The NAMM Show is more than just an event; it’s a global celebration of music, innovation, and the vibrant community that makes it all possible. Held annually in Anaheim, California, this iconic trade show brings together musicians, creators, manufacturers, and enthusiasts from around the world to share their passion for music and the tools that bring it to life.

What is NAMM?

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show is one of the largest music trade shows in the world, showcasing the latest advancements in musical instruments, audio technology, and pro audio equipment. With roots dating back to 1901, NAMM has evolved into a hub where tradition meets innovation, offering a glimpse into the future of audio and music-making.

Why NAMM Matters

NAMM serves as a vital platform for the music industry, fostering connections and sparking creativity. It’s where:

• Manufacturers debut groundbreaking products: From revolutionary synthesizers to cutting-edge recording gear, NAMM is the launchpad for the tools that shape the sound of tomorrow.
• Musicians find inspiration: Attendees can explore endless possibilities, from trying out new instruments to attending workshops led by industry legends.
• The community comes together: NAMM unites a diverse array of attendees, including educators, performers, retailers, and music lovers, creating an unparalleled networking opportunity.

The L.A. Film School at NAMM

• Engaging with Alumni: We connected with alumni making waves in the industry, including some standout moments with graduates like Randy Marx, L. Dre, Freddy Mota and Jaycen Joshua, who shared their NAMM experiences and insights.
• Spotlighting Industry Partnerships: Our team visited brands Novation, Audio Technica, Native Instruments, AVID, Melodyne featured in our TechKit, strengthening relationships and exploring the latest technologies that shape our curriculum.
• Highlighting Events: Jaycen Joshua’s Mix With The Masters and Immersive Audio with Bob Clearmountain at Genelec

Highlights from This Year’s Show

Looking Ahead

As NAMM grows, it remains a standout for the music industry, showcasing the best of what’s possible while inspiring the next generation of creators. The L.A. Film School is proud to have been part of this year’s event, celebrating music, technology, and the incredible community that drives our industry forward.

The post NAMM 2025 Recap: A Behind-the-Scenes Look with The L.A. Film School appeared first on The Los Angeles Film School.

“I Can’t Breathe” is a raw, unflinching documentary featuring previously unseen footage of the events that shaped 2020. 

Last month, The Los Angeles Film School welcomed back two alumni, Jeff & Lauren Benjamin, to host a screening for Academy members of their latest film, “I Can’t Breathe.” The film is an intimate portrait of how the tragic death of George Floyd changed the world and sparked a powerful movement that defined a year of unprecedented social upheaval. “I Can’t Breathe” was announced as one of the 97th Academy Awards’ eligible films in the best documentary feature category. 

Jeff and Lauren met nearly 15 years ago while on a job on the set of a television show called “Miami Nights.” Their love for each other grew right alongside their curiosity to learn the ins and outs of the film industry, and they both decided to pursue an education in film. Jeff first became involved in social justice issues by following the story of two boys from Chicago, ages 7 & 8, the youngest accused murderers in the United States. Jeff wrote a book, “Juvenile Injustice: The Chicago Story,” on the trial and later found validation from further immersing himself in social justice issues, eventually spending a year volunteering in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.  

Jeff and Lauren took a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles. They chose to attend The Los Angeles Film School for its hands-on experience and prime location in the heart of Hollywood, where the pulse of the entertainment industry beats strongest.  

“Just being in the heart of LA, where movies were basically invented, helped submerge me in the industry,” said Jeff. “I felt like I was in the center of all the action. I was watching movie magic happen all around me, and I felt a part of it.” 

Jeff attended the Cinematography and Film/Video Production program while Lauren began studying in the school’s Entertainment Business degree program. Having graduated from the program with honors, Lauren soon learned that she wanted to start creating, which sparked her drive to head back to The Los Angeles Film School to participate in its Writing for Film & Television program.  

“My teachers in both of my programs at The Los Angeles Film School have pushed my creativity and fueled my inspiration,” said Lauren of her time with the school’s instructors. “They were encouraging and provided insightful guidance on evolving my writing.” 

“I Can’t Breathe” was inspired by Jeff’s desire to share what he feels was a catalytic and overlooked moment in world history, happening in cities around the globe during the tumultuous summer of 2020. In his words, the murder of George Floyd was one of the greatest travesties in history, a spark that ignited discussions around social injustice all over the world, and it must not be forgotten. 

Jeff and Lauren find constant inspiration in working together while raising their family of four children. And they value the time that was spent at The Los Angeles Film School. They still take advantage of many of the school’s alumni opportunities. Specifically, they both credit The Los Angeles Film School’s involvement with the academy as having helped open doors, spawning their creativity, sharpening their industry skills, and providing them with opportune paths to networking, relationships, and jobs. 

We love learning about what our alums are working on in the entertainment industry. If you’re an L.A. Film School alum with an upcoming project, tell us about it! Connect with us and send your project details!

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The inaugural Golden Thesis Film Festival and awards ceremony celebrated thesis projects from the Film Production Program

The first annual Golden Thesis Awards Ceremony is an alumni and student showcase of 2020-2022 thesis and original short films with a writer, producer, director, cast or theme featuring a diverse voice. This includes creatives of all backgrounds, including ethnicity, culture, gender identity and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The festival is organized by the Career Development and Film Departments with the purpose of championing dynamic and diverse storytellers who have or are currently studying at The L.A. Film School. In its first year, the festival received 49 original shorts or thesis film submissions from students and alumni. Watch the full ceremony livestream to hear more about how students and alumni created their award-winning films.

Congrats to the 2022 Festival Winners in the Gold, Silver and Bronze Categories!

Golden Thesis Winners

• “The Only Fan” directed by Marteverick Shears

• “A Final Girl” directed by Gabriel Palomino

• “Promenade Sentimental” directed by Nicolas Danoviz

Silver Thesis Winners

• “Zombellini” directed by Dave Flores

• “Suono” directed by Laurd Milian

• “To The Moon” directed by Michael Gene Conti

Bronze Thesis Winners

• “The Heart of War” directed by Shaka Smith

• “Remember” directed by Daniel J Adams

• “CATA” directed by Carlo Tonda

The post A Night Celebrating Golden Thesis Film Projects in Hollywood appeared first on The Los Angeles Film School.

Supporting our military students’ journeys in entertainment while strengthening their ties to the industry.

This Veterans Day, we salute our more than 1,200 active military students and alumni who are pursuing their dreams in a variety of film, entertainment and music careers. We honor our veterans and military service members by hosting a Salute to Veterans in Entertainment event, which brings together our military community under one roof. This is the 13th year that we’ve held our Annual Salute celebration, and we are proud to be back on campus after two years of virtual celebrations.

The host for the evening is actor, comedian and fellow veteran, BJ Lange. He is an instructor at The Improv Trick, 3-2-1 Acting Studios, and The Second City Hollywood where he leads the Improv for Veterans Program. Lange is a retired USAF Reserve medic and a two-time testicular cancer survivor. He is a service-connected disabled veteran yet continues to be an athlete, ambassador, and mentor in the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program.

Special Guests from Veterans in Entertainment Media (VME), SAG-AFTRA and American Legion

One of our amazing guests is actress, screenwriter and director of screenings for Veterans in Media & Entertainment, Y’Dhanna Daniels. VME is a professional organization that provides veterans with mentorship, job placement, casting opportunities, educational classes and more. Daniels shares the VME programs and fellowships that are available to veterans in the community. Some of the VME support services include writing workshops, internship opportunities, guest speaker series, and more.

To keep things light, we invited veteran comedians to take the stage and share their talents with the audience. Karen Vasquez and Josh O’Brian are both veterans and comedians who cracked self-deprecating jokes and kept the audience engaged all evening long. Thank you, Karen and Josh, for being with us!

A Special Thanks

A big thank you to all of our amazing guests and partners who make our Annual Salute possible every year. A special thanks to our friend BJ Lange for being the best emcee of the evening. This event would not be possible without our dedicated faculty and staff who support our military student community through school events like the Annual Salute. If you are a military student, we encourage you to reach out to your advisors and stay connected with this tight-knit community.

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Celebrating Our U.S. Military Veteran Community

For the past 12 years, The Los Angeles Film School has paid tribute to our military students and alumni during the Annual Salute. This special tradition brings together the brave service members who have sacrificed so much for the safety and well-being of their fellow Americans.

Heather Hope from KFMB-TV in San Diego graciously hosted this year’s Annual Salute. The highlights of the evening included special performances by motivational speaker Clay King, the James Monroe High School Color Guard team, and musical performances by our veteran alumni. None of this would have been possible without our veteran community’s amazing work and dedication at The L.A. Film School. As president Tammy Elliott beautifully said, “I am reminded every day of the power that is held within the collective…there is something special about a group of humans aligned with the same mission, working together and walking side by side, and I see that something special in you.”

The Annual Salute focused on messages of unity and connection. As we’ve spent the past months working and studying in separate spaces during the pandemic, this event served as a special reminder that we are not alone. Technology enables us to come together and celebrate special occasions such as our Annual Salute. Thank you to everyone who made this virtual event possible including our wonderful participants and guest performers.

Resources for Veterans

The Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN)

The first-ever community-driven support network serving veterans and their families in the U.S., The Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN) connects County departments, non-profits, the VA and L.A. City Programs.

Veteran Centers Through the VA.

Vet Centers are all across Southern California. Each Vet Center offers readjustment counseling to make a successful transition from military to civilian life or after a traumatic event experienced in the military. Individual, group, marriage and family counseling is offered in addition to referrals and connections to other VA or community benefits and services.

American Legion, Post 43. Located less than 2 miles from The Los Angeles Film School, its members have included Hollywood luminaries like Clark Gable, Charlton Heston, Mickey Rooney, Gene Autry, Ronald Reagan, Stan Lee and more.

Veterans in Media & Entertainment.

VME unites current and former members of the military working in film, television, media, gaming, music, and more. Joining VME can give you access to classes, events, roundtables, and a veteran community in entertainment.

Vet TIX

Vet Tix understands that our military shoulders unique burdens of stress and sacrifice. 16.6 million Veterans have served during wartime. 3.6 Million Veterans have service-related disabilities. Vet Tix secures tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation.

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In conversation with the Los Angeles Film School for Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s an honor to bring you Film Production alumna, Evelyn Brito.

Follow Along Evelyn Brito’s Journey as a Creative Film Producer

As a busy mom of a young daughter and son, Evelyn Brito helps underserved urban communities get access to healthy foods. How does she do it? Brito is the writer and executive producer of Bodega Makeover, a TV series project that helps urban bodegas in Hispanic communities incorporate more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables in prime locations throughout the store. Ever since Brito learned about the food deserts in the communities she grew up around, it’s been her mission to advocate for healthier food options. Bodega Makeover is a passion project that incorporates Brito’s love of filmmaking and producing as well as her drive for community service and family connection.

As a first-generation Dominican American, Brito feels a strong connection to her Latin community and continues to give back through her creative talents and heart. Throughout her career, Brito has also managed Color Magazine’s Women of Color Leadership and Empowerment Conference, Men of Color Leadership Conference, and the All-Inclusive Awards. Forbes recently listed Evelyn Brito as one of the Top 50 Latina innovators.

The post TV Producer and Entrepreneur Evelyn Brito Talks to Students appeared first on The Los Angeles Film School.

The Los Angeles Film School Spotlight Award at the Hollywood sign

Top Highlights from FAME Week at L.A. Film School

The 3rd Annual FAME Week celebration and Spotlight Awards were a huge success! The annual event showcased some of the biggest names in the entertainment and tech space. Google, Facebook, Roland, and many other companies joined The L.A. Film School during FAME Week to host live gear demos, virtual panels and giveaways. One of the most popular events of FAME Week every year is the gear expo. Students got a chance to win big prize giveaways from some of our event partners including a one-year subscription to the winner’s software package of choice from AVID, a Q50R2 light from Quasar, and a Sony FX3 professional camera kit. Students and alumni also got the chance to win one-of-a-kind Spotlight Awards merch from our student store. Thank you to all the community partners who participated as well as the students and alumni! Here are the top moments of FAME Week 2021 and our Spotlight Awards Ceremony.

PAINT JAM

The virtual Paint Jam battle featured original art submitted by students from The L.A. Film School. Bobby E. won the 2021 Paint Jam for his illustration work “Old Traveler” using Procreate software. All the contestants who submitted original artwork did an amazing job showing their work during our virtual Paint Jam event. Check out all the art showcased at the event on our YouTube channel.

LARS LIVE: FAME WEEK EDITION

This monthly event series is hosted by our Entertainment Business program. LARS Live: FAME Week Edition showcased student artists and creators from all programs. The event streamed live on our L.A. Film School Facebook giving our students the chance to show their music, poetry and art to the online world.

BREAKING DOWN A COMEDY SCRIPT

L.A. Film School instructor Michael McCafferty chatted with comedy writer/director Matt Mazany about comedy scripts for previous sketches. For the live YouTube event, these two film aficionados discussed 5 comedy scripts and the process of shooting the scenes.

Matt Mazany guided us through his time at Funny or Die working on a program called Test Tube, where he worked with a team to shoot a handful of episodes with DJ Faucet. Mazany ran down one of the spoof videos called “Netflix” which is a seduction sketch between two actors in an apartment. The idea for this sketch came from the popularity of Netflix in the mid-2010s.

Mazany explained how he creatively worked on videos with narrators and actors who performed these comedy sketches to create comedy gold. The main writing tip Mazany shared was that if you are going to do a parody, try to be as spot-on as you can. As a comedy writer, Mazany is a big believer in what he calls “direct parody” meaning you create a shot-for-shot remake of something that already exists (i.e. a ridiculous commercial). Watch the full video with Matt Mazany on YouTube.

VIRTUAL GEAR DAY

The 3rd annual Gear Day is always one of our most popular FAME Week events. It’s a special gear expo that gives students an inside look at prominent companies like Sony and AVID’s latest tech and software. The Gear Day included demos from Roland, Sony, Quasar Science and many more!

Virtual Gear Day kicked off with our amazing community partner, Roland Corp! Roland is a top-tier software and instrument manufacturer for music lovers and professional artists who want to make their music sound distinct. Our friend Jim Stout from Roland took us through the product selection that Roland Cloud has to offer for recording engineers. Jim Stout shared a tone of new synthesizers and instruments during the virtual chat. If you are interested in learning about terms specific to the synth world, look no further than The A-to-Z of Synthesizer Terms from Roland.

Watch the full lineup of companies that presented during Gear Day on YouTube.

RECORD PLANT SESSION WITH JEFF BARNES

Jeff Barnes, Record Plant President and 2008 Recording Arts alum (pictured left).

Jeff Barnes is an alum of our Recording School and has flourished in the music industry throughout his career. Before he graduated from the Recording Arts program in 2008, Barnes sent his résumé out to companies in Hollywood and landed a job as a runner at Record Plant. Barnes credits his success with having both live sound and in-studio experience. These elements of sound experience have helped Barnes immensely in his career.

Now, Jeff Barnes is the president of Record Plant, a go-to recording studio for top recording artists. Founded in 1968, Record Plant is best known for being the studio that has created more hits and Grammy-nominated projects than any other studio. Several LARS alumni have gone on to work on multi-Grammy winning and Grammy-nominated projects that were recorded at Record Plant. From Stevie Wonder to Kanye West, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, J. Cole, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Zayn, Justin Bieber, Nikki Minaj the artist roster goes on. Watch the full chat with Jeff Barnes and Joe Byron on YouTube.

3RD ANNUAL SPOTLIGHT AWARDS

The main event, our Spotlight Awards Ceremony, honored six talented alumni who were inducted into the Spotlight Academy Class of 2021. On Thursday, September 2, Angelina Faulkner, Alex M. Ferrufino, Ari Levine, Corey Drake, Daniel Zaidenstadt, and Kevin Atkinson officially became members of the 2021 Spotlight Academy. Watch the entire show hosted by Tammy Elliott, President of The L.A. Film School, and Joe Byron, Alumni Relations Director.

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