BU’s Warren Lester Studies Film in L.A.

Cinema is a major part of our culture as a society. From the actors, producers, directors, and writers, everyone on set has a part to play. Bluefield University student Warren Lester has always dreamed of being a part of the film industry. This spring, he is one step closer to achieving that goal with a semester of study at the L.A. Film Studies Center.

Lester, a native of Bluefield, WV, is a senior at Bluefield University. With a desire to be a cinematographer, he began by pursuing his undergraduate degree in Communication Arts at BU. Since Bluefield does not offer a film degree, the university partners with the prestigious L.A. Film Studies Center to provide students with advanced training for film careers. Lester took advantage of the opportunity by signing up for a semester of study this spring.  

“It was a bit of culture shock,” said Lester about going from Bluefield to Los Angeles. “Everyone is always going somewhere, doing something, but once you get used to it, it is easy to live out here. It’s not as scary as you would think.” 

The semester of study at the L.A. Film School runs January 9 through April 28. During the semester, Lester is studying Faith and Artistic Development, Hollywood Production Workshop, and Inside Hollywood. He said the Hollywood Production Workshop is his most important course.

“Everyone in the program gets together, and we are going through the fundamentals of film making,” Lester said. “The end goal is for each of the groups to make a film by the end of the semester.” 

Lester was able to select his electives for the semester, including Narrative Storytelling, which is the focus for those who strive to be cinematographers or directors. There are three electives from which students get to pick, one focusing on the technical aspects of film, another for writers, and one for actors.

“It gives a diverse blend and different ideas,” Lester said. His experience also includes an internship where he gets to learn from professionals by being on set during a production. He said he highly recommends the program to any students interested in a film career.

“Get involved, talk to your advisor, and let them know that you are interested,” Lester said.