Aloha! My name is Lena, and I’m an aspiring filmmaker from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. When I graduated from Vassar College in 2021, I knew the pandemic had taken my chances of working in the film industry from slim to none, especially in New York. Between the lockdowns, financial instability, and caring for my family, a career in filmmaking seemed impossible. So, I pushed that dream aside and focused all my energy on marketing. While I loved film more than anything, it slowly became something I viewed from a distance rather than something I actively pursued.
After four years working full-time as a Marketing Coordinator, I felt like I was finally ready to get back into filmmaking. Unfortunately, I had zero experience working on set and very little money to pay for classes. When I found Stage 32’s Production Assistant Master Certification course through Good Jobs Hawaiʻi, it seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I applied to the program and hoped for the best. Once I got the acceptance email, it felt like everything was starting to fall into place. The asynchronous, online classes let me complete my modules without falling behind at work, and Good Jobs Hawaiʻi helped cover my tuition and fees. I never could have imagined how that one class would change my life.
Taking the Production Assistant Master Certification course was an incredible learning experience. The instructors didn’t stop at teaching us the basics. They offered personal career advice from decades of working in the industry, explained the roles and responsibilities of everyone on set, and stressed the importance of professionalism and set etiquette. With every lesson, I gained practical advice on how to distinguish myself as a PA and get invited back for future projects. I took their guidance to heart, and it paid off.
After receiving my certification, I joined the Hawaiʻi Filmmakers Collective and answered a callout for production assistants for an independent short film. Despite my nerves, I applied all the lessons I learned from class, and everyone I met on set assumed I’d been working as a PA for years. A few months later, I was invited back to help with another short film.
The most valuable lesson I learned from the production assisting course was that the best opportunities come from the people you build relationships with along the way.
Through HOCCI, I attended the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF), met accomplished film critics, interviewed award-winning directors and producers, and wrote reviews that were published on the HIFF blog. I learned so much about the thriving independent film industry here in Hawaiʻi, and I met people who I still consider to be very good friends.
Determined to do Aunty Meala justice, I applied to the inaugural HIFILM Producers Lab with myself listed as producer and her as director. To my surprise, our project was selected as one of six films chosen from over 50 applications. Through the Producers Lab, we got to workshop our storyline and pitch deck alongside some of the most talented filmmakers I have ever met. We even received one-on-one mentorship from producers whose projects had recently been to Sundance and SXSW.
Looking back, it's amazing to see how much has happened since my first Stage 32 course. What began as a simple decision to learn more about production assisting became the catalyst for a series of opportunities that I could never have imagined. In a little over a year, I gained on-set experience, interviewed award-winning filmmakers, published reviews, and started pre-production for a documentary short. The confidence I gained from Stage 32 even helped me expand my marketing career. I’m currently serving as the Director of DEI for Ad2 Hawaiʻi and recently organized a DEI panel bringing together local marketing and filmmaking professionals.
Last month, I completed my second Stage 32 course, the Production Accounting Master Certification. In just five modules, I gained invaluable knowledge about employment law, state tax incentives, cost reporting, and everything in between. If you think production accounting sounds boring, you couldn’t be more wrong. The course instructors were incredibly insightful, and they all had fascinating examples of how these complex accounting concepts are applied in real productions. The information I learned in both Stage 32 certification courses will help me for the rest of my career, and I wish it was a resource I’d found sooner.
I’m closer to achieving my dream of becoming a filmmaker than I ever thought possible. I may be a little biased, but I genuinely believe that anyone hoping to pursue a career in film or television should check out Stage 32. You never know where one class might take you, but if my experience is any indication, it can open doors you didn’t even know existed. As cliché as it may sound, one Stage 32 course changed my life, and I hope it changes yours too.
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Congrats!!!!
2 people like this
Good to hear.
Congratulations, Hani!