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Issue #103

Weekly Newsletter

by L. Swift and Jeff McQ

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Student Successes

When Jimi and Brian get you learning on the job, you’ll find opportunities to learn and connect that you could never find a classroom. Read below about a Film Connection student whose determination to learn all aspects of the film process has led to some unexpected opportunities!

STUDENT SUCCESSES

 

Film Connection student Mary Anne Zamora jumps in with both feet

    Ask Film Connection student Mary Anne Zamora what prompted her to pursue a career in film, and she’ll tell you it’s all about the storytelling.   “I really started out as a writer,” she says. “That was part of my creative journey…I just loved to write short stories and articles, and then I realized eventually that I wanted to pursue writing that’s more narrative in nature, telling really good stories. And then I would say it came maybe a little bit later in life for me when I realized that I was really, really interested in becoming more of a visual storyteller…That was the catalyst that inspired me to seek a career in film and video production.”  
Mary Anne Zamora and mentor Wes Cobb

Mary Anne Zamora and mentor Wes Cobb

The idea of film school presented a challenge because of the schedule and time commitment involved—but then Mary Anne discovered the Film Connection could train her on-the-job, working around her work schedule. “I am at a point in my life where I do have a day job,” she says, “and I really was attracted to the fact that you can work around your schedule—still be able to pursue your dreams that way. Because when you’re working, it is really difficult to uproot your life and stop everything and go to school full-time and then abide by a set schedule, because usually that’s how most traditional schools go. Also, I was attracted to the fact that you get to network and get to know professionals who are actually in the field doing something…And you really do learn a lot being on set, and being sort of thrust into it, the reality of it, rather than being in a classroom reading books.”   Even with her interest in writing in general, Mary Anne went into the program determined to jump in with both feet, to learn every aspect of film that she could, from directing and cinematography to editing and color correction—which is why her mentor, Wes Cobb at West Art Video in Charlotte, NC, has proven to be such a great fit for her.   “He is a genius in Final Cut Pro, and that is his area of expertise,” says Mary Anne. “He definitely knows his stuff, and I just feel very privileged that I am learning it from someone who has such command of the editing side too.”   Wes is making sure she understands the business side of things, as well. “When we have our sessions,” she says, “although we do focus more on the technical side and the creative side of editing, we also talk about the business side of things, and how he runs his business, and what his principles are, and just giving you tips about how to succeed, and what he thinks I would need to achieve success or longevity in this industry. I think this is really valuable…I think it’s good for me to actually hear it from him because he has established himself and his business as a successful entity in the market.”   Since starting her apprenticeship, Mary Anne has gotten quite immersed in the process of learning on-the-job. With her mentor Wes coordinating, she’s begun to collaborate with other Film Connection students on some short film projects, and also started writing a script. She’s also made a point of getting out on shoots with the production company, which has led to some unexpected opportunities—including shooting some photos for music artist Amy Broome.  
Film Connection students Jeff Levack, Mary Anne Zamora, Gage Mull, mentor Wes Cobb, and new student Kenneth Campbell

Film Connection students Jeff Levack, Mary Anne Zamora, Gage Mull, mentor Wes Cobb, and new student Kenneth Campbell

“I had this mindset when I started with the program that even though I was working, I would still do whatever it takes to go to as many of these live shoots as I can,” she says. “And by going to shoots with West Art Video, and with Wes Cobb…I’ve been meeting a lot of local musicians, and the local players, so to speak. These are, of course, people that I probably wouldn’t have met if I didn’t go to help out. A couple of shoots I attended with my own camera, a Canon DSLR. And Wes would just tell me, ‘Mary Anne, can you help me shoot some stills, too?’ Because I’ve done some photography before, and I said, ‘Of course, absolutely, I’d love to shoot some stills for the band.’ So I did that for Amy Broome, and she saw the photos, and I guess she liked them, and she told me she wants to use them for promotional materials.”   As Mary Anne continues to work through her apprenticeship, she’s got some definite ideas for her new career, and she’s not wasting any time in preparing for it. She’s connecting with as many people as possible, has conceptualized her own brand name, and is even developing her social media presence. “I started opening social media accounts: Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter, even started a Facebook page, and then I thought about what I would like to name my brand or my company, which is where Visualholic Media came in. It’s just pretty much a recent development for me, so I’m still trying to learn along the way how to do it.”   An avid horror fan, Mary Anne sees herself working extensively in that genre in the future. “Long-term goal is to own my own production company, an independent production company. Focusing on producing female-centered horror films kind of like The Babadook,” she says. “I really would like to try to produce an independent film and, hopefully, know a lot in the post-production side, so I can make it look like it was made for a lot more money.”   Now experiencing on-the-job training for herself, Mary Anne has some advice for other students looking to make the most out of their apprenticeships. “For me, the best thing about The Film Connection is that it allows you to customize how you want this to become,” she says. “It would be a very good idea for the student to have at least some kind of idea of what she or he wants to achieve. That’s definitely a big help if you at least know…where you see yourself, short-term and perhaps long-term…You’ll probably discover things about yourself that you didn’t know then, but it’s always a good idea to have at least a goal…And I think it’s important for the student to have a goal, but to just enjoy it too, to not stress out too much, to just enjoy their growth as an artist as well.”   That’s advice Mary Anne is following for herself. “I really do have an idea of what I want to achieve, say, in a few years’ time,” she says. “But right now, though, I’m just really enjoying the process.”   
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Mentor News

MENTOR NEWS

 

NUGGETS OF TRUTH: Recording Connection mentor Miah Lajeunesse talks studio etiquette and turning your passion into a strategy

     Recording Connection mentor Miah Lajeunesse is a largely self-taught audio engineer who is a prime example of how to turn your passion into a full-time career. As the owner/operator of The Sound Lair in Knoxville, Tennessee, Miah stays quite busy working with artists in a wide range of genres and, he’s frequently called upon to fix other people’s mixes. In a recent conversation with RRFC, Miah weighed in on the value of in-studio training, and offered key career advice for students of the program. We share the best nuggets of this conversation with you below.   
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   ON HOW HE GOT STARTED IN HIS CAREER:  
Recording Connection mentor Miah Lajeunesse

Recording Connection mentor Miah Lajeunesse in The Sound Lair

“Got into recording just by buying some equipment and having an interest in it in the late 90s, and discovered that I really loved it over the years and decided to take the plunge and hang up the corporate day job at the very beginning of 2006. So when this year wraps up, I will be doing this [for] ten years, full-time as my sole means of support…There was no YouTube at the time; I was just reading articles that I could find, magazines, periodicals. I used to enjoy EQ Magazine back in the day and reading user forms that existed in the earlier days on the web and just educating myself, making lots really lousy demos and learning about how the process works until I got better and better. I didn’t really have anyone to show me the ropes, so I’m very self-taught.”   ON THE TYPES OF MUSIC HE RECORDS AT THE STUDIO:   “Some studios will focus on certain genres; I will record pretty much anything. The client [that] just stepped up this afternoon was a voice over client….The guy I have coming in this evening has a metal project, so we are going to be working and switching gears and working on that, had a couple rappers in last night. So it is a little of everything: gospel, hip-hop, acoustic music, contemporary Christian and movie soundtracks, scoring, a little of everything.”   ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING VERSATILE AS AN ENGINEER:   “I think it makes you more a well-rounded engineer to work in a lot of different genres. People that specialize certainly [are] in demand for the kind of work they do. But I think, it tunes your ear to frequencies and the craft of recording and the approach of how to work up a mix. If you try different kinds of music, you get some kind of cross pollination between the way that you work between genres.”   ON THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING ONE-ON-ONE IN THE STUDIO:   “If a student has questions, he has [my] undivided attention and can ask them at any point while I am meeting with the student. I have had five students through the program so far, and every one of them requires a different amount of explanation…they’re getting a level of attention that they probably wouldn’t get if they are sitting in a classroom…It feels like you are in the field and not in the lab, I think. And in that way, a student can get the attention they need for themselves…It’s been enjoyable for the students that I’ve had, and especially for the variety of the work. Some of them would prefer to see more metal sessions. Some of them are more interested in the hip-hop sessions that I’ve worked with. So I think they enjoy just seeing this thing that actually happens. These are actual paying clients and decisions being made on the fly, and they are included in it.”   ON WHAT HE GETS PERSONALLY OUT OF BEING A MENTOR:   “Having the chance to mentor students who have come in, it gave me a sense of kind of [how to] organize my thoughts, and think about how I came upon the knowledge that I have through just blind stumbling or reading, and then attempting some techniques based on what I was reading…  
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