FSU College of Motion Picture Arts 2014-2015 Publication 2014-2015 | Page 6

HITTING THE
GROUND
RUNNING

Holly Pearson
Holly Pearson (BFA in Production, 2012) knew, even
before she started film school, that she wanted to be a
film editor. Her conviction only grew while she was at
the College of Motion
Picture Arts. After
graduation in December of 2012, “I moved
out to L.A. doing
coverage in an internship, but I really
wanted to do editing,”
says Holly. She reached
out to another FSU
Film graduate, and by
January of 2013 she
was working at the company BiteSizeTV as an editor.

“The alumni
network and
the connections
I found are why
I have the job I
have now.”

Alumni of the program find
their career path soon after
graduation.

Josh Smooha
Filmmakers who graduate from the College of Motion
Picture Arts leave with a thesis film that represents the
culmination of their study. For Josh Smooha (BFA in
Production, 2012), his thesis film was key to getting a start
in the industry. His comedy short Cootie Contagion,
an 8-minute live-action
film wherein a child
“cootieologist” tries to
save a classmate from girls
and their cooties, led to a
Student Emmy win and an
eight-week paid internship
in the television industry.
His exposure also led to
discussions with Nickelodeon studios to create
original web content.

specs, written material prepared in order to make things
happen. It’s a hard battle just to get your stuff read!”
To that end, Smooha is working on a
number of written
specs that are of the
comedy genre. “My
goal is to make
people laugh, hopefully in a sitcom,” he
says. In the meantime, he is currently
working as a production assistant on the television show Mad Men, where he
gets a chance to learn the ins and outs of the television
industry and work with professionals.

“You need specs,
written material
prepared in order
to make things
happen.”

Fortunately, his FSU education prepared him for that
opportunity as well. “The FSU production program is
But Smooha is quick to
great because it is hands-on,” says Smooha. “It’s imporpoint out that his thesis film only got his toe in the door. tant to know what everyone on set has to do with you and
“A short [film] only takes you so far,” he says. “You need to appreciate how hard everyone works.”
6 - FSU College of Motion Picture Arts

Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan (MFA in Production, 2011) went right to
work in Hollywood with his big break on Lincoln. “I
got my ‘in’ from an undergrad friend who worked with
the electrical unit,” says Ryan. “He told the Assistant
Director that he knew someone who would make a good
production assistant and
who was local. Problem
was, ‘local’ was in Virginia and I was in California.
So I bought a one-way
overnight plane ticket,
stayed in a cheap motel,
and worked long hours
on set for my first week.”
As a result of his solid
work, he was kept on for
the rest of production.
Since then, Ryan has
had several opportunities on big budget productions.
He worked on Star Trek into Darkness in 2012 with
the Assistant Directing team, followed by work in

Soon Pearson was promoted to direct the studio shows
at BiteSizeTV, a company that produces live internet
programming. BiteSizeTV has offered unique challenges
for Pearson. “Live directing is very different from
narrative directing,” says
Pearson. “You are calling
the cameras during the
live taping so you get to
edit the content as you
broadcast.”
Pearson loves her current
work, and appreciates
FSU for such a wellrounded education in
filmmaking. “FSU had us
perform every position, so now I can say ‘yes’ to whatever is needed on set,” says Pearson. “The alumni network
and the connections I found are why I have the job I
have now. That support group is so important.”

commercials and on shows such as Mad Men, Arrested Development, Mob City, and Awake. He has also
worked with the Disney Channel and on web content
for Machinima.
Ryan is currently the
Director of Photography on a web series for
Warner Bros.’ DC Comics subsidiary, which has
already been picked up
for a second and third
season. “It’s kind of
funny, because the same
studio I toured when
I was an undergrad is
now the studio where
I work and do what I
love,” says Ryan. “FSU
provided me not only a
great foundation in technique and in storytelling, but
instilled in me a desire to continue to learn.”

“The same
studio I toured
when I was an
undergrad is
now the studio
where I work
and do what I
love.”

film.fsu.edu - CMPA News - 7