The lights have dimmed, and cue the opening credits rolling on the larger than life projection screen as scheduled. The rustling of popcorn containers and slurping of finished sodas are drowned out by guitar riffs blasting through surround sound speakers. As people scramble through the darkness to find a seat, you’re sitting in the front row next to one particular boy. At first sight, you’d think that the 6’1” boy with the greenish eyes and brown hair poking out of a Boston Red Sox cap is just your average 18 year-old college freshman from Penn State Altoona. But Rob isn't here to be entertained; rather, he's working towards his career goal.
As the hero and the antagonist are battling it out, Rob sinks into his seat- pulling the bill of his hat over his face in disgust. You look at him wondering, “What’s his problem?” But right before you're ready to deem him as legally insane, he apologizes explaining that there was obviously a better way to organize that fight sequence.
It's obvious that Rob's passion is making and editing films from the way his eyes light up when talking about it. “I can see what a good cut is and what’s not. As an editor, you can pick stuff apart,” he explains. He spent his four years of high school working on various projects within his school’s film program, and believes that his experience with his teacher, Matt Williams, was the one that solidified his love for film. “Ever since then, I had a drive for it and really wanted to work in the industry.” He’s made four twenty-minute movies and spent almost ten hours editing with a computer, creating transitions, and making them flow.
Initially undecided about a major when coming to Penn State, his advisor at the time rightfully placed him in the buzzing, entertainment Communications major. With that said, Rob is seriously considering the Film/TV/Video aspect of the major.
“Film would be a dream job because I just love movies so much. Enough that I even pay and still sneak into movies,” he says laughing. His DVD collection at home would make any film critic proud, naming classics like The Shawshank Redemption, the cult hit High Fidelity, and Snatch as his favorites. One movie in particular stands out from the rest in Rob’s mind though. Pulp Fiction is his all-time favorite because of its cinematography and Quentin Tarantino’s talent. Marveling he says, “He put everything on the table with that film. He puts every skill and technique of editing into the movie that it came out great. Hell, he even acted in it too!”
When it came to college, the strong connection between him and his family made his first semester a bit of a challenge. Despite the anticipation and excitement, he found it hard to travel a little more than three hours away from the life he knew. Rob is the youngest in the family, but his older sister, Jamie (a junior at the main campus,) had already gone through the process of being a freshman. This made his transition into the college scene a bit easier. He even credits his sister’s choice as the one that influenced his own decision of coming to Penn State. “My sister loved University Park and I went up to visit in my sophomore year. It was huge and I loved it. It was a lot different than what I was used to.” He applied to schools like Michigan, Florida, and the University of Maryland, but chose Penn State over all of them because he really wanted be a part of the Nittany Lion pride.
Hailing from the small, suburban town of Oradell, New Jersey, Rob expresses that, “Ludacris says it best, ‘201/So much green/So much fun/It’s a party every day,’” when it comes to describing his hometown. Along with Ludacris, you’re more than likely to find tracks from The Dave Matthews Band, Lost Prophets, and the All-American Rejects on his life’s soundtrack. He plays sports like basketball, baseball, and his favorite – pickup soccer, but he’s “The King” when it comes to video games like ‘Madden.’ “I have yet to be beaten in my dorm when it comes to Madden,” his arms folded across his chest proudly.
This easy-going, funny, and at times, shy 18-year-old has grown to learn that if he’s got a goal in mind, he can achieve it through determination and discipline. “I figured that if I could do that, I could do anything,” he says about losing almost 100 pounds and shooting from the 5’5” frame that he was in his freshman year of high school.
After speaking with Rob, you realize the movies that make it to the big screen are more than works of art. They are a reflection of not only the director’s, but also the editor’s point-of-view. If it takes spending hours layering images, or developing a story line with the right music, rhythm, and pace - the finished product can be a hit-or-miss, but either way, you can guarantee that Rob will always be right on point.
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