Hollywood paying it forward - 15th March 2023

Few of Hollywood's glitterati who convened for the 95th Academy Awards, were aware of a new cohort of filmmakers immersed in their craft at a public high school in Los Angeles.

Endorsed by celebrated Oscar winner George Clooney, the Roybal Learning Centre, houses a magnet programme for film and television studies, which aims to tackle the lack of diversity in American film and television. It offers students from a diverse range of backgrounds training in all aspects of filmmaking and, as educator Brittany Hilgers illustrates, grounds a future generation of filmmakers in many aspects of their craft.

Britanny Hilgers: "We wanna teach them how to tell a story and not just how to write a story. But how to tell a story as a cameraman, how to tell a story as a costume designer. Because that is part of the story, you know, it contributes to it. So, we wanna make sure that the students understand that these, all these jobs are available to them."

Inspired with regular drop-ins by acclaimed actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and Mindy Kaling, which provide students with invaluable support, Ja'saray Juarez has upgraded her own career prospects.

Ja'saray Juarez: "Before coming to this school, I wanted to be an animator and storyboarder. And I think now, I still want to storyboard and animate, but I would mainly wanna be a director and a scriptwriter now since we're learning a lot about that."

And networking is now as crucial as practical filmmaking skills to student David Flores.

David Flores: "This school has taught me networking skills, that's very important. I've learned that it's very important to make connections with other people. And I've also learned lots of the basic film techniques, like how to work a camera, how to work a boom mic."

Equipping students from the diverse range of communities living in the shadow of Hollywood studios with filmmaking competencies is crucial, says Roybal principal Blanca Cruz.

Blanca Cruz: "Those are the students that many times have been left behind, have not had access to the, the support, these resources, well direct access. And so the partnership is key because they themselves in Hollywood see that there's a need."

The cinematic masterpiece 'Everything, Everywhere All At Once' earned a staggering 7 awards at this year's Oscars. Its star - Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh - held her cherished Oscar for Best Actress aloft, dedicating it to every child whose appearance resembles her own, hoping it shines 'as a beacon of hope and possibilities' to inspire them. This landmark moment may also bolster the confidence of Roybal's students as they strive to achieve their ambitions.