Mr. Hardwick and Mr. McWhirter speak to students in a Q&A.
Theater students ask the filmmakers questions.
As you unwind by watching the latest TV shows and movies, you might just stumble across the works of Choate alumni in the filmmaking industry. From the TV series The Flash to the movie Borat, Mr. David McWhirter ’82 and Mr. Anthony Hardwick ’84 have worked on notable productions in film and TV through their roles as director and cinematographer, respectively. On May 5, Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick came to campus from Los Angeles to visit theater classes and hold a Q&A session for students.
A result of the coordination between the Alumni Relations Office and Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick, planning for their visit began two years ago when Mr. McWhirter expressed interest in reconnecting with the School and talking to students. During this time, Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick worked on the upcoming NBC show Found together. After recognizing each other as Choate alumni, Mr. Hardwick agreed to visit campus with Mr. McWhirter.
Mr. Chris Reichart, Senior Associate Director of the Alumni Relations and Development Office and friend of Mr. McWhirter, and Director of Alumni Relations Ms. Andrea Solomon then worked closely with Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick to coordinate and bring this event to reality.
Once on campus, the first stop of Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick’s visit was the Theater Production Design class, where they spoke with students about the class’s three different set design projects. “We were late [to the next class] because we wanted to talk about all three, and we were rambling probably a little bit, because we love it and Chris [Reichart] was like, ‘we gotta hustle.’”
The filmmakers’ next commitment was at Theater and English teacher Mrs. Kate Doak’s Playwriting and Screenwriting class, where they answered questions about the screenwriting process and how filmmakers adapt scenes from the script and edit in post-production.
“These alumni filmmakers brought so much wisdom and passion for their work to our campus,” said Mrs. Doak regarding their visit.
In the evening, Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick held a Q&A session for students in the Arts Concentration Signature Program. They went into more detail about their paths to the film industry and offered students advice about their own potential careers in film.
Lorraine Hillgen-Santa ’24, who attended the Q&A, said, “Both had planned on going into the medical field until they had a realization that they would be happier creating film. I think that really stood out to me as such a beautiful way to live life since they both found happiness and success in their work, which is really important.”
The filmmakers emphasized the importance of doing their best in every endeavor to the students. “Show up early, dedicate yourself to the work, be a communicative and flexible part of each environment you are able to be a part of, and learn from everyone around you,” summarized Mrs. Doak.
Mr. McWhirter and Mr. Hardwick enjoyed seeing student-created works during their short time on campus.
“It was really nice to see current students and how excited they are and passionate about the projects they’re pursuing,” said Mr. Hardwick. “I’m certain I would have taken some of [the Arts Concentration courses] … had there been a course like that. There’s no question that I would have taken it. Screenwriting, production design, all of them. None of that quite existed the way it does today.”
They credited their time at Choate and the large impact it had on their development and careers. “Choate prepared us not just for our careers in film, but for our lives in general,” said Mr. Hardwick. “If you go through three or four years here and graduate, I think the confidence it gives you for the rest of your life [makes you realize] you can literally do anything.”
Overall, the two enjoyed their return to campus. They were able to speak with students and reacquaint themselves with the School through a more authentic lens. “[Reunions] aren’t the same. It’s kind of like watching outside the box. You don’t interact with the students,” said Mr. McWhirter. “We got to see how classes run and how the rehearsal runs. We got to watch what was important to us, watching their work.”
When asked what he hopes for students to take away from their visit, Mr. Hardwick said “whatever you do, whether it’s business, finance, medicine, arts, you should do it because you love it. Because if you love the work, you’re going to excel at it. You’re going to enjoy your whole life.”
