Thanks to Nancy for organizing the Superbowl Sunday hike in Hollywood and to everyone who came to enjoy the sunshine, laughter, and grumpy police...
 
Following are announcements for our upcoming news and events.  Please note that we will not be holding a Second Weekend Social this month as it is a multi-holiday weekend of Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day. And Friday the 13th.  But for those prone to throwing beans, have a great Setsubun (Feb 3rd)!

• JETAASC Retreat
• 17th Annual JET Program Essay Contest
• JETAA US Country Rep Elections
• Pre-JET Interviews
• Kollaboration at the Shrine Auditorium
• Job Info
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

2/27 - 3/1 JETAASC Ski/Snowboarding Retreat

The Details:
February 27th - March 1st
Big Bear Lake and Mountain

Join the JETAASC officers in deciding the direction of JET for the year, discussing transistion to being an NPO, and voting on organization bylaws.  We hope to get through the gritty parts as qucikly as possible to maximize time in the snow and hot tub!
 
We have reserved a cabin in Big Bear for the weekend; the general meeting on the evening of Saturday the 28th.  We plan to start the evening with dinner around 6pm and hold the meeting afterwards.  Those who would like to come on Friday to play in the snow during the day on Saturday are welcome to do so.  Dinner on the 28th and breakfast on the 1st will be provided by JETAASC.  To help reduce costs, we ask that people who stay on Saturday night pay $30, and those who stay both nights pay $40.
 
Because of space limitations, this event will be for JET alums only (sorry to all our dear FOJs!).  We also ask that everyone carpool as there is limited parking available.  Beds will be available to those who RSVP first.  Please RSVP to Christine (christine@jetaasc.org) with:

ANNOUNCEMENTS

17th Annual JET Program Essay Contest

Our friends at CLAIR are now taking submissions for the 17th Annual JET Programme Essay Competition. They welcome submissions from both current and former JET participants, and there are some great prizes up for grabs! The deadline for submission is March 13, 2009.

Some of the prizes (tentative, based on last year)
Japanese Language Division
Grand Jury Prize ¥100,000 (1 entry)
Prize for Excellence ¥50,000 (1 entry)
Honourary Mention ¥10,000 (3 entries)
Foreign Language Division
Grand Jury Prize ¥100,000 (1 entry)
Prize for Excellence ¥50,000 (1 entry)
Honourary Mention ¥10,000 (3 entries)
NOTE: The Essay Competition Committee reserves the right to not award the above prizes should there be no outstanding essays.

For further details regarding application conditions and application forms, please refer to
the information on the JET Programme website (http://www.jetprogramme.org).
 

Pre-JET Interviews

Those interested in helping with the interviews and the JET selection process should contact Angel Bridgeport-Curtis, JET Program Coordinator, by telephone at (213) 617-6700 x332 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

JETAA US Country Rep Elections  

As of 2009, JETAA in the U.S. will have 3 country reps, the most of any country!  Also, the international media coordinator Paul Donovan plans to step down from his position this spring.  Those interested in representing JETAA on the national level are encouraged to contact Co-President Jim Smith (jim@jetaasc.org) for details on responsibilities. 

Kollaboration at the Shrine Auditorium

The 9th Annual Kollaboration at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles on Saturday, February 21, 2009.

This year, Kollaboration 9 will take center stage on February 21st, 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles for its 25th show. The show brings up and coming Asian Pacific Islander artists from all over the U.S. The show will be offering special guest performances by MTV's America's Best Dance Crew's Kaba Modern and Fanny Pak.

For more information, please go to http://www.kollaboration.org

Watch the Kollaboration performer video here - http://www.kollaboration.org/News/Latest/Kollab-9-Promo.html

Job Opportunity with Wowmax Media

Job Title: Assistant Producer
Company: Wowmax Media, LLC
Location: Torrance, CA
Status: Full-time, Employee

Relevant work experience: 3-7 years
Career Level: mid-level
Educatio Level: Minimum Associates Degree Completed or Equivalent

Job Description:
Wowmax Media, LLC is a "bridge" company that directly connects the North American and Japanese markets and businesses. Womax Media is a comprehensive production and marketing firm dealing with intellecutal property. The synergies created by having a Japanese partner with direct contacts in Japan and the US allow Wowmax Media to provide unique marketing and production services to copanies and individuals engaged in this business in the US and Japan, including original writers, who create intellectual property, producers, investors, character and content licensing agents, licensees of characters for commercialization, and distributors, while concurrently pursuing the maximization of value. In addition to working with private companies, Wowmax Media is conduct consulting assignments for government agencies.

Wowmax Media, LLC is looking to hire an Assistant Producer who will have a variety of task assignments, including production, creative design, marketing, market research, and business development. The potential candidate will be involved in B2B domestic and international sales and marketing. We are looking for someone who is product-ware and able to effectively market intellectual products.

Responsibilities:

- Assisting with productions of new Animation series
- Assisting with marketing strategy for new properties
- Preparing research material about various entertainment media
- Creating sales packages
- Developing promotions for upcoming properties
- Organizing and participating in conventions/trade shows
-Maintain communications with all interested parties
-Special projects as assigned

REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum 3-7 years experience, preferably in entertainment industry
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong analytical and organization skills
- Self-starter, confident, and highly motivated
- Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator
- Ability to work with a team and as an individual
- Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
- Flexible in interacting in a multi-cultural environmen
- Bilingual (Japanese and English)
- Knowledge of Japanese pop culture a plus

Interested candidates should submit their resume along with salary history to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it