Alumni in 5
Thomas Seffernick '14
Employer
Freelance/UPM
LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaszseffernick/
1. Tell us about your journey since graduation.
When I left Grand Valley State University in 2014, I moved to
Chicago a month after. Having worked odd jobs, I always was able to
find Indie films to work on, whether the set was great or not. In 2018
I started working on the NBC TV show Chicago Fire in their locations
department. From there, I was able to stay in the industry and work on
many shows. From 2018 to 2020 I was able to be fully staffed on
Chicago Med (locations department) and Empire (Production Assistant).
Even after shutting down during COVID and reopening, I was able to
jump on the STARZ show POWER: BOOK IV FORCE and immediately after work
on FOX TV series, THE BIG LEAP. Both of which was under the locations
department. Once those shows ended, I decided to go back to Production
Assistant so that I could continue to acquire my DGA days so I could
join the union. I was recently an additional Production assistant for
David Finchers latest film, The Killer (Netflix).
2. Share a favorite Grand Valley memory.
One of my favorite memories I remember was the nights we spent in
the editing suite trying to finish up our assignments. People would
think this wouldn't be a favorite memory but this was because of the
dedication and focus you had to have, under a time pressure, to get
the best project out.
3. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
What you do now in your film classes, while you are learning,
will help you when you are out of school. Always think of how to push
your project to the next level. This will separate you from the rest
and give you a better advantage out in the real world.
4. List three words you would use to describe your Grand
Valley experience.
Explorative, inciteful, personal growth
5. What difference would you like to make in the world?
I would love to be able to work on tv shows/movies that make
people think differently from their own beliefs. Projects that
challenges the norms and have a social impact and difference.
February 2024
Interest Area(s)
Film And Video
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