While he may hold an undergraduate degree from our cross-town rival, Micah Cyrus is a proud UCLA alumnus, who graduated from the School of Theater and Film in Professional Screenwriting. Now, Cyrus works as a television writer, having worked on a multitude of hit shows such as “All American,” “Step Up: High Water” and “The Resident.” The arts have always been an affinity for Cyrus and thanks to UCLA, he was given the knowledge, real-world experience and skills necessary to make the transition into the professional space.
This article has been edited for length and clarity.
BruinLife: Did you know you wanted to go into the entertainment industry when you started college?
Micah Cyrus: Yes, I did. I did not get into USC film school. I applied three times–I was rejected every time, but I knew early on that I had an affinity for the arts that dates all the way back to childhood. I was fortunate that my mom was a career executive assistant in the doctorate program at USC, so I knew I wanted to [attend] the film school. I got rejected every time, but I was able to do the film minor, which gave me the opportunity to curate my classes differently than if I were in critical studies. I was able to dabble in a little bit of everything.
BL: You said you had an “affinity for writing.” Can you talk more about that?
MC: I truthfully had a teacher who, early in life, told me that I didn’t really have a skill set to be a writer, so I ignored that calling from that moment forward. My first entry into UCLA was a job working for UCLA Extension as a program representative… help[ing] the instructors facilitate their courses. I was afforded the opportunity to take classes at extension for free, so I decided, why not take those writing classes? I ended up meeting a group of fellow filmmakers and we decided to take it upon ourselves that every weekend, we would rotate between writing, directing and producing each other’s short films. I remember writing that short … and remembering I have so many stories to tell and how dare I give them power to tell me what I should and should not be able to do. And so, I decided to take it upon myself from that moment forward to take writing seriously.
BL: Having attended both UCLA and USC. Who do you root for during football season?
MC: Of course I root for USC, I bleed Cardinal gold, but … I owe UCLA so much. USC doesn’t have a program like the Professional Writing Program, where you have an affordable option to be able to study a craft, get a graduate-level certificate and at a fraction of the cost. I owe a lot to UCLA … it quite literally saved me financially, so I have much love. And as much as we have the home rivalry, of course, I’m rooting for USC to win, but I have no hate in my heart… it’s a joke for me.
BL: How well did your courses prepare you for your professional career?
MC: I did the features screenwriting program and it was really helpful because understanding features as a traditional three-act structure was really helpful, even for TV. A feature is three acts and for [TV writers], we’re just multiplying those acts by two. It was really helpful to learn that traditional structure and I felt like it was also helpful in the process of being able to turn out scripts because in the professional writing program, we were writing a script every 10 weeks. So, it was helpful to get out of our heads and be able to just write. I was really appreciative that the program at UCLA was curated like a writers’ room. I’m reading my nine other classmates’ works, giving them feedback … and it helps you to understand getting the notes and collaborating.
BL: What was the industry like when you first started and how has it changed since?
MC: When I first started, there was a golden age of television where there was so much opportunity. After this recent strike, a lot has changed in that there are fewer jobs. I came in seeing writers move from one show to the next, sometimes too busy, having to turn down jobs because they’re already committed. Then post-strike, a lot of those deals were lost, less shows were getting bought, thus less room for writers to be able to be staffed. Things are starting to pick up, but I feel like there’s a new normal that we’re just getting adjusted to, but are still, quite literally, in the process of finding what that is on all fronts. It’s already better, in my opinion, than a year ago and some might be like “he’s lying,” but I feel like that’s the case for what I’m seeing.
BL: Looking back, are you happy with how you spent your time in college?
MC: Yes, both undergrad and grad. I tell people to live life because without that experience, you have no stories to share. I’m really grateful that at USC, I wasn’t so ingrained into the film world quite yet and knowing that I wanted to be a writer because I feel like I have tunnel vision and… it was nice to play in other sandboxes for a little bit. I studied abroad [in] Spain for a semester and I wouldn’t have had the freedom if I were on the film production track. I lived so much life in those six months and learned so much about myself and thus, have something to write about later. Then the grad program was great because then I knew… it’s time to focus and hone the craft.
BL: If you can give our readers one piece of advice about trying to break into the industry today, what would you tell them?
MC: I always tell them, if it is truly your passion, be patient, wait it out. Your time will come when your art will be seen by the world and in that time, continue creating your stories… you don’t have to wait for someone to open the door for you. Everyone has stories inside of them that need to be told, so enjoy the process of being able to tell those stories however you can make them and the time will come where you’re gonna be paid for them. Be patient, because right now is a really precarious time and you get to then just enjoy the profit.
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Featured Image Courtesy of Micah Cyrus