My life after film school has taken some what of a less traditional route: after film school I actually opted for more school rather than venturing out in to Hollywood. I didn't get a masters in production or a PhD critical studies or even an MFA screenwriting. Nope, I went straight to law school. Yes, law school: a three-year out-of-body experience for a self-proclaimed creative-type; a move that some, even most, would probably say makes no sense what-so-ever. And at some points during those three years I would have certainly agreed with them.
The idea of getting a graduate degree in something other than film came to me while I was working on LAFS. By talking to women in the industry such as Wendy Finerman, who has a business degree from Wharton, I began to see real value in learning the business and legal elements of the film world--a side of the industry that students learn very little of in film school itself but effects nearly every aspect of a filmmaker's project.
My goal to combine film and law has actually started paying off--and making sense. I have begun working in entertainment law specifically in the area of new media. My life during film school helped give me the vocabulary and the understanding to work with filmmakers because I have been one myself, while my law school background has helped me learn to help filmmakers from a representation standpoint. It has been a very rewarding experience thus far, and I'm excited to see where it takes me!