Hinds Film Technology alumni have been hard at work using their skills on productions, including the set of an upcoming thriller called “The Movers” that was shot in the Jackson area over the summer.
“The Movers” was written and directed by Giorgio Serafini and starred some of Hollywood’s brightest like Jena Malone, Christopher Lloyd and Terrance Howard.
Will Denson (2016) was a sound mixer on set and Konnor Megginson was a camera operator. They met in the Hinds program in 2016. They say Randy Kwan’s Film Technology program at the Rankin Campus gave them the foundation they needed to start their own company, Hidden Planet. The Film Technology program, which began in 2011, “has had a massive impact on my career,” Megginson said.
“The Hinds film program is probably the reason why I’m still working in film. I had worked on a couple of other sets as a production assistant prior to going to Hinds, and I learned that a lot of film schools are theoretical, but the Hinds program is very practical. It’s like, ‘here’s what you need to know to do the job well and to stay employed.’”
Kwan “takes a very practical approach to teaching and places a high value on the experience students get working on movie sets,” Megginson said. Denson, who has worked on movie sets for seven years, said the program gave him the connections he needed to get started.
Former classmate Rex Roby (2016), who attended with Denson and Megginson in 2016, was the reason the crew from Hinds learned about the production. He worked as a grip and electrician on “The Movers” set and recommended Kwan and his former students for the gig. Roby said he got his first film set job while still studying with Kwan.
“I didn’t even know Hinds had a film program,” Roby said. “When I got out of the military I was googling ‘film programs in Mississippi’ and I came across the Hinds program. I went and talked with Mr. Kwan, and I just let him know that I was trying to impact people’s lives in a positive way, and how I could do that in filmmaking. Then, I started working on film sets while still in school, and I have been doing it ever since.”
Kwan spent a big part of his summer working on the movie set. He said he was glad to get that phone call from Roby and that it was great to be able to work with a group of former students.
“The most important thing, I guess, was that I get to see them enjoying their careers,” Kwan said.
Plus, Kwan said the project was a great opportunity to learn and for professional development on the set. “Any kind of work in this
business is a learning experience,” Kwan said.
HINDS FILM SCHOOL ALUMNI ON THE SET OF “THE MOVERS”
Kneeling in front Is Grip and Electrical staff Rex Roby, and standing, from left, is B-Camera Operator Konnor Megginson, Wardrobe Kellen Turner, Hinds Film Technology Instructor Randy Kwan (on set Kwan is a Grip and Electric Crew Member), Audio Technician Gage Parker and Key Audio Technician Will Denson.