The motto of the USC School of Cinematic Arts is “Reality Ends Here” and this has certainly been true in my life during my first year as a Film & Television Production Major here in Los Angeles. Despite moving 3,000 miles away from Florida to California and being a guinea pig for a new SCA Reality Game, what has really made my freshman year so wonderfully surreal is my first 6 months with Beyond the Marquee.
As an aspiring filmmaker with dreams of one day working in tinsel-town, I never dreamt that before my first college midterm I would have already conducted red carpet interviews at a Grauman’s Chinese Theatre film premiere, but thanks to Beyond the Marquee, I was afforded this unforgettable experience and much more.
I was invited to join the team after I met BTM founder Steve Czarnecki at the 30th Anniversary Raiders of the Lost Ark Screening back in September of 2011. I was attending the screening through a reward experience my teammates and I had earned through playing the USC Reality Game. The School of Cinematic Arts had launched this unique freshman gateway experience that rewarded hard work and multimedia production with incredible industry experiences. After the screening and Q&A with Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford I was able to capitalize on this networking opportunity SCA and the Game created making the connection with Steve. He mentioned his new Entertainment web-site that was launching the following month and inquired if some of my fellow USC students and myself would be interested in perhaps joining the Beyond the Marquee team. We of course jumped at the opportunity!
Through my BTM opportunities, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing talent from TV and Film, from Glee, the Muppets, the Help and more. Along the way meeting some of the incredibly talented actors behind those shows including Max Adler, Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Octavia Spencer, even Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. Covering these events have helped to build my professional portfolio and given me a chance to practice my writing, photography, and interviewing skills.
Although networking is an essential asset for success in this industry, it cannot exactly be practiced in the classroom, but BTM has provided me with invaluable opportunities to make meaningful industry connections that continue to open doors for myself and my peers.
I never could have anticipated the adventure that my first 6 months with BTM would be, and I certainly look forward for all the excitement to come. I am deeply grateful to be a part of this team and a charter-member Marquee’ologist , because having the privilege to contribute for Beyond the Marquee has certainly given me something to write home about.
Check out all of my archived posts on BeyondTheMarquee.com here : http://beyondthemarquee.com/category/about-us/articles-by-author/allison-tate-cortese/
-Allison
We love Allison! More GLEE reports please!