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Issue #53 – Job Opportunities & Student Successes
by L. Swift and Jeff McQ
Once Victor Cobb decided he was going to pursue an education in film, he took the decision seriously and brought his a-game to the endeavor each and every day. So far, such a plan is taking him far.
Victor was researching other film schools online and, like so many aspiring filmmakers, he was daunted by the hefty tuitions being charged at Full Sail and other more traditional film schools. Then he found an option that seemed to make sense—Film Connection. Victor says he “looked at all the comments that were left about the program…did a little research on it,” and then “decided to do it.”
After making that critical decision to enroll in the Film Connection film program, Victor started interviewing with a number of different mentors in the Atlanta area. Victor went to not one, not two, but three different mentors before finding the film professional he most wanted to work with.
Both mentor and apprentice have to agree to enter into the mentorship-apprenticeship arrangement and finding a good fit is usually more of an art than a science. During the interviewing process it is important to balance one’s excitement to just get started with one’s objectives. Victor knew that even though he was interested primarily in directing and screenwriting, he also wanted to “learn a little bit about each aspect of the business from the bottom up… what each position does, how it all fits, how it all works together.”
Ultimately that led Victor to study with Steve Carmichael, formerly of Radiant 3 and now at Rite Media Group in Atlanta, Georgia. What led him to choose Steve, Victor says, was mostly “his energy and his knowledge about the industry. When I sat down, he immediately just kind of opened up about himself and what he used to do. One topic led to another topic, which led to another topic, and he was just very easy to talk to. He just had a lot of knowledge that he could just lay on you and within seconds of just talking to you.”
So that Victor would have the opportunity to learn as much as he could about the filmmaking process, Steve used his connections to get Victor onto a number of various projects including music videos, short films and television series. The experiences he had, including a stint as a gaffer, were enlightening for Victor who says, “just a little work like that, just gave me insight.”
While Victor was getting plenty of hands-on experience with Steve Carmichael, he was also working on developing his screenplay with screenwriting mentor, Richard Brandes, who’s written and produced more than a dozen projects. Although screenplay meetings took place over the phone (Richard lives in the Los Angeles area), Victor found the arrangement “not too hard at all” and says the professional screenwriter and producer “made himself available more than I thought he would be.”
So what did Victor do now that he was getting the skills and connections and even had a screenplay under his belt? He did the 48 Hour Film Project! For the 48, filmmakers are given assigned genre and given a prop and a line of dialogue which they must incorporate into the film. Within exactly 48 hours, entrants must complete a 3-7 minute film including all rehearsals, shooting and post-production. In order to make the film a reality, Victor got to work months in advance, scouting for local talent and he even started a Kickstarter campaign to raise the capital they’d need to do the project.
Success on the 48 came in the form of a savvy, connected co-director Tommie Ingram which then led to Sharon Tomlinson (at Studio 11) who helped Victor get the equipment, cast and even actor Carl Anthony Payne signed onto the film!
So what advice does Victor have for students who want to get the most out of program? First, don’t expect to have it all handed over to you. Victor says, “This program is not a hold-your-hand type of program. It’s kind of like the real life, kind of like the real industry, when you have to go out and get the knowledge that you want, that you need.” And ask questions. “A mentor is like a book that’s full of knowledge. You can’t gain any knowledge if you don’t read, if you don’t ask any questions.”
We look forward to hearing more about Victor’s successes in filmmaking. Keep bringing your a-game Victor and you’ll go far!
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