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Bradley’s Hollywood Semester places students in the center of the entertainment industry. Students take courses in topics ranging from film and music to public relations and interactive media. As part of the experience, students find internships related to their interests. Past internships have included recording studios, movie studios, PR agencies and game design companies.
Here’s what a few recent participants said about their time on the West Coast.
CONNOR KELLY, junior music and entertainment industry major from East Peoria, Ill.Why did you want to go to Hollywood?
I knew it was the right time to be in Hollywood. At the start of my sophomore year, I decided that it would be beneficial to be out here before I graduated so I would have an idea of what career in the music industry I would be best suited for. Besides Nashville, Los Angeles is where I knew I needed to be in order to have a successful career in the music industry. On top of all that, I love L.A. I love the big city culture, I love the people out here, and the weather helps as well.
How has the semester affected your view of the professional world?
It’s cutthroat and dog eat dog from a distance. You take a look at it from a few feet back and you say to yourself, “Wow, this is a pretty harsh culture.” Here’s the thing, though. The view from Peoria is a lot different than the view when you get out here. The culture here is very chill. Not to say that it isn’t competitive (because it is!) but people are very relaxed out here. They do their jobs and they do them extremely well, but they have fun at the same time.
KRISTIN DREW, junior public relations major from Mount Morris, Ill.How did the semester prepare you for life after Bradley?
It’s definitely a shock going from campus life. Having to budget and other things, it’s a learning experience how to be an adult.
What’s the value of the experience?
I thought I knew PR before I went out there, but I discovered it’s so broad. Hollywood made me think more about my career because there’s so much more to the field than I thought.
GABRIELA GUTIERREZ, senior television arts and Spanish double major from Villa Park, Ill.Who were the most interesting people you met in L.A.?
[Bradley professor] Doug Frank. He’s one of the coolest people I ever met. I felt like I always got interesting firsthand from him. He shared advice and treated us as adults, not just as college students.
I also met Hillary Duff, who is a childhood idol of mine. I wanted to go crazy, but I met her in a professional setting at my internship, so I couldn’t do that.
What lessons did you learn?
Take risks. You have to find internships yourself and have to put yourself out there. The best days I had were ones I didn’t plan. They were when I decided to just go do something.
KAYLA HALLOWELL, senior television arts major from Schererville, Ind. Describe a typical day at your internship?
At “Singh in the Rain,” working on the set of a smaller-budget movie is different every day. Call time is sometimes 6-8 a.m., which makes me wake up around 4 a.m. Once on set, I have to grab my radio and be ready to help at any moment. The majority of time I have to “lock down” the house, which means I have to make sure doors are closed and everyone around the set knows to be very quiet. I also have to set up and take down breakfast, lunch and dinner. One day, one of the production assistants was sick so I was in charge of all the snacks and drinks. It’s a harder job then you think to be “head crafty.” That day, they had 30-plus extras, so it was a fun but hectic day. Being on a movie set is very unpredictable — you always have to be on your toes and ready to work.
What’s been your most exciting day in L.A.?
The most exciting day in Los Angeles was when I got to be a production assistant at the 2018 SAG Awards with a good friend. Wanting to be in the movie industry, it’s a television arts major’s dream to participate in the SAG Awards. I ran into a few famous stars like Steve Carell and Lea DeLaria. I also got to hold multiple SAG statues — they’re heavier than they look.