[ad_1]
When Lydia Hurlbut graduated from university with a master’s degree in forensic nursing in 1995, the film industry was barely on her radar. Her first plan was to investigate sexual assault cases. As Lydia’s husband, Shane, began to focus more on his cinematography career, she took some time off to care for their children.
But Lydia began to notice problems with the film industry’s approach to health and subsequent burnout. She saw the enormous pressure on filmmakers to deliver big-budget films on short schedules, resulting in long hours and little sleep for everyone involved.
“Filmmakers are under incredible stress, and sometimes they’re completely overwhelmed,” says Lydia. “We’re trying to build a community where people can meet and talk to others who are going through the same issues.”
Depression can be a major symptom of this type of burnout. He is leading. To question whether creators were interested in film anymore.
Lydia and Shane realized that there are wide knowledge gaps for filmmakers in terms of safety and technical skills. So, the Hurlbuts brought both of their specialties together and started the Hurlbut Academy, recently renamed the Filmmakers Academy. Although physically located in Burbank, California, the Academy operates primarily digitally and shares several online courses with its members.
Hurlbut’s goal was to teach filmmakers the technical knowledge and physical fitness they needed to thrive in the industry. They wanted knowledge that took years to learn to be easily accessible to new and old filmmakers alike.
“You see a need, and you create something that fills that need,” Lydia says. And it takes off in a completely unexpected way.
And the Academy of Filmmaking was definitely up. In the year Since its inception in 2009, the Academy has grown exponentially, expanding to support new members. In addition to Hurlbutts, the academy has brought in a variety of different mentors to educate its members about what the film industry has to offer. These consultants range from cinematographers to producers to colorists, all of whom are specialists in their respective fields. They offer one-on-one sessions to critique work and point out “blind spots” the filmmaker might have missed.
“One part I love about our community is that we love filmmakers,” Lydia said. We’re here as an international film family and we’re the people you know who have your back.
This community aspect is one of the goals behind the recent expansion of Filmmaker Academy. Lydia is working to expand their resources and create a user-friendly interface that filmmakers can take with them wherever they go. She also wants to include more affordable group personal training sessions for members.
“What we did this year was to continue to expand the content and improve the quality. [of our content]” said Lydia.
This content isn’t just for new filmmakers, either. Another goal of the Filmmakers Academy is to be a resource for industry veterans and keep them up to date with new filmmaking techniques. As the industry is constantly changing and evolving, knowledge and development are critical to success.
“You always have to push yourself out of your comfort zone as an artist.” Shane said. “If you are comfortable, you will be cold. So this is why learning new techniques is so important.
One of the biggest lessons Lydia wants to teach in her content is to listen to your body and its needs. As a practitioner of Reiki – a Japanese stress reduction method that focuses on the body’s inner workings – Hurlbut strongly believes in taking steps to balance energy in the body and maintain health and prevent inflammation.
Even as you dive into this crazy project at crazy hours, you do a few simple things to take care of yourself and be the best you can be. Great job,” said Lydia. “I feel like this is my job and the message I’m giving to filmmakers.”
This is the heart of the Filmmaker Academy – guiding filmmakers to greatness. Lydia Hurlbut and the Academy want their members to excel in physical health and creative abilities. While the academy may change and grow, Hurlbuts’ aspirations for excellence remain in everything he does.
[ad_2]
Source link
