Sweet, sweet Hollywood dreaming

By KATHRYN GRAHAM
Collegian Staff Writer

In Hollywood, no one just serves you food.

Every waitress is an aspiring actress, or model, or actress/singer/dancer hoping to get noticed as she plunks down your pizza. Every busboy has a script with Oscar potential and a head shot tucked into his apron.

The town is overrun by hopefuls all trying their luck at stardom -- no doubt many of them will be among the hordes of could-have-beens. But most film majors at Penn State still want to try, even if the risk of rejection is extremely high.

Bruce Campbell of The Evil Dead trilogy believes communication and preparation are the keys to success.

"Communicate, don't neglect the proper shooting process and work your little, doughy ass off," Campbell said in a recent interview.

Working hard is a given, but some students feel the only work to be done are those films similar to independent winners like Good Will Hunting. But at the heart of all filmmakers is the quest for fame and fortune.

"I'm all about selling out because I want to get rich," Matt Lynch (junior-film) said.

There are those who feel getting rich by making movies like Speed is a form of "selling out," but dedication in building a strong body of work is where success really comes from.

"You need some kind of portfolio before you go out to Hollywood," Christine McCullough (sophomore-film) said.

Making connections and working on a résumé are vital. And when rejection letters pile up, don't despair.

Jonathan Frakes, of Star Trek: Next Generation fame, is one of Penn State's famous alumni who worked hard to develop his staying power. Besides acting, Frakes directed the recent Trekkie movie, Star Trek: Insurrection, as well as several episodes of the Generation television series and Star Trek: First Contact. He said he feels film students need to be less carefree when it comes to their future.

"My advice would be not to put your expectations too high and to stay with it and be patient," Frakes said.

Patience is hard when film students want immediate success, so they risk everything by moving out to Hollywood to try their luck. Often they find Hollywood is known as the land of the struggling actor/director for a reason.

"If you move to L.A., be prepared to get a non-movie job because you will rapidly learn that Hollywood is not waiting for you to arrive, and that you will need to learn the ropes for awhile," Campbell said.

"Warning: this business isn't for the faint of heart."