Welcome to a 13-part special series for Alumni Live: The Podcast.

These are conversations with Grand Valley State University film and

video students, faculty, and alumni about the film and video major.

Welcome to a very special Alumni Live for the GVSU film and video major

at Grand Valley State University.

Today, we're actually going to be talking about that major.

So usually our episodes look much more like, you know, we're talking to

one alumni who going to tell us about their lives and, and things they do.

But today we're really gonna focus on that program that all of us alumni came from.

You know, just to say a little bit about what I enjoyed about the program

to start, I really feel like I came out of it as a lifelong problem solver.

I think I learned a lot about critical thinking and being able to see a

program, or problem rather, and figure out, you know, how, how to

think about it in a different way.

And also to be able to tackle things that I wasn't necessarily trained for.

I think that, uh, being able to ask questions like that really helped

me tackle, you know, live streaming, you know, things like this outside

of my normal life of documentary filmmaking, as that is my profession.

So I'm going to introduce some people to you.

We got a lot of people on the show, so we're going to try to

keep moving pretty quickly for ya.

Up first we've got two professors on the faculty.

So if you do end up coming to Grand Valley, you might have them

teaching you in your film classes.

We've got professor Kim Roberts and professor Julie Goldstein.

Kim and Julie, you want to tell us a little bit about what you like

being in the faculty at Grand Valley?

Sure.

What I like is that we recently merged with art and design, and so we're

now called visual and media arts.

And because I have a fine art background and I am a video artist,

I do video installations, I really like now that my colleagues and I can

collaborate on art-making through film.

So that's what I'm enjoying, and certainly I just enjoy teaching.

And I certainly enjoyed having you as a, as a teacher and

a professor at Grand Valley.

Aw, thank you.

Yeah.

I think a lot of that, uh, those problem solving tricks I learned,

uh, came from your classes

Yes, indeed.

Yeah.

A professor that I haven't had yet, Julie, why don't you tell the, uh, the

good people out there a little bit about you and what you like about Grand Valley.

Well, I just want to say that I'm back after 20 years.

I taught here 20 years ago, actually, when Kim first started and then I went out

and I, actually my undergraduate degree is in philosophy and sculpture, and then

I went out and learned about animation and new media and had the opportunity

to bring it back to Grand Valley.

Coming full circle, I have taught a lot of different places.

I had my own production company in Philadelphia.

I taught at Penn and UArts, and a whole bunch of different schools, Ringling

College of Art and Design, one of the first computer animation programs.

And couldn't wait to come back to Grand Valley.

What Grand Valley has is very special and having gone out of the Midwest and now

coming back, I can really see the value of the integrated liberal arts education,

the critical thinking, and the openness to experimentation that our program has.

We really have an innovative way of approaching media and I'm just thrilled

to be back at Grand Valley to bring all of the knowledge that I've garnered

through the years in regards to 3d animation, stop motion, and now we're

doing virtual reality and augmented reality in the new media courses.

I think that, you know, professional experience was something

that I really valued from all the faculty at Grand Valley.

Kim, I know that you've done a lot of great art.

Julie, it sounds like I got to really dive into your background.

You've got a, what a great list that you just listed off.

You know, that experience really shows up in the classroom and, and, you know,

students are able to benefit from, you know, that real-world experience

that, that you all have, and, and sometimes even help out on the projects

that you are doing professionally.

That's, that's really great stuff.

We're actually gonna talk to some of those students who are

current students at Grand Valley.

So we got Jazz, Cody, Jordan, Ariel, and Josh all up hear talking.

Cody let's talk to you first.

You're double-majoring, not just film and video.

Tell us a little bit about what, you know, being a Grand Valley

film and video major means to you.

Yes.

What I love about the film major at Grand Valley is the supportive atmosphere.

The continued support from my classmates and professors encourage open class

discussions, constructive criticism, risk-taking and networking, all valuable

traits that encourage great teamwork.

Jordan, tell us a little bit about you.

I understand you come from a little bit of a different emphasis in filmmaking.

Yeah, I'm a film and video major, and then I have a minor in nonprofit

administration, and I'm emphasizing in cinematography and editing.

So I like both production and post a lot, and so I've kind of channeled

that into my jobs on campus and all the extracurriculars I'm involved in

and something I just really love about our program is the emphasis on story.

So we teach technology and we'll show you how to use the cameras and the

editing software and stuff, but really what we want to teach you is how to

tell a good story, because technology is going to change, but you can always have

that story hold you through the years.

Yeah.

And that storytelling is important, not just in filmmaking itself, but if you go

into any career, you know, storytelling, you know, whether you're pitching an

idea or whether you're trying to sell something to somebody else, like those

are just such critical skills to have.

Jazz, great to have you on the show.

Tell us a little bit about you and what you're looking to do with your future.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

I'm a senior here at Grand Valley, with an emphasis in producing.

And one of the greatest things about the film major is that there's such a wide

range of courses that are all hands on.

So it really gives you many opportunities to test and improve your filmmaking

skills all while connecting and collaborating with like-minded

people, which is a treasure to have, especially in the filmmaking industry.

Yeah, and you know, we're Going to dive into some of those extracurriculars

and different things that we have on campus later in this broadcast.

You want to just kind of define what producing is for the audience real quick?

Yeah, sure.

So you're pretty much overseeing a project from conception to its full creation.

For me, it's setting up schedules, creating budgets, making sure all the

equipment is rented and ready to be used, you're directing all cast and crew to

be in their places at the right time.

So it's really just overseeing a project from conception to its final

moments when, you know, it's going to be aired either on video or online.

Yeah, the producer ends up being the big boss and, you know, they're training you

to be that at Grand Valley right now.

We got Ariel Sosa too.

Ariel, tell us, you know, what your experience is at Grand Valley.

Yeah, thank you.

Um, yes.

So I am a film and video major.

I'm a second-year student.

So my experience has been pretty amazing honestly.

I went into the program not really knowing for sure what I want to specialize in,

because if you're anything like me, like I like a little bit of everything.

I like to see every side of the filmmaking process.

And what's really great about this major is that it gives you the

opportunity to explore the different roles and kind of fine tune what

you really are interested in.

So throughout the program, I've come, uh, come to realize that I'm more interested

in writing, directing, and cinematography.

And that's all thanks to the program here that allows you to have that freedom

and just kind of the experience and the hands-on experience to actually get

to kind of bring out your interest and kind of really fine tune what you like.

Yeah.

I'd love to talk to you some more about that.

I had a similar journey of discovery.

I started as a fiction film emphasis, took that through four years, but

then learned, uh, in that last year that I really want to do documentary.

And I love that raw energy and no second takes in, in documentary.

So definitely wanna hear more about that journey a little bit.

Finally, Josh.

Josh, tell us about your experience being a student.

Well, hello, I'm Josh.

I'm a third year film and video major.

I have a minor in advertising, and yeah, my experience has

been really similar to Ariel's.

I like a lot of different things.

I love writing and directing, but cinematography and editing have

been things that I've been doing for a long time and I really enjoy.

And like Ariel said, it doesn't force you down one line.

The major allows you to explore a lot of different things and

see a lot of different things.

I know what I've heard about some other film schools is that there is a lot

of focus on theory and film criticism, and all that is important, but Grand

Valley gives you that, and they also give you a lot of practical knowledge.

And so when I graduate, I feel like I have this wide range of skills and all

of these different things that will help me be more marketable and be able to get

into a lot of different things instead of being just forced down one path.

And all of that experience really gives us a full range of, of experience

to take it into our real careers.

Right.

So, thanks for sharing that.

Jaz, I'm going to ask you first, Where do you want to be in five years?

Like when you graduate and you, you know, a career and you know, what is your goal?

Well, in five years, I hope to own my own production company, one

that specializes in representation.

Make films for, all people.

I think that's very important, and I would like for my work to show that, and so just

a leaving comment for younger students, don't be afraid to try new things.

I know it's very corny.

But the great thing about Grand Valley and this major is really finding your way

around the major and figuring out what you enjoy, what you're passionate about.

And a lot of students don't know what that is when they come into the major, so don't

be scared to pick up a camera or a boom.

Get out there and try new things.

Right, and Grand Valley is just such a safe place to try those things.

And, you know, if you make mistakes, what a great place to learn how

to, how to do better next time.

Cody, what kind of advice do you have for students who might be

watching, high schoolers or people who want to be film, film students?

Yes.

One of the advice that I want to give is don't be afraid to fail.

It's okay to fail.

And that's how we learn as people and, know that at Grand Valley

State University, the professors here and our fellow classmates

want to help each other grow.

That's the most important thing.

And we can only grow from failure.

Hundred percent.

Definitely agree with that.

Jordan, what makes Grand Valley the right place for you?

Why do you feel like you, you fit so perfectly at Grand Valley?

I think we just have a really diverse set of programs and students, and so

I, you know, can go into anything I want, like Ariel kind of talked about.

I can get my feet wet in documentary and fiction and cinematography and

editing, and really learn about all of these things so that I can then

take those outside opportunities.

And so I don't have to specialize in a single thing to get

a lot out of this program.

Kim, I remember when I was-- before I was even a Grand Valley student, I was a high

schooler, came to Grand Valley on a, on a tour, and, uh, you were a huge reason

that I ended up choosing Grand Valley.

You gave a great speech.

What is your pitch for students watching this?

Why, why come to Grand Valley?

Well, I'm going to play off of Cody's remark about failure, because I like

to tell my students, I'm looking for a really good bad example, because

those are the kinds of examples that we really learn from is, is the ones when

things don't go as well as we'd hoped.

So I know parents are watching and usually when we have these events

in person, the parents get to, get to huddle with the faculty and

alums and talk about career choices.

And I want to assure the, the families that there are a lot of careers,

and when you go and look at that alumni book that Suzanne showed you,

you will see the, the vast number of career choices that there are.

And I mean, you can just look at the credits on a film and you

can see how many jobs there are, but it isn't just fiction film.

There's documentary, and like Julie was talking about forensics

and there's legal work and it just displays there isn't really a company

today that doesn't use a video.

And so this is a skill that, that really does lead to many, many, many open doors.

And so if you're a parent listening, please be assured that, that your

son or daughter are in good hands.

If you are considering, as a student, considering Grand Valley, you're

not going to find a more welcoming place than, than Grand Valley.

Truly it is the, it is the mantra of the president, the provost, all the

way down, that sense of community and accepting and having everyone's

voices heard, it is the common thread throughout everything at this university.

And there's over 400 student groups.

You're bound to find something.

So if you're into fencing or dancing or singing, or there's just social justice

groups, there's just so much to do here.

And it's just a, an amazing community to live and to thrive

in and to make mistakes in.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Josh, being at Grand Valley as a student now, I see you've got, you

know, your professional mic, so, you know, you're already learning stuff

that's affecting your, your life.

Uh, tell us why, why Grand Valley's a cool place to be.

There's so many opportunities.

And I think when I was looking for places to go for film school, you

know, I was looking out of state.

I was, you know, I was looking all over the place and nothing

I found really felt right.

But then when I came and I toured here and I felt the energy of the campus,

and I got to know the profs and see the people in this major and what they

were doing, it just felt very right.

I was very scared of career opportunities going in.

I didn't know what was available.

I knew that I wanted to make videos.

I wanted to make films, but I wasn't sure what exactly that meant career-wise,

and there's been so much guidance for me, like helping me figure out what

that means and what that means for me as an individual and you know, where I

want to end up and what I want to do.

And there's just so many different resources that are going to point you

in that direction, but also expand your thinking and expand your knowledge and

just prepare you to be able to do a lot of different things and fit in in a lot of

different ways in the professional world.

Well said.

Ariel, uh, how have you grown as an artist and as a, as a

person being at Grand Valley?

Being in this program really exposed me to all the different

roles on a, on a film set.

Going into this major, like the first day, I knew what I liked.

I liked making, you know, small like home videos.

And I was interested in movies and I, I, I had like an eye for this.

So going into it, I didn't really know exactly all the fine details, but going

through all of the classes, going through an audio production class, going through a

class with Spencer Everhart and, uh, doing all these different classes that shows

you different films, different techniques.

All the different cameras, sound equipment, lighting, editing, all of that,

it opened my mind to so many opportunities and so many avenues in which I can

explore and really fine tune my interests.

Everybody here, the faculty at Grand Valley really, really want you to succeed.

There's really no way that you can't succeed going to Grand

Valley, especially in this program.

Everybody wants to see you succeed.

So they are going to do the best they can to help you grow.

Honestly just exposure to every type of role, every type of job, anything

that you would actually need to be successful in the real life or whatever

you wanna do, Grand Valley is there for you to teach you how to do that.

And then some.

All right.

Julie looks like you're going to be our last word on this.

You've traveled around the country.

You've been, you know, on the east coast and it sounds like, you know, doing work

all across, you know, time and space.

Tell us what makes Grand Valley special.

Well, you know, just coming from the faculty perspective, and as I

mentioned, the come back after all of my experiences, came back to one of

my first experiences teaching out of graduate school was at Grand Valley.

And when I came back 20 years later, it was like coming home.

There's a sense of community.

The faculty culture is what allows us to be so supportive of the students.

So there's a lot of support for the faculty.

There's a lot of communication and cross platforming of ideas, and so we

carry that into the classroom and we're supported, um, through our culture.

And one of the things, I just want to say that, when I tell students,

you are in this environment right now, which is very supportive, this

is your chance to create the reality that you want once you graduate.

If you can use the resources that we provide you in the support we

provide you and yes, making the mistakes, because if you don't make

a mistake, you're not learning.

That's why you're here, to try things and to, to sort of rehearse

for the big performance, which is going to be when you graduate.

If you take all those steps and take the initiatives, and get involved in

the clubs and create the culture that you want to experience when you are

a graduate, you have already started.

You've already made the steps.

So the transition into your career should be very fluid and very natural.

And I, you know, I'll, I'm hearing back from, uh, graduates.

I just got an email from Sean who just graduated not too long

ago that I need to look at.

And you know, just connecting and communicating, and just seeing

what happens with our graduates when they do leave the program

is just so rewarding to see the initiatives actually come to fruition.

Perfect pin on that.

Thank you so much, Julie.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Alumni Live: The Podcast special

series about the film and video major.

Be sure to listen to the next episode in the series and subscribe to our

podcast to hear even more from our alumni as they talk about their work

in different parts of the industry.

Check out Alumni Live on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more

conversations and networking.

Let us know what topics you want to hear our alumni talk about.

The Grand Valley State University Film and Video Alumni Network is here for you.

And we're glad that you're here.

Thank you for listening.