Marc Kharrat ‘11
I was born in Lebanon and moved to Southern California at the age of seven. I quickly had to adapt to the American culture and find comfort in my own skin, especially in a new country. My Lebanese parents had always instilled in me a sense of pride and courage to chase dreams out of the norm. Despite following in the steps of most young Lebanese immigrants and becoming a doctor or engineer, I decided to follow my heart and pursue the arts. With the purchase of my first camera, I began capturing candid moments while also trying to illustrate the elegance of the ordinary. Throughout high school, I became hypnotized by the art of storytelling through film and video. During community college, I strengthened my passion by taking on the challenges of film production. This eventually paved the way for me, allowing me to direct and produce my own projects. Eventually, I transferred to CSULB to complete my degree and begin my career.
I currently work at Foodbeast.com, a food news web publication. Alongside editorial, we also produce video content for our YouTube channel. As the Creative Director for FoodbeastTV, I am responsible for all the video content we produce. Along with producing and directing segments, I also maintain the overall direction of our video program while continuing to grow our viewership and subscribers. Basically, I film food for a living.
My best friend started Foodbeast back in college. Naturally, we brought together our passion for food and film and began documenting our daily office and food adventures. With a fantastic editorial team writing for Foodbeast, a video department had to be created to bring a visual factor to entertain our readers. For me, it was always about the experiences that I challenged myself with that got me to where I am today. You have to be willing to get into the trenches, you have to have a passion for being on set and be comfortable making decisions while directing a cast and crew, which ranges from 10-100 people (depending on the production). After working a year in Burbank for a post-production company, I got burnt out working like a monkey and in a factory, at least that’s how it felt sitting in a cubicle. I realized that I couldn’t surrender my imagination, creativity, and time to a regular 9-5 desk job and a lousy paycheck, even though the job was in the film industry realm. When I made the decision to leave and start creating again, I began dedicating my time to Foodbeast. And over the years, we have been able to gain traction on the internet through our YouTube channel, as well as being showcased on Huffington Post, Mashable (to name a few) and on major network television shows, such as, Anderson Cooper 360 and Stephen Colbert Report.
The most rewarding part of my job is being able to work with risk takers who are creative. When we all come together and collaborate on a story or video, and seeing it stem from an idea to completion is truly amazing. I also get a kick out of entertaining our viewers when we travel to countries, eat and explore a culture that others haven't tried before. Bringing awareness through food is very quirky and interesting, and having the freedom to explore that through a cultural lens is truly awesome. Curiosity is key.
Frankly, I didn’t know what to envision while I was an undergrad. I kept focused and maintained a humble and modest approach towards my future. Creating a career in filmmaking is difficult and easier said than done. Especially with everyone and their mother having access to a camera, the art of storytelling is drastically changing and so is the entertainment industry. If there was one goal I had while I was an undergrad, it was to be able to make a living doing what I love after I finished my education. That mentality drove me to where I am now.
After all these years, from finger painting and taking naps in kindergarten to writing papers and shooting a thesis film in college. To see it all come to an end like that with one simple, yet complex orchestrated walk. It was a bit surreal. But there was a rush that paired the dreamlike state that I was in. I felt accomplished, ready to explore and face the next chapter of my life head on.
The biggest transition for me came after college; I was unsure what direction of the film industry I wanted to immerse myself in, and how to go about it. After going home and revisiting my roots in Lebanon, I came back to California with an open mind and a yearning to tackle the obstacles that were challenging me.
During my time at CSULB, I was able to gather a lot of skills that I use day to day. From working and collaborating with fellow students and crew-members on student short films to sharpening my leadership skills by directing and producing projects. College experience is a time to grow and learn from your mistakes, and with the help of my professors I was able to do that and grow professionally.
I wanted to stay connected with the university and film department. Other than joining the Alumni Association, I formed a group on Facebook where present and past film students from CSULB can connect, discuss, and plan future projects, as well as post job listings and meet-ups. The group has over 250 members; some are currently enrolled at Beach while the rest are graduates working in the industry. I stress the importance of connecting and networking with fellow creative free thinkers, it is the only way to stay and grow together.
My advice for the upcoming graduates is to push your boundaries. Always take risks and never back down from what you truly believe in. Always stay humble and never take what you have for granted. And if you fall trying at least you’ll know you stood up for something. Now get back up and do better.
To be honest, anything could happen; but I can see myself continuing my love and passion for filmmaking by producing and directing shows for television. I’d love to bring my experiences from my latest trip to Brazil to the big screen, hopefully in five years I’ll be directing my first feature film.
