Laura Mon, a former student of the Degree in Cinema and Audiovisual Communication at Camilo José Cela University, has made a name for herself in the Hollywood film industry thanks to her work in the artistic teams of major American film productions. What began as a first adventure on the film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie – which brought to an end the successful series by actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul – has led to a successful career in several blockbusters such as The Crown or Asteroid City, the latest work by Wes Anderson.

“I have been passionate about American cinema since I was little. I was always intrigued to know how someone felt working from within. I’m on cloud nine,” Mon acknowledged in an interview in the newspaper La Nueva España.

It was not easy to make the decision to cross the Atlantic and leave family and friends behind, but Laura Mon believes that in the long run it was the best choice: “It was a difficult decision, because it meant rejecting a very important national scholarship to go study in the United States. When I saw myself there, I couldn’t believe it. I was very lucky to get my foot in the door.”

Since then, she has taken part in over fifteen major film industry projects. “I would like to become an art director. Maybe people don’t have that perception, but it is a tough sector. You have to get your hands dirty to gain experience,” she said.

However, all that glitters is not gold, due to the amount of travel and job instability in this industry: You are moving around Spain all the time. It entails its share of risk because it involves a certain instability and constantly searching for productions. That wears you out and requires continuous renewal. It’s hard because it means being away from family and friends.”

Even so, Mon has said that she would not change her situation for the world and encourages other students to follow in her footsteps: “People associate getting good marks with studying degrees like engineering or medicine, but my parents always encouraged me to do what I like. I’m happy I took the risk.”