With the FAST Grant money we received, we were able to travel to Burbank, CA this summer to pursue ourdream and further educate ourselves in the field of movie making. Spending time in Burbank, home to Warner Brother Studio, Walt Disney Company, Nickelodeon and NBC, gave us valuable insight into what the film-making industry is like. Not only was every person we talked to a filmmaker, some of them were working on big movies like Interstellar with Christopher Nolan.
While there, we continued our work on the documentary, King of the Underdogs. Along with meeting and interviewing iconic industry actors and professionals, we expanded our knowledge of the actual history of the film industry and beyond. Over all, it was a great experience that we would not have been able to get anywhere else and it will help us go a long way in our career paths.
Having the opportunity to work with Professor Garrett this summer has greatly contributed to my future career plans. Most students will not have the opportunity to do work in their chosen field until they graduate, so I am very fortunate to have had this opportunity. Traveling to the heart of where filmmaking happens to actually work on a production has allowed me to make professional contacts with those that are in the film business. It also allowed me to apply research and technical skills learned at SHSU into a working environment. As one of the cinematographers on the project, I gained additional experience with lights and framing of the camera. I also was able to work on my management skills as the production coordinator, where I was in charge of day to day schedules and plan. This was a once in a lifetime experience that will help guide my career path, and it taught me valuable insight that I could not have learned anywhere else.