Puja Thapa
Business Manager
It is not a secret that graduates of a college can be inspiring role models for present and future students of the college. There are many graduates of Keene State College who have set examples for students here at KSC. KSC Alum Rachel Blumberg is one of them. Double majoring in Film Production and Film Critical Studies, Blumberg graduated a year early in May 2018 with Magna Cum Laude. Currently, Blumberg works two jobs, a full time Assistant Editing & Post Supervising position with Down to Shop, a new app that features comedic skits showcasing comedic products, and a freelance music video editing gig with Zwick Post in LA. Blumberg thinks choosing Keene State College was one of the best decisions of her life.
Blumberg said her inspiration to be a filmmaker and work in film came after watching Star Wars when she was 12 yrs old. After forming her own production company, “Rachini Productions”, in high school, Blumberg chose Keene State for her higher studies. Blumberg said, “I honestly believe that because of Keene State’s diverse film program, and all of the professors’ continuous support and dedication, I am where I am right now: in my dream role, at my dream job, in the city of my dreams, and not even a year after graduation.” Blumberg took five classes a semester to maximize her time at KSC. She even took eight classes her last semester to graduate early. One of the big duties that Rachel undertook while at KSC was to plan Music Video Night, a student run event on campus that showcases student music videos. She says it is one of the experiences she will never forget. According to her, the opportunity to host Music Video Night every semester made her realize her passion for making and editing music videos. She was also a part of CFON, Keene State’s only A Capella group since her first semester in Keene.
KSC Junior Jack Callahan majoring in Film Production, also one of Rachel’s friends describes Rachel as a pretty energetic person. He added by saying, “It was really encouraging to see someone that was such a go-getter like her, like go out and do things that she said she was going to.”
Sharing about her first internship in Sundance Film festival, Blumberg said, “I physically witnessed people editing content that I actually watch daily…..using the program that I also use”. She added, “ in that moment, my dream became a little more achievable because I realized that the people sitting in those chairs, creating the content … were once in the exact position as I was.” The summer before her Junior year, she did a 5-weeks long unpaid internship with Anthem Films in LA. According to Blumberg, she went online, looked up her favorite music video on YouTube (Panic at the Disco), scrolled down to see who made it, went on the production company’s website, Anthem Films, and emailed them inquiring about an internship. After she got the internship, her adviser Debra guided her towards Keene State’s Center for Creative Inquiry Grant. After presenting the proposal for a documentary that she would shoot about the collaboration between musicians and filmmakers through music videos, through the eyes of her internship, she got the grant from the school that let her live her dream internship. The internship with Anthem helped her create huge amount of connections and gave her a whole new perspective on the real world of the film industry.
KSC Sophomore Meghan Mickela majoring in Critical studies and Production in Film said, “ her drive is very inspiring, and the way that she has carved out her own space, and what she wants to do in her field, and I just think it’s amazing that she has taken every things that she has learned from Keene State and got on to follow her dreams.”
Rachel shares when she was in a class named Career Development, she Facebook messaged everyone she had met during her internship. One of the music video editors she met at Anthem Films replied saying said he would have an open editing position for Blumberg whenever she was officially in LA. This opportunity made Blumberg graduate early. The professor of the class “Career Development”, Ted White said, “the class is designed to help people prepare not just to make connections,but also to have a really good resume, had demo reel, things like that … so that getting a job doesn’t seem scary. They are like okay, I can do this!”
Describing Blumberg, White said, “she’s got a great personality that’s really outgoing and she knew what she wanted to do, she is really into music and music videos, so she targeted those kind of companies and contacted them out of the blue and she created her own internship.”
White said, “for the right people who are motivated, it’s not that hard to make a career in film, , if you are determined there is a lot of work out there.” “You don’t have to be one way, we have all kinds of students, some who are quite, some who are interested in technical things, business things… anybody can do it as long as they kind of get behind themselves and take the steps”
White had Blumberg back through skype in the “Career Development” class where she gt to tell students what she’s been doing and was encouraging to everybody and sort of a role model of success. People who were interested in going to LA are now feeling like, “She did it, I could too.”
Mickela thinks Blumberg is inspiring and knowing her story helps her to understand that what she hopes to achieve is possible and allows her to dream a little bit bigger and hope that she can follow in her steps.”
Puja Thapa can be contacted at Pthapa@kscequinox.com
