Film Isn’t Just a Fantasy: Two Alumni Explore How Cinematic Arts Prepared them for a Career in Hollywood

Film isn’t just a fantasy land.

That’s the lesson Kaya Caouki learned through his experience in the Cinematic Arts program at Duke. Every semester, students take Cinematic Arts courses, eager to learn and grow in their film interests. What begins for many students as curiosity is increasingly becoming a first or second major, a minor and even a path to successful careers in film and television.

“Duke’s Cinematic Arts program offers students at Duke a chance to engage deeply in film practice, studies, history and theory,” said Shambhavi Kaul, associate professor of the practice of Art, Art History & Visual Studies and director of Cinematic Arts.Duke is quite interdisciplinary which means that each student finds us in their own way.”

“Within our curriculum too, students can chart unique paths that for some lead directly to their post-graduation plans. Duke in LA is our semester-long, study-away program that has been instrumental for students like Kaya and Brooks who had their sights set on the film industry. The funny aspect of all this is that often, our students approach us with a plan to take a single film course but then it grows into something more significant.”

Originally a certificate program, students may now receive a Visual Media Studies major with a concentration in Cinematic Arts through the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies. Kaya Caouki and Brooks Finby, two 2024 alumni, found different paths to Cinematic Arts and have now joined United Talent Agency (UTA) this fall. Both Caouki and Finby attribute their entry in the film industry to the people and opportunities they found across Cinematic Arts and the film community at Duke. 

Kaya Caouki
Kaya Caouki (Photo courtesy of Caouki)

Kaya Caouki

Kaya Caouki’s early interest in film didn’t happen by accident. 

“My granddad was a huge influence on me. He was the kind of man with a home video camera at every little event,” shared the 2024 graduate, who leaves Duke with degrees in Political Science and Visual Media Studies with a concentration in Cinematic Arts. “So I was introduced to film and media at an early age, and it was definitely something that attracted me.”

While he was immediately hooked by his first film course, Producing Docu-Fiction, it took Caouki most of his time at Duke to accept that he could follow his passion for film. 

That first course helped him better understand the creative pursuit in documentary filmmaking, exploring the boundaries between fiction and documentary. 

“I realized that I was specifically drawn to this kind of creative work,” Caouki said. “All the other work felt entirely unimportant to me.”

Eventually, he leaned into his interests, deciding to major in both Cinematic Arts and Political Science, finding that the two combined well with his interest in documentaries. 

“Understanding that psychological aspect in politics — why someone's drawn to a specific candidate or how do you persuade voters — all those sorts of tangible things translate to film very well.” By graduation, Caouki had produced four films at Duke and two micro-films on his own.

He credits the Duke film community for pushing him to follow his ambitions.

“I think part of it is because it's still quite a small community,” Caouki said. “Honestly, I think that is a benefit over other large programs, because here everyone really wants to support each other and help each other grow.”

“I would not be at UTA without the support and help of these [Duke] mentors.”

Brooks Finby in a black suit
Brooks Finby (Photo courtesy of Finby)

Brooks Finby

Brooks Finby took a different path to the program— one unexpectedly influenced by COVID-19. 

“Movies provided me a way to pass the time and hang with friends despite the COVID-19 restrictions,” he said. “I found movies to be fascinating on so many levels, be it technically, aesthetically or culturally. As I got deeper into it, I became more intellectually and artistically engaged with filmmaking and the entertainment industry."

Like Caouki, Finby — a 2024 graduate in Global Cultural Theory and Visual Media Studies with a Concentration in Cinematic Arts — noted that the film community at Duke is small, but filled with people who care deeply about helping others break into the field. 

“I first learned about UTA through the Duke in LA program my sophomore year, where my classmates and friends were interning,” said Finby. “I looked into Duke alumni working at UTA and got connected to Jenna Gates, an amazing talent agent there. Speaking with her solidified that I should apply.”

“I'm thrilled to be working at a place where I'll be around so many talented and passionate creatives,” said Finby. “As someone who came into Duke with absolutely zero connections to this intensely gatekept industry, I feel so lucky and grateful to have this opportunity at UTA.”

Finby noted that it wasn’t only alumni and other students who encouraged him. Cinematic Arts faculty are owed a lot of that credit as well. 

“Shambhavi Kaul made a big impact on me with how deeply invested she was in growing this program and making it blossom,” he said. “Her dedication to making the Cinematic Arts program not only the best it could be, but also the most accepting and welcoming was very inspiring.”