ON SET FOR ‘THE COLLEGE TOUR’ I watched in awe as film student Mora Morales delivered a monologue and cried on cue for b-roll footage.
“It was nerve-wracking but an incredible experience,” she said when I asked her what it was like to be on set for the episode recently filmed at Olympic College, set to premiere locally this month and in May on Prime.
The show is a docu-series featured on Amazon Prime which began in 2020, showcasing colleges and universities from around the country through the eyes of the students who go there. Each 30-minute episode features different students, staff and alumni at each school, telling their story and talking about their college experience. They speak not only on classes, but also about what community and student life is like.
Mora is one of ten students, staff and alumni featured at OC.
The creator of the show is Alex Boylan. He was a winner in the second season of “The Amazing Race” in 2002 and went on to host ‘The Chef’s Table’ on PBS among other national shows. Boylan went to Jacksonville University in Florida and earned a B.S. in International Business. He was inspired to create ‘The College Tour’ through the experience of helping his high school-aged niece search for colleges. The goal of the show is to attract students to schools they may otherwise not get the chance to tour.
There have already been two Washington schools featured in the show, now in its 11th season. Olympic College is the first community college in the state to be featured. OC has three community campuses—Bremerton, Poulsbo, and Shelton—serving more than 8,500 students every year. There are many programs to discover, from the college’s renowned nursing program to the award-winning film school.
“I heard that there was a film school at OC from the Department of Social Health Services,” Mora explained her introduction to the film program at OC, which led to her appearance on ‘The College Tour.’ “Then, I scheduled a tour… and that was that.”
On that initial tour, Mora says, she felt at home immediately. She was able to participate in an acting class, one of the film school’s many opportunities which include editing, producing, directing, and acting.
“Even with just three classes, I’ve already learned so much about working in the film industry,” Mora says. “The professors are phenomenal and always seem to have an answer for my questions. It feels like I’m being fully supported as a filmmaker here.”
Having taken an introduction to film class myself, I can attest to that.
The professors are passionate about film and helping students. They go above and beyond to make sure every student feels supported throughout the quarter and beyond, offering help outside of office hours and advising students on future classes.
Back on set for ‘The College Tour,’ Mora said she wants to be an actor, and, one day, direct.
Most film schools require students to specialize in one thing. Acting, producing, or directing. However, at the OC film school students learn all of these things from professors who have worked in the industry.
The founder of the OC Film School, Timothy Hagan worked in TV and film in Los Angeles in the 70s and 80s and wrote and directed for Warner Brothers Studios. OC Film School coordinator Amy Hesketh was honored by the government of Bolivia with a “Valuable Contributions to Bolivian Culture” award in 2015 for “pioneering the New Wave of Bolivian cinema” after a decade of living and working in that country. OC Screenwriting and Film Production Professor Aaron Drane is a member of the Writers Guild of America-West and Producers Guild of America and has worked on Sony, Comcast and Lionsgate films.
Drane and Hesketh’s most recent feature film, RUCKER, which premiered in 2022, was shot regionally in Kitsap in collaboration with OC Film School student crew and actors working alongside industry professionals.
“It was an opportunity for students to come forward and gain some valuable professional experience” says Drane.
In fact, the lead of the movie was a student. He says students offer a lot to the creative process of making a film. “It’s amazing, new voices, all that creative power coming together, it’s very energizing. I learn a lot from working with students.”
Students at the OC film school are able to gain this valuable experience while going to one of the most affordable film schools in the country.
It is one of the things that makes OC special. But I think all students will agree that it’s the community here that makes it truly special.
“It feels incredibly easy to make connections that will last for years beyond graduation,” Mora says.
“For many students community college is the perfect first step out of high-school,” says Boylan.
Community colleges are a place for students to explore different paths, and find what they are truly passionate about. At the Q&A with students after the wrap of filming ‘The College Tour,’ Boylan encouraged OC students to do just that, saying, “Finding out what you don’t like and what you are not good at is just as important as finding out about what you love.” // KEELY RIGGS
OLYMPIC COLLEGE FEATURE on ‘The College Tour’ is set to premiere locally on April 24 and on Amazon Prime May 28. Behind the scenes, sneek peaks and more at thecollegetour.com. More OC and it’s programs at olympic.edu
