Montevallo Goes to Hollywood

by Haley Myers

Hollywood, California… the city of fame and glamour.  And how best to spend time in the city than with your friends and peers?  Montevallo's National Broadcast Society chapter traveled from Montevallo, AL to Hollywood, CA, over three thousand miles, to attend the National Broadcast Society Convention.

Students and panelists

Students from all over the country came to the convention, all with the same goal in mind: make connections, and network with other students, and the panelists.

Chloe Allen, a senior at Montevallo, attended the trip to the convention, and has much more insight into the media industry than she had before.  "I really enjoyed all of the panelists, they had a lot of good things to say… networking, networking, networking!  They gave us a lot of good information about how to get your foot in the door, how to become a host, and I really enjoyed it.  It was everything I expected it to be, and more."

Not only did we hear great advice and insight from the panelists and guest celebrities (like Marc Summers, who has hosted many Food Network shows, and Steve Mosko, President of the Sony Pictures Television) but also from our very own Alumni who made it all the way to the O.C. 

Food Network celebrity Marc Summers

Nancy Bhagia, one of our Montevallo Alumni, has made it out in Hollywood and provided insightful advice, and an awesome overall experience for those that went on the trip by setting up different tours of different media labs, like Deluxe and Level 3 post production labs.  

Not only that, but she became our tour guide of the area, and took us to the hot spots of Hollywood, like Griffith Park, where the famous Hollywood sign can be photographed, drove us all around Hollywood.  

The group walked the whole Hollywood strip, taking pictures of iconic buildings, like the Chinese Theater, and the stars that covered the pavement where celebrities of then and now have made their mark on Hollywood, like Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, and even Ellen Degeneres.

World Premiere of the Muppets:
 Most Wanted

However, their night wasn't over yet.  Little did they know, they were about to witness a red carpet event.  The Muppets: Most Wanted movie.  They saw Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, and yes, Kermit being filmed, photographed and adored by film crews and fans in the street.

The mixture of informative panels, wondrous sights, the pull of fame and Hollywood glamour gave Montevallo NBS a taste of what their lives could be in the near future.