Alyssa Sims is a senior year Cinema student who is getting a first hand look at life on a real life Hollywood film set. The film is Loving, a new movie in the works that tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving. The film is a biopic about their fight against the state of Virginia’s laws against interracial marriage in 1967. This Campus Celebrity is bringing her classroom applications to the real world and is right in the midst of super cool movie awesomenessss.
Name: Alyssa Sims
Year: Senior
Age: 21
Hometown: Yokota, Japan AFB
Major: Double Major in Broadcast Journalism and Cinema
What made you want to get involved with working on this film?
It’s the type of story that I can get behind. It tells the story of the 1967 case Loving VS. Virginia. I was especially motivated to get involved when I heard about the cast and the executive producers, who are Colin Firth and Martin Scorcese.
How does VCU Cinema prepare you for working on films?
It gears us for getting ready to work on a real film set. The Hollywood film crew style that we use on our sets has helped me to understand how to work together with a team on set and it also has helped me excel at production and understanding stories and pretty much how to make a film.
What work are you doing for this film?
I’m a production office intern, so basically I am answering phones, organizing preparation for the shoot, and when shooting starts I’ll be someone running things from the office to set. I’ll be getting coffee for the actors and helping the crew get whatever they need so that things can run smoothly.
What are you looking forward to most during your time working with this film?
Maybe meeting the actors and the director. Also it would be great to get on the departments good side by showing that I am competent and excited so that I can get my foot in the door with future projects.
What are your ultimate career goals?
I want to become a film, t.v, and music video director
Do you have any current personal projects that you are working on?
I just wrapped a documentary on a local Richmond rapper, which I produced, shot and edited with the help of two of my classmates. I also have a music video review blog that I update frequently with critiques of some of my favorite artists music.
Any advice to incoming Cinema Freshman?
It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do yet. You will get a chance to do everything in the department once. But the sooner you figure out your main focus the better. Do a lot of projects and work because you never know which connections could help you out in the future.
What are you favorite movies?
Trainspotting, Across the Universe, and Space Jam
*Interesting Group of completely unrelated films lol*
Yes, and I have seen each of these films more than 15 times each.
Who are some of your favorite actors who you hope to work with in the future?
Edward Norton, Michael Fassbender,
*True Fassy is Life.*
If you want to keep up with Alyssa’s journey to the big screen follow her projects and music video reviews here.