Some way some how I was able to get in touch with a Hollywood producer. After a few emails back and forth I was able to interview David Scharf. He has been in the industry for 18 years and still going strong. The most famous movie he’s worked on as a producer was the Princess Diaries and the Princess Diaries 2; Royal Engagement. Most recently he has contributed to movies like Keeping Up With The Stines, Magic Camp (a Disney Movie), Raising Helen with Kate Hudson, and Barefoot. Not only is he a producer he is very versatile in post production. More recently his work revolves around the post production supervision of the movies in contrast of what he’s done in his later work. He expressed to me that after 18 years of working in Hollywood he’s starting to enjoy the post production side of film more and more. Scharf never went to film school. He attended UCF and received a business degree although he knew film was where he wanted to be. He never had an in with anyone in Hollywood when he first got out there. After many phone calls and a whole lot of hustle he finally got an internship with Garry Marshall (the producer of Pretty Woman).

“In this industry you have to have thick skin”, said Scharf. He explain to me how much rejection everyone in the film industry must go through to eventually get the green light. No matter if you are an actor, writer, producer, or anything in between I was told that you must be resilient. Scharf also referenced the metaphor, “jack of all trades is a master of none.” I expressed to him that I choose multimedia because I was unsure of what I wanted to really do in this industry and what I was really good at. He advised to to dabble in everything, yet find something I do really well and run with it. The industry will look past me if i am just average at everything. To hire you for a job they want something to really jump out at them. Something that tells them your good, and your skill asset can really contribute to the project in some way or another.

I find it hilarious that in my first year of classes all our teachers are telling us Premiere Pro is the new industry standard for editing and post production. After talking to David I have come to be inform that that is not necessarily true. Although he said Adobe After effects is great and is highly used, the program Avid is actually the industry standard. Although after the release of adobe premiere Avid had to drop their prices. Nine out of ten times he said long time editors will always use Avid over Premiere. That worried me considering I am paying for classes teaching solely adobe programs. He assured me that it would be fine, to learn what I could, and if and when, or even at all I choose to go down the path of postproduction the switch over wouldn’t be to hard with a few online tutorials on the Avid interface.

All and all the thirty five minute phone interview with David Scharf was incredibly exciting and helpful. He was such a humble guy and so willing to help a girl out with her project. Depending what happens in the next two years of my education David offered to remain a contact for when I might be ready for an internship.