Manifesting ‘Destiny': Danita Patterson building talent pipeline for Chicago's expanding entertainment industry

Chicago Tribune

5 days ago

South Sider Danita Patterson's childhood exposure to the arts — tap, ballet, jazz, piano, music and even poetry — helped pave her path to Hollywood. But Patterson, who once held a job as a development director and administrative manager with actor Will Smith for his '90s sitcom 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' doesn't think people should have to leave Chicago to pursue jobs in the entertainment industry.
'We have more television series and feature films coming here,' Patterson said of her hometown. 'Who's going to work on these as opposed to Hollywood or Canada bringing their people here? Are we employing people here on the ground?'
Patterson, who went from production assistant to producer to development executive, has been a bi-coastal creator in the entertainment scene for 33 years. But with the pandemic and the loss of loved ones — her father died in 2019, her grandfather in 2020 — she found herself in Illinois more frequently. Now she's back in Chicago, bringing all she has learned to help the next generation make inroads into the industry.
'It was time to bring my entertainment content and educational workforce to my hometown in a big way,' Patterson said. Her way is the Dreams & Destiny Entertainment Industry Apprenticeship Program — a film and TV workforce development plan that hires and trains youths aged 16 to 24, giving participants exposure to the entertainment industry and the careers within, as well as personal and professional development.
Dreams & Destiny is a part of Patterson's nonprofit Destiny Outreach, which brings together career services and industry professionals to educate youths. After training, apprentices gain hands-on job experience at places such as CineCity Studios, Central City Productions, CAN TV and Richard Gallion Entertainment.
Patterson's own path started with stints in TV production as part of journalism school at Northwestern University, as well as work in musical theater and modeling. By the time Patterson, a University of Chicago Laboratory School and St. Ignatius alumna, traveled west in her early 20s, literature and storytelling were ingrained in her psyche.
Patterson said she is passionate about bringing more production to the Chicago area to make it a media capital.
'It's hard for adults to get those jobs, let alone young adults and youth to be exposed to that,' she said. 'Our state, the Chicago film office, Illinois film office… all are really trying to make this be something where when you graduate from Northwestern, Columbia, DePaul, you don't have to go to LA or New York, because there's work in your backyard to do film and TV, in front of or behind the scenes.'
From June through September, 21 apprentices interested in topics such as film, TV production, writing, content creation, storytelling, theater, video production, editing, social media and digital marketing are instructed on topics such as set etiquette, finances, leadership, mentorship, artificial intelligence and craft development, and learn about behind the scenes careers from members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union.
Patterson said the connections the youths are making could lead to a union card. The cohort even had the opportunity to speak with cast members of Showtime's 'The Chi' about the reality of working in the profession.
Mariah Brown, 18, spent her summer between high school and college, serving as a production assistant on Richard Gallion Entertainment's play, 'A Fall From Royalty.'
'I liked it… working with the actors running through their lines while on the stage rehearsing, just in case someone forgot their line,' Brown said. 'Helping them put their microphones on, testing them out before the play and rehearsals… making sure they had everything, putting stuff on the stage here and there. I was emailing schools for field trips, so people can come to the shows.'
With her sights set on early education as an entering freshman at Northern Illinois University, the Roseland resident said she's been recommending Destiny Outreach to other people. While Brown found it challenging, she said the job placement that Destiny Outreach made possible opened her eyes to many different things — from hands-on work, friendships, learning how to work with teams, adapting to changes.
Michael Banks, 22, a videographer from Beverly, and Jordan Sweet, 24, a University of Illinois Chicago graduate with a marketing degree, both want to be triple threats in entertainment with their focus on directing, producing and writing.
'I knew that I needed to not seek out more knowledge… I needed to be in the right room with the right people,' Banks said of his reason for joining the first cohort. He's now in those rooms, working behind the camera and handling media for Destiny Outreach.
Sweet has learned how to run a team, walk with integrity and practice patience.
'I did not know what I was getting myself into, but it's been a great opportunity to immerse myself, learn from a Hollywood producer,' he said. 'Though I have my degree, just immersing myself in this experience has taught me more than I thought.'
Apprentices from Thornton Township High School and Hinsdale South High School in Darien said they gained confidence in themselves.
'This was like a different world for me,' said Kamryn Gibson, 19, a sophomore at Ball State University in Indiana. 'I'm majoring in computer information systems, but getting this insight on this side of the business, and seeing that there's roles for me within my major, has me more interested to look into the technical side of doing things within the industry.'
Gibson, who is interested in entertainment project management, is working pre-production for the Stellar Awards — considered the Grammys of gospel — which will be held in Nashville on Aug. 16.
'You might not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but this will definitely help,' said Darius Donald, 22, of Hyde Park. 'You'll get answers, whether you don't want to do something or you do. It's nice. And you'll be surrounded by people who know what they're doing, who have years of experience.'
Donald is considering using his art and photography skills for films or journalism.
The apprenticeships are funded through grants from the Illinois Department of Human Services' Illinois Youth Investment Program, Phalanx Family Services, Greenwood Archer Capital, CineCity Studios Chicago and Cine Circle.
The program is gearing up for the next cohort for this winter. Patterson expects more participants as registration starts in October. More information can be found at destinyoutreach.com.
Gibson said she'll be telling her friends about the apprenticeship. 'I will definitely be letting people know when the application opens to get into this,' she said. 'We're being placed and meeting these amazing people… being connected in the industry.'
Patterson plans to produce a documentary on the Destiny Outreach program, as well as a podcast where apprentices share stories about their industry experience and their growth. Under her for-profit arm, Destiny Unlimited, she also plans to shoot two projects in Chicago: one is a TV series and the other is a feature film, a women ensemble 'dramedy' loosely based on her relationships and coming of age in Hyde Park called 'Healing Circle.'
Patterson is building her legacy on her 'Destiny Babies.' She wants to see the nonprofit continue and is talking about expanding the program for more cohorts and a wider age range. More sponsorships can subsidize more apprentices. Training, mentorship and job placements can then be paired with programming beyond resume building and mock interviews. Patterson plans to track the apprentices' trajectories, have check-ins to see what their needs are and make sure they continue to have resources such as master classes and connections with collaborators.
'To be able to deposit into the next gen, into communities that otherwise would not have access to something like this, means so much to me,' Patterson said. 'It's always been in my heart to make sure that people who don't know this world of entertainment, to open that up.'