As one USC-made film starts streaming, a new film project involves international collaboration.

Hadley Schaffer has the coolest job. What other job allows you to ride a rollercoaster on the clock? How about being a taster for a food competition or taking care of celebrity actors? Schaffer has done all this and more as a production assistant on Netflix shows and national advertising campaigns. But he got his start right here at the University of South Carolina. 

Schaffer’s filmmaking career began on the set of the film The Grand Strand, a full-length feature created by the Get on Set Initiative. The project gives students hands on filmmaking experience to help them break into the entertainment industry.  

“Get on Set taught me just about everything I know about film,” Schaffer says. “It was my first time being exposed to the way real sets operate—the equipment, the terminology and the high-speed environment, and because of it I was prepared to enter the workforce.”  

Schaffer, a 2023 media arts graduate, has assisted on big time sets, including Netflix’s The Circle and Barbecue Showdown, plus social media campaigns for big brands, including Tabasco hot sauce. He says working on The Grand Strand taught him the filmmaking ropes and how to anticipate needs on set.

Over the last four years, dozens of USC students have gained filmmaking knowledge from Get on Set film projects. While working on the films teaches students valuable skills behind the scenes, Get on Set makes dreams come true in front of the camera as well. 

 

Coming to a screen (very) near you 

A handful of USC students, alumni and faculty can now access their hard work on-demand. Hero, the first film produced through the initiative, is now streaming on Amazon. 

Starring USC alumni Anthony Currie and Carly Siegel, Hero tells the story of college dropout, Tre (Currie), whose world is turned upside down when his ex-girlfriend (Siegel) reveals she is pregnant with his child. 

Filmed entirely in Columbia, SC, the movie screened at international film festivals and locally at Columbia’s Nickelodeon Theater before being picked up by Amazon. Dustin Whitehead, USC theatre professor and director of Hero, says making it to streaming is a culmination of years of collaborative work. 

“With Get on Set we strive to bring people together in unique ways, to exist between professional and educational, in a space where no questions or ideas are silly and there is time and capacity to take chances,” Whitehead says. “We believe that the most exciting and creative ideas are born from the group’s desire to learn and discover together.” 

And just as the first project of this unique USC-based filmmaking initiative hits streaming platforms, the fourth film gears up for production. This one, Supervoid by Norwegian filmmaker Kim Falck, has international appeal. 

“With Kim’s extensive theatre background and grounded collaborative approach, he fits our model well,” Whitehead says. “The students who work on Supervoid this summer stand to learn a lot with him in the driver’s seat.” 

Falck will also contribute to a panel discussion about international filmmaking at the Darla Moore School of Business on November 14, 2024. The panel, which will feature Falk, Isaiah Wolfe, Hanne van der lest and Joshua Foster, will highlight how filmmakers transform artistic visions into viable careers. The panel is open to all majors, and students wanting to attend can register here. 

As the film industry continues to evolve and faces its own challenges, the opportunities that Get on Set provides to student filmmakers are more valuable than ever. For Hadley Schaffer, he’ll continue advancing in his career using the building blocks from his time at USC. 

“I cannot recommend the program enough for anybody pursuing a career in the film industry,” Schaffer says. “Nothing can compare to real life experience, and that is exactly what you get from Get on Set.”