Name: Carlos Andrade
Age: 19
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Filmmaking major with a Portuguese minor
Hometown: Harrison, New Jersey
Why did you choose to come to Montclair State?
When I was researching film programs in New Jersey, MSU was unparalleled. I toured the campus and the program and realized it was the right fit for me. The town of Montclair is also a really cultured and diverse area. From a hike in the Montclair hills and woods to an indie movie at the Bow Tie Clairidge Cinema to finding esoteric used books at the Montclair Book Center, it’s a great place for an artist to cultivate ideas and perspective.
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Where is your favorite spot on campus?
Above the amphitheater and hidden behind the trees there are a couple of seats isolated from the rest of the campus. I’m not sure if this is intended to be a secret spot but it’s a great place to just sit, think and write. The student center quad is a close second because I like laying down or perching against a tree during every season on campus and watching as the trees and sky change over the nine months.
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What is your favorite part about college?
I really like academic classes rooted in the humanities that make you think outside of the box. There was this interesting class I took last semester called Theorizing Communication and Media Arts and it helped me think about media consumption and the effect it has on society a little more critically. This semester I’m taking a course called Contemporary Film where we watch post-2000’s foreign art films and study correlated topics like neoliberalism, privilegem and technocratic governments. That’s what I really love about college. When I’m introduced to new concepts and have to learn to think critically and expose myself to various perspectives. Most people despise classes like these but I revel in them. Another aspect of college I love is the solidarity you’re allowed to have. You’re not required to spend time with anyone you don’t want to and being alone does not make you a hermit. College gives you the privilege to just be able to put some music on and think by yourself for as long as you need.
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Why did you decide to become a major?
I always knew I wanted to be a writer, and that love of writing and a year of Friday night movie sessions with my sister led me to films and TV shows and I became enamored by visual storytelling. Storytelling is natural to me and I think throughout history stories have played an important part in creating a culture and conveying a singular experience of a time period. I want to be part of that movement and create stories that both make people think and tug at their emotions.
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Who are your inspirations?
David Lynch, Tim Burton, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Wes Craven, John Hughes, Anna Muylaert
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What’s the best advice you have for someone going into your major?
Make the movies you want to make. Satisfy yourself with your art but take the time to just experience life. It’s just a film major after all. As serious as it could get you’re not a full-fledged director yet. Before you can make any art you need the life experiences to fuel your craft. Go out with your friends, go on long walks, drive on an empty highway at 4 in the morning blasting David Bowie, but whatever you do just, experience life so you have stories to tell. Most importantly please watch the classics and be film literate.
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What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken NOT related to your major?
Voices of Past and Present Brazil was a really interesting course. I got to study literature and artists movements from Brazil, where my parents are from. I felt more connected to my culture and had a new perspective on my identity as a Brazilian-American.
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Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Developing a pilot for my first TV series. Getting funding to finance my independent film. Writing the manuscript for my first novel. Maybe even opening a bookstore that doubles as a movie theater. Who knows what the future holds?
Speed Round!
Sum up your life in one movie quote or song lyric.
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Favorite Television Show(s)?
Transparent, Mad Men, Gilmore Girls, Freaks and Geeks, My So-Called Life, The Twilight Zone
Favorite movie(s)?
Taxi Driver, Blue Velvet, Scream, Edward Scissorhands
Favorite Book(s)?
The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, 1984
Favorite Food(s)?
Hamburgers with crumbled blue cheese and red onions, Salmon with vegetables, breaded chicken
Pet Peeve(s)?
When someone spoils a movie or TV show.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Berlin
What is one thing you wish people knew about you?
I’m pretty indecisive about most things.
Pick 3 people to go on a road trip with and tell us why.
Jack Kerouac, Penny Lane/Lady Goodman from Almost Famous, John Lennon. The recipe for a perfect road trip is good artistry combined with the right people. It also helps having people who could make the perfect road trip soundtrack and actually play music.