ÎÞÂëרÇø

Cameron Belgrade (B.A. ’21) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

The world of cinematic storytelling is where Film & Media Arts alum Cameron Belgrade found his creative home. Now serving as Associate Manager of Post-Production Marketing at Walt Disney Studios, Belgrade helps bring the magic of Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel and Disney Animation to global audiences. His journey from accounting major to Disney professional reflects a bold leap of faith, and the kind of creative courage fostered at ÎÞÂëרÇø Meadows.

Belgrade’s path to filmmaking began not behind a camera, but behind a calculator. He spent his first year of college at Illinois State University majoring in accounting, with plans to become a CPA and spend his career crunching numbers. That plan lasted about three months until Belgrade had a self-proclaimed “midlife crisis” at age 19 and pivoted to pursue his passion for movies instead.

Following his freshman year, he transferred to ÎÞÂëרÇø Meadows to major in Film & Media Arts. During his time in the program, Belgrade had the opportunity to experience filmmaking from every angle, from writing and directing to producing, editing, and even acting.

“All of these positions gave me a great perspective on how everyone’s role, no matter how small in the grand scheme of things, is a universe of itself,” he says. “And each universe should be respected and handled with great care if you are privileged enough to lead a team of devoted artists.”

After graduation, Belgrade took another leap of faith: moving to Los Angeles in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with only a part-time job and a dream. That risk paid off when he joined Walt Disney Studios, a company he had long admired. His current role in Post-Production Marketing involves finishing all audio/visual materials for Disney projects, including the production of theatrical and online trailers, TV spots, and presentation materials for major industry events like Comic-Con, D23 and CinemaCon.

In his role, Belgrade ensures that every trailer leaving Disney’s lot looks and sounds exceptional. His hands-on experience with various facets of the production process gives him a deep appreciation for storytelling’s technical artistry and for the teamwork required to bring each moment of cinematic magic to life.

“The most recent thing our team worked on was the Mandalorian & Grogu trailer, which was a dream come true for me as a Star Wars fan,” shares Belgrade, whose days vary between mixing sessions, visual effects meetings, and actor ADR recordings. “Seeing these amazing performers up close, doing their thing, is really inspiring.”

Belgrade credits his success to curiosity and adaptability, qualities he encourages current students to cultivate. He believes that having an open mind about your career path can lead to opportunities that will ultimately add to your professional expertise and prepare you for future work in the industry.

“There is always another perspective to be gained, especially in a fluid industry like Hollywood where things seem to change with every week of releases,” he explains. “While my end goal is to produce my own films and TV shows, the experience I’m gaining from how a studio like Disney markets their content has been invaluable. Definitely beats crunching numbers.”

Belgrade’s passion for movies has been an integral part of his professional path, and something that continues to strengthen his artistic integrity. Experiencing cinema, and always remaining a “student of the medium,” has led to inspiration and success in his career.

From aspiring accountant to Disney creative, Belgrade’s journey serves as a testament to the power of following one’s dreams and the transformative foundation one can build at Meadows.