Name: Laura Martin
Major: Film Production
Year: Fall 2014
Hobbies: Editing, reading, writing, drawing, painting, sleeping
What are you involved in on campus? On campus, I am a Lab Manager at the Digital Post-Production Labs where I assist students with any editing and post-production software-related questions. I am also the Music Coordinator of National Broadcasting Society as well as the director of several projects both inside and outside of academic classes at Emerson.
What can we expect with your work with these organizations? I am constantly learning new software at the Digital Post-Production Labs and am currently learning DaVinici Resolve color correction software. You can therefore expect to see me credited as the colorist on my thesis film Daughter, the first film I am taking on as a colorist. You can also expect to see a promotional video that I directed for National Broadcasting Society completed by the conclusion of the semester.
What can we expect from you in the future (project wise)? I am currently in the midst of production on my BA capstone thesis film Daughter, which I am producing, directing, editing, and coloring. I recently finished my first shooting weekend and am soon headed into my second. At the end of March, I am directing the new Emerson Channel narrative Laugh Out. During the summer, I hope to turn out a music video as I have created two in the past year and really enjoy the process.
Who or what inspires you? I am big on small, seemingly insignificant details. A smile from a stranger on the train can inspire me. A good friend, a nice day, the newness of anything or the value in the old. I tend to dwell on little things. The little things make a big difference to me. Simplicity excites me, and the people in my life keep me going. I’m not sure if any of this makes sense. Maybe it would be easier to ask me what doesn’t inspire me.
Biggest accomplishment at Emerson? It’s so hard to judge what I myself think my biggest accomplishment here has been. The project I’m the most proud of is a music video I made last semester for the band Alt-J’s song “Fitzpleasure.” It would be unfair of me to take anywhere near all of the credit for it as it wouldn’t have been even remotely possible if a group of my incredibly talented friends hadn’t come through for me to help make it. But the video seemed to really blow up on the Internet and it was probably the first time I was incredibly proud of something I had created at Emerson.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I have no idea. I don’t like to think about it because I don’t really see myself anywhere specific. I can get bored staying in any one place too long, and so I think I see myself living in a collection of different places for the majority of my life. I don’t know if I can spend too much time in any one place. The world is too big for that. But I do know that I see myself either writing, directing, and editing. I really love writing, I’m really loving directing, and there will always be a special place in my heart for editing. As of right now, I’m pretty into the idea of editing trailers, but we’ll see how I feel in a year.
Dream Job? My dream job is probably either directing feature films or music videos or editing feature films or trailers. I know that I need to start small and build my way up, but one day I’d love to see my name in the credits for a film. It’s probably one of the coolest things to me, your name immortalized within this piece of art. Who wouldn’t want that?
If you could trade lives with a celebrity for one day, who would it be and why? I don’t know if I would want to. Ugh, that sounds so hipster. I’ve never been too into the whole celebrity thing. I can’t imagine it’s too fun. So I guess I would say no one. Either no one or Ellen Page. She just seems really cool.