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Studying filmmaking to tell timeless stories Taylor Placity is an actor, musician, and filmmaker who is currently enrolled in Maharishi International Universit (MIU)’s online Cinematic Arts and New Media Program. Taylor grew up in Arizona, acting in community plays and playing in bands as a child. At age 17 Taylor began performing professionally at Old Tucson Studios, singing, dancing, and doing stunts in the Wild West theme park. Taylor then moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and had a variety of roles in films and TV productions. In 2016 Taylor joined the indie rock band Hey, King! with partner Natalie London, and they released their first album in 2020. Taylor and Natalie have been making all of their own music videos as well and collaborated on writing and producing films. At the start of the pandemic, Taylor decided to take a step back from acting and focus on songwriting and filmmaking. At around the same time, their band manager gifted the duo scholarships to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique. Taylor heard about MIU and its online film program and decided to enroll. Studying filmmaking, which requires a team, can be challenging online. But it also gave Taylor the opportunity to step into new roles, including producer, cinematographer, and editor. “MIU has done a great job,” Taylor said. “The professors are always just an e-mail away. I never felt like I was being left behind or lost.” The TM technique has also been a helpful addition to Taylor’s routine. “I am able to process uncertainties more easily without experiencing a negative emotion right away.” For a documentary class assignment, Taylor made a short film about an 84-year-old man named Al who rode his bicycle around his neighborhood with the goal of covering the circumference of the globe—24,901 miles. When he reached his goal, Taylor and Natalie surprised him with a neighborhood party to celebrate his achievement. “I want to tell stories that are timeless,” said Taylor, who now wants to focus on directing films and acting in them.
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