A group of media communications students were given the opportunity to spend a weekend in Los Angeles, where they learned about the film industry during the first weekend of February. Seniors Caleb Shaffer, Mackenzie Haire and Hannah Barlow shared their experiences.
Caleb Shaffer
If there’s something the media communications department excels at the most, it’s providing unique learning opportunities to its students, and the Los Angeles trip is the perfect example. I have had the privilege of going on both the New York trip and LA trip. Both were informative learning experiences, while also still being extremely exciting.
Of the two, the LA trip stands out as my favorite. I mean, who wouldn’t want to meet and hear from Oscar award-winning filmmakers?
Although I don’t plan to go into film (my emphasis is broadcast), I learned a lot about the techniques used in film editing, the broad scope that the job of a production designer entails and how props houses are still just as important in the film industry today as they were when it began.
Above all, however, it was extremely encouraging to hear that almost half of these Oscar nominees did not actually study film in school. If they still made it, why can’t I?
In addition to its exciting learning opportunities, the department also excels in maintaining a wide graduate network of media professionals and is consistently linking its students with great contacts. In conversations I’ve had with Dr. [Jim] Owens, even since returning from LA, he has already let me know of many graduates living in LA that he’d be happy to put me in contact with, in addition to some of the graduates we saw while in LA. These experiences and networking opportunities are something unique to Asbury that I will always be thankful for and I’ll never take for granted.
Mackenzie Haire
I went to LA to take advantage of the rare opportunity to learn from Oscar-nominated professionals, see the city and share the experience with my best friends who are graduating with me this May. My favorite part of the trip was listening to the nominees and realizing that LA is only intimidating if you make it that way. All the Oscar nominees we met were just people who are really good at their jobs. The most common advice we heard was, “Be patient, enjoy learning about your field and getting better.” I think the point of the trip was to get a glimpse of what success can look like, how hard people work and what they bring to the table creatively that makes them stand out.
Hannah Barlow
The Asbury LA trip was a unique opportunity to hear from and possibly talk with Oscar nominees. With insight from people who worked on groundbreaking films such as “1917,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Parasite,” the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’d also never been to LA before, so getting a feel for the city before considering moving out there after graduating was something I was interested in as well.
The point of the trip was to hear from people in the career field we’re interested in and get a better understanding of their success in the film industry. It was such a relief to hear that it is feasible to be successful in the media industry. You don’t necessarily have to be the absolute best to stand out or even have the most experience to get a job. You need to be persistent, make calls, make connections, be good at listening and learn on the job. Most everyone touched on the fact that you shouldn’t be in a rush to be the next hot shot in Hollywood. Just take your time to experience everything you can while you learn and perfect your craft.
I’d have to say that one of my favorite parts of the trip had to be sneaking into the VIP Oscars reception before the production design panel. I’d been joking all week about breaking in to the Oscars, so when the opportunity presented itself, I walked right into the VIP reception and started introducing myself to people.
I recognized one of the PD’s as Dennis Gassner who was nominated for “1917.” (His other works include “Bladerunner 2049,” “Skyfall” and “O Brother Where Art Thou?”) I walked up to him and introduced myself. I later gave him a card that I’d written my name and contact info on. I was fairly certain he would have thrown the card away, but I must have made an impression because he followed me on Instagram a day later. So in that case, being bold really paid off.
Besides Dennis Gassner, I also met Michael McCusker, who won Best Editing for “Ford vs Ferrari,” as well as Lee Sandales, the set dresser for “1917.”
All in all, the trip was an amazing success and really gave me a better perspective on what I want to do after graduating. If they do the trip again next year, I’d highly recommend it!
