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"With the help of faculty , he also landed a summer internship at Sharp Entertainment in New York City where he lent a hand with television productions and did research for executive producers on shows in development."

Working as part of a three-person creative advertising team for Universal Pictures, Sean Zabik ’16 has traded in his wool sweaters for lighter attire in sunny Los Angeles. A filmmaker since he was a kid growing up near Springfield, Mass., he was right where he wanted to be. “The long hours and fast pace could be brutal, but it was terrifically rewarding to be involved in film, and I was really loving it.”

Zabik studied psychology and film and television studies at ����̽̽, and he believed the combination of majors provided him with twin lenses that brought his world into focus. “The film major helped me value the importance of art as a medium, whereas psychology showed me the need to broaden a focus on mental health.”

For a year at ����̽̽, he worked at Spectrum Youth Services in Burlington, supporting case managers who helped clients attain safe, affordable housing and provided youth counseling services. In the film and television studies department, he worked as a research assistant for Professor Sarah Nilsen, examining racial stereotypes in film. With the help of faculty, he also secured a summer internship at Sharp Entertainment in New York City, where he assisted with television productions and conducted research for executive producers on shows in development.

After job shadowing ����̽̽ alum Patrick Starr, now a senior vice president in advertising for Universal Pictures, he was hired full-time in 2017. His team handled promotions for major Universal releases, and lately, he had been immersed in publicizing Pacific Rim: Uprising, directed by Steven DeKnight.

“We created movie trailers, produced digital content, developed TV spots, movie posters—just about everything involved in the promotion of big productions.”

His team also worked with Blumhouse Productions, founded by Academy Award winner Jason Blum, on films including Get Out, Happy Death Day, and Paranormal Activity.

Approaching his first-year anniversary on the job, he hadn’t had time to look ahead to the next step.

“I could see myself staying here for a while, learning the ropes. I could eventually see myself getting more involved in the creative side with some of the vendors we worked with. When you are open to opportunities and are in the right place at the right time, I think good things will happen.”

Story by Kevin Coburn

"Sarah Nilsen became a particularly important mentor-Holliday worked for her as a research assistant and Nilsen served as an advisor for Holiday's undergraduate project 'From the Sidelines too Center Stage, The Progression of Women of Color in Hip Hop Films.'"

Sadie Holliday used a unique set of criteria when deciding which college or university would be the best fit. Along with considering the generosity of scholarships and the breadth of academic programming, she listened to each college’s radio station.

“I loved what I was hearing from WRUV (����̽̽’s student-run radio station),” she said. “It had great programming—really lively and eclectic.” A native of Brattleboro, Vt., Holliday was hooked on the local and national music scene at a young age—by the time she was 14, she was booking shows for local bands and writing music reviews.

She applied early to ����̽̽ and was accepted. From the moment she walked through the WRUV doors, the station became a central aspect of her university experience—by her senior year, she was elected station manager.

Meanwhile, her academic focus shifted from her original major in political science to film and television studies. Sarah Nilsen became a particularly important mentor—Holliday worked for her as a research assistant, and Nilsen served as an advisor for Holliday’s undergraduate project, From the Sidelines to Center Stage: The Progression of Women of Color in Hip Hop Films.

Among other sources, Holliday drew inspiration for her work from the New German Cinema, a movement from the late 1960s into the 1980s that featured leaner, grittier films from a new wave of directors like Rainer Fassbinder, Alexander Kluge, and Werner Herzog.

“I took German and German lit at ����̽̽, which helped me get a deeper understanding of their craft. I also began making music videos with Peter Schellenberger, who was a visiting professor at the time.” In 2013, Holliday received the Dugan A. Foley Memorial Award for outstanding academic achievement in film and television studies, and she continued to collaborate with Schellenberger on video work after she graduated.

All of this added up to excellent preparation for her first job post-����̽̽, working as a music touring assistant for one of the biggest talent agencies in the world, United Talent Agency in Los Angeles. Holliday has since shifted to the Big Picture Music Group, a music management company that represents bands and musicians from around the globe. She assists the company founder, who manages Christine and the Queens, a French electropop band, and manages the alternative band Garbage. On her own time, she manages a band called Homeshake, a musical project of Montreal-based singer-songwriter Peter Sagar.

Holliday describes her work as helping her clients focus on the music, not the other myriad details of performing that can get in the way. “You're the person everyone needs answers from. I help organize all of the logistical aspects of the day-to-day operations and help shape and guide the long-term goals of the group,” she explained.

Story by Kevin Coburn

"I really felt prepared to do this work. I look back on my ����̽̽ years as a time that not only educated me immensely, but also helped me to understand myself, and shape me into the person I am today."

When Gef Gove began working for Junket Productions Inc. (JPI) in the summer of 2012 in Los Angeles, he never imagined becoming an integral part of the company. “I just wanted to work, in any capacity, and I’m lucky they took a chance on me.” That tenacity, along with some luck, has led him to where he is today. “It certainly didn’t happen overnight, nor was it a straight shot, but I’m starting to see my hard work pay off.”

Over the past six years, Gove has worked in the commercial, television, and film industries. He has been on production teams supporting some of the largest clients and musical acts in the world, including Apple, Google, Katy Perry, and Drake.

Predominantly, Gove’s work has been in feature films, focusing on casting, marketing, and publicity—his first feature was on the set of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. For casting, Gove has worked for Allison Jones Casting, assisting on projects such as The Heat, Master of None, and What We Do in the Shadows.

Now the crewing/schedule coordinator for JPI, Gove is a long way from the media runner the company initially hired. As the creators of what has become known in the industry as the “press junket,” JPI helps major studios with the domestic and international promotion of their films. “I didn’t even know this part of the film industry existed, but I enjoy it,” Gove said. “Whether it’s your local TV film critic, Entertainment Tonight, or IMDb, we’re responsible for producing those interviews with a movie’s cast.”

Gove grew up in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. His parents enforced a no-TV rule during the week, but the Gove family watched films together on weekends.

“I still have fond memories of my dad coming home from work on Fridays—we’d go to the local video store and rent a few movies to watch over the weekend. Sometimes I’d pick, and other times he’d introduce me to Mel Brooks’ movies or the James Bond franchise.”

Gove developed a broad appreciation of film and began to seriously consider film studies as an academic focus. After being admitted to ����̽̽, he was delighted to discover the university was establishing a new film and television studies major.

“That really tipped the scales,” he recalls. “Being one of the first students in a new program, I felt like there’d be great opportunities to learn as well as to get to know my professors really well.”

The experience matched his expectations. He found small, seminar-style classes with energetic faculty excited about building a new program. He counts Sarah Nilsen (associate professor), Ted Lyman (professor emeritus of fine art), and Hilary Neroni (associate professor) as early influencers and mentors.

“I still maintain close connections with them to this day and count on their support,” he said.

After ����̽̽, Gove went on to graduate school at Florida State University, which provided a rigorous hands-on production experience. By the time he graduated, he had worked on 50 films, handling roles from director to boom operator.

Now ensconced in L.A., Gove sees the background in film theory and aesthetics from ����̽̽, and his practical experience in graduate school coming together.

“I really felt prepared to do this work. I look back on my ����̽̽ years as a time that not only educated me immensely but also helped me understand myself and shaped me into the person I am today.”

Story by Kevin Coburn