Carolina Film Institute Alumni Testimonials

"Right after graduation from the Carolina Film Institute I knew I wanted to do my internships in Los Angeles. I was blown away when they set me up for numerous interviews with different production companies in Hollywood.

Originally, I thought I was only going to work only one internship, but after having great interviews with multiple companies, I decided to take on two!  I felt CFI went above and beyond the call of duty in setting up my internships.  Before and after each interview, the school helped me along with a lot of pointers about the process, and a ton of encouragement. Working at my internships with Exclusive Media Group and Toby Maguire's Material Pictures has been a tremendous experience!"

-Ryan Salchert
CFI Graduate, 2010

 

"For too long, I believed becoming a filmmaker was just an unrealistic dream.  When I finally decided to take the first step toward achieving my dream by enrolling at the Carolina Film Institute, everything changed.

After ten months of hard work and dedication, I received my certificate from CFI. Upon graduating, I chose an internship in Los Angeles, where I worked as a production assistant on the set of a major motion picture in Hollywood. On my second internship in L.A., I worked as a second unit director on a large budget independent film. 

Unable to decide whether I wanted to make my career on the West Coast or the East Coast, CFI also set me up with an internship as a first assistant working alongside John Woo with Woo International for a multi million dollar international project shot in New York City!

I credit Carolina Film Institute for helping me establish a professional resume and giving me the confidence, knowledge, and experience to make what I used to think was just a dream, a reality."

-Jesse Ballingrud
CFI Graduate, 2009
 

"Upon graduating from the Carolina Film Institute, I took an internship in Seattle working on a large independent feature film as second camera assistant (2nd AC). I soon found out that everything I learned at CFI: from proper set protocol to the technical jargon, to the necessary work ethic was essential to my surviving and excelling on such a big and challenging project."

-Matt Doak
CFI Graduate, 2010

 

"I walked into Carolina Film Institute knowing very little, but with a strong desire to become a filmmaker. I walked out extremely confident, and well prepared to make my way in the film industry.

Having a strong foundation of knowledge about filmmaking allows me to have a variety of options in terms of what crew positions I'm able to fill, and gives me wide flexibility with whom I can work for. It gives me the power of choice.

Just within a year of graduating with my certificate, I've had the chance to experience many sides of the industry: from capturing the memories for young couples in love on their wedding day, to shooting videos for rising bands with big dreams, to directing projects for AOL, to assisting with casting for the Paramount Pictures film True Grit, and directing national commercial spots.

With the knowledge that I've gained from Carolina Film Institute, the dream of becoming a filmmaker has become something  realized, no longer just fantasy."

- Camp Suntichotinun
CFI Graduate, 2009