UCLA schools aim for Hollywood
By Julia Erlandson
Oct. 21, 2008 9:00 p.m.
The occasional camera crew filming on campus, along with the lists of famous alumni, are high-profile reminders of UCLA’s connections to the entertainment industry.
But entertainment involves more than just actors and directors, and hundreds of UCLA students and graduates support Los Angeles’ most prominent industry in a variety of ways.
Many students come to UCLA to learn the business side of entertainment ““ how to close a movie deal, negotiate a contract for an actor, or run a successful studio.
The UCLA Anderson School of Management houses the Entertainment and Media Management Institute, which aims at giving MBA students an introduction to the entertainment industry.
“Our approach is really interdisciplinary,” said Nelson Gayton, the institute’s executive director, noting that students work on projects with the School of Theater, Film and Television as well as the law and engineering schools.
The institute offers courses and events for Anderson students, and emphasizes entrepreneurial and management skills within an entertainment context, Gayton said. Some students in the program become producers or film executives, Gayton said, and according to the institute’s Web site, 160 Anderson graduates have gone on to high-level executive jobs with major entertainment corporations.
But he added that, as the entertainment industry changes, there are more and more business opportunities open to students and young graduates.
“If you look at the media and entertainment industry today, as a result of all the technology advances, there are really many more opportunities open to students today,” he said. “It’s a great hotbed of creative and entrepreneurial activity.”
The rise of digital and new media means the big studios may be slightly less dominant than they had been, and new companies and entrepreneurs may be able to find a foothold. Regardless, Los Angeles is still the place to be for students pursuing careers in entertainment, Gayton said.
“I think UCLA is in a geographically significant location to create itself as a really strong brand,” he said. “No one knows how to make entertainment better than this country. As long as you’re studying entertainment here in Southern California, and especially at UCLA, it only bodes well for you.”
He added that UCLA’s physical proximity to Hollywood makes it easy for students to gain work experience and find jobs upon graduation. The law school also offers programs tailored for careers in entertainment. The Entertainment and Media Law and Policy Program, housed within the School of Law, offers courses and events for students interested in those areas of law.
“Many of (the courses) are taught by alumni who are currently practicing, so you’re developing contacts,” said Russell Robinson, a UCLA law professor who teaches in the program.
He added that UCLA’s location is an added bonus for students hoping to go into entertainment law.
“It’s one of the things that makes UCLA a draw,” he said. “There are some advantages in that you get to meet people … very experienced executives and hear about their experiences, how they made their way in the industry.”
But for some students, on set is the only place to be. UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television is renowned as one of the best in the world, but it is also very selective.
Brian Tan, a third-year political science student, started the Film and Photography Society this year in hopes of giving non-film majors a chance to gain experience behind the camera. The club owns equipment including high-definition cameras and cranes, which it lends out to students at no charge.
“One of the ways the industry discovers people is by a reel,” Tan said, referring to someone’s collection of work. “They actually want to see real pragmatic experience … the Film and Photography Society gives students hands-on, practical experience.”
Tan just finished shooting his own film, which included action sequences in downtown Los Angeles. The group also contracts with local entities and studios to film events and commercials, sometimes for pay, and sometimes works with professional actors and crew members.
“It’s a great resume builder,” Tan said.
He added that he believes most students in the club hope to someday translate their skills into careers in filmmaking, and though he cautioned that it is a tough industry to break into, he said students at UCLA have a unique opportunity.
“L.A. is, after all, the heart of the entertainment world,” he said. “You’re in the heart of the city, there’s no better way to be there. There’s always that possibility that you’ll get noticed, you might find your way into the door.”
