Nick Erickson is doing something many have dreamed about, but for any number of reasons, never did.

Erickson, who graduated from Boothbay Region High School in 2007, is in Hollywood.

He's not a movie star, but he's living and working in the midst of some, and following his dream of working in film production.

As a child, Erickson remembers looking forward to snow days and sick days, when he could watch the original “Star Wars” trilogy in one sitting. He admits he was obsessed with film.

“I was lucky enough to have my own computer and a cheap video recorder, so I could dabble with cutting and editing random videos,” Erickson said. “Manipulating technology was always something I was good at.”

Erickson said he became serious about film-making when he was in high school and participating in a TV and film program directed by Rick Prose.

“Part of our requirement for the course was to film some basketball games and a few short films on our own,” Erickson said.

He and Prose would go to the YMCA a few times a week, where the local Channel 7 had a small film studio.

“Nick always had a great sense of humor, high academic goals and a curious nature,” BRHS science teacher Sherrie Hersom said about her former student. “(He was) a very personable guy with an infectious smile. Nick had a different way of looking at things and would often be very creative in his approach to his work.

“It makes me smile to know that he is following his passion.” 

After high school, Erickson spent four years at Tulane University, where he took media and video production classes. At that point he began thinking seriously about a career in film production.

When not in class, Erickson worked as an intern at Cox Sports Television, learning about television media in his role as “freelance studio camera man.”

Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications and digital media production in 2012, Erickson decided to stick around and take advantage of New Orleans’ booming film industry. Then fate stepped in.

“My real decision to enter film came through my first experience on a big budget movie set in New Orleans,” he said.

The movie was “The Butler,” starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

“We were shooting in downtown New Orleans in August, but we made it look like (Washington, D.C.) in the winter,” he said. “Hundreds of extras were wearing heavy coats and pretending to be freezing while it was a sweltering 90 degrees.”

Erickson said the experience opened up the real possibility of making his dream a reality.

“Everyone worked together like a well-oiled machine .... The people I met were so nice, open, accommodating and helpful. I decided these were the types of people I wanted to work with.

“I also began to realize that I wanted to make something that people can enjoy and love to talk about. Making something that can tap into people's emotions so readily was something I wanted to contribute to.

“I just couldn't wait until the day where a great movie would come out and I could say ‘I helped get that made.’”

Erickson stayed on in New Orleans, continuing his pursuit of learning all he could about about film. He was hired to work on a SyFy Channel movie called “The Monkey’s Paw,” based on a short story by W. W. Jacobs, and a few commercials. Then he came back to Maine to work on an Animal Planet reality show about eel fishing, “Cold River Cash.”

In 2013, Erickson headed to the place where most film aficionados go eventually — Hollywood, California — and signed up for a two-year master’s program at the American Film Institute. The campus is located in the hills overlooking Los Angeles, and he shares an apartment with another BRHS graduate, Joyce Chagan.

In the past year at the American Film Institute Conservatory, Erickson has worked on over 17 short films, and has been the producer of four. He has held internships at Valhalla Entertainment, producer of AMC's “The Walking Dead,” “Terminator” (1-3) and “Armageddon.”

He also interned at Hyde Park Entertainment, producers of “Ghost Rider,” “Bernie” and “Blue Valentine.”

Before graduating in June, Erickson must produce a final thesis film. He is working with a creative team of five other young filmmakers who hope to complete it by April 20.

Erickson describes it as a dark comedy /heist movie about a 60-year-old Romanian cleaning lady who robs a bank.

In order to make his dream a reality, Erickson and his team need production equipment, locations, food, permits, professional labor and trucks, so they launched a fundraiser.

So far, they have raised more than $42,000 of a $65,000 goal.

AFI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization so donations are tax deductible. Donations may be made on the “Goodbye Vesna” website: www.goodbyevesna.com.