Luke Engel ’17

Film & Media Arts

Biography

Originally from Wheaton, Illinois, I found myself drawn to Taylor University for my undergrad years due to its strong Film & Media Production program as well as its liberal arts education. After graduation, I moved to Denver to pursue a career in post-production and have spent the past several years employed as an editor at High Noon Entertainment; a production house specializing in lifestyle programming for networks like HGTV, Discovery and Netflix.

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

During my time at Taylor, having the chance to really dig into every corner of Film & Media production with industry-standard equipment and software was invaluable. Being able to understand more comprehensively what people in our field do is a huge help to make sure that we can all work together to make the best product possible. Taylor has done a fantastic job staying up to date on what professionals are using day-to-day and training their students with the tools that are being used regularly in the field.

How did your classes or interactions with professors at Taylor impact your growth?

Seeing the professors at Taylor work on their own professional projects as well as their teaching careers provides benefits on so many levels. It shows that the people teaching your classes are not locked away from the world, teaching you techniques that are 20 years old. They're out making things with the tools available today and learning alongside you about the best ways to do so with the benefit of their years of prior knowledge. Having the chance to work with Kathy Bruner on her documentary during my undergrad years taught me a lot about leadership styles, media management, crafting story in an authentic way, and the morality of reality-based content. If you have a chance to partner with any of your professors on one of their projects, DO IT.

How can Taylor graduates use their unique Taylor education and its liberal arts foundational core as an asset in your discipline?

Having an incredibly specialized skill set isn't an overtly negative thing for your career. In fact, as far as jobs go, highly specified skills seem to be a great benefit. But life is a lot more than your job and looking for satisfaction in your work alone is not a path I'd recommend. The opportunity that students have at Taylor to dig deeper into mathematics, the sciences, philosophy and their faith ultimately helps to round out adults that are more than just automatons built for one purpose. Many people change careers more than once in their lives. Having a wider spread of topics and courses exposes students to fields that they might not have considered.

What advice or encouragement could you provide for Taylor students in your vocational discipline?

I would say that the technical side of film & media is just a small part of being a valuable worker since that's honestly the most trainable aspect of a job and the one that changes the most often. The more important qualifications I've found have been more character-based. Being someone who is generally positive and easy to work with goes a long way in a field where everyone is usually stressed and on edge. Honesty and humility in your mistakes is also a trait to master, especially as you grow more comfortable in a position and might be tempted to look for somewhere to place blame. So much of this field is networking, so burning any bridges by being rude or short-tempered just isn't worth it.