On November 18, Media Services, one of the entertainment industry’s top payroll, accounting and software suppliers, created a $100,000 endowment to support the graduate program in producing at New York University’s (NYU) Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts. Media Services CEO Greg Pickert was enthusiastic about the endowment.

“We regard NYU as one of this nation’s top film schools and we are thrilled to partner with such a reputable institution,” says Pickert. The endowment was announced at a recent event at the Showbiz Store and Café, Media Services’ product division. Titled “The Robert Oberman, Greg Pickert, Media Services Graduate Film Production Fund,” the endowment will give more students the opportunity to pursue careers in producing and within the industry.

John Tintori, chair of the Graduate Film Division in the Kabar Institute of Film and Television, was thrilled about the endowment. “I cannot express how much this means to us and our students. Our program will equip aspiring film producers and studio executives with the knowledge to better navigate the fast-changing landscape of financing and filmmaking today,” he says.

The graduate dual-degree producing program is a joint venture between NYU’s Stern School of Business and the Tisch School of the Arts. Pickert feels the program is appropriate for the endowment as “It brings together the business and creative aspects of the industry, and cultivates highly employable individuals for the markets we serve, mainly independent production companies and film and television studios and networks.”

For more information on Media Services visit http://www.media-services.com. For more information about the producing program or the Kanbar Institute visit http://www.tisch.nyu.edu.