George Clooney helps fund new film school

22 June 2021

George Clooney has helped fund a new film and television school in Los Angeles.

George Clooney

The Los Angeles Unified School District unveiled the new specialised magnet school on Monday (21.06.21), after it was launched thanks to the help of the 60-year-old actor, as well as Don Cheadle, Eva Longoria, and executives at the Creative Arts Agency (C.A.A).

The Roybal School of Film and Television Production, housed within the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, will open in the fall of 2022 with a budget of $7 million and an initial enrolment of 120 students.

George was among the people who initially put the idea forward to C.A.A co-chairman Bryan Lourd, who then got district officials to agree to the plan in just a matter of days.

Speaking to the New York Times, George said: “We thought this would be a lot longer process, but we found we were pushing an open door.”

“Nobody is better at guilting a studio or union or guild into stepping up. It’s what we do.”

The school will help students in underserved communities develop the skills required to succeed in the film and television industry in Hollywood.

In a separate interview with Deadline, the ‘Midnight Sky’ actor said: “Our aim is to better reflect the diversity of our country. That means starting early. It means creating high school programs that teach young people about cameras, and editing and visual effects and sound and all the career opportunities that this industry has to offer. It means internships that lead to well-paying careers. It means understanding that we’re all in this together.”

While Austin Beutner, a wealth investor and schools superintendent, added: “We’re unlocking for the first time in Los Angeles a whole set of community members who historically have not been engaged in our public schools. Our students don’t live next door to makeup artists and set designers, or have family friends who are actors or songwriters. People who don’t walk a mile in their shoes don’t understand what a difference it can make — just the sense that they belong, and that these are things that they could do, too.”