We’re already three days into Hall of Fame Week, but we’re just getting started when it comes to the biggest celebration of the year. Today kicked off a slew of panels, workshops, and meet & greets. Events spanned every degree program, creating an exciting interdisciplinary atmosphere underscored by live music, opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to flex their individual creativity, and of course, plenty of chances to mix and mingle with industry heavyweights. Online students were able to follow along on our YouTube channel, where many of the events were live streamed and archived. Overall, we witnessed so many incredible moments today, and it’s only the beginning. Check out a few highlights below.
- In You.com: How To Create a Powerful Personal Brand, grad Phil Pallen defined personal branding as digitally recreating the in-person experience as closely as possible. “Find something you love that lines up with something others need,” he said. “That’s how you position yourself to succeed.”
- During Film Production Pipeline, panelists agreed that workflow runs best when all of the elements are effectively communicating with one another. Rob Scribner also told students, “Plan for failure and embrace it. Own up to it, and don’t be afraid.”
- Students shared their experiences working in France on the United Nations Climate Change Project in Creativity as a Catalyst for Change. Topics ranged from best practices for crafting activism-related media to how to navigate an unfamiliar country.
- What are The Ingredients for a Successful Pitch!? Be careful when crafting a pitch; if you can’t explain it simply, it may come across that you don’t understand the concept well enough. A small amount students will also be selected from today’s event to present a three-minute pitch to panelists and course directors this Friday.
- Students received tips from professional photographer and Full Sail grad Alex Menendez during the Photography Workshop in topics ranging from posting your photos on Getty to how to get the most out of your gear. Think outside the box: wrap some spare gaff tape around a Sharpie or use a garbage bag to shield your camera from rain!
- Hall of Fame inductee Frank Scheuring hosted a screening of his documentary “Blood and Steel: Cedar Crest Country Club.” After the film, Frank took questions from the audience about the making of the film, the history of skate punk, and his transition from post-production audio to documentary filmmaking.
- In From File to Full Bleed: Designing for Physical Media, panelists discussed how handmade items are becoming a hot commodity in the design industry. Many clients are drawn to the imperfections in the work. “There’s something about these handmade projects that move slower through time,” said Mama’s Sauce Founder Nick Sambrato. “It’s a good escape from the digital world.”
- During Real Talk with Demo Castellon, the Hall of Famer regaled students with tales of advice and inspiration from throughout the journey of his career. Demo urged students: “Focus on what drives you and keep pushing toward your goals; attitude is everything.”
- Life on the Road is full of surprises! In order to be prepared in some of the more precarious situations, the panelists recommend keeping items with you such as hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and even toilet paper. “I used to use my days off to do laundry!” said Hall of Famer Leon Hopkins.
- Hall of Fame inductee Keith Guerette shared his tips for deepening story through dynamic environments in The Desired Effect: How Visual Effects Are Essential to Video Game Storytelling. In a moment that really captured the essence of Hall of Fame, Keith continued to take questions from students long after the panel was over, even moving into the hallway at one point in order to clear the room for the next panel.
- Hall of Famer Laurie Brugger shared an in-depth look at the digital rigging, modeling, and animation process in Paddington: Building the Bear. Attendees were treated to behind the scenes footage and stories from the 2014 animated feature Paddington, which Laurie contributed to as Lead Rigger.
- Full Sail grad Jack Geckler shared his advice with future film animators during Working the Crowd: Animating the Big Scenes. “You learn really fast that if you want to stay employed, you need to keep your eyes open and learn new things to make yourself valuable.” Jack started his career as an animator and has been highly sought after for his skills in crowd simulation.
- Students lined up to pick the brains of an iconic producer and 2015 Hall of Fame inductee during No Secrets: A Conversation with Bruce Swedien & Ashish Manchanda. One student was called to the stage after he explained that Bruce inspired him to pack up his car and move to New York to follow his dreams. “Can I shake your hand?” asked the student. “Better yet, come give me a hug,” replied Bruce. “It’s great to be able to change peoples’ lives for the better.”
- The Multi-Tool Mentality panel hit on tons of practical advice for building interdisciplinary strengths, among them the idea of keeping your priorities in order (panelist Brice Helman sets calendar reminders to ensure he replies to emails). Along with Brice, panelists Jeff Unay and Joey Morelli also spoke about embracing a cultural shift away from specialization by cultivating a lifelong love of learning.
Head on over to Connect or the official Hall of Fame website for a full list of events. As always, you can join the conversation using the hash tag #FullSailHOF on social media.