Don Levy arrived at DU already knowing where he wanted to wind up in his career.

“I knew I wanted to have a role in the entertainment industry, whether that was through creative or publicity I was not as certain,” he said.

But his time at DU helped Levy to figure it out. While at DU, he was able to take classes in video editing and project production, learning skills he says he still applies to his work as an entrepreneur and previous job as senior vice president of marketing and communications for Sony Pictures.

However, all of his energy was not focused solely on film and entertainment while at DU. Levy double majored in communications and history, taking time to explore another long-held interest.

He also spent a great deal of time working at a local movie theatre, a job that had a surprisingly major hand in helping him to move towards his future career.

“Working in movie theaters during my time at DU put me into very close contact with the movie-going experience,” he said. “What works, what doesn’t (work)? What do people like and what do they hate?”

After graduating in 1976, Levy spent some time enjoying the beautiful scenery of Colorado, he got a call from a Public Relations firm offering him the opportunity to come on as an apprentice publicist for the film “Coming Home.” Without much time or experience in the industry before taking the job, he knew the position would be a “trial by fire.”

A variety of freelance and public relations work would lead Levy to a long-held career with Sony beginning in 1995 as an awards campaign consultant. Levy spent over 17 years with Sony, doing production publicity for many popular films including “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” The Flinstones” and “Poltergeist.”

“Sometimes you work on really good stuff and sometimes you work on stuff you don’t realize at the time will be timeless,” Levy said.

He says his time at DU, however, was a major boon to his career, in addition to his various experiences and mentorships after graduation as he worked his way through the entertainment industry.

“I reference that early work, and it really opened my eyes to what has really become, if not a life-long, a career-long interest and appreciation for what the customer thinks,” he said.

Throughout his career, Levy has focused on the importance of the transforming digital stage, including through his work with Sony Pictures Imageworks, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Online Entertainment.

“I think if you really look at what’s going on in social media and the internet today…the equation today has definitely flipped from a few people at the top making all of the decisions to the public really telling the corporations and content creators what they think and how they think,” he said. “The other thing we’re seeing today is if it doesn’t exist, the public is brilliant and they will find a way to create it.”