Columbia College Chicago Television Department
Meet TV Dept. Alum Tracy Mailloux (’12)
September 7, 2016
Tracy graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Post Production and Special Effects. He also minored in Motion Graphics. Previous to attending Columbia, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science for Broadcast and Multimedia from the State University in Spearfish, South Dakota (’98). He was also recipient of a Silver Trumpet Award from The Publicity Club of Chicago.
While at Columbia, Tracy had the honor of taking a course with Adjunct Faculty member, Frank Partipillo (Advanced Camera & Lighting). In the classroom and on special weekend sessions, his passion and knowledge for lighting intensified and he knew he had found his purpose in the television and media industry.
In 2013, he took his love for lighting and started his own company, Gator Grip and Lighting. Mailloux says, “As with any business, the first few years are really tough”, but his dedication and drive opened many doors for him. He has had the pleasure of working on many feature-length films; “Bojangles”, “Dragonfly”, “Virgin Margaret”, “Zombies” and “Star Trek: Renegades”. He is currently in production in Duluth, MN for “Virgina Minnesota” where he is the Key Grip.
When Tracy is not lighting a set, he keeps busy as a freelance motion-graphic artist. His list of clients include; Bitter Jester Creative, Hoffman Media, Clyde Media, Tallo Filmworks, REP Interactive, Barking Fridge Productions and Blue Face Productions. He has also worked with film-maker Boris Wexler creating the opening title sequence for his movie, “Roundabout American.”
If you think that Tracy has had a lot of experience, wait, there’s more! Since graduating, he has worked on numerous commercials, promotional videos and television shows for projects with, BBC, MTV, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, Hell’s Kitchen, The Minnesota Vikings, The Chicago Fire MLS, The Minnesota Timberwolves, The Minnesota Wild, Food Paradise, COPA America Centenario, The University of North Dakota, Halloween Wars, 3M and many, many others. He is currently in negotiations for a project overseas which he is very excited about.
When asked what advice he would give to students, Tracy had plenty. “Take chances! Step out of your comfort zone and push yourself to be better. Be reliable, professional and prepared for anything. Be on time [to jobs] and don’t be afraid to work late. Leave your ego at home. Apply for those Production Assistant jobs and do your best every time. Make connections that will propel you to the job you really want. And finally, NEVER STOP LEARNING!”
Gator Grip and Lighting
Grip and Lighting equipment rental and Grip Trucks for film and video in
South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, and Montana.
