Sponsored by the university's Entertainment Industry Institute, the marketplace will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the University Student Union's Grand Salon on the east side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

This year's event will include opportunities to meet with executives from Brad Grey Television ("The Sopranos"), NBC4, Paramount Pictures Television Group, The WB Television Network, Universal Network Television and Sony Pictures.

Open to the public, the marketplace also will feature a select group of representatives from the region's burgeoning animation industry.

"This event is not the typical jobs fair," said Robert Gustafson, institute director. "Rather, it is total immersion into the entertainment industry."

Gustafson described the marketplace as an "executive-level career mixer" in which attendees and industry professionals interact on a personal level for an extended period.

The "real action" occurs during the networking lunch and other planned breaks, when invited industry insiders sit down to a meal and informal conversations with attendees. "It's access, access, access," said Gustafson.

Tickets for the event are $5. Tickets are available at the door or can be obtained in advance at the CSUN box office in Nordhoff Hall or at (818) 677-2488.

Among the day's speakers will be Tony Carey, vice president of Brad Grey Television ("The Sopranos"); Jeff Gilbert, account manager at NBC4; Cynthia Lieberman, vice president of Paramount Pictures Television Group; Brian Wright, manager of staffing, The WB Television Network; Bruce Sandzimier, vice president, Universal Network Television; and Eric Rigney, manager of Sony Pictures Post Production.

Animation executives will include CSUN alumnus Robert Castaneda of EA (Electronic Arts), lead character animator for the EA game "Medal of Honor, Pacific Assault," whose feature film credits include "Matrix Reloaded"; development artist and CSUN alum Christian Halsell of Kush Games, whose work includes Sega's ESPN games; Heather Kenyon, director of development at the Cartoon Network ("The Powerpuff Girls," "Samurai Jack,"); a representative from Rhythm & Hues, a major computer animation and visual effects studio ("Lord of the Rings III," "Harry Potter"), and others.

CSUN's Entertainment Industry Institute is a collaborative effort involving the Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning as well as the colleges of Arts, Media, and Communication; Business and Economics; Engineering and Computer Science; and the Career Center.

The institute's goals include helping students realize their educational goals in preparation for careers in the entertainment industry, establishing the university as a center for research and creative activity related to the entertainment industry, and fostering beneficial partnerships between the industry and the university.

For more information about the institute, call (818) 677-3432.

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelor's and 42 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.