Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Copeland.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Charles. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I’m originally from Toronto, Canada. After undergrad, I did an MBA at Florida State University. Unfortunately, it was during the financial crisis, so my job prospects were limited. I found a job in a consulting firm and wasn’t sure if it was for me, so in 2010, I resigned and bought a one-way ticket to Sydney Australia with stops in Japan and China along the way. I spent a year in Sydney, where I learned to surf and had an attempt at an acting career.
When my visa ran out, I went to Argentina and Brazil for Carnival before settling in London, England. The only job I could find was back in consulting at a competing firm, so I thought I’d give it another try. After 2.5 years in London, I was made redundant and moved back to Canada. After some soul searching, I decided that if I could do things over again, I would have worked in entertainment, so this was an opportunity to change careers.
I applied to film school and was rejected. I decided I wouldn’t let that stop me, so I started volunteering at the Canadian Film Centre as a production assistant on student films and would reapply in the fall. During that time I found a job as the assistant to the producer Bill Marks. I was rejected a second time from the various films schools. This time I enrolled in a summer program run by UCLA.
When I completed the UCLA summer program, Bill brought me back as his business affairs manager and I reapplied a third time. This time I was finally accepted into UCLA’s MFA Producing Program. I started classes in the fall and just completed the winter quarter. This spring I’ll be interning with Berlanti Productions. My dream job is to one day work at Marvel Studios.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. The challenges began during my job search during my MBA as due to the financial crisis. Most companies were letting people go, not hiring. I was lucky to find the job that I did. Things went relatively smoothly until I was made redundant from my job in the UK. That was probably the hardest challenge I’ve faced.
I had to move countries and start my life over. I’d been away from Canada for so long, the job prospects were limited. That’s when I decided if I had to start over, why not take a shot at a career in entertainment? Even that choice had its challenges as it took me three attempts to finally get accepted into a producing program, which would give me access to internships I was otherwise unable to attain.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Currently, I intern for one of the top producers in Hollywood, and I absolutely love it. I’m trying to transition my career away from the financial side of things and more towards the creative. I have a unique skill set in that I have business and financial training, as well as skills in the creative side of entertainment.
One of the struggles I had, when I left England, was I would interview for a job and be told I was “too creative and outside the box.” I find that working as a producer, you need to be unconventional to get your project to move forward.
Currently, I’m developing a script I hope to make into my first feature. It’s a romance titled “Lost in Bloom.” Hopefully, people reading this will get to see it in the next year or two.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I read a lot as a kid, especially comic books. The excitement of opening a new comic or novel and going on an adventure are some of my happiest memories.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuck.copeland006/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChuckC07
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