We recently connected with Andrew Roberts and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

We need to think differently about how we teach students. I really think there are two major issues at play that are detrimental to student learning. First, and not to sound like an old man here but, back in my day, we learned by lecture, notetaking, and memorization. Students don’t learn that way anymore. We need to move and adapt much more quickly in our teaching methods. My students’ lives revolve around sub-60 second reels, and now we expect them to hold on through a 75 minute lecture on a subject they may or may not be interested in, c’mon, that’s just not going to work. Project based and hands-on learning are the keys to teaching.
Want to be a teacher, well, forget all of the books and lessons, classes and papers, just ask your self three questions. Put yourself in the seat of your students and ask 1: Am I engaged? 2: Am I learning? And 3: Do I care? If you answer “No” to any of those then you as the teacher need to change your methodologies and work in the moment. Lessons plans are great but really should only be treated as an outline, not a strict doctrine to follow.
And second, this goes as much to the parents as it does to educators, please, stop focusing on the graded outcome and focus on the learning! Systemically, we’re making our students basket cases because we are emphasizing the grade and not the learning process. As parents, stop asking your student “Why” they got a certain grade and ask them “How” they got it. What other factors were at play, did they break up with their significant other, did they have a stomach ache during the unit test, did they just not engage with the instructor or the material? Too often we as parents just want to know why did my kid get a B… a B! I had a young woman in tears in my class because her grade dropped from a 98 to a 95 and her parents were going to be furious. Tears… she still had a solid A but her parents were looking for perfection. Guess what, your kid can get into a great school without having straight A’s and being involved in 27 sports and activities! We need to teach towards understanding, mastery of the subject, and focus on the learning. Not every student is going to MIT to become a particle physicist and that’s fine. But we need to stop acting like the subjects they are most interested in are not as valid just because we as parents don’t want them to pursue that career.
We can’t teach the same way we were taught because today’s students don’t learn the same and that’s okay. There needs to be a dynamic shift towards understanding and learning because the grades will come if they students learn the material.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m originally from New Jersey and have been in the entertainment industry for 30 years now. My journey started with live production but led me to filmmaking. Over the years, I worked my way through various roles, including Production Manager, Technical Director, Grip, Gaffer, Camera Op, and now Independent Filmmaker. It’s been an incredible ride that pulled me towards education 17 years ago. I realized that I had a lot of knowledge and experience that I wanted to share with the next generation of filmmakers and production professionals. So, I made the transition and have never looked back. It’s incredibly rewarding to see my students grow and develop their own passions and talents.

Since 2016, I’ve been the Director of Film and Media Arts at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, I oversee the film and television programs. This includes developing the curriculum, teaching classes, and mentoring students and colleagues. I also work on creating opportunities for students to gain real-world experience, whether through projects, internships, or collaborations with industry professionals.

I’m also a founding member of the Independent Filmmakers Guild of America. This organization was created to support and advocate for independent filmmakers across the country. We provide resources, networking opportunities, and a platform for filmmakers to share their work and collaborate. It’s a fantastic community and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Recently I started working with the camera company LUMIX to become a LUMIX Ambassador for Education. It lets me combine my passion for filmmaking with my commitment to teaching. I work with them to bring both technology and a solid and adaptable curriculum to the classroom. Our goal together is to make sure film and TV students have access to the best tools and knowledge available. We worked together to write and create 4 years worth of film and television curriculum that can be used by any instructor to help build or enhance their classes. Recently I presented at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Denver about the curriculum and how it can build or reinvent arts programs. I truly love working with other educators and I’ve started working with teachers doing some professional development helping them develop their skills and programs. It’s about inspiring and equipping the next generation of filmmakers to push boundaries and create amazing work.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

It’s sometimes hard to find those connections to new clients. However, my advice for aspiring filmmakers, photographers, and educators is don’t be afraid to stick out your hand and say “Hi, I’m… and I would love to see how we can work together”. This might not always yield results but it can open doors you didn’t even know were there. I first got into filmmaking through the haunted attraction industry. I worked with one of the best, Rich Hanf, creating custom lighting rigs and helping manage his show. At the end he was filming it for an instructional video and he was using the house lights and basically had someone with a handheld camcorder following along as he spoke. Selfishly I thought, ” well, I put in all of that work to create an awesome look and atmosphere and now it get’s lost in the house lights.” So, I went to Rich and said if I get a camera and editing rig, will he let me shoot the video the following year. He agreed so, I needed to learn how to shoot and edit properly. I went to another client of mine that I did lighting and scenery for and said I would cut my day rate a little off my lighting gigs if he promised that after I finished my lighting hang and program I could work with the camera ops to learn how to set-up and run camera. One simple question born from a bit of selfish pride has led me to where I am now.
And, of course, never stop learning and stay curious. The industry is always evolving, and there’s always something new to discover. You don’t need the latest gear to be a good filmmaker, focus on your art and hone your skills first. Get out and shoot whatever you can. Find gigs that you can learn on, even if they aren’t making you rich at first. Don’t be afraid of failure. Try, screw up, and try again; it’s what teaches us the most. Surround yourself with passionate people, don’t be afraid to take risks, and most importantly, tell the stories that matter to you.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Like many things, luck played a pretty big part. I met B. Luciano Barsuglia in 2016 when I moved to California. We started out working together at Mater Dei in the same department. Barsuglia was actually instrumental in me getting hired here in the first place. He was the department chair and my mentor so his advice really helped shape my classes at the start. We are both film nerds and started chatting about film production and analyzation, plot devices and gaffs. When he started his next film with Koa Aloha Media, I approached him and asked if I could help out. I started out as a PA and Camera Assistant and now I’m his right hand, cinematographer, and AD. My first film with Koa Aloha I was transportation and a stand-in for horror icon Michael Berryman. It was a blast! I did some lighting and camera work and it all just grew from there. I love the Koa Aloha folks, they’ve become family. We’ve worked on five features together, a documentary, a short, and even piloted a series together. Barsuglia is still my mentor and I can’t thank him enough for all he has taught me over the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://koaalohamedia.com/
• Instagram: @film_photo_teach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-roberts-film-photo-teach
• Other: https://ifgamerica.org/

Image Credits

Andrew Roberts
Kenny Connolly