Lauren's Film Journey
My dad gave me my first camera when I was 7. We were in Florida for the final NASA Space Shuttle mission before the program was discontinued, and I was attending a special day camp for kids hosted by NASA. My dad wanted all the secret inside scoop, so he gave me a small, silver Cannon digital camera to document my experience.
In the beginning, I only really took photos, and when I started Lauren Reporting Live, I was always in front of the camera. It wasn’t until Covid that I realized the true potential of film.
Stuck in quarantine with no events to report on, I started writing and shooting scenes, many of which I starred in. I learned every possible hack on iMovie before making the switch to Final Cut Pro.
Naturally, the first thing I did was take a selfie with an astronaut, after being told repeatedly no photos were allowed. This was the single most rebellious moment of my life.
Since then, I’ve played every role on a film shoot, often many at the same time. I’ve created comedy videos like “The Five Classmates You’ll Have In Your Distance Learning Class” and serious PSAs about human trafficking for the Barbara Sinatra Center.
I joined the film program at my high school and decided I wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps and go to film school. I applied to film schools across the country before deciding that Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, 2 hours from home and always sunny, was the perfect fit for me.
Fun Fact: I found out I got into Dodge in an In N Out parking lot right after being rejected for a job. You can’t win them all.
My goal in the creative industry is to make people feel good. I want to make happy films people watch with their friends, the type of movie that’s like comfort food in a film or a warm blanket on a rainy day. I think one of the best ways to do this is through movie musicals. As a choir kid, I know music can tell stories in a way that nothing else can, and that film and theater can bring those stories to life. By incorporating song and dance, I can tell my stories in a whole new way. I like the grandeur, time, collaboration, and extensive preparation and rehearsal required to create a movie musical, and the technology, innovation, and creativity required to deliver a compelling narrative through film is the reason I’m a director.
