From part-time hustles to a dream job at Lucasfilm, film and media graduate follows his passion

Rochester, New York – Steve Blank always envisioned himself as a movie editor, piecing together scenes to create compelling stories. After graduating from the University of Rochester in 2007 with a degree in film and media studies, he was ready to take on the film industry. However, the economy had other plans. With a global financial crisis unfolding, Blank faced a difficult job market that forced him to take an unconventional path to his dream career.

Instead of landing a job in film editing, Blank spent the next three years in what he calls the “zigzag” phase of his career. He worked nearly two dozen different jobs, ranging from physical labor and mailroom duties to data entry and answering phones. “Sometimes a job lasted 24 hours, sometimes two months,” Blank recalls. While the work was not glamorous, it provided him with valuable experience and a deeper understanding of different industries.

A few marketing gigs piqued his interest, leading him to explore the field further. This led him to a temp agency, which helped him land a job at a real estate firm. Though he disliked the role, he remained committed to giving it his best effort. Eventually, he had an honest conversation with his boss, expressing his passion for marketing but admitting that real estate was not the right fit. That conversation changed the trajectory of his career. His boss’s wife was the executive vice president of programming at TV Land, and she offered Blank an opportunity that set him on the path to success.

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Blank started as a freelance marketing coordinator at TV Land, gaining crucial experience in media marketing. After six months, the position ended, but it opened the door to his next opportunity at Nickelodeon. There, he played a key role in launching the 2012 revival of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which became a major television hit and a best-selling action figure brand.

His growing expertise in franchise marketing led him to Lucasfilm in 2014, where he initially served as a senior manager for franchise marketing. His first major project was Star Wars Rebels, an animated television series that expanded the Star Wars universe. By 2015, he had transitioned to the Lucasfilm story group, a 16-person creative team responsible for overseeing and developing new stories within the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. Since 2018, Blank has served as the director of franchise content and strategy, working in San Francisco.

In his current role, Blank helps shape the direction of new stories across various platforms, including video games, animation, publishing, theme parks, and immersive experiences. His team ensures that each new addition to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones universes aligns with the overarching narrative while remaining engaging for fans. “The responsibility is to make sure we’re still telling great stories so people can continue to love and enjoy the series for another 50 years,” Blank explains.

Blank credits his time at the University of Rochester for helping him develop the skills necessary for his current role. The school’s flexible curriculum allowed him to take a variety of courses that strengthened his storytelling abilities. “Some of the most influential lessons that defined how I articulate and read a story came from the English and film courses I took,” he says. He also studied science fiction, detective fiction, and French New Wave cinema, all of which provided valuable insights into genre storytelling. Additionally, his theater courses in directing and acting helped him understand live production elements.

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Despite working with some of the most beloved franchises in cinematic history, Blank remains focused on one thing: great storytelling. “Any good story that can touch someone’s soul—even if it’s not everybody’s soul—is a good story,” he says. He and his team constantly evaluate potential narratives, determining which ones fit best within the Star Wars or Indiana Jones universes and how they can be adapted across different media.

Blank’s unconventional career path serves as an inspiration to those navigating the uncertainties of the job market. He encourages college students to embrace unexpected opportunities and to remain adaptable. “Just because you’ve started in one place doesn’t mean that’s where you have to end up,” he says. “You can find other things and use what you’ve learned in creative and different ways. Trust me. It can lead you to better things than you ever anticipated.”

From odd jobs to overseeing the future of Star Wars, Steve Blank’s journey is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and the power of storytelling. His experiences highlight the importance of staying open to new opportunities—even when the road to success isn’t a straight path.