Sam Avalos, a 23-year-old graduate student in the Television, Film and Media Studies Department joined the Golden Eagle community to continue her journey in higher education. Her favorite movies are Disney productions like “A Bug’s Life”, “Robin Hood”, “Great Mouse Detective” and “Nightmare Before Christmas”. Her favorite director is Tim Burton. She enjoys his spooky-themed movies such as “Corpse Bride” and “Alice in Wonderland”.
Avalos strives to work in the film industry and shared her thoughts on its future.
“There’s [going to] be some challenges in life that you may not always have control over. You are going to overwork yourself, paying crazy L.A. rent, but it’s going [to] take some time to grow and get comfortable,” Avalos said.
Q: Why did you choose to complete a master’s in Television, Film and Media Studies?
A: “I began to develop more of an interest in film history because originally, I wanted to pursue [a] degree for journalism. But after taking some film courses, I thought, ‘You know what, film does sound a lot more interesting.’ A professor [gave me] the American Film Institute’s 100 years … 100 movie list. I wanted to make it a goal to finish that whole list. During the pandemic, I took advantage and [watched] fifteen movies and finished the rest of the list in 2021, literally on the last day of the year [I wanted the last film].”
Q: What do you think about the movie industry and its future?
A:” It will take a while for the studio system itself to acknowledge how the system is not perfect. Actors and writers struggling, getting challenged with the idea of not being able to have a career in film and entertainment because of [the] threats of AI or not receiving livable wages. [I’m] happy that there’s room and space for marginalized communities to be seen and represented in [the] media. Unfortunately, a lot of the representation is still being challenged mostly, again, by people that want to still stick with the way that it was done. Traditionally, there’s some people that don’t want marginalized communities to be represented in [the] media. And it’s very sad too, because a lot of us, we also grew up watching the same films.”
Q: What do you think about the SAG-AFTRA strike and AI?
A:” It is important to still have human creativity in the world, because computers, they’re not always going to acknowledge or look at it from a human perspective. Computers were made by people, but they weren’t made to have human feeling or compassion. You can argue that AI can be used in a positive way without taking away someone’s job. But most of it, unfortunately, [is used by] studios that don’t want to pay hardworking individuals for their craft or their creativity. It’s really a shame, there’s so many amazing people that come together to create really amazing stories. It’s a shame that the studio system itself doesn’t want to acknowledge that or pay [workers] for their work. It’s important to acknowledge that the system and network itself has never been welcoming to certain people. It’s important to keep that in mind when trying to look at things from one point of view. You have to be open minded and understand that other people, they grew up [watching] this stuff, too.”
According to The Guardian, the SA-AFTA protest came to an end with agreed-upon terms that new technology will be used under the control of workers.
Q: What would you like to accomplish?
A: “I want to be somebody that works behind the scenes. I want to be somebody who writes a story. I’m able to tell a story and able to showcase it from certain points of view. I would love [to be an] artist behind the scenes like [a] foley artist is really cool. What [foley artists] do is make the noise and movements on screen, in the most creative ways possible. [Other] career choices that I’m personally looking into [is] working within the educational field such as academia or even in a museum.”
(According to the Berklee College of Music, a Foley Artist uses an arsenal of props to devise and record everyday sounds heard in films. Television shows, and video games.)
Q: What advice would you give your peers?
A: “Be willing to grow and learn with time. Be sure to surround yourself with other diverse communities, surround yourself with [an] intersectional diverse community. Make sure you’re talking with people even outside of your field too.”
(Eagles that Soar is a series seeking to highlight Cal State LA’s diversity, ingenuity, perseverance and resilience by featuring students, faculty, and staff with unique stories on campus. If you are interested in nominating someone from our community, please complete the nomination form.)
