Home from Hollywood: Taylor Students Gain Film Industry Experience

Taylor University equips its students to be well prepared for life after they graduate through internships and real-life experiences during their four years here. Most of the majors at Taylor provide our students with opportunities that will give them a glimpse of their careers after college. One of these valuable experiences is for Film and Media Arts majors.

Taylor University Hollywood Internship Program

Taylor students have been gaining real-world experience in the film industry for over five years through the Taylor University Hollywood Internship Program (TUHIP). This experience enables students to receive full credit for the semester by working two internships, attending weekly events, and learning in classes taught by professionals in the film industry.

This past fall, senior Landon Hilst was one of five Film and Media arts students who had highly successful internships during their semesters on the West Coast.

“I felt really prepared to work in Los Angeles thanks to the wonderful film department at Taylor,” Hilst said.

Internship 1: Hutch Parker Entertainment in Santa Monica, California

At Hutch Parker Entertainment, Landon was one of five interns who took phone calls, greeted clients, and was trusted with working the front desk. However, his main responsibility was to read a variety of scripts sent to the company from talented writers. Landon would critique the script and write a four-page synopsis of the story, including his own opinion, which he would then give to his supervisor.

The script, along with Landon’s notes, would flow up the chain of command with each pair of hands either passing on the project or sending it further up until it reached production.

Internship 2: Light Iron in Hollywood, California

Landon’s second internship was at Light Iron, a company that takes footage and utilizes special touches and effects to make the film look and feel like professional entertainment media. Light Iron’s most popular client is Netflix.

Landon worked on the group that organized and delivered the footage. He also played a crucial role in making good impressions on behalf of the company by welcoming clients and guests with food and drinks. Landon was also available to respond to various requests from the company’s employees.

Prepared for a Career in the Film Industry

Hilst felt well-prepared to work in the film industry’s big city because of his classroom and hands-on learning at Taylor. Before his internships, Landon reached out to people he already knew in LA to ask about life in Los Angeles, which helped him feel even more equipped and ready to thrive.

“If any film student is even marginally considering working in the big leagues of LA, like I was, make sure to get on board with the TUHIP program,” Landon said. “You’ll come out of the semester feeling confident in yourself for conquering one of the biggest cities in the world, armed with the first-hand experience from being one-on-one with professionals.”