Film Connection apprentice Matthew Gibson pursues his dream

“I’ve worked enough crappy jobs to know that you should focus,” says Film Connection apprentice Matthew Gibson. “You’re going to be more successful doing something that you like doing. That’s why I’m doing this.”

Matthew should know. A man in his early 30s, Matthew enrolled in the Film Connection recently to pursue his dream of making a living in the film industry, and is working his apprenticeship schedule around a full-time job. “Film Connection appealed to me because I still need to work 40 hours a week to pay my bills and keep my apartment and car and stuff,” he says, “but I also have to buy my equipment, film equipment. I’m doing that piece by piece, and it’s coming together. But it’s a lot less taxing money-wise, as well as time-wise, because they are willing to work with you.”

That being said, don’t assume Matthew’s apprenticeship schedule is “light.” Far from it, he says. In fact, in the few months since he started apprenticing with Zac Adams of Skydive Films in Nashville, he’s made great strides toward building an impressive film resume just from learning on-the-job—including earning multiple assistant, sound recorder and pre-production credits on several feature documentary films narrated by famous actors like Chandra Wilson and Billy Bob Thornton! Matthew admits it’s not easy, recalling times when he’s had to show up on-the-set at 8am on his only day off—but he knows what he wants, and that keeps him going.

“I’m more project focused than I am day-after-day sort of focused,” says Matthew. “I don’t mind working hard as long as I can pace myself…And there’s a sense of accomplishment when you’re finished.”

Film Connection apprentice Matthew Gibson worked on the film Hear Me Now, produced by SkyDive Films in Nashville, TN:

And so, as he finishes up his apprenticeship with Zac, Matthew will be leaving the Film Connection armed with a much-improved film resume—one that will help him land future gigs as well as equip him for some of his own film projects (he is currently working on a script he refers to as “Unforgiven-meets-Three Days of the Condor”). Talking with Matthew, it’s apparent that he’s got his eye on the prize, for so many of the right reasons.

“I know a lot of people say, ‘I want to do this and make a million dollars,’” he says. “Money’s nice, fame is nice, but really, you just want to do what you love.”