Los Angeles Film School alumni Trever James (‘05) and Luke Rold (‘05) are making headlines. They have received an unprecedented deal from National Geographic to run a docu-series they developed following a small, secluded group living in the North American prairieland, The Hutterites.

It all started with a pitch meeting in Jeff Collin’s office, the founder and CEO of Collins Avenue Production Company. Trever had done some casting editing for the company and has maintained a great relationship with Jeff Collins. The last idea they pitched was the Hutterites and Collins loved the idea, sending James, Rold, Dinner and Trever’s dad to Montana to produce footage of the Hutterites to compose a sizzle reel. They filmed for five days, 14 hours a day, for footage.

Once they all returned home and edited the footage, the sizzle was shopped around to various networks with much excitement to follow. National Geographic won the pool and a crew was sent to rural Montana for five months, to film 12 hours a day, thus creating "American Colony: Meet the Hutterites".

Last Wednesday The Los Angeles Film School had the honor of screening American Colony: Meet the Hutterites, a docu-series executive produced by alumni Trever James and Luke Rold. They were both present beforehand along with Josh Dinner, a close friend who was another executive producer, and Jeff Collins, the founder and CEO of Collins Productions who green lit the entire project, to explain the process of getting the film produced.

They explained to the audience the entire process from idea, to sizzle reel, to production, and Collins emphasized two core components of getting the docu-series produced: access and relationships. James had access to the colony, and they all had positive, working relationships with Collins.

The sizzle reel and the first episode of the season were screened in the main threatre, and it had the audience entertained from the beginning. The episode left people feeling some how connected to these people and interested in their lives, which is exactly what great storytelling should do.

Luke Rold is currently the Associate Producer of Dance Moms Miami, and a co-writer/co-director with Trever James. Trever James is the Supervising Casting Editor of NBC’s The Voice.

James, Rold, and Dinner all share Executive Producer/Creator credit for their exciting new National Geographic show.

Alumni Trever James and Luke Rold Docu-Series Premiering on National Geographic