Get Out – Jordan Peele with Students 
Student Alumni Directing – The Art of Editing at Comic Con 
Student Alumni Directing- Beetlejuice with Student Alumni Directing 
Comic Con – Orlando Bloom with Student Directing 
Student Camera Operator 
WGA Awards – Eighth Grade – Bo Burnham with Students 
Toy Story 4 – Stephany Folsom with Students 
Student Director 
The Big Sick – Emily V. Gordon & Kuunail Nanjiani with Students 
Student Camera Operator 
WGA Awards – Cate Blanchett with Student 
Comic Con: Press Line with Student Directing 
Students with Julia – Louis Dreyfus, Tony Hale, David Mandel 
Student Alumni Directing at Toronto Film Festival
Moderated by Matt: Interviewing & Production Class is an eight-week hands-on class that teaches journalism (researching, writing and how to conduct filmmaker QAs), multi-camera television production (producing, camera operation, and postproduction editing), and field production & on-camera interviewing (press junkets, red carpet & press line interviews). The class will include; lectures, practical exercises, filmmaking artist visits where students will record a multi-camera Moderated by Matt podcast episode and students conducting their own press line or press junket type interviews. Students will receive IMDB credit.
Requirements: No experience necessary! Open to working professionals as well as current students. The only requirement is a passion to broaden your knowledge, perspective, and skill set that will serve you professionally in the Hollywood industry.
Dates: TBA
Time: Saturdays 930am-1230pm
Class Location: Los Angeles/Hollywood Location – TBA
Tuition: $350
Application: Submit a resume and cover letter stating why you want to enroll in the class
Interviews: There will be Zoom interviews conducted for potential students.
More information: Email – matt@moderatedbymatt.com
Matt Ryan’s Instructor Bio
For 12 Years, Matt was the creator and sole Instructor of the UC Santa Barbara Pollock Theater Practicum Class/Internship Hybrid. Students learned the art of moderating conversations with a filmmaker(s) as well was assisted in researching and writing the Q&A’s. Students gained hands-on multi-camera production experience in camera operation (Sony FS7 – M2), live switching (Blackmagic), directing and post production editing (Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve). In addition to ten weekly production workshops, students ran the multi-camera productions of 12 Q&A events per Academic Quarter. These student-made productions have generated 16.8 million online views on UCTV and YouTube, including; Get Out with writer/director Jordan Peele, Whiplash with writer/director Damien Chazelle, Avengers: Endgame with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and VEEP with actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actor Tony Hale, and writer/executive producer David Mandel.
Alumni from the Pollock Theater Practicum Class/Internship Hybrid have crewed Moderated by Matt panel events and red carpet/press line interviews at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, Comic Con, Tribeca Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, The Writers Guild of America (WGA), America Society of Cinematographers (ASC), American Cinema Editors (ACE) and The Directors Guild of America (DGA). These field interview panels and red carpet/press lines shows include; Beetlejuice with make-up artist Ve Neill, Twilight with director Catherine Hardwicke, The Art of Editing with editors Myron Kerstein (Wicked), Shelly Westerman (Only Murders in the Building), Tatiana S. Riegel (I,Tonya), and Maryann Brandon (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with actors Charlie Vickers, and Morfydd Clark, Wicked with director Jon M. Chu, co-screenwriters Dana Fox & Winnie Holzman, cinematographer Alice Brooks and editor Myron Kerstein, Frankenstein with editor Evan Schiff, and Paradise Records with writer/director/actor Logic, editor Kevin Smith and cast.
227 Interns enrolled in the Pollock Theater Practicum Class/Internship Hybrid. These students have gone on to industry jobs which includes; production, publicity, event planning and social media marketing.
Testimonials
David Mandel (VEEP & Seinfeld – Executive Producer/Writer/Director)
Catherine Conmy (UCSB Class of 2022)
” I truly believe the internship solidified my love for the film industry, and it helped me navigate my direction throughout college. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to not only be part of the internship, but to work as staff for my last year. The internship gave me skills I wouldn’t have learned otherwise, confidence and so many cool events / experiences. Thank you for all of your hard work and your dedication to the program and to your students. We are all lucky to have learned from you!!”
Julia Schmidt (UCSB Class of 2020)
“The Pollock Theater Internship is truly the reason I am working in the entertainment industry today! I am forever grateful for the opportunities to learn from you and every guest we had.”
Constance Penley (UCSB Professor)
“The Pollock Theater Internship program that Matt taught was one of the most exciting and successful pedagogical experiments I have seen in my 30 (!) years at UCSB. Our stellar guests were always so impressed with the Pollock Interns’ professionalism and dedication to putting on the best programs possible for the campus and the community.”
Lexi Lunchick (UCSB Class of 2020)
“I will always be so thankful for all I learned and experienced as a Pollock Intern and student staff! Nothing could’ve prepared me better for working in the entertainment industry, and it will always be one of my favorite experiences I had at UCSB.