When you watch a film, you do notice what the characters are wearing, how they are styled, where they go and what they do. There is a reason why the story unfolds so seamlessly. Behind the scenes, there is an entire crew that takes care of details like the equipment. One equipment related role is that of the best boy (grip and electric). People in this role are paid to build and maintain the equipment (tripods, dollies, tracks, jibs, cranes and more) needed to make each shot successful. When it comes to film industry jobs beyond actor, actress and director, not many people know what is available let alone how to launch a career in the field. As Film Lighting Technician and Motion Picture Institute veteran instructor Jeremy Schroeder puts it, “there is definitely a bit of mystique behind who does what on a film set and not many people know someone who works on a film crew.”
For Jeremy, his journey has always involved tinkering with technology. From working on his high school’s newscast to finding his way into a grip role on set in New York, he has always hustled! The Crew Call podcast team sat down with him to learn more about his journey, which spans over 10 seasons working on the hit show Law and Order. He has also worked on several big name feature films such as Enchanted (Disney), The Girlfriend Experience (dir. Steven Soderbergh), Possible Side Effects (dir. Tim Robbins) and Then She Found Me (dir. Helen Hunt).
Jeremy encourages anyone wanting to make it into the business to “go where the wind blows.” He says that, “you have to be ready to take jobs that come up. Some of them are fantastic and some of them are not. Not every day is working on a glorious film set. Some days are out working in the rain, getting wet, getting cold, that’s just how it goes. You have to be willing to put in the hours.” To hear more of Jeremy’s advice and career journey, listen to the full interview on the MPI Crew Call podcast.
These days, he juggles his time on set between the industry and classroom. While teaching at MPI, he is building up the next generation of film industry talent. As a matter of fact, each of our instructors brings a wealth of real-world experience into the classroom, both on set and now online.
Don’t let another year go by. Our one-year film program is enrolling NOW for this fall. Our intimate class sizes fill up quickly and we only start in September. To learn more about our film classes and how we can train you for a career, contact us for a virtual tour during the Covid-19 confinement. Sign up today on-line to learn more or call us at 248-528-1760 or email info@mpifilm.com.