In Production Summer 2014

SUMMER 2014

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS

DODGE COLLEGE CINEMATOGRAPHERS WIN INDUSTRY HONORS

LEARNING MARKETING IN

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art

key component of our educational philosophy is what we call “the business of the business.”

We teach our students not only about how films and various entertainment properties and communication vehicles are made, but what drives the decisions to make this one and not that one. The importance of helping young people understand this marriage of art and commerce is vital to their success, to their ability to build a career and do more than just create art for their own enjoyment.

This focus is expressed in numerous ways: in new courses and opportunities, from our Filmmaker-in-Residence and Women in Focus conference programs to the incredible array of guest speakers who come to campus each year. This is why bringing Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs in as our fall Filmmaker-in-Residence is particularly exciting. Isaacs is a PR veteran and former marketing executive for Paramount and New Line Cinema who managed Oscar campaigns for Forrest Gump, Braveheart, The King’s Speech and The Artist. She will be talking about filmmaking from the perspective of marketing, which will offer valuable lessons to students in all of our programs.

This issue’s feature on crowd-funding reflects this focus as well as we see more and more students and alumni looking for inventive ways to finance their work. It is our goal to help our students marry the practical to the creative — so that they can find ways to budget projects up front that will not see them spend themselves into debt and so they can think about who might want to see their films as well as why they want to make them.

This focus will also distinguish our new M.F.A. in documentary filmmaking, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President, which will open to its first class in fall 2015. Not only will these documentary Academy of Motion Picture filmmakers learn how to make a feature-length documentary, but they will Arts and Sciences also learn about marketing and distribution strategies. In addition to offering a complete hands-on production curriculum backed up with interdisciplinary research and the study of historical, aesthetic and ethical questions pertinent to the field, this marketing element will help students create work that can reach the audiences they have in mind.

Yet with all this emphasis on the business, helping our students develop their artistry is the driving force behind everything else. One clear hallmark of our success in this arena is illustrated by the ongoing recognition of the work of our cinematography students, profiled in this issue. The expressive beauty of their images, in service of a compelling story, is what lifts a film from simple storytelling to art. And creating art — and then drawing on a strong business approach in support of that work — is at the heart of a Dodge College education.

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Photo courtesy of A.M.P.A.S.

FROM DEAN BOB BASSETT

the service of

Trigger

Creating the Magic of Disney s at Tribeca 14 Dodge Talent Bloom se Skates to Success 14 The Pink Helmet Pos ine Screenwriting Program 16 Dodge Launches Onl eer Advice for Animating Your Car 17 Tenacity vs. Talent: Marketing in a Global Arena 18 Women in Focus: Film g MFA in Documentary Filmmakin 23 New Dodge College ts Meet Animation Royalty 28 Digital Arts Studen n National Bateman Competitio 29 PR Students Soar in Insiders 30 Advice from Industry Foundation Supports Comedy 31 Events Recap/ Oakie an Films 32 The Power of Americ Sound to a Scene 33 Adding the Drama of Dodge College Alumni Notes

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Straight Down Low

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Chapman Cinematographers Make Their Mark

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What Does It Take to Successfully

Kickstart a Project?

11 New Degrees Offer Clear Opportunities

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Chapman Filmed Entertainment Finishes

First Feature

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24 Working Filmmakers Lead Documentary Program

38 39 41

Max Keller MFA/FTP ’11 Marc Messenger, BA/Com ’86 Festival Highlights Documentary Successes

Students set the lighting for a scene inside a greenhouse set built on the stage in Dodge College for the motion capture film Trellis.

In Production: Editor, Janell Shearer; Writers: Derek Horne, Sorrel Geddes, Lauren Kacura, Meagan O’Shea and Brian Hamilton; Publisher: Kris Elftmann, Noelle Marketing Group

Chapman Cinematographers

Matthew Blake at the 2014 ASC awards.

CHAPMAN’S GROWING REPUTATION FOR PRODUCING TOP-NOTCH CINEMATOGRAPHERS SET A NEW RECORD LAST YEAR WHEN DODGE COLLEGE STUDENTS SWEPT ALL THREE AWARD CATEGORIES GIVEN BY THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS (ASC) . AS DEAN BOB BASSETT RECALLS IT WAS “A VERY PROUD MOMENT ” TO HEAR CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY RECOGNIZED IN FRONT OF ALL OF THE TOP CINEMATOGRAPHERS IN THE INDUSTRY .

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et that unusual sweep was part of a continuing pattern of industry recognition for Dodge College cinematographers (see list on page 4) What makes this level of achievement possible is a combination of an exceptional faculty, a hands-on curriculum, and the opportunity for student cinematographers to shoot lots of projects before they graduate.

“I don’t know of any other film school that can count two ASC cinematographers among its full-time faculty,” says Bassett, referring to Professors Bill Dill and Johnny Jensen.

“What they bring to teaching is the quality of visual storytelling through their work that merits an invitation to join this prestigious organization.”

“Visual storytelling” is the name of the very first class every film student must take. For cinematography students, “what distinguishes our program is the emphasis on understanding the fundamentals of visual storytelling,” says Professor Dill. “The cinematographer is an artist, a creator of images; a manager, of people and facilities; and a technician, with deep knowledge of the underlying technology of the medium,” he says. “The cinematographer’s skills as a manager and a technician are what make his or her skills as an artist possible.

“All of the choices a cinematographer makes in lighting, composition, focus, internal camera adjustments or camera operating, must rise, organically out of a fundamental understanding of the human experience happening in front of the camera,” Dill continues. “The images are the vocabulary of the motion picture. These are our thoughts on the screen, just as they are the thoughts of all of our collaborators.”

Learning the vocabulary of light is fundamental to the work of a cinematographer, but learning to use his or her tools to express emotion is what moves a cinematographer’s work beyond simply making pretty pictures. A key lesson at Dodge “is to let your eyes be the conduit to your heart,” says Professor Jenson.

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BY MARISSA MAYNOR (BA/PUBLIC RELATIONS AD. ’16)

ADVICE FROM CINEMATOGRAPHY ALUMNI BUILDING THEIR CAREERS

Or, as Kyle Klütz (BFA/Film Prod. ’05) recounts that a professor once told him “use your eye first and your meter last.”

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KYLE KLÜTZ (BFA/ Film Prod. ’05) is currently prepping a low-budget feature film in Los Angeles. “My advice to students is to work on as many films as possible and experiment with different techniques and genres to find your strengths and weaknesses.”

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TOM BANKS (BFA/ Film Prod. ’09) has been shooting commercials and music videos and just filmed a segment for Funny or Die at the World Cup in Brazil. “The most valuable aspect I’ve taken away from Chapman is the people I met while in film school. The majority of my work has spawned from becoming friends with motivated and passionate classmates.”

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ANDREW DAVIS (BFA/ Film Prod. ’10) has been shooting a variety of commercials and shot the Lionsgate feature Nightlight. “The cine program at Chapman provides practical experience that is always centered on storytelling. The instructors challenged me to make choices that made me a filmmaker, not a technician.”

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PETE VILLANI (BFA/ Film Prod. ’02) has shot multiple feature films, a Hyundai commercial for the World Cup, and is currently in preproduction for another feature film. “A screenwriting professor once told me that it’s not what you see, but what you don’t see.

The mind can paint a much worse picture then you could portray in a visual. This was hard to grasp as a cameraman, but he was right.”

“Allowing and emphasizing the personal emotion of every budding cinematographer and teaching the importance of expressing themselves through the visual image is of the utmost importance,” says Jensen.

“Cinematography students are encouraged to engage emotionally with their subjects,” adds Professor Jurg Walther. “By thoroughly understanding what the scene is truly about, including the subtext, the cinematographer can create images that ‘speak’ to an audience. Otherwise,” he says, “surveillance cameras could be making movies…”

In addition to the professional-quality gear that Dodge cinematographers can access — everything from C-stands to dolly tracks to Arri Alexa cameras — budding cinematographers “must also have an understanding of the images made in great motion pictures of the past,” says Dill, “as a firm foundation on which to build. However, it's equally important to avoid mere imitation. Our ultimate goal, as with all artists, is to create images that are new, not derivative. “

2014 Senior thesis Barstow. Photo by Austin Ray.

3 FOR STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS AT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS (ASC) STUDENT AWARDS 2014: Linwood Dunn Heritage Award • Documentary: Matthew Blake 2013: Harris Savides Heritage Award • Graduate: Ryan Broomberg • Undergraduate: Mishka Kornai • Documentary: Andrew Heskett, Ryan Westra • Documentary: Dan Duran and Sam Price-Waldman (Honorable Mention) 2012: Andrew Laszlo Heritage Award • Graduate: John MacDonald (Honorable Mention) • Undergraduate: Nicholas Wiesnet (Honorable Mention) 2010 William A. Fraker Heritage Award • Undergraduate: Allen Liu 2009 Richard Moore Heritage Award • Undergraduate: Boa Simon 2007 Laszlo Kovacs Heritage Award • Andrew M. Davis • Sean Stiegemeier

INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHERS GUILD (ICG) EMERGING CINEMATOGRAPHERS AWARDS 2014: Kyle Klutz (BFA/Cinematography ’05) 2013: Kyle Klutz (BFA/Cinematography ’05) 2012: Pete Villani (BFA/Cinematography ’02)

VARIETY: 10 CINEMATOGRAPHERS TO WATCH 2008: Yasu Tanida (MFA /Film Prod. ’02)

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Do As They Do

Alumni Doug Potts (’14), Matthew Blake (’14) and professor Johnny Jensen.

2014 Senior thesis Thank You For Flying. Photo by Westin Ray.

5 FOR STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS AT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

SELLING YOUR IDEA TO THE PUBLIC

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCESSFULLY A PROJECT?

BY JANELL SHEARER

The idea of crowdfunding sounds endlessly appealing.

Create a great idea and people will give you money to make it happen.

The reality is entirely different.

“It is NOT free money,” says Ivan Van Norman (BFA/Film Prod. ’11), who helped raise more than $17,000 for Outbreak: Deep Space, a table top game, and was hired to manage a campaign for TableTop Season 3 – With Wil Wheaton that raised nearly $1.5M for 20 web-based episodes.

In fact, as Van Norman and many other Dodge College students and alumni who have succeeded in crowdfunding will attest, it’s really more like taking on a job to make the money you need. Except that you can do the job in addition to any other job you might have or you can continue to work on your film or project at the same time. And, if you do it well, you might just raise more money than you could reasonably expect to earn in the same amount of time.

“Running a crowdsourcing campaign is not unlike doing production on a film set,” says Van Norman. “You often are working with a team, putting together assets, every day counts, you need to hit certain goals, you have to innovate to succeed, and if you don’t make your goal, and you will either have something to show for it or not. There is no in-between.”

Yet increasingly, Dodge College students and alumni are turning to sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, among others, to finance everything from thesis films while they are in school to post-graduation projects of all kinds. A recent survey of projects funded over the last four years (all but two on Kickstarter) finds 38 successful projects raisinga total of $502,594 (an average of 122 percent over goal) from 6,876 backers.

But as crowdingfunding sites become more popular, the competition for money and attention has increased exponentially. “These days there is a much higher barrier to entry in terms of getting people to notice a campaign and want to participate,” says Mike Kirsch (BFA/FTP ’99), who raised $6,449 for his documentary The Brick People in 2011.

Not to mention that celebrities such as Zach Braf (Wish I was Here) and campaigns for well-known series such as Veronica Mars tap into their fan bases to raise money and awareness. The Mars movie project was reported to be the fastest yet to reach $1M on Kickstarter, reaching that mark in a record four hours and 24 minutes, according to the site. (The final total was in excess of $5.7M.)

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Houston Bradley (BFA/CRPR ’14) worked on this campaign for Alone in the Dust, as well as raising $12,100 for another film, Blessed, Our Father.

SO WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED? A great many resources now exist online that offer advice on how to develop and execute a crowdfunding campaign. Dodge College alumni shared their experiences to offer the following advice:

DO YOUR HOMEWORK, BUILD YOUR NETWORK

Successful campaigns depend on friends and family for up to 30 percent of funds.

Research and planning are critical to launching a successful campaign.

Evidence suggests that successful campaigns depend for up to 30 percent of funds on friends and family and will experience a slow period in the middle.

Research involves not only digging deeply into campaigns similar to yours, but also, advises Van Norman, designing a structure for your campaign, creating a marketing and PR plan, and a calendar of events because “rarely do things ‘naturally’ catch traction when put on the site,” he says.

“We had to make a compelling presentation of our goals, ideas and “My Dog is My Home” Photo: Norah Levine

what we wanted to achieve — which had to be both visually interesting and intellectually intriguing,” says Koriel Kruer (BA/Art ’13) who worked with John Torkington (BFA/Film Prod. ’13) and James Steininger (BA/INME ’15) to raise $30,100 from 871 backers for XING: The Land Beyond, a firstperson puzzle adventure game for the PC. “Before we launched, we researched similar games, and the do’s and don’ts of Kickstarter. We also did a lot of research on Reward tiers and Stretch goals.”

“You won’t raise much money from people who randomly come across your project,” says Chris White, (MFA/Film TV Prod. ’05), who worked on an Indiegogo campaign for “My Dog is My Home,” a museum exhibit about homeless people with companion animals. “You need to start off with a really solid list of contacts/ potential donors,” he says. “You need those contacts to not only support your project, but to also share your campaign with their contacts.

Show good momentum in the first few days and your odds of reaching your goal increase tremendously.

Drip

The more people who see and share it, the more donations you receive.

People are more likely to give when the project comes to them as a recommendation from a friend.”

Medvey (BFA/Film Prod. ’08) who raised $15,814 over three campaigns (two on Kickstarter, one on Indiegogo) for L5, defined it as a “hard science fiction miniseries.”

White recommends having a third of your campaign goal committed before you launch online and asking those committed donors to donate as soon as the campaign goes up.

“The reality is people like winners.

If you can show good momentum in the first few days, your odds of reaching your goal increase tremendously,” he says, because people are more likely to donate if they see that others are already giving.

“This will also give you and your team a psychological boost.”

“Our campaigns focused on a specific niche of fans who felt the way we did,” says Ptasinski, defining “hard” science fiction as “stories and projects that would make Asimov and Sagan proud because they were entertaining, scientifically accurate, and true to the spirit of asking hard social questions in an imagined future,” he says. “I believe it was the message that we were bringing the kind of sci-fi experience that people were waiting for that made the campaign ‘go viral’ and once we appeared on Digg and were embraced on Reddit, the sky was the limit. I do not believe that it was any one incentive, reward, or perk that brought in backers; it was the strength of our idea and the conviction to see it through.”

KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Although certain genres can predictably be said to have an expected fan base, defining your audience even more specifically can pay off.

For example, Tom Ptasinski (BFA/ Fim Prod. ’08) and Stanley Von

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Amanda Pham (BA/Public Relations Ad. ’13) managed the campaign for the documentary Drip, about participants in national and world barista championships, by positioning it to reach out to coffee lovers around the world. The campaign, which raised $52,956 from 584 backers, sought sponsorships from coffee companies “so that our supporters would understand that the professional coffee community is 100 percent behind us,” she says.

Nevertheless, the majority of the backers were individuals. “We wanted them to feel like donating was just like buying a quick cup of coffee,” Pham says.

BE REAL, SHOW YOUR PASSION “The internet does not suffer phonies,” says Tom Ptasinski.

“People see through the greasy salesman shtick,” he says.

“Balance entertainment with earnestness, let them get to know you and they’re more likely to support you.”

Creating a connection between a topic and an audience demands a lot more work and creativity when a clear target audience is not readily identifiable. David Thompson (BFA/Film Prod. ’13) faced that challenge in his campaign for Seeking Ensaaf, a documentary about the killing of thousands of Sikhs in India two decades ago.

“The hardest part was getting individuals who couldn’t identify with the issue to care about it,” he says. “To many that I pitched, the distance violent past of a religious ethnic group that they had no personal ties to did not inspire charity.”

So Thompson sought out affinity groups and made personal pitches. “I posted on public Sikh Facebook groups/pages, I presented the campaign to my colleagues and local film guilds, I even partnered with a local Punjabi restaurant to put up posters for the campaign,” he says.

The Kickstarter page for Seeking Ensaaf also included a frank assessment: “We recognize that we are three white males telling the story of Sikhs. This poses the challenge of cultural misrepresentation, false assumptions, or unintended biases. The fact is that we’re not Indian, and though we went there to shoot this film, that does not make us experts on the topic by any means. That’s not to say that we’re not savvy observers and listeners doing our best to understand and learn all that we can — but we’re human! And we don’t know everything.” Rather, they promised to work closely with members of the Sikh community to produce a film that would impact “a wide array of people.”

CREATE ENGAGEMENT, GET OTHERS TO TELL YOUR STORY The strategic use of social media is vital to spreading the word. And strategy, as Amanda Pham points out, is not one size fits all. “Every platform has its purpose; therefore, we didn’t want to mimic posts

Seeking Ensaaf

on everything,” she says. While creating specific content can be time-consuming, it’s important to use a variety of tools, including podcasts, behind-the-scenes footage, blogs, discussion forums etc.

“Provide regular updates about your progress. Send emails. Do video updates. Provide sneak peeks.

Anything to demonstrate your level of commitment to the project,” advises Chris White. “This isn’t just asking for money every other day; it’s interacting with the people who are already supporting you and those who you hope will support you. It’s an ongoing process for everyone involved.

Your passion will be contagious.”

CREATE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET DIRECTLY INVOLVED

People see through the greasy salesman shtick.

Justin Simien (BFA/FTV ’05) created interest in his feature Dear White People by testing the voice and humor of his lead character on twitter. As he said in an online interview, “put your best work out there and ‘wow’ people.

You have to do something really unique and special to pop against all these other projects.”

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A drawing from L5.

Be the driving force behind your film.

Brandon Wade (MFA/Film Prod. ’12), whose campaign for the film Equitism raised $33,205, invited backers to vote on actors auditioning for roles (reserving final say for the filmmakers, of course).

Reaching out and responding to interested parties can definitely pay off, Wade says.

“In the end it was close to 400 backers and I knew almost all of them by reaching out personally.”

Wade also suggests creating ways to meet new backers.

“The biggest tip was to cross promote with like-minded projects,” he says. “I sent out hundreds of messages a week to other Kickstarter campaigns asking them to give a shout out to our project in their next update in exchange for us doing the same for them.”

However, he notes, “This is far more effective when you have hundreds of backers, which you get early on by asking for donations of as little as $1.”

Koriel Kruer found the best thing was “emailing reporters, writers and YouTube reviewers to do pieces throughout the campaign” for XING. She also recommends creating visually compelling content.

“We spend a lot of time on visuals for the Kickstarter page itself,” she reports.

“Making things look good is almost as important as the content, when it comes to making people believe in your ideas and abilities.”

Chris White adds, “I believe the most effective part of our campaign was the video that we included on our Indiegogo page of the homeless people and (their) animals that would be featured in the exhibit.

When viewers started telling me that they teared up while watching that video, I knew that we were connecting with our audience on the emotional level we needed to.”

COMMIT THE TIME TO KEEP YOUR CAMPAIGN MOVING FORWARD Setting realistic goals is also critical. Be realistic about what you can raise. The average goal for the Dodge College projects surveyed was $6,729 (ranging from to $1,200 to $50,000).

Once you begin, “it’s an everyday job,” says Ptasinki, “almost hourly throughout the campaign.

You have to be engaged and working and posting and reaching out and calling and texting. I think some people who crowdsource feel that it’s like a Chia pet, you just spread the seeds, water, walk away and then you have a sheep-plant. Not in the slightest, it’s a good deal of work and if you’re lucky, you catch a break, it goes viral and you get the kind of exposure that allows more backers to discover what you’re trying to do.”

“Don’t take shortcuts,” Wade advises. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. I spent over a year planning and coordinating this Kickstarter,” he says.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Equitism

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Whether you are considering a crowdfunding campaign or are still writing your script, planning your documentary or outlining a game idea, the bottom line is the same. “The biggest thing I learned in making my films a reality at Chapman was that you have to be the driving force behind your film,” says Wade.

New Degrees Offer

Clear Opportunities For students interested in screenwriting, it’s easy to figure out which major to pursue.

It’s right in the major title. The same is true for most Dodge College majors.

ast eekly newsc produce a w lp he lots n pi ca Students scripted TV ) or work on ht ). rig ht d rig an d ft (far le enter left an Left Turn (c p ar Sh as such

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ut for students interested in documentary or television writing, the path was not so clear. As documentary opportunities grew through programs like Community Voices and Project W and students wanted to pursue the careers offered by the growing critical acclaim for cable and online television shows, the need to more clearly define these opportunities became ever more important.

The result was the decision to create two new B.F.A. degrees, in Television Writing & Production and News & Documentary, out of the previous program in Television & Broadcast Journalism.

“A lot of students interested in documentary would go into Film Production, not realizing that it was part of the Television and Broadcast Journalism major,” says Lauren Kacura, assistant director of admissions. “The same was true for students interested in television production. Now, it’s much easier to differentiate between the programs and students will graduate with a degree that defines their area of interest.”

While the split makes it easier for students to see what the programs have to offer, the programs still share a common core and afford opportunities to pursue electives across both programs.

“We want students to reach across programs to sample from departments and to broaden their perspectives,” says Professor Jeff Swimmer. “If someone in one program is interested in another, we want to make that program feel accessible to them. At the same time, we hope that the split will help students find good partners to work with, bounce ideas off, and bring about esprit de corps in each program.”

On the set of the TV Pilot Perceptors.

DIRECTOR TALKS ABOUT CREATING

s Disney’s animated film Frozen broke box office records, director Christopher Buck told an excited crowd of Dodge College students about what creates the Disney magic.

“The thing about Disney films,” he said, “is that they involve characters who face insurmountable challenges yet are able to overcome them. That’s why we love these movies so much. We think if Pinocchio can get out of Monstro’s belly, then we can face our own challenges.

That’s what these movies do. They give people hope.”

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eeing Pinocchio for the first time gave Buck hope by awaking a passion for drawing, a method of communication that helped him overcome his natural shyness.

Later, he turned his ability to communicate through drawing into a career working on films such as The Little Mermaid, The Brave Little Toaster, Rescuers Down Under, Pocahontas, and Tarzan.

The development of a story that will resonate with viewers can be circuitous. With Frozen, the script evolved dramatically from a story about a villainous ice queen to one about a relationship between two sisters, one of whom struggles with her powers over ice and snow.

A big part of the film’s evolution can be attributed to one pivotal moment. “We were struggling with how villainous to make Elsa,” Buck said. “We knew that she had to flee up the mountain after her powers were revealed, but the question was what is she feeling?

Is she angry? Is she scared? Is she elated? Bobby and Kristen Lopez, the songwriters for the film, went away and wrote ‘Let it Go.’ They sent us the demo, and we fell in love with it. What it meant for us, though, is that we would have to rewrite a lot of the movie to set Elsa up as this much more interesting character.”

Chris Buck and professor Bill Kroyer with digital arts students.

Although Frozen has gone on to become the highest grossing animated film of all time, it isn’t the film’s monetary success that Buck finds most satisfying. He described the letters many parents of autistic kids wrote saying how their kids, who often won’t connect with anything, will connect with the snowman, Olaf, some even believing that they are him. “It’s sweet,” he said, “because in a way, you’ve made their lives better.”

Indeed, the effect of a film is impossible to predict. A young woman struggling with depression wrote on Reddit, “I just want to thank you. I was close to taking

my own life. Then I saw the movie and I felt as if Elsa’s story is my story. Because of her, I am still here. Thank you for making the movie and for making Elsa.”

“You get into this business,” Buck said, “because you want to do a funny cartoon and entertain an audience. However, sometimes it can be way bigger than that. That’s what happened with this movie for me. As young filmmakers it will happen to you too. You will touch people and affect them in ways that you never thought you would.

That’s the power of film. It gives people hope.”

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TRIBECA After a long cold winter, New York City began to heat up in April with the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. The trees in Central Park were not the only things blossoming; several Dodge College alumni and students were in town for the festival to screen various film projects. number of Dodge alumni worked on the new Joss Whedon film In Your Eyes, enjoying its world premiere at the festival: Maileen Williams (BFA/Film Prod. ’04) was co-producer, Elisha Christian (BFA/Film Prod. ’02) was the cinematographer, Kyle Klütz (BFA/Film Prod. ’05) was a camera operator, Alex Gaynor (MFA/Film Prod. ’10) was gaffer, Drew Moe (MFA/Film Prod. ’10) was the digital imaging technician, and M. Elizabeth Hughes (MFA/ Film Prod. ’08) was a line producer.

Filmmakers Ben Mullinkosson and Kristelle Laroche (right) with Bella, one of the skater girls featured in their documentary.

en Mullinkosson (BFA/Film Prod. ’13) and Kristelle Laroche (BFA/TBJ ’14) were at Tribeca with the world premiere of their documentary The Pink Helmet Posse, which screened in a short film program sandwiched between new works by such established, award-winning documentarians as Ondi Timoner (Dig!, We Live In Public) and Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters).

Bella, one of the young skater girls featured in the documentary, showed up for the screening wearing her pink dress.

The Pink Helmet Posse, made in Professor Sally Rubin’s “Project W” class, is the most recent Chapman student film to be programmed in the Tribeca Film Festival.

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Kyle Klütz was the cinematographer on two other films at Tribeca this year. He shot the feature film Honeymoon (which had premiered at SXSW before its Tribeca screening) and the short film Sequence (directed

by Dodge alum Carles Torrens BFA/Film Prod. ’08) which has won a slew of awards on the festival circuit including the Canal Plus Prize at Clermont-Ferrand and the Best of Festival award at LA Shorts Fest, which qualified his film to be considered for the short film Academy Award.

Co-directors Mullinkossen and Laroche were looking for subjects and found three girls at a skatepark, “shredding,” as they say, or skating aggressively, in dresses, and immediately decided to tell their story.

“We had a vision to implement a Wes Anderson-inspired visual style to create a whimsical documentary that matched the paradox of pink tutus and skateboards,” says Mullinkossen. “After basic research, we found the statistic that girls are twice as likely to drop out of sports as boys once they reach the age of 14,” says Laroche.

The Tribeca screening kicked off a wildly successful festival run including four more Academy-accredited festivals in a row: Nashville, Palm Springs, Seattle, and the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, Canada.

But perhaps most exciting of all is for the film to be included in an exclusive collection of short films curated by the New York Times and featured on their Op-Docs website. After a few little edits, the film has been retitled as Gnarly in Pink.

Photo top left: (From left) Alumni Lauren Ruggeri (BFA/Film Prod.’06), Marion Cunningham (BFA/Film TV Prod.'05), Kyle Klßtz and Maileen Williams at the premiere of In Your Eyes.

Photo top right: Subjects of the award-winning documentary Pink Helmet Posse show their exuberance for their sport.

Photo bottom: Ben Mullinkosson films Bella at the skate park for the documentary Pink Helmet Posse.

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DODGE LAUNCHES

On ine

Real-Time

Screenwriting Program

Online education is typically not real-time, but it can be —with the result that peer learning and the stimulation of real-time interaction are added to the convenience of being able to attend classes from wherever you are. In an effort to continue to provide unparalleled opportunities in the film and media arts, Dodge College is launching its first online offering: the Professional Certificate Program in Screenwriting.

This one-year online screenwriting workshop provides an introduction or refresher to the building blocks on which all film and TV writing is based - compelling characters, conflict, visualization, dialogue, scenes, sequences and basic dramatic structure.

Upon completion, students will have a completed screenplay and an official Certificate of Completion, signifying their extensive effort towards becoming a professional screenwriter.

Program director and produced screenwriter Matt Deller says the difference between the Dodge program and other online offerings will greatly increase student learning: “In similar programs, students are often directed to a static website for discussions, video clips, PowerPoint lessons and other instructional modules, to be processed apart from the instructor and from the other students. In contrast, our program is unique in that the instruction and the workshop components are seamless — it all takes place in real time.

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Screen view of online students, visual components and a discussion taking place.

“Case in point, one of the best things you can do to study the craft of screenwriting would be to read a script, then to watch the film that was produced from that script. Other programs might have you read the script on your own time, watch the video on your own time, then convene to discuss what you learned in a videoconferencing session.

“In our program, it all happens in real time. Students and the instructor watch the video, side-by-side with the respective script and are able to offer commentary and insight throughout.

“It’s completely fluid and the closest experience that you could have to sitting in an actual classroom on the Chapman University campus.

“This allows students the advantage of working closely with a screenwriter, in a real-time, collaborative workshop format to inspire them to observe the world around them and to mine their experiences to discover voice, personal vision and passion to create compelling stories with dynamic characters.”

For more information on the program, and for application instructions, visit www.chapman.edu/dodgeonline.

BY BRIAN HAMILTON

Steve Hickner’s Advice for Animating Your Career ith the passion and fury of a minister speaking to his congregation, animator and director Steve Hickner (Prince of Egypt) cautioned students about the perils they should avoid and the attitudes they should adopt in order to succeed.

“It all came to a head one day with a group of summer interns we had at Dreamworks,” Hickner says about creating his presentation, Animating Your Career. “I spoke with those interns for about two hours and not a single one of them knew any of the films I mentioned. I couldn’t believe it!

After that, I decided I needed to put together something to demonstrate how important it is to see other movies, because in my lifetime, I have never met anyone who I thought was excellent who was not a complete student of their field. It just can’t

happen! You can’t be excellent without a sense of your tradition!”

Hickner recalled his own experience as a student at NYU. “They showed us the first semester student movies and I was slack-jawed. They were so much better than anything I had ever done. Meanwhile, the professors were talking about directors like Howard Hawkes, Frank Capra, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and I had no idea who these people were. I told a friend, ‘I’m in trouble.’ He told me to check out the repertory theaters where they showed old vintage movies.

I got the schedules and in between classes I would see one or two movies

every day. By the end of that semester, I was probably a C- student. By the time I graduated, I knew as much as any other student there.”

“Professor Kroyer brings in a lot of people who are very talented and successful in the industry,” says Jacqueline Yee (BFA/DA ’17), “so it’s not a rare thing to hear from someone like Hickner. However, I liked his attitude especially about not necessarily being the best or most talented person but still being able to work hard and get to the same places as these other people who are clearly wildly talented. As a student, that was really encouraging.”

17

Women in Focus

THE BECHDEL TEST: WHAT WOMEN WANT Professor Alex Rose introduced the conference with a brief overview of the state of women in film. Noting the strong desire for young women to see female role models, she recalled a poster from her college days featuring Golda Meier, the prime minister of Israel, featuring the caption, “But can she type?”

One test of the presence of those role models on screen is the Bechdel Test, introduced through a comic strip by Alison Bechdel, which measures females represented in film by the following requirements:

• There are at least two named women in the film,

• Who talk to each other • About something other than a man.

Applying those criteria to the winners of the Best Picture over the years, nearly 70 percent fail the test, according to Rose. However, in 2013, the films that did pass collectively brought in $4.22 billion dollars at the U.S. box office; the non-passing films took in only $2.66 billion. A full $1.55 billion more for the Bechdel winners shows audiences will pay more to see women in films, Rose pointed out.

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The Challenge of Film Marketing in a Global Arena

M

BY JANELL SHEARER

onitoring an ever-changing media landscape of shifting markets and evolving formats, six of the most powerful women in Hollywood agreed that the key question driving every entertainment marketing campaign always begins with the question “Who is this for?”

Answering questions posed by moderator Dawn Taubin, head of marketing for Dreamworks Animation and former Dodge College professor, the panel for the 15th annual Women in Focus acknowledged that marketing must overcome not only fragmented audiences and multiple screen formats but also directors who don’t always agree with the marketing team about how their films should be represented.

The panelists, Erica Huggins, president, Imagine Entertainment (Rush); Sue Kroll, president, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros.

Pictures (The Great Gatsby); Michelle MacLaren, producer (Breaking Bad); Terry Press, co-president, CBS Films (Last Vegas); JoAnne Sellar, producer (The Master), and Academy Award®-winning producer Cathy Schulman (Crash), represented not only millions in box office success but also the pinnacle of a career-path for women aspiring to work in Hollywood.

Asked about the criteria for giving a property the greenlight, Terry Press framed the answer simply, “The number one criteria has to be who would plunk down money [to see this] and why would they?” she said.

Cathy Schulman echoed that sentiment saying “it’s important to know before you begin, who is the target, what [audience] quadrant is this for?” noting that in a crowded marketplace, it is increasingly difficult for a film to “self-distinguish.”

Unlike the often changing advertising campaigns that support consumer products — where a bad commercial can simply be replaced by a better one — marketing a movie needs to be handled like a political campaign, Terry Press pointed out.

A movie campaign counts down to the day that people vote with their money: opening weekend box office may spell success or disaster, as social media picks up consumer reaction almost before the first screening is over.

The shifting balance of domestic versus international box office is also changing how films are marketed. Where once domestic box office drove decisions about what films were made in Hollywood and how they were marketed, “now the international market is leading the release of many films,” said Sue Kroll. “The conversation has migrated from making movies that just appeal domestically but not overseas to talking about making movies just for China.”

The marketing picture is further complicated by the proliferation of smaller screens eroding the theatrical audience — it takes a more compelling message or even an entirely different experience, as in the 3D success of Gravity — to get audiences into a theater. Add in the fact that marketing a film can cost more than what it costs to make the film, and the success of marketing plays an ever bigger role in what filmmakers can do.

“You can’t make a movie for one audience anymore,” said Kroll. Looking at films slated into 2017, she found every summer and every holiday date dominated by animation or a superhero. But, she maintained, “It’s not that there are not fewer movies being made, just different ones.”

The fact that there are “no rules now” in the world of television has also influenced SUE KROLL how people consume entertainment, said Michelle MacLaren. The varying formats of shows like True Detective and the binge viewing made possible by services like Netflix have changed the movie business, and pushed it toward spectacle films.

The international market is leading the release of many films.

MacLaren also pointed out that while audiences for series like Breaking Bad started small they grew because episodic programming allows fans to develop an emotional connection with characters over time. One other result, Schulman said, is that that same phenomenon has pushed movies toward the “serialized” characters of franchises and sequels.

“Marketing is an art,” Kroll said and Press agreed. “The director may say, ‘this is not the movie I made,’ but I’m giving them the movie somebody wants to see,” Press said of the work of marketing.

While the landscape continues to change, costs climb and audiences splinter, all of the panelists reported that passion still drives their work.

In Kroll’s words, “It’s an exhausting but amazing privilege.” And JoAnne Sellar added, “It’s a total rush to read a script and make a vision come alive, to see it on the screen.”

WOMEN IN THE BUSINESS: STILL AN UPHILL BATTLE As top women in Hollywood, the panelists are committed to seeing more women take leadership roles in the industry. The need is pressing because, as Cathy Schulman noted, “We are exceptions to the rule.” They expressed dissatisfaction with each achievement by a female director or writer being singled out for just that reason. Or, as Michelle MacLaren said, “When I got an Emmy nomination, the press wanted to interview the female nominees.

Why not just ‘the nominees?’”

Schulman counters by demanding that reporters include a man in any article written about her. As President of Women in Film, she acknowledges that part of the problem is “we’re talking to ourselves.” “We need to ‘friend’ men,” she continued, citing the success of the gay and lesbian community in “friending” the straight community to get coverage of their issues in the media.

Another issue, raised by the audience: because women tend to make less, agents and managers are less motivated to put them forward for jobs.

There is also a perception that women have “a shorter half-life,” according to Schulman.

Although all of the women acknowledged the difficulties of balancing careers and children, they also found benefits. As Erica Huggins noted, “Being a mother helps me see material in a broader way, to explore the world and see through my children’s eyes.”

Children also provide perspective. Terry Press shared her excitement about an upcoming Academy Awards® ceremony and its Best Picture nominees with her son. His response? “Is Paul Blart: Mall Cop nominated?” Told that it wasn’t, he replied, “Then the show isn’t about the best picture of the year.”

THANK YOU TO OUR 2014 SPONSORS, WHOSE SUPPORT MAKES WOMEN IN FOCUS POSSIBLE Dodge College thanks its sponsors for their generosity in supporting the 2014 Women in Focus Conference: from left, Laurie Rodnick, Joyce Tucker, Eve Kornyei Ruffato, Diana Martin, Twyla Reed Martin, Adrienne Brandes and Harriet Sandu.

19

Chapman Filmed Entertainment Finishes First Feature No Hollywood premiere could be more eagerly anticipated than the “family and friends” screening of Trigger, Chapman Filmed Entertainment’s (CFE) first feature at Chapman in May and in Los Angeles in June. Alumni who worked on the film in key creative positions were joined by faculty, parents, Dodge College friends, CFE investors and supporters, and Chapman administrators.

Continued on page 22

20

Trigger Lead s to Work for Producti on Brendan O’Co Designer nnor How did your work on Trigg er

help in

your career?

Understanding how to efficient ly and responsi a budget, man bly maintain age a crew of 15 and successful a 5-week shoo ly complete t are just a few of the career sk on Trigger. Sin ill s I learned ce Trigger I’ve worked in TV Shameless, an on the show d most recent ly designed m My work on Tr y third feature fil igger is actual m. ly what caught director who fo th e eye of the und me via m y website. The room build is Trigger motel what landed m y last job.

How has wha t you learned in class transl to your profess ated ional work?

The design sk ills I learned at Chapman have career 10-fold. accelerated m My on-set expe y rience at Chapm The Chapman an, even more. education is un like most film allows you to schools and re learn the job on ally set and in the only been able classroom. I ha to grow faster ve because of the with after grad skills I started uation.

My experience on Trigger has also allowed m great Chapman e to work with alumni. Maya Le vy (BFA/Film P set decorator on rod. ’12), my Trigger, has w orked with me including, our on several proj most recent pr ects oject, Happy B Steven Tyler. M irthday, starrin aya and I were g able to develop on Trigger that a shorthand has carried ov er into other pr forward to wor oj ects. I look king with her and other Cha as my career pr pm an alumni ogresses.

Production de signers are alw ays in great d Dodge Colleg emand at e. How did yo u r work at scho your ability to ol inform work on a larg er scale produ a lot of locati ction with ons and multip le sets?

Fr

om day one at Ch apman I started working on mul averaging four tiple productions a semester. Th is w as a huge help to large-scale in transitioning productions. I can only hope design program that the produc keeps growing, tion allowing more the opportunity student produc to develop a re tio ns lationship with the student leve a designer at l.

21 FOR STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS AT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

Dodge College Dean Bob Bassett took the stage to reiterate the educational mission of the company — to provide a bridge into the industry for alumni and experience on a professional set for students by enabling them to work on a commercially-viable feature film. As film education is, by the necessity of time and expense, limited to making short films, “it is critical that students gain experience of this kind, which is quantitatively and qualitatively different from making a short film,” Bassett said.

Knowing how often screenplays change during the process of making a film, screenwriter Max Enscoe had as much on the line as anyone. “When I first met the creative team, I knew Trigger was in good hands,” he said. “Still, there’s always trepidation — all pressured by the fact this whole endeavor was completely breaking new ground. But two minutes into the screening, I let go of the breath I didn’t even know I was holding. The film moved, breathed, worked through its depths, created its world — all the while kicking out the walls of everyone’s expectations.”

Actor Chris Coy (Treme, True Blood, Little Birds), who played John, admitted to being scared before he saw the film. But he was “blown away” by the result and enthusiastic about the film’s prospects with audiences. “There are too many good things I can say about this film,” he commented. “Having watched it evolve from tremendous script to living, breathing, beautifully executed picture has been a truly wonderful experience.”

Above, Chapman parents and Chapman Filmed Entertainment supporters Doug Kimmelman, left, and David Sidoo check out the poster promoting the film on the parking structure across from the film school. Left, cast members Max Arciniega, Olivia Dudley and Chris Coy with Trigger producer Travis Knox after the LA screening.

Actor Max Arciniega (Breaking Bad, Haywire), who portrayed Luis in the film, “was really excited to see that the final product stayed in line with what I read in the script.

That is, a character-driven thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat,” he says.

“I think people will enjoy it. Chapman Filmed Entertainment should be proud of what they accomplished with Trigger.”

Alumni such as Chris Borrelli (BA/Com/FP ’94) were also thrilled. “I loved Trigger,” he says. “All the actors were top notch but Scott Glenn’s performances blew me away.

“It’s fascinating that a movie this good was produced by a film school but it stands on its own as a genuinely creepy thriller with a script that keeps turning and changing and escalating,” he continued.

“You’re doing very interesting and groundbreaking work at Dodge College and I’m proud to be an alumni.”

Christine (Teeny) Stillings (BFA/TBJ ’11), now a producer on television’s Judge Judy, for which she was nominated for an Emmy, agrees. “It was great to see what our alumni can do. I’m so impressed and proud of what they’ve accomplished. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

22

From left, Trigger director Basel Owies is all smiles at the reception following the Chapman screening with Dean Bob Bassett and cinematographer Allen Liu.

MFA

BY MEAGAN O’SHEA

Documentary Filmmaking in TO DEBUT IN DODGE COLLEGE FALL 2015

Recognizing a growing interest in documentary films by students as well as audiences, Dodge College faculty have designed a new MFA in Documentary Filmmaking to launch next year. Unlike similar programs at other universities, the program will focus on the creation of feature-length documentaries, accompanied by comprehensive marketing plans that target distributors as well theatrical, cable and festival release.

“No other program offers an emphasis on the feature documentary form,” says professor and documentarian Sally Rubin. “Our purpose in outlining an emphasis on the feature documentary form is to look beyond making short academic exercise films and to examine and create longer, more substantial exploratory docs.”

The focus on the development of marketing plans mirrors Dodge College’s emphasis on teaching students in all disciplines how the entertainment/ film business operates and giving them the tools to go beyond simply making films to taking the steps needed to get their work seen.

Applications will open this fall, with classes commencing in Fall 2015.

Here is what students are saying about the undergrad documentary program: Making a film was never on my bucket list but affecting the lives of others was. When the opportunity to make a documentary that would bring attention to the plight of people in my county was presented to me, I jumped right in, even though I had no idea what I was doing. Fortunately, I had fellow students and knowledgeable instructors to lead me along the way, and I am glad that I went along.

ELIANA MORENO, ’10, B.F.A., TELEVISION BROADCAST JOURNALISM AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

The documentary program has opened up more than a window to a new world – for me, it opened a door to a world of both documentary filmmaking and social activism that I never knew existed.

RUTHIE RUBIETTA, ’12, B.F.A., TELEVISION BROADCAST JOURNALISM

Working Filmmakers Lead Documentary

T

he documentary program at Dodge College has grown by leaps and bounds in the past six years since awardwinning documentarian Jeff Swimmer joined the faculty in 2008 and Sally Rubin joined the faculty in 2010. Dodge is attracting not only talented students but also stellar adjunct faculty such as Molly O’Brien and Helen Hood Scheer, who bring on their own recent documentary accolades, accomplishments and experiences to enhance the program.

Students shooting for Wolf Mountain.

24

Through various subsidized international documentary initiatives students have traveled all over Africa, including to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, to Machu Picchu in Peru, to the South Alps of New Zealand, to Cuba, and to various counties in Asia. “Our goal is to teach students to create real-life films in challenging conditions around the world,” says Swimmer. “The program pushes students out of their comfort zone to find the best stories they can in unfamiliar situations.”

Program

BY DEREK HORNE Above, Liz Hartnett (BFA/TBJ ’12) captures footage for a documentary on the Second Harvest Food Bank. Below, the subject of Life on the Line.

S

tudents also discover that challenging situations can be found in their own backyard through the “Community Voices” program led by Sally Rubin, which partners students with local non-profit organizations.

Rubin also leads the “Project W” program in which students make documentaries addressing social challenges specific to women and spotlighting female activists.

Mexican-American girl who was born in the United States but finds herself trapped in Nogales, Mexico, awaiting a visa that will allow her family to return to the U.S. After premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and screening at other festivals on both sides of the border, Life on the Line will be premiering on national PBS during Latino Heritage Month in September.

One of those films, The Pink Helmet Posse, which recently screened at five Academyaccredited festivals in a row (Hot Docs, Nashville, Palm Springs, Seattle, and Tribeca), addresses its topic of female trailblazers in the unlikely form of 6-year-old girls breaking stereotypes as extreme skateboarders. Another of the films, We Are the Land, about a NativeAmerican activist trying to stop the hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” on her Native Blackfoot Reservation in Montana, won the ASC Student Award for cinematography last year.

Rubin hopes to reach over 1-million people through the broadcast and through outreach efforts to schools with various partner organizations.

Sally Rubin recently directed her own social-issues documentary, Life on the Line, about a young

“I hope that the film impacts people who previously felt no connection to the issue of immigration,” she says. “Our goal was to put a human face on a traditionally faceless issue, an issue that’s divisive, that’s in the news often more around policy and legislation rather than through an emphasis on the lives actually touched by these policies.

So my hope is that viewers are affected by Kimberly and her story – that they don’t forget her.”

Going to the border to film was risky for Rubin knowing that many film crews wear bullet-proof vests when filming in this location.

“There were many times that I didn’t want to go,” she says, “but my commitment to the story got me there, and I’m glad it did.”

Rubin encourages her students to take a different kind of risk, in story.

“There may not be a clear narrative through-line laid out for you on a silver platter. Work to find it because it certainly will not be handed to you,” she says. “And when things start looking tough, dig in even further. Stick with your story, have confidence in yourself, and your film will succeed.”

Continued on next page

25

R

ubin believes that documentary filmmaking is most effective when it’s done with a purpose. “That purpose may be social issue-based or not, but I believe that when we use the power of storytelling to impact lives, our own hang-ups and hesitancies disappear,” says Rubin.

“Our stories have power and momentum when we’re committed to the films we’re making — when there’s a goal greater than us that we are trying to achieve. I pass this message along to my students. Make a film you’re passionate about, make the film you don’t want to die without making. Don’t waste your time with anything less.”

Like Sally Rubin, Helen Hood Scheer graduated from Stanford University and is bringing her wellhoned skills to Dodge College. Her thesis film The Apothecary, about a pharmacist with a heart-of-gold in a remote Colorado mining town, just won the Gold Medal in the Student Academy Awards this year.

kind of documentary films I generally make.”

In class, Scheer works with her students on developing their stories in advance. She encourages them to pick a topic that they want to learn about. “Special access is important too, but authentic interest and commitment are key,” says Scheer, who is also a firm believer in the value of pre-production. “Of course a lot changes once reality unfolds in the field, but it’s easier to pivot when a filmmaker has a clear grasp on his/her intentions and goals.”

Scheer admits that documentary filmmaking is hard work so passion is the key. “When times get tough (and they will get tough!), we need to remember that special something that drew us to the story in the first place.”

Molly O’Brien, whose short film A Pig With Hair was on the top 10

Scheer experienced this firsthand with The Apothecary: “The arc of the story I initially planned to follow changed the first day of shooting, but a lot of the core themes remained basically the same; my preproduction research and relationship building paid off

Scheer first learned about the pharmacist Don Colcord in a profile that she read in The New Yorker.

As the owner of the sole pharmacy within 4,000 square miles, Don Colcord occupies multiple roles as surrogate doctor, life counselor and community benefactor while he harbors a long-suffered private pain for which there is no drug, no cure and no relief.

Scheer cold-called Colcord to learn more about him and gauge his interest in participating in the documentary. “From the get-go, it was clear to me that he is a complex hero — a very good man who is everything to everyone, but also haunted. I love exploring this type of compelling ambiguity. Plus, he was emotionally open and available — two more key ingredients for the 26

Clockwise from top, scenes from The Apothecary, Bittersweet, Cesar’s Last Fast, and Forestkeepers.

big time,” she says. “One’s story might change again a few times in the edit — this is normal, and it’s easier to do it effectively when the game plan is good from the start.”

short list for the Academy-Awards in 1998 and who earned an Emmy Award in 2000 for the Prime-time TV series American High, teaches her students that documentary

filmmaking is “a marathon, not a sprint,” as proven by her own experience producing Cesar’s Last Fast.

The feature documentary about the famous activist Cesar Chavez premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival and premiered on national television in English on Pivot (Participant’s new cable TV station aimed at millennials) and in Spanish on Univision for an

Festival when the offer came through to her smart phone. “We needed to close the deal within 24 hours,” O’Brien recalls. “I was frantically squint-reading the deal terms on my cell phone, trading calls with our lawyer and sales agent, trying to find the director so he could chime in, and praying that we would be able to close the deal in time.”

“I’ll never forget hanging up the phone and realizing that after six

Jeff Swimmer has recently completed two projects: a book and a film. His book Documentary Case Studies, being released by Bloomsbury in December, contains interviews with 13 Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers on how they overcame production challenges to make their celebrated films. Some of the films profiled in the book are Food Inc, Man on Wire, Super Size Me, and 20 Feet From Stardom.

Swimmer also finished directing A Golden State of Mind: The Storytelling Genius of Huell Howser. which premiered in April as part of the opening of the permanent Huell Howser exhibit in Chapman University’s Leatherby Library.

Sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the one-hour documentary spotlights the career of beloved travel show host Huell Howser and includes interviews with his friends and colleagues as well as highlights from his television appearances.

The film will air on PBS affiliates across the country this summer.

years of enormous ups and downs, we were not only about to premier in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, but we had also sold the film to national broadcast,” she recalls. “I wanted to grab the snowboarder next to me and hug him.”

unprecedented simultaneous national broadcast this spring. The film was also released theatrically in New York and Los Angeles in May. O’Brien was actually riding on the shuttle bus at the Sundance Film

As her team begins various outreach efforts, O’Brien is eager to see how this film can impact the lives of contemporary farm workers and other low wage earners in the United States. “We hope that Cesar’s example, his political tactics, his perseverance, his spiritual strength, his organizational triumphs as well as his failures will inspire audiences to organize and improve their lives.”

Swimmer invited Chapman students to work on the documentary with him and they all enjoyed Howser’s funny and easy-going nature, he says. “Even after looking at the footage of hundreds of his shows, I never got tired of the subject and I would be happy to make a sequel about him tomorrow.”

Wading through those hours of footage, Swimmer kept in mind what his colleagues also echo: that in documentary filmmaking you need to “have a game plan going in but keep your eyes wide open for unexpected opportunities and be ready to drop everything when the reality looks different than you thought it would be.”

27

DIGITAL ARTS STUDENTS MEET

ANIMATION ROYALTY

Ever wanted to visit the grand lobby of Pixar’s Steve Jobs Building or view the props of Industrial Light & Magic’s museum?

W

ell, forget it! “Unless you know someone on the inside,” says Amy Bernstein (BFA/DA ’15), “they won’t let you go. My high school tried to set up a trip to Pixar for years and they couldn’t get past their PR department.”

That’s what made Dodge College’s studio trip this spring so special. At Pixar, students were greeted by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, who gave a brief history of Jobs’ vision to create a studio that would encourage interaction among animators. Inside, they marveled at offices that mimic everything from a World War II bomber plane to a hut from Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room to the house in Pixar’s movie Up. They also crawled through many of the studio’s secret passages and were treated to a private screening of Pixar’s newest, unreleased short film.

On the tour, students also met animation super-stars Pete Docter (Up), Ed Catmull (Toy Story), and Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) before a follow-up meeting with Lasseter.

28

“The head of tours, Adrian Ranft, said she had not seen those four people in the building at the same time in seven months,” says Professor Bill Kroyer. “We were really fortunate to have them spend time with us.”

On a personal tour of Industrial Light & Magic’s new building in the Presidio led by none other than visual effects artist John Knoll (Star Wars), students saw many iconic props and costumes, including Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back. Alumnus Katelyn Bianchini (BFA/ DA ’12), who now produces visual content for the Star Wars franchise’s social media, was on hand to demonstrate a remote controlled R2 unit.

“Ever since the trip, I’ve been feeling ten times more motivated,” says Julie Greiner (BFA/DA ’17).

“Touring the studios and meeting people in the industry has solidified my vision of what I would like my future to be and it only makes me want to work harder to achieve it.”

Bateman Competition PR STUDENTS SOAR IN NATIONAL

A team of five Chapman Public Relations and Advertising majors earned national honors for their campaign in the Bateman Case Study Competition, the 12th time a Chapman team has been nationally recognized over 17 years of competition. Jennifer Grich ’15, Isabel Lluch ’15, Danielle Luchetta ’14, Kiersten Krog ’16, and Vaughn Ryan ’16 created a campaign for Popmoney, a person-to-person payment app, competing against 50 other college and university teams in the national contest sponsored by the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Over the course of five months, the “I FEEL TEN TIMES MORE CONFIDENT team researched the client and potential IN MY ABILITIES TO CARRY OUT A target audiences, designed outreach activities CAMPAIGN BECAUSE OF BATEMAN.” and implemented their campaign, “Popping Your Problems Away.” Along the way, they garnered crazy roommate stories in a Facebook contest reflecting the problems students have collecting rent from their roommates, rode in a hot air balloon at the Irvine Great Park to promote the Popmoney app, and experienced the challenges of having to have every idea and collateral piece vetted by the client’s legal department.

“I learned the most from execution,” says Jenny Grich.

“I was able to see which ideas were successful and which ideas were a little too ‘out of the box.’” Vaughn Ryan agrees. “The fact that we were required to create everything and see it come to life was challenging and showed me what roadblocks I might run into with future campaigns,” he says. “I feel ten times more confident in my abilities to carry out a campaign because of Bateman.”

Spring Guests

ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY INSIDERS

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Left, Charlie Ferraro, United Talent Agency.

Chris Andrews, right, Creative Artists Agency.

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Grant Heslov, right, Smokehouse Pictures.

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THE BEST THING YOU CAN TAKE FROM CHAPMAN — LEARN HOW TO LEARN. DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE,

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PR TOR AND SLOV, AC OONEY GRANT HE ORGE CL GE H IT W PARTNER

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strong idea make it Don’t wait good or bad money

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WHAT’S MY BEST

PICTURE? MY NEXT ONE. I’M NOW

WORKING ON EIGHT PROJECTS.I KNOW SEVEN WILL DIE. INVEST IN EACH.

BUT YOU HAVE TO PASSIONATELY

DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE, FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE

If you hear anything from me tonight, it’s the importance of reading. As an agent, you need to know what’s out there.

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CHRIS ANDREWS, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY

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It’s incumbent on

As an intern, you can set yourself apart: learn everyone’s name and what they do.

CARL WEATHERS, ACTOR

writer, I’ll pay you $10 for each word you take out of the script.

I’ll tell the

DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE, FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE

you to take an acting class.

It will improve your work.

There’s nothing worse than having a director give you a note that makes no sense.

CARL WEATHERS, ACTOR

very quick. There’s always someone coming up behind you.”

You’ve got to be

CHRIS ANDREWS, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY

30

Carl Weathers

Donald Petrie

HOLLYWOOD TRIPLE THREAT JON FAVREAU DIVULGES CHEF ’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Writer, director, actor Jon Favreau joined Filmmaker-in-Residence Donald Petrie for a post-screening Q&A following the pre-release screening of his latest film Chef. Favreau’s recipe for success? If you have something you’re really excited about, make it. “It’s the most fulfilling thing, don’t wait on others.” Pick something you’re excited about and that you can obsess over, something you’re “hauntingly excited over.” Then the rest will fall into place. “It all comes from preparation, concentration, layering, lots and lots of layering ... and love.”

PRODUCTION DESIGN EXHIBIT SHOWCASES SETS Each spring students enrolled in the Production Design Program showcase their projects in the lobby of Marion Knott Studios. The students, who range from undergraduates to second-year graduate students, were tasked with taking a play, novel, or a historical figure and creating some sets that pertain to them. As a result, there are models ranging from the Swiss Family Robinson’s treehouse, pictured right, to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s favorite hangout. On display are not just models of various sets that the students created, but also concept drawings, previsualization sketches, and architectural blue prints.

“It’s the production designer who helps create a different world and makes the story possible,” says Rui Zhao (MFA/PD ’14). “A well-designed filming location can help a director get more ideas to visually tell the story, inspire an actor’s performance, and make it easier for a cinematographer to capture the image.”

Oakie Foundation Supports Student Work in Comedy

Dodge College students are now eligible to enjoy the support of a legacy created by two stars of the early days of film comedy.

Known as a scene-stealer, Jack Oakie appeared in more than 80 films in the 1930s and ’40s, including a classic sendup of Benito Mussolini in Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His wife, Victoria Horne Oakie, appeared in more than 45 films, including appearing as Myrtle Mae Simmons in the Jimmy Stewart classic Harvey.

Support film and media arts at Chapman University

Their legacy on film and their commitment to support film comedy live on through grants from the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation, which makes funds available to students at prestigious colleges and universities with visual/performing arts programs.

For inquiries regarding making a gift, please contact the Dodge Development Department: (714) 628-7267

The mission of the foundation to follow through with the late Jack Oakie’s wish, “Give the money to the kids,” provides DVD collections of the Oakies’ films, funds comedy lectures and provides support for student work in comedy. Information on applying for the grant to Dodge College will be available in the fall.

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Global Leaders Examine

The Power of American Films While China’s box office clout continues to grow and foreign sales are now the most important factor in the studios’ decision to make a big budget film, the power of American films continues to dominate the global market.

But what is it that drives an international appetite for American films?

The stories? The special effects? The marketing and celebrity machinery that take American films worldwide?

F

or the second year in a row, Dodge College hosted a gathering of high-ranking military officers from around the world for a discussion of the “soft power” impact of American filmmaking in the global arena.

Some 80 guests representing more than 50 countries from Ethiopia to Vietnam came for a discussion sponsored by the National Defense University, an educational and leadership program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, and brought to Chapman by former trustee Cece Presley.

The National Defense University, an educational and leadership program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, sponsored the event, which was attended by 80 guests from 50 countries.

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Fall Filmmaker-in-Residence and Academy Award-winning producer Cathy Schulman, president of Mandalay Pictures, chaired a panel of Chapman faculty including Bill Kroyer, director of the Digital Arts program, and PR and Advertising professor Jim Fredrick, who owns a trailer-cutting company and teaches entertainment marketing. They were joined

by Russell Schwartz, president of Domestic Marketing at Relativity Media and a former Dodge College adjunct.

The power of the American dream — of making a better life for oneself or one’s family — “is a story created by immigrants, which is why it has universal appeal,” said Professor Kroyer.

Although every country has its own stories to tell, he noted, not every story travels well.

The Monkey King, which earned millions in China, wouldn’t do nearly as well here, Kroyer said, because it is not a story that resonates with Western audiences.

A colonel from Algeria pointed out that for many people around the world, all the information they have about America comes from movies.

Yet, the panel agreed, the effects-heavy studio blockbusters that do most of the international business leave little room for the more nuanced and diverse fare offered by independent filmmakers.

The challenge for independent filmmakers remains, Schulman pointed out, how to manage the cost of marketing and get their films seen outside of the domestic market.

MASTER CLASS f o a m a r d e h t g n i d e Ad n e c s a to d n u so

What do plant monsters, stuffed animals, axe murderers, and puppets all have in common? They are all the subjects of student films that were part of a master class on sound design taught by Foley artist Greg Barbanell (The Mentalist, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Little Miss Sunshine).

Gathering on the Foley stage in Marion Knott Studios, students worked side-by-side with the Prime Time Emmy Award-winner to develop the soundscapes for Mr. Bananas, Trellis, Scarlet, and The Misadventures of Landon.

In one session, students used various plants and vegetables to create the sounds for the motion capture film, Trellis, in which a garden magically comes to life in order to protect a young boy from his abusive father. For Mr. Bananas, Barbanell balled-up t-shirts and whirled them around his head to create the sound of a stuffed animal spinning on the end of a power drill.

“I think the biggest thing I took away from this class is how much Foley can support the quality of a scene,” says Kadyn Michaels (MFA/Film Prod. ’14). “In our film, Scarlet, Barbanell was able to increase tension and enhance character by layering multiple sounds into an incredibly rich soundscape. Looking back now at one of my older films, I can see now how I could have increased the tension by doing additional Foley layering work. That’s something I hope I can carry forward into my future work; I’m grateful I had a chance to participate in this class.”

DODGE COLLEGE

ALUMNI NOTES

ALUMNI NOTES Ana Catalina Acuña (MFA/PD ’10) has taken her American work experience to her home in Costa Rica. After adapting to the lack of prop houses, she was able to hunt down all the set dressings she needed and just finished art directing the second period-piece ever made in the country.

Michael Cruz (MFA/FP ’11) heads programming and production for WhaleRock Industries’ YouTube Channels Tasted, Cinefix and Tested.

He recently sold his feature script Kingslayer and is currently writing a WW2 pilot for Martian Entertainment.

Jessica Angiuoni (BFA/Film Prod. ’13) is an assistant to WME motion picture lit agent, Craig Kestel.

DJ Dodd (MFA/FP ’12) is a development producer at Nancy Glass Productions. He recently sold a one-hour documentary special to Animal Planet, which is set to air in October.

Tom Banks (BFA/Film Prod. ’09) is director of photography on the current season of Comedy Bang Bang on IFC.

Maliha Ghazali (BFA/CP ’13) is a trainee at UTA.

Megan Baxter (BFA/TBJ ’14) is a production secretary at The Talk on CBS. Kellen Blair (BFA/Film Prod. ’06) wrote a successful play that was shown in New York.

Conor Brown (BFA/SA ’12) was a guest star on the TV series Bones.

Chris Bryant (BFA/ Film Prod. ’12) was production secretary on Captain America: Winter Soldier.

Nicole Case (BFA/ Film Prod. ’11) is the assistant production office coordinator alongside Segment Producer Andrew Huddleston (BFA/Film Prod. ’08) on an A&E show, Epic Meal Empire.

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Everlyn Chen (BDA/SW ’13) was accepted into the 14th Annual CAPE New Writers Fellowship sponsored by NBC Universal and Warner Brothers.

Jessica Goldberg (MFA/Screenwriting ’12) is writing unscripted TV as an associate producer at Superfine Films. Her TV show, Hillbilly Blood, will air on Destination America in July.

Jackie Goldston (BA/Com. ’94) can be seen in the movie Blended that was in theaters.

Annie Green (BA/PRA ’14) works for the Seattle Wunderman Network as a social strategy intern.

Zak Griffler (BFA/Film Prod. ’13) edited a commercial spot that was featured as a centerpiece of Million Dollar Listing NY on Bravo. He also directed a short narrative documentary for American Cancer Society NYC, Pfizer and Abbott Labs. He recently directed two spots to be shown at a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

Kevin Hansen (BFA/Film Prod. ’05) works at the Orange County Fire Authority as a Multimedia Specialist with Jakub Lichtenstein (BFA/Film Prod. ’06), whom he calls “the War Machine to my Iron Man.”

Do you have a recent accomplishment you’d like to share? Email Alumni Coordinator Sorrel Geddes, sgeddes@chapman.edu, so we can share your success with the Dodge College community.

Derek Helwig (BFA/Film Prod. ’05) has left his producing job at the Amazing Race and has produced shows for CBS and Discovery Channel. He was the senior producer for Dealing Steel, set to air this year. He also wrote a chapter for a travelogue about his experiences with hitchhiking in Rwanda.

Elise Holowicki (BFA/Film Prod. ’10) is a finalist for the pilot she submitted to the Nantucket screenplay competition.

She also co-produced a short film with Daisy Robinson (BFA/Film Prod. ’11), The Badger’s Promise, that will premiere at the Nantucket film festival.

Madeleine Johnson (BFA/SA ’12) was in the low-budget feature Gilt.

Kiah S. Jones (MFA/FP ’11) was recently hired as a media planning coordinator for the Disney Junior channel in the Disney/ABC television group.

Reed Kaufman (BFA/Film Prod. ’05) is involved in the launch of Fox Sports 1. He is working on improving filebased workflows, supervising post production and developing the asset management system for all of sports production.

Sanyukta Kaza (MFA/FP ’07) edited an independent film from India, Ship Of Theseus, that went to TIFF and won the 2013 India’s National Film Award.

Michael Kirsch (BFA/Film.

Prod. ’99) crowdfunded $6,500 for his documentary The Brick People in 2011. The doc was released in 2012.

Tim Lightell (MFA/Screenwriting ’03) has just wrapped production on his biggest feature project Manbaby, funded through Kickstarter. He and cowriter/editor Joseph Campanale (MFA/Film Prod. ’06) plan to take the low-budget comedy on a tour around the country when its finished, screening it at venues and giving people a unique, MANBABY experience. View the Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/ 1674313369/manbaby Michelle Lanthier (BFA/TBJ ’14) is executive assistant to the EVP of Business and Legal Affairs at Relativity Media.

Matthew Ladensack (BFA/Film Prod. ’09) recently directed and produced the comedic feature film Saugatuck Cures. In fall 2014, he is launching a social website, “Heirloomology,” where families can preserve and cherish family memories forever.

Matt R. Lohr (MFA/SA ’02) received the Platinum Award in the Action/Adventure category at this year’s Worldfest-Houston International Film and Video Festival for his period gangland thriller screenplay ‘SHINERS. Galen London (BA/Com. ’02) works at the New York independent film production company Greencard Pictures.

Holly Miller (BA/PRA ’02) is working at The Search Agency (TSA) as a senior marketing manager.

Chris Marrs Piliero (BFA/Film Prod. ’01) directed Avril Lavigne’s music video for her song Rock N Roll, which is nominated for the “MMVA International Video of the Year by a Canadian.”

Max Knies (BFA/Film Prod. ’07) works at Identity Media and also produces commercials in New York City.

35 FOR STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS AT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

ALUMNI NOTES

Do you have a recent accomplishment you’d like to share? Email Alumni Coordinator Sorrel Geddes, sgeddes@chapman.edu, so we can share your success with the Dodge College community.

Alex Portin (BFA/DA ’11) is a project coordinator at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he is working on Annie, Goosebumps, and an Untitled Cameron Crowe Project for Sony’s Columbia Pictures Division.

Al Raitt (BFA/TBJ ’10) is working with the LA Galaxy as the supervisor for game entertainment and events.

He is responsible for producing each Galaxy home game and coordinating outside events.

David Reeve (BFA/Com. ’95) founded the Chapman Film Alumni Board in 1998 and is working at Chapman’s Leatherby Center for his incubator for female-led businesses, pairing entrepreneurs with seed capital.

Ivan Van Norman (MFA/Film Prod. ’11) is a host of a new web series that will film in June. Saving Throw is a fun, educational view on how to play Role Playing Games. It raised $12,000 in its initial funding on Kickstarter. Visit the website at http://savingthrowshow.com/ View the Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/gadzookfilms/saving-throw-an-instructional-webseries-about-rpg Julie Vescera (BFA/TBJ ’14) is a segment researcher at CONAN.

Tori Rose (BFA/TBJ ’11) will be working as a script supervisor on the upcoming season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing.

Alexandra Santoro (BA/FS ’12) works at Universal Pictures in the Physical Production Department, and is in the MFA Producers Program at UCLA. The awardwinning feature-length film she associate produced at Chapman, A Big Love Story, was released on DVD, VOD and select international territories last fall. She was one of four producers chosen to pitch her feature film plan to a panel of judges for the UCLA Producers Marketplace Award in June.

Brandon Wade (MFA/FP ’10) funded his film Equitism via Kickstarter and is set to film in August.

Visit the Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/equitism/equitism Darryl Wharton-Rigby (MFA/ FP ’10) recently finished principal photography for the indie motion picture Stay, which he wrote and directed in Tokyo.

Evan Seccombe (BFA/Film Prod. ’09) is an art department assistant for Disney’s live action The Jungle Book.

Ester Sokolow (BFA/Film Prod. ’09) worked as the editorial PA on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with fellow alumni Emily Denker (BFA/Film Prod. ’13), Hillary Hendler (BFA/CP ’12), and Claudia Huerta (BFA/ Film Prod.’01) and has recently started as a visual effects editor with Method Studios.

Kc Wayland (BFA/FTV’08) and Grayson Stone (BFA/Film Prod.’10) are working on the last season of their awardwinning zombie podcast We’re Alive, on air since 2009. The sold-out live finale is premiering in Los Angeles on July 19.

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Taylor Wing (BFA/ TBJ ’14) was one of six graduating seniors out of 3,000 applicants selected by NBC for its News Associates Program.

r e l l e K MMaFAx/FTP ’11,

ECT DMR PROJ AX NICA AT IM O M A T N A ATOR, S CO-ORDIN

1

How did you get where you are now?

I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2010 with a B.A. in Film Studies. I’d known for years that I wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but I knew that my studies at Cal probably wouldn’t help me much towards accomplishing my career goal, so I decided to apply to grad school for an MFA in Film & Television Producing.

In an attempt to make me a more well rounded applicant, I decided to take on an internship during my year off between undergrad and graduate school and I ended up at IMAX. I interned in distribution and marketing and at the end of the summer Greg Foster (CEO of IMAX Entertainment and Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp.) told me he wanted me to come back and intern again in the spring.

I worked for another 12 or so weeks, and on my last day Greg told me that when I graduated, I’d have a job waiting for me at IMAX. It was absolutely the last thing I expected him to say, but I couldn’t have been more excited.

I’ve been working at IMAX for almost nine months now and absolutely love it.

2

What was the biggest adjustment you faced after graduation and how did you overcome it?

As odd as this probably sounds, losing the rigorous structure of school was surprisingly difficult to deal with.

Instead of having three hour blocks of classes a few days a week, I was in the office at around 8 AM every day and out anywhere between 6 PM and, on the busier days, 11 PM or midnight. Also losing the safety net you have as a student was a big adjustment.

When you’re a student, you can make certain mistakes at your internships and get away with them because you’re still learning, but once you’re out in the real world, if you screw up badly enough, you’re going to get fired. It’s scary, but it keeps me on my toes and it’s one of the things that keeps me motivated to do a great job.

3

What advice would you give current students?

Make the most of your time as a student. Take that extra class that sounds cool, travel, be a TA, intern, network, the list goes on and on. The fact is you only get one chance to do this and you don’t want to miss out on anything.

Be open to the things that scare you, take risks, make mistakes and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to fail every once in a while. Know a little about a lot, and not just about the movies and TV. Most importantly, be smart. Figure out what you want to accomplish early on and every step you take and every decision from then on should be leading you towards your ultimate goal.

4

What is your favorite memory from Chapman?

It’s hard for me to pick a single memory that’s my favorite because I had so many amazing experiences at Chapman.

As great as the classes and the guests were, what I think about most fondly are the little moments spent with my friends, just hanging out and goofing around. I don’t think of a lot of the people I went to school with as friends, those people are my family, and I treasure each moment with all of them.

5

What have you taken from the classroom and applied to your career?

When it came to producing a film, I was taught to look at both the macro and the micro. The macro is things like casting, getting your locations, getting your permits, having all necessary equipment, etc. To me, the micro is about making sure that I have a variety of snacks on the craft table that appeal to everyone, that I know the food allergies and dietary restrictions of all the people on set so everyone can have a tasty, filling meal, and that I’ve done everything I can to make the set run as smoothly and comfortably for everyone as possible.

At IMAX, I work mainly with trailers, and just like with producing, they have macro and micro details that I have to insure are correct to make sure that everyone’s job can be accomplished in a timely and efficient manner.

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Marc Messenger, BA/Com ’86,

S E N I O R C I N E M AT I C A R T I S T, B L I Z Z A R D E N T E R TA I N M E N T

1

How did you get where you are now?

Coming out of Chapman in the mid-eighties, working in film meant the traditional film industry — electronic arts were still in their infancy. I wanted to direct someday, but didn’t know which ladder I should try climbing.

I had always drawn pictures, so I decided to try my hand as a storyboard artist and that turned out to be the right fit. For over ten years I boarded films ranging from Blade and Con Air to Superman Returns and Poseidon. During that time, I also produced and directed two micro-budget features — the first, a comedy called The Sasquatch Hunters, was made with the help of other Chapman alums and professors. The second, a thriller titled Exposure, was partially shot in Dodge’s former Gold Room stage.

In 2006, I learned that Blizzard Entertainment, the videogame company behind titles like World of Warcraft, was looking to hire their first dedicated storyboard artist for the Cinematics department. Making movies for games was something I could not have imagined back in my Chapman days but it sounded intriguing, and by this time I had a family and longed for a stability that freelance art could not provide.

In 2007 I began work at Blizzard, storyboarding films for all their game titles, including Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 as well as WoW. Then in 2009 another opportunity presented itself. Our department leaders announced that they were seeking an additional director.

I was chosen to direct the cinematic introduction to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. This led to my directing films for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Directing at Blizzard is a great joy and the culmination of a lifelong ambition to make movies.

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2

What was the biggest adjustment you faced after graduation and how did you overcome it?

My big adjustment was realizing that there was no longer a road map.

College had been exhilarating and had allowed me to take risks, but there had still been guidance. Now I had to find my own way in the entertainment industry, and I had few contacts. Were it not for my little network of college friends, all of us out in the world seeking our fortunes, my story might have evolved very differently. Together we sustained our hopes and each other.

3

What advice would you give current students?

When you start out in the workforce, especially if it is in entertainment, you will likely find that who you are as a human being is initially more important than what you know. By this I mean that people want to hire those who are diligent team-players with a positive attitude. You may not be the most experienced applicant for your early jobs, but with the right attitude you will succeed where less cooperative candidates fail.

Make the most of your time at school. At Chapman you have access to amazing resources and a willing crew of volunteers, your fellow students. Making your own films out in the world will be far more difficult, so maximize this great opportunity to learn, to form lasting ties and, if your intention is to be a filmmaker, to build a reel that will serve you for years to come.

4

What is your favorite memory from Chapman?

Probably my favorite experiences were the school’s early interterm films, where we shot in Death Valley and at an estate. With a full crew of students passionately engaged in their work, it was what we all imagined a feature film shoot to be. I remember the energy, the camaraderie and the friendships that have lasted to this day, including my relationship with my wonderful wife, Bonnie.

5

What have you taken from the classroom and applied to your career?

Chapman gave me a foundational understanding of the filmmaking process and those lessons have not left me. Perhaps more importantly, my school projects allowed me the chance to experience the human equation that is integral to making movies. It is an intense group collaboration that must operate like a well-oiled machine or a small army. I have always tried to respect my crews and coworkers, and to keep in mind that in such a creative enterprise, good ideas can come from anywhere.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS Bumbershoot, Bahamas, Blue Plum, Breckenridge, Cleveland, Cucalorus, Dubuque, Gasparilla, Geneva, Green Bay, High Desert, Kansas City, Maryland, Nantucket, Newport Beach, Omaha, Palm Beach, Rainier, San Luis Obispo, Santa Fe, Sarasota, Sierra Canyon, Sonoma, St. Louis, Sunscreen, Topanga, Traverse City, Waterfront, West Chester, Woods Hole

James Beck (BFA/FP ’12) Green Acres: Best Student Short at Carmel, Best Animated Short at LA Comedy, Best Animated Short at Kansas City, Best Animation at Love Your Shorts, Best International Film at Greater August Town Film Festival (Jamaica), Best Student Film at San Luis Obispo, Best Student Animation at Sedona, Best Animation at Snake Alley, Best Animation at Tiburon, Audience Award at Charleston, Audience Award at Rumschpringe; Animation Torrent, Big Bear, Breckenridge, Catalina, Collinsville, Costa Rica, Dubuque, Durango, Forster (Australia), Fort Myers, Fresno, Gasparilla, Geneva, Green Bay, Hell’s Half Mile, High Desert, Hollywood Student, Idyllwild, LA Comedy, Logan, Maryland, Moab, New Orleans, Newport Beach, OC Film Fiesta, Oceanside, Princeton, Rhode Island, River Bend, River’s Edge, Roseville Animation, Ruby Mountain, Santa Fe, Sierra Canyon, Sunscreen, Topanga, Treasure Coast, Twain Harte, Waterfront, West Chester Katelyn Bianchini (BFA/DA ’12), Rena Cheng (BFA/DA ’12), & Asia Lancaster (BFA/DA ’12): Blue: Best Animated Short at Sedona, Audience Award at Charleston, Honorable Mention at Anchorage, Special Jury Mention at Pune (India); 1 Reel

Dan Carr (BFA/FP ’13) Pray Me Down: Best Actor at Sierra Canyon; Carmel, Collinsville, Dam Short, Fargo, LA Shorts, New Hampshire, Newport Beach, River’s Edge

Light Me Up

Derek Dolechek (BFA/DA ’12) & Ryan Walton (BFA/FP ’12) Light Me Up: Best Animation at DaVinci, Best Animated Short at Eugene, Best Animated Short at Geneva, Best Overall Film at Poppy Jasper, Best Animation at Rumschpringe, Best Student Animation at SENE, Best Animation at Sierra Canyon, Honorable Mention at Anchorage, Honorable Mention at Fargo; 1 Reel Bumbershoot, Animation Torrent, Athens, Bare Bones, Berkshire, Big Bear, Big Island, Big Muddy, Breckenridge, Capital City, Carmel, Catalina, Charleston, Cincinnati, Collinsville, Daytona Beach, Downtown LA, Dubuque, Fort Myers, Gasparilla, Green Bay, Hell’s Half Mile, High Desert, Hoboken, Hollywood Student, Humboldt, Idyllwild, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Logan, Los Angeles Shorts, Louisville, Love Your Shorts, Macon, Miami Shorts,

Moving Media, Munich Int’l Student (Germany), New Hope, Newport Beach, OC Film Fiesta, Oceanside, Ojai, Omaha, Orlando, Palm Beach, Paterson Falls, Philadelphia Animation, Portland, Red Rock, River’s Edge, Roseville Animation, Ruby Mountain, San Jose Shorts, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Sedona, Sidewalk, Sonoma, Sunscreen, Topanga, Treasure Coast, Tupelo, Twain Harte, Washington D.C., Waterfront, West Chester, Woods Hole Michael Fitzgerald (MFA/FP ’13) If We Were Adults: Best Actress at LA Comedy, Best Student Film at New Hampshire; Anchorage, Athens, Big Island, Capital City, Carmel, Charleston, Cucalorus, Dubuque, Fargo, Geneva, Grand Rapids, Hill Country, Hoboken, Kansas City, LA Shorts, Maryland, Newport Beach, River Bend, San Luis Obispo, San Pedro, Santa Fe, Starz Denver, Studio City, Sunscreen, Tupelo Harrison Givens (BFA/FP ’13) There Is No God And We All Die Alone: Best Student Film at San Pedro, Best Comedy at Snake Alley, Honorable Mention at Fargo; Bend, Breckenridge, Crossroads, Dances With Films, Eugene, Houston Comedy, Kansas City, Maryland, Omaha, Portland, River Bend, River’s Edge, Santa Fe, Sunscreen

There Is No God And We All Die Alone

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FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Into the Silent Sea

Andrej Landin (BFA/FP ’13) Into the Silent Sea: BAFTA-LA Student Award, CINE Golden Eagle Award, Best Student Film at Crossroads, Best Student Film at Geneva, Best Student Film at Rehoboth Beach, Best Student Film at San Luis Obispo, Best Short Film at Santa Fe, Best Short Film at Sedona, Best International Film at Sunscreen, Best Screenplay at High Desert, Honorable Mention at Nashville; Arizona, Asiana (Korea), Berkshire, Black Hills, Breckenridge, Capital City, Catskill Mountains, Charleston, Dubuque, Eastern Oregon, Gasparilla, Gothenburg (Sweden), Grand Rapids, Hill Country, Lighthouse, Little Rock, Marfa, Maryland, Newport Beach, Oceanside, Palm Springs Shorts, Prescott, Rhode Island, River Bend, Sarasota, Sonoma, Stony Brook, Telluride Eric Otten (BFA/FP ’14) Drain: Carmel, Asheville, Dam Short, LA Shorts, Macon, Portland, Rockport, San Jose Shorts, SoCal, Spokane, Walnut Creek

CONTINUED

Monica Stefanelli (BFA/DA ’13) Grounded: Audience Award at Sedona; Animal Film Fest, Chicago Children, Dubuque, Gasparilla, Green Bay, Little Big Shots (Australia), Newport Beach, Toronto Kids (Canada) Sarah Wilson Thacker (MFA/ FP ’13) The Bright Side: ASC Student Award, College Television Award (3rd place Drama), Best Short Film at Hollywood, Best College Film at Gasparilla, Best Director at Flagship City; Dubuque, Carmel, Marina Del Rey, Ojai Michael Van Orden (MFA/ FP ’13) Being Doug: Best Short at Maryland; Atlanta, ComicCon, Dam Short, Irvine

Zach Wechter (BFA/FP ’13) Straight Down Low: ASC Student Award, CINE Golden Eagle Award, Visionary Award at Visions; 1 Reel Bumbershoot, Bahamas, Capital City, Cleveland, HollyShorts, Kansas City, Maryland, New Orleans, Newport Beach, Santa Cruz, Starz Denver, Stony Brook

Home

Jason Pangilinan (MFA/FP ’13) Home: Audience Award at Dam Short, Best Narrative Short Film at Eugene, Honorable Mention at Ojai; Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Green Bay, Hollywood, Kansas City, Napa Valley, New Hope, Newport Beach, South Dakota, Stony Brook

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Straight Down Low

DOCUMENTARY SUCCESSES FROM COMMUNITY VOICES: Learning to Live (Katie Wise BFA/FP ’13, Ashley Moradipour BFA/FP ’13, Malina Fagan BFA/FP ’13) CINE Golden Eagle Award, Best Short Documentary at Downtown LA; Big Bear, Dubuque, Newburyport, Silent River, West Chester Under My Skin (Alex Ivany BFA/TBJ ’14, James Parker BFA/FP ’13, Kevin Wolf BFA/FP ’15, Samantha Schoenberg BFA/FP ’14) American Documentary, Bare Bones, Thin Line Why We Race (Andrew Evers BFA/FP ’16, Ben Fischinger BFA/FP ’14, Kiley Vorndran BFA/FP ’13, Ryan Westra BFA/TBJ ’14) Student Doc Award nominee in IDA Awards; American Documentary, Bare Bones

FROM PROJECT W: Culture Over Everything (Charlie Cook BFA/FP ’13, Ravi Lloyd BA/VANT ’14, Megan Mckeown BA/PCST ’15) Honorable Mention at SENE; Pan African, San Francisco Black, Thin Line The L Riders (Zane Schwartz BFA/FP ’15, Eric Ward BFA/ CRPR ’16, Johnny Wilcox BFA/TBJ ’15, Kevin Wolf BFA/ FP ’15) Frameline San Francisco LGBT, Miami Gay & Lesbian The Pink Helmet Posse (Kristelle Laroche BFA/TBJ ’14, Ben Mullinkossen BFA/FP ’13) Best Student Film at Nashville; Hot Docs, Indianapolis, Palm Springs Shorts, Seattle, Tribeca

FROM DESTINATION AFRICA: City of the Damned (Mor Albalak BFA/TBJ ’15, Stephanie Lincoln JD/LAW ’14, Matt Rogers BFA/ FP ’14, Nate Skeen BFA/FP ’14) Africa World Doc, Miami Gay & Lesbian, Mumbai Queer (India), Outfest Fusion, Forest Keepers (Matthew Blake BFA/FP ’14, Malina Fagan BFA/FP ’14, Kristelle Laroche BFA/TBJ ’14, Ben Mullinkosson BFA/FP ’13, Siede Kohl MBAMFA/ CRPR ’15) ASC Student Award, Films for the Forest

We Are The Land

We Are The Land (Andrew Heskett BFA/TBJ ’13, Lauren Lindberg BFA/TBJ ’15, Ryan Westra BFA/TBJ ‘14) ASC Student Award; Capital City, Cinema Verde, Earthport, Green Bay, Green Lens Environmental, International Wildlife, Newport Beach, San Pedro, Santa Fe, Sedona, Yale Environmental

There Is No Place For You Here (Elliott Balsley BFA/ FP ’12, Sam Price-Waldman BFA/FP ’12, Haley Quartarone BFA/TBJ ’13, Ruby Stocking BFA/TBJ ’13) Best Student Film at Awareness Fest, Best Documentary Short at Ojai, Best Undergraduate Student Award at Society for Visual Anthropology; Atlanta Doc, Chagrin, DocUtah, Newport Beach, Prescott, Sacramento, Seattle Social Justice, Thin Line, Unspoken Human Rights

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Orange, CA Permit No. 58

One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866

UPCOMING EVENTS

Leo Freedman Foundation First Cut: September 18 Homecoming Weekend: October 10–12 Discover Chapman Day: November 9

Develop Skills that Travel “After many years, I’ve realized that what we actually need to develop over the course of our lives and careers is a set of transportable skills,” Academy Award®-winning Producer Cathy Schulman advised Dodge College graduates at commencement in May. “My biggest mistakes along the way have come from trying to find the perfect job or perfect salary or perfect script.”

Schulman shared anecdotes from her own life, including struggles and successes, inspiring and encouraging the class of 2014 with tips for success including loving problems instead of fearing them, learning to sell yourself to better sell your ideas, learning from all the positions you will hold in life, and working hard. “To do great work, remember what you love and keep your clarity of purpose,” she said.