Gavin McCourt
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
GAVIN MCCOURT IS CURRENTLY A THESIS STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HIM A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY:
Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
Los Angeles is the place I call home. I moved here when I was 13 and after leaving to go to school in the Bay Area and spending the last three years at NYU, I've recently moved back.
LA is interesting because it's not really a city. It's kind of a sprawling collection of towns or villages or something. On the one hand, that can mean spending a lot of time in the car driving from place to place which drives some people crazy. But on the other hand, there are so many different areas to visit and experiences to have that I feel like there's always something interesting and exciting going on.
Of course, Hollywood is here which means every stranger you meet works in the industry -- for better or worse. As an up-and-coming filmmaker trying to make a name for himself, I appreciate being in the mix.
What I love most about LA, though, is being able to hop in my car after a stressful day, head to the beach, and jump in the water for a surf. Being in the water and connecting with nature has a way of clearing my head and helping me get the creative juices flowing!
What or who is inspiring you right now and why?
Right now, I'm feeling inspired by Black Mirror, an anthology that explores the unintended consequences of technology, often for the worse, with most episodes feeling like they could very easily take place in the not-so-distant future. For me the show is incredibly effective at capturing the unease or anxiety I sometimes sense as a result of our ever-increasing dependence on technology.
I'm also inspired by anthologies in general at the moment, which I feel like provide a really cool opportunity to anchor a series around a specific theme or conceit and then to explore that question in depth over a series of episodes without being tied to a continuous narrative.
I'm really enjoying Westworld as well. While I have my suspicions that the show itself may ultimately be forgotten, it's reminding me that while I love to binge watch content as much as the next person, there is something really fulfilling and satisfying about the sustained effect of a season that unfolds over months and months. Being able to get together with friends on Sunday nights, reading fan theories on Monday morning, having conversations over dinner -- the dialogue and participation around the show is almost as intriguing as watching itself. As I consider the various projects I am working on, it stimulates in my mind a thought process around the many different delivery systems that now exist and the pros and cons of choosing one method over another.
What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
The most rewarding experience that I've had at Tisch has been the opportunity to meet people from so many different walks of life, with completely different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Aside from these individuals themselves being so varied and interesting, seeing the ways in which background, culture, language, and perspective combine and lend themselves to such compelling and unique characters and stories on screen is fascinating and has definitely encouraged my growth as a filmmaker!