Living Arts College was proud to provide nine students and one graduate to help film the American Roots Music Festival on October 17 and 18, 2015. Performers included The Roots, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson. Blackbird Productions provided backstage passes to students Roberto Velez, Ola Samuel, Garry Taylor, Dimitri Hale, Kirk White, Dylan Powers, Jasmine Washington, Essence Perry, and alumnus Jordan Jones-Tshiona.

The crew worked under Conor McAnally, of Blackbird Productions. Mr. McAnally has an extensive career in the industry, overseas and in the USA. He has worked with the SouthXSouthwest film festival, Buena Vista Television, and LiveAid, and has produced numerous musical tributes to American music legends. Mr. McAnally recently emailed the school, saying:

“The students did really well and I would like to express a big thank you to Roberto and Ola who did a sterling job of managing the crew on our behalf. They were both “on it” and it was a comfort to know they had our back. Working with folks who had different levels of experience was good and I hope everyone got some insights into the real world of video production. I thought everyone approached the work with a professional attitude. There were no selfies or autograph requests or any of the things that are inappropriate for crew to do when they have the privilege of passes that get them where the public can’t go. Kudos to all for that.”