Veterans’ path to Hollywood
The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast welcomes Barbara Autin, a West Point graduate and former Army engineer who served two tours in Iraq. After her service, Autin received her master’s and tried to enter the entertainment industry.
Autin wound up volunteering with Veterans in Media & Entertainment (VME) and helped establish the Jobs & Internships Program, as well as being part of the team that developed the AT&T Veterans Media Fellowship.
Without a network in place, she faced an uphill climb into her chosen career field.
“It’s really hard to break into the entertainment industry,” said Autin, a member of American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood, Calif. “And part of the reason is because of our years of service we haven’t been able to develop a network. That’s what I was facing as I was trying to get a job.”
VME aims to reduce the gap from the military into the entertainment industry. It provides resources, contacts and more for veterans who become members. Since the pandemic began, VME has produced 62 online classes, expanding its student base beyond Los Angeles.
“We have a ton of different classes,” she said, noting they range from writing to film production to acting. “We had the top casting directors come in and our members submitted tapes and 14 were selected to work with individually. Anybody can join these classes.”
The American Legion played a critical role in development of VME.
“The American Legion has been instrumental in the growth of VME,” Autin said. “From the very beginning, it was meeting at The American Legion Post 43. That space was crucial to meeting and to start those classes and to get to the point where we could bring it online. I can’t overstate the importance of the support from The American Legion.”
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