After a long hiatus, Virgil Wade decided it was time to complete his bachelor’s degree and pursue the Hollywood dream. His road to graduation spanned over two decades, across 5 campuses, and he spent 20 years working in tech sales before getting his foot in the door. Now an MFA Candidate at LMU’s School of Film and Television, Wade works as a Script Development Intern at Valhalla Entertainment, the production company known for “The Walking Dead,” the “Terminator” trilogy, “Armageddon,” “Incredible Hulk,” and much more.
Wade hopes to work his way through the television ranks to become a showrunner. “I chose LMU because of the unique opportunity to participate in what seems to be a first-of-its-kind Writing and Producing for TV program. The other top 8 schools offer the writing part or the producing part, but to be effectively training showrunners? Had to jump on that train!” he says.
A science fiction writer and fan, Valhalla Entertainment is a perfect fit for Wade. He credits Professor Tom McNulty’s development class for preparing him for the role, which requires him to pitch projects as if they are his own. He provides coverage for TV scripts, feature scripts, and novels and assists with archiving old scripts in Valhalla’s Hollywood office.
Though he says juggling the prestigious internship in addition to classes, homework, and an on-campus gig leaves him little time for sleep or romance, Wade emphasizes the importance of gaining real-world industry experience. “The biggest teaching tool for me has been being in the kitchen, seeing how the steak is cooked, even helping to flip it once or twice. I’d recommend everyone try to do at least one internship,” he says.
This February, Wade will get the chance to put on the chef’s hat as he films his thesis, “The Syndicate,” a future-based, tech-noir drama that centers on a detective, his crime boss ex-wife, and their daughter who might end up leading a synth (android) revolution. He invites students to reach out about working on it with him.
