What I Did On My Summer Vacation…

OR

My Fabulous Day at Vandy in Hollywood

by William M. Akers (Senior Lecturer, Film Studies Program

“The first job is everything.” – Brian Terwilliger, intern coordinator, G4 network

“I couldn’t have gotten this internship without Vandy in Hollywood.  That connection was HUGE.  Everyone else has an uncle who works here.” - Kelsey Margol, ViH intern, PMK BMC public relations

It’s fun to be a visiting dignitary.  I get the chance so rarely.

The day (Wednesday, July 13, 2011) started bright (because it’s L.A.) and early (because it’s business) when Richard Hull (A&S 1992) picked me up and drove me out to Generate in Santa Monica, where Will Lowery (A&S 2000) works as a literary manager and where Mason Alexander Ziluca is interning.  When we arrived, Mason was ready with coffee, bagels, and plenty of cream cheese.  Yay!

After caffeine-loading and lively conversation with Chad Gervich (A&S 1996), it was around the corner to K. Jam Media and Miramax, where Clay Preitsch and Alexa Ardeljian-Braden slave their guts out for no money.  I got the Cook’s tour and we sat down and discussed what ViH could do for them and what they can do for ViH.

Then, a quick trip to the ultra-cool Pacific Design Center and a fact-finding visit with Kelsey Margol, intern at PMK BNC public relations.  What’s unique about Kelsey is that she’s not interested in entertainment but came to ViH for a marketing internship.  How cool.

From there, it was off to the heart of Beverly Hills for killer Chinese and a great visit with alumni Sam Miller (A&S 2006) and Jeannette Francis (A&S 2010), both ViH survivors and both employed!

One thing I enjoyed was seeing Clay and Alexa, who have a very good handle on what’s going on… and then seeing Sam, who is a writers’ assistant on “Desperate Housewives”… He graduated five years ago and really understands the business.  Clay and Alexa are pre-career and Sam has one — he’s doing what he got an education to do.  That was incredibly gratifying.  Ain’t education swell!

After lunch we went to the G4 network where Keith Jones is interning.  Chad and I spent time with Keith and his boss, Erika Lewis, VP of Programming and Production (and Vanderbilt alumna!!, A&S 1990)  She told us how well Keith was doing in between conversation about the value of internships in general and ViH in particular.  Also, it was very cool to see a VU intern help put “Attack of the Show” on the air, live.  With Sarah Sanguin Carter of “Falling Skies” as a guest, no less.

After G4, it was Chad, Richard, and me, zip, zip, zip to a most excellent burger dinner and a massive download-of-information and planning ViH for the future session.  Stocked up on truffle fries, it was off to the ViH party at Geisha House in Hollywood!

This is a stellar networking event for current interns, recent graduates, ViH alumni, and Vanderbilt alumni pursuing careers in entertainment.  The food was excellent, the beer was cold, and the level of conversation was off the hook.

Saw old friends, among them Alessandro Echols, Scott Donaghe and Richard Codding, and recent graduates… Kristina Lyons and Courtlin Byrd who are grad students at USC, Mina Ross, currently interning at Reveille, recently at Top Chef, and Charlie Kesslering and Hillary Schoelzel, who are primed to storm Hollywood and make it theirs.  There were c. 100 people at the party, (a ton of Vanderbilt entertainment oriented folk!) so forgive me if I didn’t get your name on the list.  It was an excellent event, beautifully planned and executed by Alexandra Gaines (A&S 2007).

Whew.  It was a long day but a good one.  So, what did I take away other than marvelous memories of a jolly day being out of town talent…?

A lot.

Through the course of the day, two things became more and more clear.  The interns (and later the alumni) told me 1.)  jobs (in any field, much less one you actually find interesting) are jusssst about impossible to get, 2.)  how crucial an internship is to getting a job, and, 3.)  how incredibly important the ViH connection is to getting an internship.

If your parents are insanely wealthy and all you plan to do is go clubbing for the rest of your life, a job may not be a priority.  I know, I know, “Jobs are for losers.”  But for most people after college, gainful employment looks pretty appealing.

Through internships, students meet non-VU interns (networking, networking, networking), learn how to model themselves on the people they work for, and figure out what is required in a real job… without the pressure of being fired.  Once you’ve had an internship, you don’t sweat the one-day real life kamikaze learning curve.  More important than anything, interns often have bosses who care about them, take a vested interest in teaching them, and (key!) can help them get a post-internship job.

Wisdom, wealth of experience, and professional mentors are end-of-the-rainbow-pot-of-gold genius that you cannot get in school.

ViH is tough to get into.  The screening process accepts about half the applicants.  But it’s worth it.  When Chad or Richard call a buddy and say, “Do me a favor, give this guy an internship,” and the buddy DOES… that student’s life is about to be changed forever.  Impressively, companies are now coming to ViH for interns and this year, for the first time, we had more companies than interns.  That speaks highly for the quality of interns that Vanderbilt delivers.

Career trajectory is everything and you never know what affects it.  Speeding forward, you could bump into just the right person at the precise correct instant and that little extra tap can send you in the direction that gives you your life’s work.  If you never bump into that person, the magic… may not… happen…

There’s no way to know what might have happened without an internship… but it’s obvious what happens with an internship and the deft guidance provided by Vandy in Hollywood.  Students get a leg up on their careers.

At lunch, Sam Miller told me, “I’ve got a friend who’s applying to assist a studio development executive.  After three years, he has the credentials and connections to have a real shot at a desk.  With Vandy in Hollywood, I had them in three months.  Back when I was leaving Vanderbilt, you told me a former student of yours became a writers’ assistant after five years and that it would take at least that long for me to find a similar position.  Thanks to the advantage Vandy in Hollywood gave me, I was able to get one in just over three years.”

ViH is five years old and Vanderbilt (students, alumni, administration, faculty, and the Career Center) has every right to be button-busting proud.

When I moved to Los Angeles after Vanderbilt, the only alumnus to talk to about the entertainment industry was Delbert Mann (A&S 1941).  When Richard Hull moved to L.A., Delbert Mann was still the go-to guy.  We have come a long, long way.  Instead of one phone number to call for help and advice, a Vandy in Hollywood alumnus starts the job hunt with a smart phone full of contacts.

Hey kids!  Go ask your parents why that’s important!

Chad Gervich and Richard Hull should be knighted for what they do.  They search out these internships, twist their friends’ arms to get the students slotted in the internships, put their own reputations on the line by guaranteeing the students will act professionally, and get Vanderbilt students started with their careers — thereby changing their lives in profound ways.

The first job is the tough one.  Any halfway competent clod can get a second job.  Everyone will tell you though: the first one takes a miracle… which Vandy in Hollywood provides.

I am honored to be a part of it.  It was thrilling to see the results.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 22nd, 2011 at 4:40 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.