Pre-Med to Post-Production

Hollywood was a world Trey Coscia ’93 never imagined he could be a part of. As a kid, he was told his career options were limited to becoming a doctor, lawyer, or accountant. During his time at Tabor Academy, however, Coscia began to view life through a new lens.

“I look back so fondly at my years at Tabor, I loved every minute there. Tabor expanded my view of the world, and of life,” reflects Coscia. “I look back at my friendships and cherish them. Whether it was in class, or watching movies together in the common room, the different perspectives, and experiences they brought with them, broadened my horizons.”

Despite this new mindset, Los Angeles still seemed like a fantasyland to Coscia. After graduating from Tabor, he entered Union College in Schenectady, New York, as a premedical student. Coscia discovered he was not inspired by science and took several art history classes for a change of pace. During spring break of sophomore year, he was assigned a list of movies to watch, which Coscia devoured. After conversations about his future, Coscia’s professor suggested he pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Suddenly, a new realm of possibility opened for him that changed the course of his life.

“In college in the early 90s, the independent film scene was just on the rise. I never really thought of it as an option; it was a world I didn’t think I could be a part of because it wasn’t as prevalent growing up. It was just like, ‘I can do that, this is something I can do?’ That sort of blew my mind. I was shocked, I was like, ‘Wait, what do you mean? That fantasy world in LA?’ I am very thankful I met that professor because it was something I never thought possible,” says Coscia.

Coscia became an art history major in college and moved to LA following graduation. He has since built an impressive resume working in post-production for television, including series like Gossip Girl, Shameless, Suburgatory, The Fosters, Lucifer, and the Netflix series Florida Man. As a freelance post-production producer working for several studios, Coscia’s department is responsible for everything that happens between filming and the final delivery of each episode to a network or studio. However, Coscia’s work really begins when he receives the scripts prior to shooting.

“What inspires me is reading the script for the first time, visualizing how it is going to come together, and how post-production is going to help make it happen. Having a script that I am excited about, one that is a good challenge to work on and something different to experience, keeps me going,” he admits.

In pre-production, the heads of each department meet to break down the script scene-by-scene. They discuss how the footage may be shot, how many extras there should be, what the camera needs are, potential visual effects, and more. These concept meetings are then followed by conversations with the director for final decisions. To Coscia, problem-solving is his favorite aspect of the job, and it is how he brings creative input to each production.

“I’m not a writer; I’m not the person with the story to tell. Production isn’t as exciting to me; it can be tedious waiting for the stop-and-go filming of scenes. The reason why I love post-production is because we are putting the puzzle together. We are the ones building this thing; going through and fine-tuning the cut, and then once we’ve got the picture how we want it, going through and enhancing the sound and color, working on visual effects, and polishing it into the final product. We’re constantly coming up with new and interesting ways to elevate our work.”

Coscia says he is also motivated by the collaborative nature of his job. From working in the cutting room with an editor, to working with a music supervisor to find the right song for a scene, everyone brings their unique skills to the table with the same goal in mind—bringing the story on paper to life and then into the homes of people around the world. For Coscia, it is especially rewarding when these stories not only entertain, but also have an impact.

“There are some shows that are more emotional. I was fortunate enough to have worked on a show called Atypical, which is about a teenager on the autism spectrum who faces the same challenges as any neurotypical teen, like the need for more independence. It is such a heartwarming and special show,” continues Coscia, “The executive producers always share letters, texts, and tweets from people on the spectrum who watch the show, and they say how grateful they are something like this exists. We’re having an impact on people’s lives. We’re giving them hope for what life can be.”

Whether it is hearing from fans of a show, or former classmates from Tabor who reach out after seeing Coscia’s name in the credits, making connections is one of the many rewards of working in entertainment. Coscia says that not only is Atypical a great show, but it was also created by a great group of people. By the time filming wrapped, the cast and crew had become a family.

“Not only are you doing a project that means something to other people, but one that also means something to you and the people you are working with. They become family and friends, which makes finishing a show bittersweet. It’s a little like being a senior, graduating and saying goodbye to everyone, you’re not sure if you’re going to work with each other again. In this industry, projects come and go, you’re constantly meeting and working with new people, and the landscape of work is ever-changing.”

While he once never imagined being able to make Hollywood his home, Coscia is now well-established in the entertainment industry. According to his IMDb page, where you can find his full resume of work, he is credited as a producer on fourteen television series and a post-production supervisor on four.

“It still has that feeling of fantasy in the sense that nothing is as it seems; it’s all pretend. Obviously, at first it was daunting to get into this world, but now that I am a part of it, it seems like any other industry or any job. It’s like the AV club has grown up and is getting paid to do what they love, just big kids having fun with a camera and telling stories,” laughs Coscia.