PCC student rubs shoulders with the stars at Sundance

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Jennifer Perez wir\~r" allowed to touch any buttons were . determined to write his own scripts
CoNTRIBUTING WRITER 1_ enough to spark his Interest. · ,. for all of his productions. This style
2.0010 After that experience, Gonzalez of trying to be different from what
Growing up in Los Angeles, knew he wanted to become a direc- ~was expected ended up earning
many would assume a career in tor. But since his family was always · Gonzalez acknowledgment among
directing movies would be easy, but moving. he missed an opportunity '7 his classmates for his writing and
for many it is only a dream. With to attend a high school in Pacoima elaborate set designs. , ' ·
the luck PCC student Damian that had special programs In film- . · .. "I got a lot of recognition for
Gonzalez has been having, it is a making and electronics. pushing the envelope, which I didn't
dream that seems more imaginable "It was heartbreaking not to go," '_expect," Gonzal.ez said. ~It was just
every day. Gonzalez said. something that I really wanted." ..
Not only has Gonzalez been one Howe':':~~· .. ~e decided to att,~~~Lti.. <s:!I_q~eve~r:L;_~~.~ ~~~ :' go~ .• ~~~~
of a few to be accepted to Inner City PCC as an art major, never thinking /whether that kind of reputation was
Filmmakers. a non-profit organiza- he had a chance of becoming a fllm- . .be~eficial t~ him. "I felt I had to top
tion that helps promote and mold maker. He admits he failed all his myself each time," he said.
future up-and-coming filmmakers. classes that semester because he did- While taking an editing . class.
he was also chosen as one of eight n't like any of them. Gonzalez started talking to another
students to attend the international- His family moved to student, Sean Hernandez, who told
ly recognized Sundance Film Pennsylvania, but Gonzalez stayed him about a program for. Iimer City
Festival to promote ICF. in Los Angeles, determined to finish Filmmakers, which offered an eight-
Going to Utah for the festival school here. He got a job at Target week course on everything one
was a far cry from his roots in New to make some money, but soon saw needs to know about fllmmaking.
York. that working there was not really Hernandez encouraged him to
Due to family problems, what he wanted to do with the rest ·apply." .,,,. ·;, . . ;\. · '· · -
Gonzalez and his mother fled their of his life. He decided to try out '-· After a year of waiti~g ,
home in New York and moved to classes in PCC's film department. \ Gonzalez was accepted to ICF out
Los Angeles. It was the perfect place After a semester of taking film · of 300 others who applied. The pro­for
him to pursue his love for classes, Gonzalez decided it was not ~ gram, which usually recruits only
movies. One of his fondest memo- what he was looking for. Already high school students, accepted a
ries was a visit to Mann Chinese struggling financially. it . was too PCC student· to take one of the 27
Theater in Hollywood with his hard to hire his own talent. His spots designated for college stu-mother.
equipment was outdated, and time ·dents. .. ' · . ' · '-' .
"She exposed me to very adult- was not on his side. . :::; . li)~g 'the ·eight-week p;ogram,
themed movies, such as 'Black He then looked· into the telecom- Gonzalez worked at least eight-hour
Rain' and 'Hear No Evil, See No munications department, which had ·days, · 'learning everything from
Evil' at an early age," Gonzalez a studio, crew, actors and state-of- directing and editing to casting
said. the-art equipment. "It had all . the actors and working with a crew.
His first experience in entertain- stuff I needed," Gonzalez said. Although classes took place at USC,
ment came when he participated in "[You] just show up and shoot." ,' th~ ICF cours~s · were taught by
a few plays in elementary school. It This department was where · graduates of USC, UCLA and AFI.
wasn't until fourth grade that his Gonzalez met his mentor, retired , "That alone [was] amazing," said
obsession with t1lm began. In an professor Gerald Finn. "He taught ' Gonzalez . . , ;,.,\" '?: ~~;:; ·
attempt to keep him busy during a me a lot as far as image is concerned -•- . · Along with their education, the
school videotaping session. because he knew [a lot] about light-" ···students also ~eceived access . to
Gonzalez was told to stand behind ing," Gonzalez said. . guest speakers such as director John
the camera. Looking only through Having already taken a Woo, trips to Sony and Paramount
the viewfinder and not being scriptwriting class. Gonzalez was Pictures and a personal writing
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