Posted on Friday, February 03, 2023
Having the chance to work on a cable network film does not come around often. So, when a Lifetime movie started shooting at the college in December 2022, six student interns took advantage of the opportunity to help with various tasks on set and get advice from experts in the industry.
“Being able to observe professionals in that environment allowed me to see the expected work ethic and attitude while shooting,” said senior Rebekah Powers, a Film & Media Arts major who worked as a technical intern for the production’s art department. She said her responsibilities included handling props and set dressing different locations.
Junior Macayla Ellison, a Film & Media Arts major who worked as a production assistant intern, said her time on set was a very enlightening experience. Her responsibilities included keeping track of actors, locking down sets to ensure filming was not interrupted and fetching items for the crew.
“I’ve learned that you need patience and good listening skills when working on a set,” Ellison said.
Composition & Music Technologies and Theatre Arts students also served as interns on the shoot, according to Assistant Professor of Film & Media Arts Yson DeBlois. In addition, several other students and faculty were able to be background talent on camera.
Campus sites used in the film, titled “My Professor's Guide to Murder,” include Lewis Library, West Side, Sunny Gables and Broad Street Apartments.
When the film crew took a break from the 13-day shoot, DeBlois moderated a question-and-answer session on Dec. 6 with some of the movie’s key production members, including Director Haylie Duff.
During the event, some of the crew members offered words of motivation to students who aspire to work in the industry.
“Once you start to network and you really start to find your niche in the film industry, it takes some time to get there,” said Derek Wiseman, first assistant director. “Don’t give up, no matter how hard.”
“Your career is always going to have highs and lows,” said Jaime Brightbill, actress and production assistant. “Don’t put your self-worth into it. Learn everything. You’ll never stop working.”
Dave Hickey, a production executive for the movie set to release this year, said he would consider future film projects at the college.
“We would like to work with the school and keep having students intern for us, so that when they graduate, they can move into paid positions,” he said.
DeBlois, whose bulk of professional experience comes from working on commercial video and photography productions for clients that include Uber and Wyndham, said hands-on experience is crucial to a film student’s education and skill development.
“Having the ability to gain that experience firsthand in a live, professional working environment this early in their career is a rare and invaluable opportunity,” she said. “There are elements of both the hard and soft skills required to be successful in this industry that can only be developed in this sort of scenario, which can’t be replicated in the classroom environment without immense resources and specialized support.”
DeBlois said Film & Media Arts at LC offers a blend of technical and theoretical curriculum.
“Graduating students will be well-rounded in their knowledge of the phases and modalities of film production,” she said. “Several courses feature in-class film production collaboration within and beyond the LC community on group projects. After finishing their classes, students have a completed, individual creative work which can be used as part of their professional creative portfolio.”
Powers said the program has given her valuable skills that will help in her desired profession.
“Film & Media Arts at LC allows students to go out in the field and understand how to use the equipment,” she said. “It requires all its majors to have an internship before they can graduate. I have done a significant amount of live production and film work and I now feel more comfortable on set because of the experience I've gotten these past four years.”
After graduation, Powers said she hopes to have a career in practical effects.
’12 to work at the Braves Fan Fest on Jan. 26. The students served as a focus group assessing all aspects of the event. Pictured are Slade James ’24, Jorge Fragoso ’26, Eduardo Peralta ’26, Michael Hasse ’25, Tyler Cunningham ’26, Mena Yacoub ’23, Eli Rogers ’26, Martin Prlender ’26, Christian Dyer ’24, Ethan Kramer ’23, Quenton Green ’25, Noah Pruer ’24, Rhett Mixon ’23 and Dr. Bolton.
Check LC Connect for Virtual CE events and instructions
Racial Integration of LaGrange College
Tuesday, Feb. 7
11:15 a.m., Corn Auditorium, Lewis Library
Merging Cultures: International Student Stories
Thursday, Feb. 9
11:15 a.m., Multimedia Classroom, Lewis Library
Legacy Museum Visit
Friday, Feb. 10
10 a.m., Legacy Museum, Montgomery, Alabama
Jean-Paul Sartre's "No Exit" coming to the Price Theater Black Box
A man and two women trapped in a room for eternity.
Sartre's classic French play comes to the Price Theater Black Box February 9,10 & 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, February 12, at 2 p.m.
Intended for mature audiences.
Tickets: $5 at the door. Free to faculty, staff and students.
Baseball
Coming off the most accomplished season in program history, LaGrange will begin its 40th season as the preseason favorite as announced Tuesday in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) pre-season coaches’ poll.
Men’s Basketball
LaGrange (14-6, 6-1 CCS) held on for a narrow 80-74 victory over Huntingdon on Tuesday. Senior forward Zac Hill erupted for a game-high 24 points to go with eight boards and a pair of blocks to pace the Panthers.
Women’s Basketball
LaGrange used a strong first quarter to set the tone in what would be an 82-57 victory over Agnes Scott on Saturday. Sophomore guard Zyhia Johnson led the Panthers with a team-high 15 points. On Tuesday, the Panthers (14-5, 8-2 CCS) came up just short in the final seconds as they fell by a 59-56 score against Huntingdon. Freshman guard Laila Battle led with 14 points.
Football
Wesley Dodson was named Sunday as the new head coach of the LC Football program. He most recently has been serving as defensive coordinator at Hampden-Sydney College.
Softball and Beach Volleyball begin their seasons at home this weekend.
(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)
Friday, Feb. 3 – Women’s Beach Volleyball vs. Truett McConnell, 10 a.m., Strack Beach Volleyball Courts
Friday, Feb. 3 – Women’s Beach Volleyball vs. Carson-Newman, noon, Strack Beach Volleyball Courts
Friday, Feb. 3 – Women’s Basketball vs. Maryville, 5 p.m., Mariotti Gym
Friday, Feb. 3 – Men’s Basketball vs. Maryville, 7 p.m., Mariotti Gym
Saturday, Feb. 4 – Women’s Beach Volleyball vs. Carson-Newman, 10 a.m., Strack Beach Volleyball Courts
Saturday, Feb. 4 – Softball vs. Sewanee, noon and 2 p.m., LC Softball Complex
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – Women’s Basketball vs. Piedmont, 5 p.m., Mariotti Gym
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – Men’s Basketball vs. Piedmont, 7 p.m., Mariotti Gym
Wednesday, Feb. 8 – Men’s Lacrosse vs. Point University, 5 p.m., Callaway Stadium
Thursday, Feb. 9 – Softball vs. Reinhardt, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., LC Softball Complex
Category: Students, Arts and Culture, Academics
Keywords: Film, History
