The festival life
Junior Diem Dang gains a professional opportunity be attending the Beyond Wonderland music festival.
Since I was a child, I’ve wanted to be a filmmaker and bring enjoyment to millions worldwide. As I grew older, I realized I’d need to leave Indiana to learn more about film and art in general.
Since I’ve been in Los Angeles, my knowledge of arts, culture and the film industry has grown drastically. California is everything I envisioned plus more.
This semester, I’m interning at Nina Jacobson’s production company, Color Force. The company produced the “Hunger Games” series, “Crazy Rich Asians,” “American Crime Story” and “The Goldfinch.” I’m learning about the administrative side of filmmaking and how much of filmmaking goes beyond the lights and cameras.
I’m enjoying my classes here in the city. It’s eye-opening to have classes at Raleigh Studios. Walking around the lot, I’ve seen popular shows being produced, small film premieres and enthusiastic people who are pursuing their dreams in the industry. My film production class is refreshing. Producing, writing and directing my first short film is the best opportunity I could have asked for. It’s also great to create connections and relationships with other like-minded filmmakers.
Los Angeles is a melting pot of thousands of cultures. You don’t experience this blend of cultures in Indiana. I’ve met music collectives and people from countries I’ve never heard of, eaten foreign cuisine and experienced other wonderful things. As a minority, Los Angeles feels like a home I’d never before set foot in. I can’t wait to come back and make it my actual home. If you want to experience colorful and rich cultural harmony, come to Los Angeles and dive into it.
Overall, I’m enjoying my opportunities and experiences in California. I’m thankful to be here learning industry secrets that you can’t get anywhere else. I hope to come back soon and make a name for myself and for the ones who have helped me get to this point.
If you’re a student who yearns for a change of scenery, head to the West Coast, where the weather is perfect and everyone is chasing their dreams.