math_on_set

How many Hollywood directors have math majors on their film crew? Chances are if you spot a shoot in Houston, you’ll find San Jacinto College alum Andrew Olson using math to help capture those perfect on-screen shots.

Now a full-time freelancer, Olson brings a little something extra to the table when it comes to film shoots. “Even though my associate degree is in math, most of the jobs I do on set are technical,” said Olson. “I’ll adjust camera settings, route power accordingly to circuit breakers, or figure out different light intensities. I use a lot of math thought patterns with those things, which surprises people because you don’t automatically think about math on a film set.”

In 2003, Olson began his first semester at San Jacinto College thinking he would pursue an engineering degree like his father, grandfather, and other family members. He was also in the Honors program and several other student organizations. Photography and film were always his biggest inspirations, but were never his focus until 2005, when he began working on his first film project. “I was supposed to meet up with a friend on campus to do a photo shoot, but we ended up having to reschedule,” he added. “Later that day, I was walking through what I learned was a film set, and (former) professor Molly Vernon pulled me in and asked me to assist with their shoot. That’s when I started doing production-assisting work, and it all took off from there.”

Olson graduated with an associate degree in mathematics in 2006, and soon after began his freelancing career. “It’s not easy building your momentum when you first start out,” said Olson. “Like anything, you have to pay your dues and do some free jobs to get your experience. Now most, if not all, of my work comes from word of mouth. I try not to turn down jobs, but if I’m booked, I’ll refer someone, and in turn, they’ll refer me later on, so it’s all about helping people out when you can.”

Though Houston is primarily known as one of the largest energy cities in the world, it’s slowly becoming sought-after for films due to the variety of location areas. “A lot of productions are coming to Houston because it has a non-distinct large-city look,” commented Olson. “Houston also has a lot of diverse areas, like waterfront, beach, woods, city, and suburbs all within driving distance.”

Many commercial shoots are making use of what Houston has to offer. Since beginning his freelancing career, Olson has worked on local commercial film shoots for BP, Southwest, Exxon, Mattress Firm, and Conn’s. In 2009 he traveled to 33 cities for various film and commercial projects, all within eight months. According to Olson, a typical workday for a film is about 12 hours, and 10 hours for a commercial. His longest shoot was for a music video, where a 14-hour workday lingered into 24 hours straight.

“The hours can be crazy, but I’ve gotten opportunities to see all kinds of industries that many people don’t get a chance to see if they’re doing one particular job. I’ve worked on shoots for all kinds of oil companies, food, and other various consumer products. I’ve also worked with film crews from Japan, Israel, Germany, France, Australia, and England. I still haven’t made it to California, but that’s on my list,” he laughed.

Having a wide range of experience in the Houston photography and film industries, Olson is a frequent guest speaker to film classes at the University of Houston. Even today, Olson attributes San Jacinto College to a lot of what he carried over into his career.

“The professors at San Jacinto College really care about their students and want them to succeed,” he said. “Students don’t realize that a lot of the faculty have doctorates from some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country, so you’re really getting the same quality of professors as those available at top-rated universities. San Jac taught me to be innovative and to be willing to step out of my comfort zone. The education you receive here will give you the tools you’ll need in the workforce to go beyond what is originally asked or intended. You’ll learn to take things past the textbooks, put your insight into it, and how to take things to the
next level.”

Andrea Vasquez