MEREDITH GRANT
Staff Writer
Taylor Williams is a senior who has his heart set on making movies. A Texas native, from just outside of Dallas, Williams has fallen in love with film. After graduation, he plans to stay in the Los Angeles to further his career.
His telecommunication production major with and emphasis in art comes in handy as Williams is creative and enjoys the artistic side to editing.
Since his freshman year, Williams has been involved with Pepperdine’s television programs from the “Randumb Show” to the “Sports Report.”
In 2006, year he took on the task of helping to produce an independent film called “The Day Job,” which will be premiering at Pepperdine this April.
So, tell me about this movie “The Day Job.”
Well, Micah Kafka, who recently graduated from Pepperdine wrote the movie specifically for the actress Kari Miller, the lead, who is also a Pepperdine student. From there, we have been working about 20 hours each weekend, last semester to film it and are now working to edit the color and sound. The movie centers around April Rockers, a photo journalist who wants to change the world. Only she realizes that she is mediocre. The only job she can find is to be a crime scene photographer, and from there, chaos ensues.
What inspired you to get into film?
I did some audio work back in high school for my church, some video editing for the small projects they had, but I never thought I could make a life out of it. Pepperdine was the best school academically that I got into, and it was in my second semester freshman year that I had Susan Salas for a history of television course that I was required to work for the Pepperdine TV program. Her passion combined with the realization that I really could do it made me want to see how far I could take it.
So how far will you take it, what is the dream?
I am going to be a producer. I am not sure how I am going to get there yet, but I am confident that I can be successful in either film or television.
What do you look for in a good movie?
A movie can be good for a lot of different reasons. First of all there has to be a good story. It doesn’t matter how good the acting is or the lighting or directing or the editing is, if there is a bad story, it is a bad movie. At the same time a good story can compensate some big problems. But personally, a really good movie has excellent editing. A movie that has good editing really has the rhythm of a move, the right cadence for the type of film you are making. It is finding the beat and knowing the tone. A good editor knows which actor should be seen at what time and for how long. Of course all the best movies have it all, all of the elements working together. Good writing, acting and editing.
What do you want to make films about?
I am not really sure. I am not a writer or a director; a producer is really a catchall word, so it is really hard. I am just now thinking more and more about my vocation in this business is, and I honestly don’t know yet, but I know that I want to make beautiful films.
02-01-2007