Posted by SMAD September 21, 2007
Story by HELEN STACKHOUSE

HARRISONBURG, Va. -- “Never burn bridges,” senior SMAD major Ty Strickler offers as advice for anyone struggling to make it in the competitive film industry. Though still in college, Strickler has already compiled an impressive address book of celebrities and producers. From assisting on movie sets to reading scripts by up-and-coming writers to walking down a green carpet for a world premiere, Strickler was able to turbo-charge his resume from the moment he landed at the doorstep of Universal Studios.

Opportunities unfolded while he worked during his college years as an extra in such major motion pictures as War of the Worlds, National Treasure II and Evan Almighty. On the set of Evan Almighty, Strickler befriended cinematographer Ian Baker, who allowed him to intern on the set both in Virginia and Los Angeles. This eventually landed him a job in L.A. at Shady Acres Entertainment, owned by director Tom Shadyac, on the back lot of Universal Studios.

Although Strickler’s job entailed many duties, the most interesting was being a script reader. “I would spend days reading potential scripts from up-and-coming writers, then filter out the weak ones and write reviews for the scripts worth taking a second look," he said. "This type of intensity in a professional setting makes you use every critical-analysis skill taught in SMAD or English courses.”

His hard work was rewarded with some perks, such as meeting Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Jon Voight and Steven Spielberg. However lucky Strickler may have been to land such an internship so early is his career, being at the right place at the right time is only part of the reason for his success. Aside from the networking opportunities, Strickler spoke of how the SMAD program allowed him to explore several media fields before choosing a Digital Video concentration. “SMAD has given me opportunities to capitalize on my strengths and work on my weaknesses."

For many, the SMAD program has served as a springboard to a successful career in the industry. “At the suggestion of Professor [Kathy] Hughes, I had dinner this summer with JMU alum Don Rhymer (’82) who just finished writing Surf's Up for Sony and is working on Big Mamma’s House III,” Strickler said. “He gave me a lot of advice about the business. The nice thing about SMAD is that there are a lot of graduates working in the industry in L.A.”

Looking toward graduation in December, Strickler is still unsure whether to dive back into the industry or embark on a three-year graduate program at the University of Southern California. “My short film Tourist Trap was accepted into the L.A. Film Shorts festival in September and I have been getting a lot of good feedback from the showing. Good fortune his gotten me this far, so I will see what the future holds.”

Strickler hopes to give back to JMU, the place that gave him the tools to be competitive in the film industry. Hard work, networking and keeping contacts have added up to a rewarding experience. “It’s all about work before play. Have a guiding vision, follow your passions, and you will earn the trust of people around you."