Grad Kate Dotson Is Working In Japan!

Kate Dotson is a film graduate with a keen eye for composition, which is why she decided to move her talents to Japan after graduating from The Los Angeles Film School

Inspired by fantasy films and the inventive imagination of literature greats, Kate has always had an eye toward creating new worlds of her own. We asked her to illustrate how she has been able to charge forward in forging her own creative path.

What originally inspired you to work in the entertainment industry?

I was always a child that lived inside my own head. Ever since I can remember I documented anything and everything, and one day it kind of just clicked, like “oh, this is what I’m suppose to be doing with my life.” So in terms of what inspired me, probably were all the make believe worlds that were created for me. Books like Harry Potter, movies like Pan’s Labyrinth, songs like “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd. These weren’t just creations, they were moments in time frozen forever. I found the idea that something like that could exist fascinating.

How did you find out about The Los Angeles Film School?

As I neared the end of my high school career, I was floating. I had no idea where I would go to college, and even less of an idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Movies were always my favourite thing, but I never even thought about turning it into a career. One day, my family and I where sitting around on the couch, watching TV, and a commercial about LAFS came on. When it was over, my family and me kind of looked at each other in disbelief. It just clicked.

 What made you decide to come here?

It was really just a feeling. As I continued to pour through the different schools and different film programs offered, they all just felt wrong and I couldn’t picture myself at any of them. When I looked into LAFS, it took me all of ten minutes to decide. That’s where I had to go. One of the big appeals was it just so happens to be smack dab in the middle of Hollywood and What better place to learn the art of filmmaking?

What was your favorite thing you learned while at LAFS?

I would have to say, just the experience. I learned too much to be able to tell you just one thing the program taught me. LAFS gave me the opportunity to get into my own head, and really create. I had access to fantastic resources and was surrounded by likeminded artists. It was so surreal, but it gave me such an amazing foundation to build my knowledge from, and I think that’s really important. It takes so many things falling into place to make a movie great, and it can sometimes (always) seem overwhelming, but having that foundation of knowledge is really helps.

What are you doing now?

After I graduated I decided to spend some time in Tokyo japan. While here, I’ve been doing a lot of freelance photography and hope to start an internship with AFN (armed forces network) soon. I’m just trying to see as much of the world as possible, gain some experience and perspective, and hone my craft.

 What do you love most about what you do?

I think the best part of what I do is seeing little pieces of my brain come to life. It makes me feel a little less insane and it’s the ultimate dream to get to live your life playing pretend and creating. I think film is one of those really rare, amazing things that connect us as human beings, and to able to partake in even a small piece of that is an incredible gift.

Any advice you would like to share?

Take advantage of EVERY opportunity. Every moment you can get your hands on at LAFS, go for it. Be proactive, and look into some of the things offered when you aren’t in class. Get together on the weekends with your friends and make some really crappy short films. Nothing they teach you there is unimportant, so don’t make the mistake of thinking anything is less than the most important piece of information. You are the only one that decides how much you take away from this program. Put yourself out there, be brave, and believe in everything you create, even the bad stuff; because the next thing you make will be a little better. As long as you are growing as a filmmaker, you are already good enough to make it as one.