Today we’d like to introduce you to Laavanya Hunt.
Hi Laavanya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; that’s where I spent my earliest years growing up with my big, loud Tamil family in a multicultural city. When I was 8, my dad’s work took us to Dubai, UAE, where we stayed for four years. Then, we moved to Chennai, India, for another four years. After finishing high school, I followed my dream of working in Hollywood by going to film school in Chicago. Once I graduated, I headed to Los Angeles. Despite graduating during a global pandemic, I snagged a job on a TV show as a COVID production assistant/testing coordinator. I spent about two years in the Health and Safety department before shifting into production, which had always been my goal. After some industry strikes, I found myself working for a global live-streaming company, helping coordinate and manage live show productions.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Getting into the entertainment industry during the pandemic was tough. When I graduated in 2020, everything was shut down, and it seemed like there was no hope for finding a job. It was already hard to break in, and with no productions happening and companies not hiring, I felt lost. But I decided to move back to LA in the summer and give it a shot.
For three months, I couldn’t find anything until I landed a job on a Hulu show called Snowfall as a Covid Production Assistant. It was a relief to be working, but my job came with its own challenges. I had to make sure everyone followed safety rules, but as a newbie, it was hard to tell experienced these veterans and industry professionals what to do. There were days that I felt like such an outcast and that I was annoying people with just being there. Nobody wanted to talk to us, which was difficult because I wanted to network with people in hopes to move into production.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I really enjoy being involved in such a creative industry. Even if I’m not the creative vision behind the idea, I enjoy helping make the director/writers’ vision come to life. By finding them the perfect location or getting them that vintage car they wrote about in their script. It’s so much fun, and I describe it as a very complicated and expensive jigsaw puzzle. You have to work to find the little pieces to put them together and make this film work. The challenges of managing logistics, tight budgets, and unforeseen setbacks always keeps me on my toes, while the relationships I build with my team and the crew make it all so much more enjoyable.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
The best thing about LA is how diverse it is, there’s is such a rich culture of food, music, creative and entertainment. You can meet anybody here. My dislikes is the lack of community as well as how far apart different neighborhoods are that it make it hard to get around even if you have a car.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laavanyahuntfilm.wixsite.com/website
- Instagram: laavahunt
