May 2018

May 2018
Andrew Rea

(BA, Film Studies & Production, '09)

Q & A:

• What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
  My favorite class and professor both have the same answer: Christine Noschese's Intro to Screenwriting class, where ideas flowed freely and the essence of great story structure was explored. Phil Katzman and Bill Jennings certainly deserve honorable mentions for their knowledgeable, fun teaching styles and many words of wisdom. My favorite memory was definitely the Hofstra Film Festival senior year, where I was stunned to win best film, director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor for my senior thesis project, Cowards Run In Packs.
• What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing learned in that position?
  My first job after graduating from Hofstra was as a smoke/flame intern at a post-production facility called Point.360. I learned a host of important life/career lessons there: Work your ass off to get your foot in the door, never let yourself become irrelevant, and get your interning out of the way while you're still in college.
• What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
  I was, until recently, a flame artist at a boutique visual effects house called SwitchFX. I was lucky enough to be hired by a married couple that would become my friends, mentors, and surrogate parents as I found my way in the industry. I was very sad to leave Switch in May 2017, but am excited to pursue content creation full-time.
• What advice would you give Hofstra students?
  Most importantly, never become irrelevant. The world of filmmaking and content creation is changing rapidly, and antiquated mindsets are sure to get you stuck in a dead-end career. As mentioned before, at least for film students, intern your ass off while you're still in school. Production and post-production houses love to hire from within, and you'll be ideally placed to snatch up an assistant or junior role when it becomes available.  Other than that, try and tell simple, succinct stories. Stop making movies about hitmen. Why is it that we all want to make movies about hitmen when we're in college?
• In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
  Diverse.
• What was your inspiration for creating Binging with Babish?
  I've always been what I call a “psycho hobbyist” with cooking – in that I'll decide at 6 p.m. that I want to embark on a 12-hour culinary project – and was thrilled to almost accidentally find a way to merge that crazy energy with my profession and passion. I wanted to test out a new camera/light setup, and had just happened to see a burger cook-off on Parks & Recreation, and realized that I (along with most people) was intensely curious about how fictional foods actually tasted. The first episode received rave reviews from its tiny audience, which drove me to make more and more.
• How has your Hofstra degree helped you create Binging with Babish?
  Hofstra not only helped teach me some of the fundamentals of making a beautiful image, it taught me the importance of storytelling. Even in a short-form cooking show like mine, storytelling is paramount. I'm not sure if this is still part of the curriculum, but shooting on 16mm film taught me the importance of carefully envisioning, framing and executing every shot – unlike digital, it teaches you to be a conservative and intentional filmmaker.
• What is the most delicious meal you've made, and is there one you would never make again?
  The most delicious meal I've made on the show was definitely Il Timpano from Big Night (a film that Christine Noschese showed us!): layer upon layer of handmade pasta, meatballs, cheeses, sausage, eggs, and sauce, all baked into a mammoth pasta dome. The worst was unquestionably milk steak from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: a steak, boiled in milk until stiff, topped with a handful of jellybeans.