Coast to Coast Connections
On a warm Saturday in November, Paige McKenna went surfing at Venice Beach with Jeff Ho, founder of the Z-Boys and a surfing and skateboarding legend. Earlier that week, she was at Shepard Fairey’s studio documenting new artwork featuring another skateboarding icon, Greyson Fletcher.
McKenna, an avid skater aiming for a career in action sports marketing, said these opportunities came from her internship at Juice Magazine.
“Making connections with all these legends was so fulfilling,” said McKenna, a fourth-year humanities, computing, and design major from Webster, N.Y. “It felt like a great way to jump into the industry.”
Coming to LA gave me a first-hand experience that revealed my creative potential as a filmmaker and led to worthwhile connections.
Action-packed weeks like this weren’t uncommon for McKenna and other students who made up the third cohort enrolled in the RIT in Los Angeles (LA) program.
Each fall semester, RIT in LA students attend classes and gain work experience while living on the West Coast. Students come home with foundational experiences that will help pave the way to a career in the entertainment industry.
Increasing RIT’s presence in LA was a natural step forward, according to James Myers, associate provost for International Education and Global Programs.
In addition to having a large community of alumni in the area, RIT’s School of Film and Animation is gaining more visibility as one of the top film schools in the country, according to recent rankings released by Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and TheWrap.
By bringing students to where the “magic” happens and facilitating connections with accomplished alumni and industry experts, students can dive in headfirst and find their own success.
“The fusion of disciplines at RIT can really make an impact in a city like LA that is being transformed by technology. Many of our alumni are pushing these innovations forward,” said Myers. “We hope that we can help our students emerge as new leaders in sci-tech entertainment.”
Being able to learn in an enriching, hands-on way gave me hope for my future.
Increasing impact
RIT in LA is led by Tom Connor ’11 (film and animation), assistant provost and professor of practice at RIT. The former Disney executive offers students his insights gained from over three decades of working in the entertainment industry. His goal is for students to see firsthand what possibilities are waiting for them in LA.
“It’s an enriching experience to talk to an Academy Award-winning sound designer in class, or to hear from somebody who has won an Emmy,” said Connor. “This is who the students aspire to be, so to be able to learn from them is really something that they can’t get anywhere else.”
The vision for RIT in LA has been around for years and was brought to life by many people across the university, on both the East and West coasts.
In 2022, the first cohort of 16 students traveled to LA for an immersion in the film industry. After two successful semesters, the program expanded its offerings to include two tracks: one in film and animation and one in transmedia storytelling, which explores other multifaceted careers in the entertainment industry.
This academic year, the program welcomed 30 students based in the College of Art and Design, College of Liberal Arts, Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, Saunders College of Business, and the School of Individualized Study.
The RIT in LA Experience
From studying under palm trees to exploring studio backlots, Joseph Yasuda knew he had to get these LA experiences when planning his third year at RIT.
“Down the hill from our apartment, we had Universal Studios on our left and Warner Bros. on our right. We truly felt like we were right in the thick of it,” said Yasuda, a film and animation — animation option student from Fremont, Calif.
Yasuda started each week with classes on Monday and Tuesday where he learned about the entertainment business, transmedia storytelling, and LA history and culture. On Fridays, he and the other students enjoyed excursions to sites like Walt Disney Animation Studios, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and even the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The rest of his time was spent exploring the city and working as a 3D animator for his co-op at CATMONKEY—a nerdy multimedia storytelling company founded by Hal Hefner ’97 (illustration) that caters to clients like Netflix, Ubisoft, and the NFL.
Yasuda said that his professors—Connor, Hefner, and David Simkins—were some of the greatest resources for him in LA. He also appreciated the many guest speakers they brought into the classroom.
“Hearing writers, animators, and producers talk about their experience truly invigorated my passion for filmmaking,” said Yasuda.
Hefner and Simkins bring a combined 50 years of industry experience to the classroom. Simkins, a veteran screenwriter who has worked with the program since 2022, said his motivation for staying involved is supporting students as they find their footing in the industry.
“When I first moved to LA, I was lost,” said Simkins, program director of the film and animation track. “My job is to open doors for students so they can learn, and that’s made possible through the connections I’ve made over the years.”
Hefner, a marketing strategist and storyteller, was eager to offer current students the toolsets to drive innovation in an ever-changing industry.
“One of the most important things that I tried to teach them is to have a hungry, humble, and smart attitude. Because if you’re hungry, humble, and smart, then opportunity will always come to you,” said Hefner, program director of the transmedia storytelling track.
What is transmedia storytelling?
It is a multidisciplinary approach to entertainment that tells a single story across multiple formats. It includes everything from film and television, to games, sports, immersive experiences, consumer products like toys, and more. The Marvel and Star Wars franchises are good examples of this.
Working and learning
Ryker D’Angelo embraced this attitude with great success. D’Angelo, a fourth-year English major from St. Augustine, Fla., completed a co-op at Metric Talent and Literary Agency, where he reviewed and gave feedback on scripts for the company.
Despite not having prior experience, D’Angelo channeled his strengths and opened himself up to new opportunities. His time at Metric Talent allowed him to experience the inner workings of the entertainment industry and taught him to be more of an innovative thinker.
“My co-op was my favorite part of being in LA,” he said. “I worked with Troy Kotsur and Deanne Bray, who are very well-known actors in the industry and the Deaf community, and it’s been such a wonderful opportunity.”
The work experience was also a highlight of the semester for Joshua Michaels, a third-year marketing major from Far Rockaway, N.Y. He was a marketing intern at Synapse Virtual Production, which specializes in virtual production (VP) for film, television, and music videos; LED stage builds and integration; education; consulting; and VP stage rentals.
“My experience at Synapse taught me how ambitious I am, and it taught me how to adapt and learn new things,” he said.
Michaels also found a mentor in Aaron Gordon ’13 (film and animation), the chief operating officer of Synapse and founder of Optic Sky, a Rochester-based video production company. Gordon said that supporting education is a major element of the company’s ethos.
“Mentorship is a funny word. People think it means a master and apprentice mentality, but it’s important to think about the reverse of that,” said Gordon. “For as much value as our staff can give, our RIT student interns tend to bring a lot of value along with them.”
In addition to hosting interns, Synapse also collaborated with RIT and MAGIC Spell Studios to offer a four-day VP master class in October. The class, which targeted working industry professionals and current RIT in LA students, offered an opportunity to learn more about the innovative techniques that bring VP to life.
Looking toward future years, Connor plans to bolster RIT in LA’s offerings and increase the number of enrolled students by recruiting from other relevant colleges and programs across the university.
In 2025, the program will offer a new track focused on games, and the curriculum will expand to reflect student interests in entertainment.
Connor and other RIT partners will continue to nurture industry and alumni connections to increase and diversify opportunities for guest speakers, co-ops, and excursions.
He also teases at growth in applied research opportunities. By leveraging the varied disciplines on campus and collaborations with MAGIC Spell Studios, he aims to connect with companies and drive change on the technical side of the entertainment industry.
This includes leaning into RIT alumni working at companies like Netflix, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Universal, and others to create formal research partnerships.
“Students want to come to LA to have those professional experiences, learn about the industry, and grow while they’re here,” said Connor. “Our long-term vision is to grow with them.”
There are few places better than LA to seek out work experience in the entertainment industry. This year’s RIT in LA cohort completed co-ops and internships at a variety of companies, including Echo Bend Pictures, Juice Magazine, and Ace Entertainment.
Here are snapshots of three students’ work experiences in LA.
Lily
Ocque
Marketing Intern
Atlas Lens Co.
Third-year film and animation—production option, Ontario, N.Y.
Lily Ocque loves the hands-on experience RIT’s film programs offer, and working at Atlas Lens Co. gave her even more freedom to spread her wings in the industry.
Atlas Lens Co. is an anamorphic lens maker that distributes products internationally. During her co-op, Ocque worked on short-form content for social media, edited videos, and helped with a weekly telecast.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I want for my career,” said Ocque. “Going into film production can be a little scary and uncertain but learning about these people and their careers gave me more confidence.”
Ocque said the networking opportunities were plentiful, especially during the weekly Wednesday Lens Day events, where local filmmakers were invited to test equipment. Ocque met many industry professionals there, and one even asked her to help on a film set for a weekend.
“I have a feeling that these connections I made here will stem into something really cool in the future,” said Ocque.
Joshua
Michaels
Marketing Intern
Synapse Virtual Production
Third-year marketing, Far Rockaway, N.Y.
Before coming to LA, Joshua Michaels hoped to work at an advertising agency after graduation. Completing an internship at Synapse Virtual Production helped him discover new ways he could apply his expertise in marketing and entrepreneurship.
“Synapse exposed me to the entertainment industry in a way that I’ve never seen it before,” said Michaels. “It gave me the tools that I really wish I had when I was first starting out in marketing.”
Michaels describes Synapse as “the future of cinema.” It’s an alumni-founded virtual production studio that recently secured two MTV Video Music Awards for its work on Eminem’s “Houdini” music video. The video was nominated for a 2025 Grammy Award.
Michaels assisted with day-to-day duties related to branding and public relations, social media content planning and posting, and research regarding potential client collaborations.
“There are so many different industries in LA. If you take advantage of coming here, you can meet some people that can perhaps change your life,” said Michaels.
Owen
Bauman
Game writer
CATMONKEY
Fourth-year individualized program, Underhill, Vt.
Owen Bauman crafted his degree around multimedia narrative design. When presented with the chance to get experience with transmedia storytelling through RIT in LA, he applied immediately.
“This is where all the jobs are and I can actually see people working in their natural habitat,” said Bauman. “It’s nice getting that real perspective. It’s been eye opening for me.”
He worked at CATMONKEY, a company that specializes in multimedia storytelling with a focus on “nerd” content. CATMONKEY helps clients—which include Netflix, the NFL, Universal, Ubisoft, and others—with marketing strategies, creative concepts, and other creative needs. During his co-op, Bauman worked with a team to develop a transmedia video game.
As a game writer, he crafted the characters’ dialogue and the narrative design of the overall story arcs.
“My co-op with CATMONKEY was the first time I actually felt like I was part of a company. It kind of removed that façade of a job in LA being this unattainable goal,” said Bauman.