Taylor Black

The Long Game: How Taylor Black Became One of Streaming’s Most In-Demand Colorists

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What do recent streaming hits such as Earnhardt (Amazon Prime), John Candy: I Like Me (Amazon Prime), McCartney 3-2-1 (Hulu), Queen of Chess (Netflix), SHAQ (HBO MAX), and The Menendez Brothers (Netflix) all have in common?  None other than our talented Class of 2004 film program alum and senior colorist Taylor Black, who brought his artistic skills to each of those projects and many others, helping to bring to life the literal vision of directors like Colin Hanks (John Candy: I Like Me) in post-production, setting the visual tone for what we would all eventually see on our screens across the biggest streaming platforms.
Music Video Director: Floria Sigismondi

The MTV Film School: How 8 Music Video Directors Rewrote the Rules of Cinema

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Before streaming algorithms dictated our media diets, the music video was the ultimate creative sandbox. In the 90s and early 2000s, record labels handed young, hungry directors massive budgets and a simple mandate: visually interpret complex audio mixes, aggressive tempos, and raw performances in under five minutes. This era became an unregulated, highly-funded film school. Mastering the rhythm of a song - learning exactly when to cut on a snare hit or how to visualize heavy, distorted guitar riffs - forged the defining cinematic styles of the next three decades. By syncing visuals to different musical genres, these directors essentially rewrote the rules of modern filmmaking.
Music Producer vs Audio Engineer; console

From Blueprint to Building: The Visionaries Behind the Sound

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Before a single note is recorded or a fader is touched, there is a concept. In the world of professional sound, we often focus on the "how" - the software, the microphones, and the signal chains. But before the "how" comes the "why." If you are standing at the threshold of a career in sound, you aren't just choosing a job title; you are choosing how you interact with the world’s most invisible and powerful medium. To find your place, it helps to look at the distinction through a different lens: The Architect versus the Builder.
Free Guy - Non-playable character

The Ghosts in the Machine: A Love Letter to the Non-Player Character

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In the lexicon of the internet, "NPC" has become an insult - a way to describe someone as boring, repetitive, or lacking a soul. But for those of us who grew up with a controller in hand, we know the truth. NPCs aren't just background decoration; they are the heartbeat of the virtual world. Without them, our heroics would be performed in a vacuum. Without them, we are kings of empty castles. This is a history of, and a thank you to, the entities that taught us how to play.
BTS Arirang

LAFS & LARS Alumni on BTS’ Arirang, One Piece, Imperfect Women & More

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Sometimes, the credits speak for themselves. From a number-one BTS album to premium HBO drama to one of the biggest streaming franchises in the world, alumni from The L.A. Film School & The L.A. Recording School are working on significant projects right now and we want to take a moment to recognize it. Here's a look at some of the recent projects and honors making us proud.
Mix Masters: Studio Manager

Grace Under Fire: The Art of the Studio Manager

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Behind every Grammy-winning album is a creative sanctuary, and behind every sanctuary is a Studio Manager. Often described as the "central nervous system" of the music industry, these professionals bridge the gap between the creative chaos of a session and the logistical demands of a high-stakes business. Recently, Tony Shepperd (Grammy-nominated producer/engineer) sat down with an elite panel of Los Angeles studio legends to discuss what it really takes to keep the tape rolling in the world’s most iconic rooms.
Maddie Goldberg

From LAFS to ESPN: Meet Emmy-Winning Animator Maddie Goldberg

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A 2022 graduate of the Animation Visual Effects program, who credits being prepared at all times as the key to landing an animation role at ESPN just months after graduating, when a chance encounter with their VP of Creative Studio turned into an opportunity to live out her animation dreams, winning an Emmy along the way. 
Maddie Goldberg

Maddie Goldberg

The Los Angeles Film School alum and east coast native Maddie Goldberg is an Emmy Award-winning motion designer, 3D animator, and multimedia artist currently based in Hartford, Connecticut for her animation role at ESPN, a role she began shortly after graduating in 2022. It is in this role that Maddie won a Sports Emmy for her work on the ESPN and NFL collaboration, Toy Story Funday Football, a first-of-its-kind NFL immersive game presentation which streamed on Disney+, ESPN+, and NFL+.
Editors

Fixed in Post: The Editors Who Saved the Movie

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In the hierarchy of filmmaking, the Director is often hailed as the sole visionary. But the truth of cinema is found in the cutting room. Film is a medium of fragments, and without the right hands to stitch them together, even the greatest footage can fall flat.
Some of the most iconic moments in movie history weren't "directed" into existence- they were found in the edit. These are the stories of the editors who took raw, often problematic footage and forged it into cinematic legend.