotiable! Your boss is not your master.
Nikki, i hope you’ll post more young exec success stories so that assts be one inspired and increasingly recognize their value.
I mean no disrespect here, but “everything is negotiable”? At this young man’s level, no it is not UNLESS you know someone. This DOES NOT HAPPEN. Period. I TULY wish this young man all the success he can muster, but to think that he jumped to CE from school is simply naive and inexperienced.
And before there is any presumed “jealousy”, I’ve been a lit agent at one of the big houses and I’ve worked for two major production companies in my career.
PS – There is nothing wrong with “knowing someone” and using who you know to get you ahead. You’d be a fool not to.
@Skipit – Agreed. I do not know Jairo so I won’t assume anything. But I am sick and tired of people trying to keep talent from growing and moving up just because “they are too young” or have not “paid dues.” Some people have arguably paid their dues but in my opinion do not deserve the titles and jobs they have…
Totally agree with “…sick and tired of people trying to keep talent from growing and moving up…”, but as a CE at another studio I can tell you assuredly that there is logic to the collective “questioning” going on around here. I know who Jairo is but have never met him. I wish him well but if anyone around here REALLY believes that one goes from student to CE at a major without some sort of heavy connection…well…you just don’t know how things work.
as a CE at another studio, i can say you’re wrong about the heavy connection. he got the scholarship in high school, they made him intern in all the departments during college and were grooming him for an exec job. i know this because he never shuts up about it.
As a VP of D at a studio you better not work for I can say that you are wrong. Think about what you are saying… Are you kidding??
http://www.kidult.com/interviews/cool-job-creative-executive-for-warner-bros-studios
“One of the scholarships I happened to get was sponsored by Warner Bros. It was like 8 grand and an internship. I didn’t know what an internship was at 17, so they said, ‘well you get to work for the studio for three months.’ And so the summer right out of high school I interned in TV marketing. That was my gateway. It opened my eyes and I think that was what put me onto my path. They said, ‘we really like you, we want you to come back every summer,’ and I did. When I graduated in ’08, I wanted Development really bad and I was given a shot to be an Executive.”
I agree with “yeah right” there is some real back story here. Who are his parents? Did he sleep with someone? Is Warner Bros. that desperate that they would make someone who is in their early 20′s and exec? They probably fired him and 3 Arts is desperate for anyone who has instant studio access. Goes to show you that it doesn’t take much to be a “manager” at 3 Arts.
Get a life. He did it the old fashioned way, he earned it. God bless America.
Check out the article on this kid
http://www.kidult.com/interviews/cool-job-creative-executive-for-warner-bros-studios
Congrats Jairo! This is a very motivated and hard-working man. I am not at all surprised that he’s accomplished so much so quickly. I’m sure there’s much more to come!!
Speaking from a writer’s POV, Jairo was a very enthusiastic and generous CE at WB. I’m sure he’ll make a great manager.
So yes, he may have had a lucky break, but WB saw something in him at an early age. I’m glad nobody was looking at what I was doing when i was in high school…however, anyone who has worked their way up from the mailroom & assistant ranks knows just how valuable those relationships with your peers are…imagine being thrown into the fire without a core group of friends to help you out?
Jario has a VERY hard battle ahead of him. Anyone is going to take your call from WB and of course you are being tipped off to emerging filmmakers, especially because most studio execs don’t have the time to watch every 5 minute YouTube clip that is emailed their way. For every Fede or Ricardo there are a million others trying to get in the game. If 3Arts is willing to spend the next 5 years letting him develop these directors, then the more power to him. Most of us are scouring the planet looking for any sort of job for our clients that will ultimately let us keep our job for another month.
Jairo you are a great guy, and I wish you the best of luck in your new career. Welcome to the other side of the game…
Anyone ever hear of David Geffen? Or Barry Diller? Mailroom guys. But not for long. They had drive and ingenuity. And though Diller entered the mailroom on the basis of a family connection and Geffen through some creative “reinterpretation” of his college career (or lack of one), they didn’t stay in the basement long. It’s not impossible to really have the “goods” as they say and catch someone’s eye. Especially since Alvarado comes from an ethnically under-represented group in North American media companies, which probably made him even more attractive to many execs. Oh, and let’s not forget Bob Pittman, who was a radio genius in high school (not even sure he graduated) and who, by the time he was 23, ran NBC’s flagship station in New York after working his way up through stations around the country. He went on to be one of the co-founders of MTV and head of AOL. Steven Spielberg anyone? NOT a college graduate, but who by hook or by crook caught the attention of the folks at Universal in his early twenties and convinced them on the basis of his homemade shorts and incredible drive to give him a shot at directing in the big leagues. While many of us may envy those who triumph at an early age, we mustn’t immediately assume that each and every one of those who achieve do so through means that suggest something unseemly or unfair. In an industry rife with intense competition, each and every one of us wishes that the muses or fates would look upon us favorably, embrace our creativity, lessen our struggles and disappointments, elevate us to the realm of “the chosen,” and allow us to breathe the rare air of success. Even if someone is “given a break,” they inevitably have to prove themselves capable of handling the challenges they encounter in order for future opportunities to be laid before them. I don’t know Jaio Alvarado. I’m not in the loop. But maybe the kid’s got something going for him. Time will tell. Wish him luck. And hope that a similar sort of stardust may one day fall upon your shoulders as well.
Boardwalker is exactly right. This is an unpredictable industry and anyone saying “he had to know someone” or “who is he related to” isn’t a part of this industry or hasn’t been in it long enough to know that hard work and ambition CAN pay off. Congrats Jairo.
Umm, did you miss the part where this Jairo guy didn’t even work in a mailroom? Or any other entry level position?
umm, did YOU miss the part where he interned at WB every summer in college?
AMAZING! Jairo has so much talent, at such a young age! I am so proud of him and his many accomplishments!
Sorry, but I agree that there’s more to the back story. I worked at WB for many years (decades) and in all that time NOBODY got a CE job who wasn’t related to/politically connected to/sleeping with someone important to the powers that be. Just doesn’t happen no matter how talented and capable. Not at WB, the most nepotic studio in town. Sure, they would have given a bright young kid a job SOMEWHERE in the company, and in recent years have had a great emphasis on diversity hiring, but not a CE job. No way, no how.
One the one hand, I wish him all the best. That’s the nice, normal, polite thing to do. And whether he knew someone within the Warner Bros hierarchy and that’s how he rose so fast…or whether he did it based on talent or personality or even sheer dumb luck…is simply one of those things that happens all the time, in all walks of life or all types of jobs, where some how someone just has that kind of skill (or luck) to rise very fast.
On the other hand, I can also e a bit snarky and say that once again this is one of the things that is MOST wrong with the movie industry. Somehow you get a studio thinking that a 24 year-old fresh out of college is going to be your latest genius — who will know JUST what everyone wants to see and thus JUST what you should be rolling millions of dollars on — so you instantly make him a Creative Executive.
Speaking as someone who recently turned 40, it’s that kind of “the younger the better” mentality that continues to drag Hollywood down, and its why such utter crap gets picked or made, simply because the younger generation doesn’t quite have that broader perspective on life yet — let alone possess that broader perspective on the history of film and other media outlets. Just because you’ve turned 40 doesn’t mean you’ve lost the touch to know that something is “cool” or “fun”. But it does mean you’re old enough (for example) to know you shouldn’t roll $100 million on a movie like ERAGON because the moment it comes out everyone with half a brain is going to say “Hey, wait a minute. This thing is a TOTAL rip-off of STAR WARS and LOTR!” Which is exactly what happened…
a 24 year old exec is the EXCEPTION to the rule, which is why this story is noteworthy. i’m 24 and was shocked to come out here to discover that while everyone says it’s a young town, it’s not that young – it’s not run by twenty-somethings, it’s run by thirty-somethings. a junior exec can’t greenlight wiping their ass without someone higher (and generally much older i.e. forties) giving approval
is it me or is the real story here that jaivo’s out after seven months despite the fact that wb put him through college on scholarship?? guess wb decided to, ahem, diversify on the investment
oh yeah, 30-something over 20-something execs makes this town ancient!
i didn’t say ancient, i’m just saying not as young as some would like to think. i’ve been the youngest guy in the room too much to think otherwise
you’re correct. what’s fascinating to me is that nobody here is mentioning the fact that everyone in dvlpt knows – WB was letting him go.
You are all right he does know somebody…his parents who are both immgrants from mexico that told him if you work hard enough and want something bad enough anything is possible. Congrats Jairo!!!
how many movies did he get pushed forward at the studio? sounds like a very glossy way of saying he got let go
This young man’s accomplishments just prove that sheer determination and extremely hard work pay off. I’m very proud to have been able to be a witness to all of the effort he put into his career goals. May he be blessed with mug more success!
Well said! ^
aren’t there (fast track) diversity programs and scholarships at all these companies?
Why all the haters? I’ve only ever heard wonderful things about him from numerous people around town. Maybe he did have a relationship with someone at WB, but guess what? You don’t get hired as a CE at 24 unless you hustle, are smart, and work your ass off. And, Jairo is not the first intern I know that has hustled his way into a CE job.
Jairo, best of luck at 3 Arts. I know once you get grounded on the “rep” side of the business you will do great things.
quite frankly, if this kid was so brilliant- wouldn’t he go to a better school than UCLA? No offense, but ???
Wow. Talking about hate in its purest. You’re contesting his ability to attend a prestigious school by attacking the fact that he was accepted to one of the most prestigious PUBLIC schools (in certain lights, better than some ivy leagues) in the country? Didn’t it occur to you that this may have contributed to his success? If not, he’s still successful AND still has his degree from UCLA….quite frankly
And what have you accomplished? Obviously, not very much since you’re reading up 24-year-old MANAGERS, but feel free to throw out ANY decorated and distinguished position that we can all awe, since you can’t prove it anyways…quite frankly…I’ll promise I’ll pretend to be impressed…quite frankly
Jairo is one of the hardest working guys in town. He’s smart, talented and driven. I wish him all the best in his new position. I have no doubt he’ll do great.