SUMMER 2014

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS

DODGE COLLEGE CINEMATOGRAPHERS WIN INDUSTRY HONORS

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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 andcommunication vehicles are made, but what drives the decisions to make this one and notthat 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 justcreate 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 guestspeakers 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 LineCinema 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 seemore 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 thatwill not see them spend themselves into debt and so they can think aboutwho 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,which will open to its first class in fall 2015. Not only will these documentaryfilmmakers learn how to make a feature-length documentary, but they willalso learn about marketing and distribution strategies. In addition to offeringa complete hands-on production curriculum backed up with interdisciplinary research and the studyof historical, aesthetic and ethical questions pertinent to the field, this marketing element will helpstudents 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 drivingforce 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 simplestorytelling 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.

LEARNING MARKETING IN the service of

FR

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N B

OB

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ETT

arta

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

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

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

12 Creating the Magic of Disney

14 Dodge Talent Blooms at Tribeca

14 The Pink Helmet Posse Skates to Success

16 Dodge Launches Online Screenwriting Program

17 Tenacity vs. Talent: Advice for Animating Your Career

18 Women in Focus: Film Marketing in a Global Arena

23 New Dodge College MFA in Documentary Filmmaking

28 Digital Arts Students Meet Animation Royalty

29 PR Students Soar in National Bateman Competition

30 Advice from Industry Insiders

31 Events Recap/Oakie Foundation Supports Comedy

32 The Power of American Films

33 Adding the Drama of Sound to a Scene

34 Dodge College Alumni Notes

37 Max Keller MFA/FTP ’11

38 Marc Messenger, BA/Com ’86

39 Festival Highlights

41 Documentary Successes

2 Chapman CinematographersMake Their Mark

6 What Does It Take to Successfully

Kickstart a Project?

11 New DegreesOffer Clear Opportunities

20 Chapman Filmed Entertainment Finishes

First Feature

24 Working FilmmakersLead Documentary Program

Trigger

Straight Down Low

2

Yet that unusual sweep was part of a continuing pattern of industry recognition for DodgeCollege 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 studentmust take. For cinematography students, “what distinguishes ourprogram 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 underlyingtechnology of the medium,” he says. “The cinematog-rapher’s skills as a manager and a technician are whatmake his or her skills as an artist possible.

“All of the choices a cinematographer makes in lighting,composition, focus, internal camera adjustments or cameraoperating, must rise, organically out of a fundamental under-standing of the human experience happening in front of thecamera,” Dill continues. “The images are the vocabulary of themotion picture. These are our thoughts on the screen, just asthey 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 beyondsimply making pretty pictures. A key lesson at Dodge “is to letyour eyes be the conduit to your heart,” says Professor Jenson.

Chapman Cinematographers

CHAPMAN’S GROWING REPUTATION FOR PRODUCING TOP-NOTCH CINEMATOGRAPHERSSET A NEW RECORD LAST YEAR WHEN DODGE COLLEGE STUDENTS SWEPT ALL THREEAWARD 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.

Matthew Blake at the2014 ASC awards.

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

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

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

“Allowing and emphasizing the personal emotion of everybudding 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 JurgWalther. “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 todolly tracks to Arri Alexa cameras —budding cinematographers“must also have an understanding of the images made in greatmotion pictures of the past,” says Dill, “as a firm foundationon which to build. However, it's equally important to avoidmere imitation. Our ultimate goal, as with all artists, is to create images that are new, not derivative. “

ADVICE FROM CINEMATOGRAPHYALUMNI BUILDING THEIR CAREERS

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

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

• ANDREW DAVIS (BFA/ Film Prod. ’10) hasbeen shooting a variety of commercials andshot the Lionsgate feature Nightlight. “The cine program at Chapman provides practicalexperience that is always centered on story-telling. The instructors challenged me to make choices that made me a filmmaker, not a technician.”

• PETE VILLANI (BFA/ Film Prod. ’02) has shotmultiple feature films, a Hyundai commercialfor the World Cup, and is currently in pre-production 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 picturethen you could portray in a visual. This was hard to grasp as a cameraman, but he was right.”

2014 Senior thesis Barstow. Photo by Austin Ray.

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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 AWARDS2014: Kyle Klutz (BFA/Cinematography ’05)

2013: Kyle Klutz (BFA/Cinematography ’05)

2012: Pete Villani (BFA/Cinematography ’02)

VARIETY: 10 CINEMATOGRAPHERS TO WATCH2008: Yasu Tanida (MFA /Film Prod. ’02)

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

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

Do As They DoAlumni Doug Potts (’14), Matthew Blake (’14)and professor Johnny Jensen.

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“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 tabletop 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 andalumni who have succeeded in crowdfunding will attest, it’s really morelike taking on a job to make the money you need. Except that you can dothe job in addition to any other job you might have or you can continueto 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 toearn in the same amount of time.

“Running a crowdsourcing campaign is not unlike doing production on afilm set,” says Van Norman. “You often are working with a team, puttingtogether assets, every day counts, you need to hit certain goals, you have

to innovate to succeed, and if you don’t make yourgoal, and you will either have something to show for it or not. There is no in-between.”

Yet increasingly, Dodge College students and alumniare turning to sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo,among others, to finance everything from thesis filmswhile 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) finds38 successful projects raisinga total of $502,594 (anaverage of 122 percent over goal) from 6,876 backers.

But as crowdingfunding sites become more popular,the competition for money and attention has increasedexponentially. “These days there is a much higher barrier to entry in terms of getting people to notice acampaign and want to participate,” says Mike Kirsch(BFA/FTP ’99), who raised $6,449 for his documentaryThe 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 VeronicaMars tap into their fan bases to raise money and awareness. The Marsmovie 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.)

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCESSFULLY

BY JANELL SHEARER

A PROJECT?

The idea of crowdfundingsounds endlessly appealing.

Create a great idea and people will give you money

to make it happen.

The reality is entirely different.

SELLING YOUR IDEA TO THE PUBLIC

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

DO YOUR HOMEWORK, BUILD YOUR NETWORKResearch and planning are critical to launching a successful campaign. Evidence suggests that successful campaigns depend for up to 30 percentof funds on friends and family and willexperience a slow period in the middle.Research involves not only diggingdeeply into campaigns similar to yours, but also, advises Van Norman,designing a structure for your campaign, creating a marketingand PR plan, and a calendar of events because “rarely do things ‘naturally’ catchtraction when put on thesite,” he says.

“We had to make a compelling presentationof our goals, ideas and

what we wanted to achieve — whichhad to be both visually interesting andintellectually intriguing,” says KorielKruer (BA/Art ’13) who worked withJohn Torkington (BFA/Film Prod. ’13)and James Steininger (BA/INME ’15)to raise $30,100 from 871 backers for XING: The Land Beyond, a first-person puzzle adventure game for the PC. “Before we launched, we researched similar games, and the do’sand don’ts of Kickstarter. We also did a lot of research on Reward tiers andStretch goals.”

“You won’t raise much money frompeople who randomly come across yourproject,” says Chris White, (MFA/FilmTV Prod. ’05), who worked on an Indiegogo campaign for “My Dog isMy Home,” a museum exhibit abouthomeless people with companion animals. “You need to start off with areally solid list of contacts/ potentialdonors,” he says. “You need those

contacts to notonly support your project, butto also share your

campaignwith theircontacts.

“My Dog is My Home”

Photo: Norah Levine

Successful campaignsdepend onfriends and

family for upto 30 percent

of funds.

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.

8

The more people who see and shareit, the more donations you receive.People are more likely to give whenthe project comes to them as a recommendation from a friend.”

White recommends having a thirdof your campaign goal committedbefore you launch online and askingthose committed donors to donateas soon as the campaign goes up.“The reality is people like winners.If you can show good momentumin the first few days, your odds ofreaching your goal increase tremen-dously,” he says, because people are more likely to donate if they see that others are already giving.“This will also give you and yourteam a psychological boost.”

KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCEAlthough certain genres can pre-dictably be said to have an expectedfan base, defining your audienceeven more specifically can pay off.For example, Tom Ptasinski (BFA/Fim Prod. ’08) and Stanley Von

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

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

Amanda Pham (BA/Public RelationsAd. ’13) managed the campaign for the documentary Drip, aboutparticipants in national and worldbarista championships, by positioningit to reach out to coffee loversaround the world. The campaign,which raised $52,956 from 584backers, sought sponsorships fromcoffee companies “so that our supporters would understand thatthe professional coffee communityis 100 percent behind us,” she says.Nevertheless, the majority of thebackers were individuals. “Wewanted them to feel like donatingwas just like buying a quick cup of coffee,” Pham says.

Show good momentum in the

first few days and your odds

of reaching your goal increasetremendously.

Drip

9

BE REAL, SHOW YOUR PASSION“The internet does not sufferphonies,” says Tom Ptasinski.“People see through the greasysalesman shtick,” he says. “Balance entertainment withearnestness, let them get toknow you and they’re morelikely to support you.”

Creating a connection between atopic and an audience demandsa lot more work and creativitywhen a clear target audience isnot readily identifiable. DavidThompson (BFA/Film Prod.’13) faced that challenge in hiscampaign for Seeking Ensaaf, adocumentary about the killingof thousands of Sikhs in Indiatwo decades ago.

“The hardest part was gettingindividuals who couldn’t identify with the issue to careabout it,” he says. “To manythat I pitched, the distance violent past of a religious ethnicgroup that they had no personalties to did not inspire charity.”

So Thompson sought outaffinity groups and made personal pitches. “I posted on public Sikh Facebookgroups/pages, I presented thecampaign to my colleagues and local film guilds, I evenpartnered with a local Punjabirestaurant to put up posters for the campaign,” he says.

The Kickstarter page for SeekingEnsaaf also included a frank assessment: “We recognize thatwe are three white males tellingthe story of Sikhs. This posesthe challenge of cultural misrepresentation, false assumptions, or unintended biases. The fact is that we’re notIndian, and though we wentthere to shoot this film, thatdoes not make us experts onthe topic by any means. That’snot to say that we’re not savvyobservers and listeners doingour best to understand andlearn all that we can — butwe’re human! And we don’tknow everything.” Rather, theypromised to work closely withmembers of the Sikh communityto produce a film that wouldimpact “a wide array of people.”

CREATE ENGAGEMENT,GET OTHERS TO TELLYOUR STORYThe strategic use of socialmedia is vital to spreading theword. And strategy, as AmandaPham points out, is not onesize fits all. “Every platformhas its purpose; therefore, wedidn’t want to mimic posts

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

“Provide regular updates about yourprogress. Send emails. Do videoupdates. Provide sneak peeks.Anything to demonstrate your levelof commitment to the project,”advises Chris White. “This isn’tjust asking for money every otherday; it’s interacting with the peoplewho are already supporting youand those who you hope will support you. It’s an ongoingprocess for everyone involved.Your passion will be contagious.”

CREATE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET DIRECTLY INVOLVED

Justin Simien (BFA/FTV ’05) created interest in his feature DearWhite People by testing the voiceand humor of his lead character on twitter. As he said in an onlineinterview, “put your best work out there and ‘wow’ people. You have to do something reallyunique and special to pop againstall these other projects.”

Seeking Ensaaf

A drawing from L5.

People seethrough the greasysalesmanshtick.

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Brandon Wade (MFA/FilmProd. ’12), whose campaignfor the film Equitism raised$33,205, invited backers tovote on actors auditioning for roles (reserving final say for the filmmakers, of course).Reaching out and respondingto 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 reachingout personally.”

Wade also suggests creatingways to meet new backers.“The biggest tip was to crosspromote with like-mindedprojects,” he says. “I sent outhundreds of messages a weekto other Kickstarter campaignsasking them to give a shoutout to our project in their next update in exchange for us doing the same for them.”However, he notes, “This is farmore effective when you havehundreds of backers, whichyou get early on by asking fordonations of as little as $1.”

Koriel Kruer found the bestthing was “emailing reporters,writers and YouTube reviewersto do pieces throughout thecampaign” for XING.

She also recommends creatingvisually 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 thecontent, when it comes tomaking people believe in your ideas and abilities.” Chris White adds, “I believethe most effective part of our campaign was the videothat we included on our Indiegogo page of the homeless people and (their)animals that would be featured in the exhibit. When viewers started tellingme that they teared up whilewatching that video, I knewthat we were connecting with our audience on the emotional level we needed to.”

COMMIT THE TIME TOKEEP YOUR CAMPAIGNMOVING FORWARDSetting realistic goals is also critical. Be realistic about whatyou can raise. The average goalfor the Dodge College projectssurveyed was $6,729 (rangingfrom to $1,200 to $50,000).

Once you begin, “it’s an every-day job,” says Ptasinki, “almosthourly throughout the campaign.You have to be engaged andworking and posting and reachingout and calling and texting. Ithink some people who crowd-source feel that it’s like a Chiapet, you just spread the seeds,water, walk away and then youhave a sheep-plant. Not in theslightest, it’s a good deal of workand if you’re lucky, you catch abreak, it goes viral and you getthe kind of exposure that allowsmore backers to discover whatyou’re trying to do.”

“Don’t take shortcuts,” Wadeadvises. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. I spent over a yearplanning and coordinating thisKickstarter,” he says.

THE BOTTOM LINEWhether you are considering acrowdfunding campaign or arestill writing your script, planningyour documentary or outlining a game idea, the bottom line isthe same. “The biggest thing I learned in making my films a reality at Chapman was thatyou have to be the driving forcebehind your film,” says Wade.

Equitism

Be thedrivingforce

behindyour film.

But for students interested in documentary or television writing, the path was not so clear. As documentary opportunities grew through programs likeCommunity Voices and Project W and students wanted to pursue the careers

offered by the growing critical acclaim for cable and online television shows, theneed 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 & Productionand 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 andstudents will graduate with a degree that defines their area of interest.”

While the split makes it easier for students to see what the programs haveto 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 departmentsand to broaden their perspectives,” says Professor Jeff Swimmer. “Ifsomeone in one program is interested in another, we want to make thatprogram feel accessible to them. At the same time, we hope that the splitwill help students find good partners to work with, bounce ideas off, andbring about esprit de corps in each program.”

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.

New Degrees Offer Clear Opportunities

On the set of the TV Pilot Perceptors.

Students can help produce a

weekly newscast

(far left and right) or work o

n scripted TV pilots

such as Sharp Left Turn (center left an

d right).

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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 thesemovies 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.”

eeing Pinocchio for the first time gave Buck hope byawaking a passion for

drawing, a method of communication that helped

him overcome his natural shyness.Later, he turned his ability to communicate through drawinginto a career working on filmssuch as The Little Mermaid, TheBrave Little Toaster, Rescuers DownUnder, Pocahontas, and Tarzan.

The development of a story thatwill resonate with viewers can becircuitous. With Frozen, the scriptevolved dramatically from a storyabout a villainous ice queen to one about a relationship betweentwo sisters, one of whom struggleswith her powers over ice and snow.

A big part of the film’s evolutioncan be attributed to one pivotalmoment. “We were strugglingwith how villainous to make Elsa,”Buck said. “We knew that she hadto flee up the mountain after herpowers were revealed, but thequestion was what is she feeling? Is she angry? Is she scared? Is sheelated? Bobby and Kristen Lopez,the songwriters for the film, wentaway and wrote ‘Let it Go.’ Theysent us the demo, and we fell inlove 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.”

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

Indeed, the effect of a film is impossible to predict. A youngwoman struggling with depressionwrote on Reddit, “I just want tothank you. I was close to taking

my own life. Then I saw the movieand I felt as if Elsa’s story is mystory. Because of her, I am stillhere. Thank you for making themovie and for making Elsa.”

“You get into this business,” Bucksaid, “because you want to do afunny cartoon and entertain an audience. However, sometimes itcan be way bigger than that. That’swhat happened with this movie forme. As young filmmakers it willhappen to you too. You will touchpeople and affect them in waysthat you never thought you would.That’s the power of film. It givespeople hope.”

Chris Buck and professor Bill Kroyer with digital arts students.

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14

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 asOndi Timoner (Dig!, We Live In Public) andSteve 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 beprogrammed in the Tribeca Film Festival.

Co-directors Mullinkossen and Laroche were looking for subjects andfound 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 styleto create a whimsical documentary that matched the paradox of pinktutus and skateboards,” says Mullinkossen. “After basic research, wefound 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 includingfour more Academy-accredited festivals in a row: Nashville, PalmSprings, 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 andfeatured on their Op-Docs website. After a few little edits, the film has been retitled as Gnarly in Pink.

After a long cold winter, New York City began to heat up in April with the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. Thetrees in Central Park were not the only things blossoming;several Dodge College alumni and students were in townfor 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: MaileenWilliams (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.

Kyle Klütz was the cinematographer on two other films at Tribeca thisyear. He shot the feature film Honeymoon (which had premiered atSXSW before its Tribeca screening) and the short film Sequence (directedby Dodge alum Carles Torrens BFA/Film Prod. ’08) which has won a slew of awards on the festival circuit including the Canal Plus Prize atClermont-Ferrand and the Best of Festival award at LA Shorts Fest, which

qualified his film to be considered for the short film Academy Award.

Filmmakers Ben Mullinkosson and KristelleLaroche (right) with Bella, one of the skater

girls featured in their documentary.

TRIBECA

Photo top left: (From left) Alumni Lauren Ruggeri (BFA/Film Prod.’06), Marion Cunningham (BFA/Film TV Prod.'05), Kyle Klütz 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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Online education is typically not real-time, but it can be —with the result that peer learning and the stimulation of real-time interaction areadded to the convenience of being able to attendclasses from wherever you are. In an effort tocontinue to provide unparalleled opportunitiesin the film and media arts, Dodge College islaunching its first online offering: the ProfessionalCertificate Program in Screenwriting.

On ineDODGE LAUNCHES

Screenwriting Program

Real-Time

This one-year online screenwriting workshop providesan introduction or refresher to the building blocks onwhich all film and TV writing is based - compellingcharacters, conflict, visualization, dialogue, scenes, sequences and basic dramatic structure.

Upon completion, students will have a completedscreenplay 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 otherinstructional modules, to be processedapart from the instructor and from the other students. In contrast, our program is unique in that the instruction and the workshopcomponents are seamless —it all takes place in real time.

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

“In our program, it all happens in real time. Studentsand the instructor watch the video, side-by-side withthe respective script and are able to offer commentaryand 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 closelywith a screenwriter, in a real-time, collaborative workshopformat to inspire them to observe the world aroundthem and to mine their experiences to discover voice,personal vision and passion to create compelling sto-

ries with dynamic characters.”

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

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

ith the passion and furyof a minister speaking tohis congregation, animatorand director Steve Hickner(Prince of Egypt) cautioned

students about the perils they shouldavoid and the attitudes they shouldadopt in order to succeed.

“It all came to a head one day with a group of summer interns we had at Dreamworks,” Hickner says aboutcreating his presentation, AnimatingYour Career. “I spoke with those interns for about two hours and not a single one of them knew any of thefilms I mentioned. I couldn’t believe it!After that, I decided I needed to puttogether something to demonstratehow important it is to see othermovies, because in my lifetime, I havenever met anyone who I thought wasexcellent who was not a complete student of their field. It just can’t

happen! You can’t be excellentwithout a sense of your tradition!”

Hickner recalled his own experienceas a student at NYU.

“They showed us the first semesterstudent movies and I wasslack-jawed. They were so much better thananything I had everdone. Meanwhile,the professors weretalking about directors like HowardHawkes, Frank Capra, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and I hadno idea who these people were. I tolda friend, ‘I’m in trouble.’ He told meto check out the repertory theaterswhere they showed old vintage movies.I got the schedules and in betweenclasses I would see one or two movies

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

“Professor Kroyer brings in a lot of people who are very

talented and successfulin the industry,” says

Jacqueline Yee (BFA/DA’17), “so it’s not a rare thing to hearfrom someone like

Hickner. However, Iliked his attitude especially about not necessarily being the best or mosttalented person but still being able towork hard and get to the same placesas these other people who are clearlywildly talented. As a student, that was really encouraging.”

BY BRIAN HAMILTON

Steve Hickner’s Advice for Animating Your Career

17

18

Monitoring an ever-changing media landscape of shifting markets andevolving formats, six of the most powerful women in Hollywoodagreed that the key question driving every entertainment marketingcampaign always begins with the question “Who is this for?”

Answering questions posed by moderator Dawn Taubin, head of marketing forDreamworks Animation and former Dodge College professor, the panel for the15th annual Women in Focus acknowledged that marketing must overcome notonly fragmented audiences and multiple screen formats but also directors who don’talways 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); TerryPress, 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 forwomen 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 downmoney [to see this] and why would they?” she said.

Cathy Schulman echoed that sentiment saying “it’s important to know before youbegin, who is the target, what [audience] quadrant is this for?” noting that in acrowded 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 amovie 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 Challenge of Film Marketingin a Global ArenaTHE BECHDEL TEST:

WHAT WOMEN WANTProfessor Alex Rose introduced theconference with a brief overview ofthe state of women in film. Notingthe strong desire for young womento see female role models, she recalled a poster from her collegedays 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 BechdelTest, introduced through a comicstrip by Alison Bechdel, which measures females represented in film by the following requirements:

• There are at least two namedwomen in the film,

• Who talk to each other

• About something other than a man.

Applying those criteria to the winnersof the Best Picture over the years,nearly 70 percent fail the test, accordingto Rose. However, in 2013, the filmsthat did pass collectively brought in$4.22 billion dollars at the U.S. boxoffice; the non-passing films took inonly $2.66 billion. A full $1.55 billionmore for the Bechdel winners showsaudiences will pay more to seewomen in films, Rose pointed out.

BY JANELL SHEARER

Women in Focus

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.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2014 SPONSORS, WHOSE SUPPORT MAKES WOMEN IN FOCUS POSSIBLE

WOMEN IN THE BUSINESS: STILL AN UPHILL BATTLEAs 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 forjust that reason. Or, as Michelle MacLaren said,“When I got an Emmy nomination, the presswanted to interview the female nominees. Why not just ‘the nominees?’”

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

Another issue, raised by the audience: becausewomen tend to make less, agents and managersare 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 seethrough my children’s eyes.”

Children also provide perspective. Terry Pressshared her excitement about an upcoming Academy Awards® ceremony and its Best Picturenominees with her son. His response? “Is PaulBlart: Mall Cop nominated?” Told that it wasn’t,he replied, “Then the show isn’t about the bestpicture of the year.”

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

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

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

The fact that there are “norules now” in the world of television has also influencedhow people consume entertainment, said Michelle MacLaren. The varying formats of shows likeTrue Detective and the binge viewing made possible by services like Netflixhave changed the movie business, and pushed it toward spectacle films.

MacLaren also pointed out that while audiences for series like Breaking Badstarted small they grew because episodic programming allows fans to develop an emotional connection with characters over time. One otherresult, Schulman said, is that that same phenomenon has pushed moviestoward 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 somebodywants to see,” Press said of the work of marketing.

While the landscape continues to change, costs climb and audiencessplinter, all of the panelists reported that passion still drives their work.In Kroll’s words, “It’s an exhausting but amazing privilege.” And JoAnneSellar added, “It’s a total rush to read a script and make a vision comealive, to see it on the screen.”

The international market is leadingthe release of many films. SUE KROLL

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

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

Trigger Leads to Work for Production DesignerBrendan O’ConnorHow did your work on Trigger help in your career?Understanding how to efficiently and responsibly maintain a budget, manage a crew of 15 and successfully complete a 5-week shoot are just a few of the career skills I learned on Trigger. Since Trigger I’ve worked in TV on the show Shameless, and most recently designed my third feature film.My work on Trigger is actually what caught the eye of the director who found me via my website. The Trigger motel room build is what landed my last job.

How has what you learned in class translated to your professional work?The design skills I learned at Chapman have accelerated my career 10-fold. My on-set experience at Chapman, even more.The Chapman education is unlike most film schools and reallyallows you to learn the job on set and in the classroom. I haveonly been able to grow faster because of the skills I started with after graduation.My experience on Trigger has also allowed me to work withgreat Chapman alumni. Maya Levy (BFA/Film Prod. ’12), my set decorator on Trigger, has worked with me on several projects including, our most recent project, Happy Birthday, starringSteven Tyler. Maya and I were able to develop a shorthand on Trigger that has carried over into other projects. I look forward to working with her and other Chapman alumni as my career progresses.

Production designers are always in great demand atDodge College. How did your work at school informyour ability to work on a larger scale production with a lot of locations and multiple sets?From day one at Chapman I started working on multiple productionsaveraging four a semester. This was a huge help in transitioningto large-scale productions. I can only hope that the productiondesign program keeps growing, allowing more student productionsthe opportunity to develop a relationship with a designer at the student level.

21

Knowing how often screenplays change during theprocess of making a film, screenwriter Max Enscoehad as much on the line as anyone. “When I firstmet the creative team, I knew Trigger was in goodhands,” he said. “Still, there’s always trepidation —all pressured by the fact this whole endeavor wascompletely breaking new ground. But two minutesinto 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 beingscared before he saw the film. But he was “blown away” by the result and enthusiasticabout the film’s prospects with audiences. “There are too many good things I can sayabout this film,” he commented. “Having watched it evolve from tremendous script toliving, breathing, beautifully executed picture has been a truly wonderful experience.”

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) werealso thrilled. “I loved Trigger,” he says. “All the actorswere top notch but Scott Glenn’s performances blew me away.

“It’s fascinating that a movie this good was produced by a film schoolbut it stands on its own as a genuinely creepy thriller with a scriptthat 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 produceron television’s Judge Judy, for which she was nominatedfor an Emmy, agrees. “It was great to see what ouralumni can do. I’m so impressed and proud of whatthey’ve accomplished. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Dodge College Dean Bob Bassett took the stage to reiterate the educational mission of the company — toprovide a bridge into the industry for alumni and experience on a professional set for students by enablingthem 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 isquantitatively and qualitatively different from making a short film,” Bassett said.

22

Above, Chapman parents and ChapmanFilmed 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 Triggerproducer Travis Knox after the LA screening.

From left, Trigger director Basel Owies is all smiles atthe reception following the Chapman screening with

Dean Bob Bassett and cinematographer Allen Liu.

Recognizing a growing interest in documentary films by students as well as audiences, Dodge College facultyhave 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 documentarianSally Rubin. “Our purpose in outlining an emphasis on the feature documentary form is to look beyond makingshort academic exercise films and to examine and create longer, more substantial exploratory docs.”

The focus on the development of marketing plans mirrorsDodge College’s emphasis on teaching students in all disciplines how the entertainment/ film business operatesand giving them the tools to go beyond simply makingfilms 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 aboutthe 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 thatwould bring attention to the plight of people in my county was presented to me, I jumpedright in, even though I had no idea what I wasdoing. Fortunately, I had fellow students andknowledgeable 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 upmore than a window to a new world – for me, it opened a door to a world of both documentary filmmaking and social activismthat I never knew existed. RUTHIE RUBIETTA, ’12, B.F.A.,

TELEVISION BROADCAST JOURNALISM

Documentary FilmmakingTO DEBUT IN DODGE COLLEGE FALL 2015

BY M

EAGAN O

’SH

EA

MFAin

he documentary program at Dodge College has grown by leaps and bounds in the past six years since award-winning documentarian Jeff Swimmer joined the facultyin 2008 and Sally Rubin joined the faculty in 2010. Dodge is

attracting not only talented students but also stellar adjunctfaculty such as Molly O’Brien and Helen Hood Scheer, who bring on their own recent documentary accolades, accomplishments and experiences to enhance the program.

Through various subsidized international documentary initiatives students have traveled all over Africa, including to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, to MachuPicchu in Peru, to the South Alps of New Zealand,

to Cuba, and to various counties in Asia. “Our goal isto 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 findthe best stories they can in unfamiliar situations.”

Working Filmmakers

24

Lead Documentary

T

Students shootingfor Wolf Mountain.

tudents also discover thatchallenging situations can befound in their own backyardthrough the “CommunityVoices” program led by Sally

Rubin, which partners studentswith local non-profit organizations.Rubin also leads the “Project W”program in which students makedocumentaries addressing socialchallenges specific to women andspotlighting female activists.

One of those films, The Pink Helmet Posse, which recentlyscreened at five Academy-accredited festivals in a row (HotDocs, Nashville, Palm Springs,Seattle, and Tribeca), addresses itstopic of female trailblazers in theunlikely form of 6-year-old girlsbreaking stereotypes as extremeskateboarders. Another of the films,We Are the Land, about a Native-American activist trying to stopthe hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” on her Native BlackfootReservation in Montana, won the ASC Student Award for cinematography last year.

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

SMexican-American girl who wasborn in the United States butfinds herself trapped in Nogales,Mexico, awaiting a visa that willallow her family to return to theU.S. After premiering at the SantaBarbara International Film Festivaland screening at other festivals on both sides of the border, Lifeon the Line will be premiering on national PBS during Latino Heritage Month in September.

Rubin hopes to reach over 1-millionpeople through the broadcast andthrough outreach efforts to schoolswith various partner organizations.

“I hope that the film impacts peoplewho previously felt no connectionto the issue of immigration,” shesays. “Our goal was to put a humanface on a traditionally facelessissue, an issue that’s divisive, that’sin the news often more aroundpolicy and legislation rather thanthrough an emphasis on the livesactually touched by these policies.So my hope is that viewers are affected by Kimberly and herstory – that they don’t forget her.”

Going to the border to film wasrisky for Rubin knowing that manyfilm crews wear bullet-proof vestswhen 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 totake a different kind of risk, in story.“There may not be a clear narrativethrough-line laid out for you on a silver platter. Work to find it becauseit certainly will not be handed toyou,” she says. “And when thingsstart looking tough, dig in even further. Stick with your story, haveconfidence in yourself, and your film will succeed.”

ProgramBY DEREK HORNE

25Continued on next page

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.

ubin believes that documen-tary filmmaking is most effective when it’s done witha purpose. “That purposemay be social issue-based or

not, but I believe that when we usethe power of storytelling to impactlives, our own hang-ups and hesitancies disappear,” says Rubin.“Our stories have power and momentum when we’re committedto the films we’re making — whenthere’s a goal greater than us thatwe are trying to achieve. I pass thismessage along to my students. Makea film you’re passionate about, makethe film you don’t want to die without making. Don’t waste yourtime with anything less.”

Like Sally Rubin, Helen HoodScheer graduated from StanfordUniversity and is bringing her well-honed skills to Dodge College. Herthesis film The Apothecary, about apharmacist with a heart-of-gold ina remote Colorado mining town,just won the Gold Medal in theStudent Academy Awards this year.

Scheer first learned about the pharmacist Don Colcord in a profilethat she read in The New Yorker. As the owner of the sole pharmacywithin 4,000 square miles, DonColcord occupies multiple roles assurrogate doctor, life counselor andcommunity benefactor while heharbors a long-suffered private painfor which there is no drug, no cureand no relief.

Scheer cold-called Colcord to learnmore about him and gauge his interest in participating in the documentary. “From the get-go, itwas clear to me that he is a complexhero — a very good man who iseverything to everyone, but alsohaunted. I love exploring this typeof compelling ambiguity. Plus, hewas emotionally open and available— two more key ingredients for the

kind of documentary films I generally make.”

In class, Scheer works with her students on developing their storiesin advance. She encourages them to pick a topic that they want to learnabout. “Special access is importanttoo, but authentic interest andcommitment are key,” says Scheer,who is also a firm believer in thevalue of pre-production. “Of coursea lot changes once reality unfolds inthe field, but it’s easier to pivotwhen a filmmaker has a clear grasp on his/her intentions and goals.”

Scheer experienced this firsthand withThe Apothecary: “The arc of the storyI initially planned to follow changedthe first day of shooting, but a lot ofthe core themes remained basicallythe same; my preproduction researchand relationship building paid off

big time,” she says. “One’s storymight change again a few times inthe edit — this is normal, and it’seasier to do it effectively when thegame plan is good from the start.”

Scheer admits that documentaryfilmmaking is hard work so passionis the key. “When times get tough(and they will get tough!), we needto remember that special somethingthat drew us to the story in the first place.”

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

short list for the Academy-Awardsin 1998 and who earned an EmmyAward in 2000 for the Prime-timeTV series American High, teachesher students that documentary

R

26

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

unprecedented simultaneous nationalbroadcast this spring. The film wasalso released theatrically in NewYork and Los Angeles in May.

O’Brien was actually riding on theshuttle bus at the Sundance Film

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 Chavezpremiered this year at the SundanceFilm Festival and premiered on national television in English onPivot (Participant’s new cable TVstation aimed at millennials) and in Spanish on Univision for an

Festival when the offer came throughto her smart phone. “We needed to close the deal within 24 hours,”O’Brien recalls. “I was franticallysquint-reading the deal terms onmy cell phone, trading calls withour lawyer and sales agent, trying tofind the director so he could chimein, and praying that we would beable to close the deal in time.”

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

years of enormous ups and downs,we were not only about to premierin competition at the SundanceFilm Festival, but we had also soldthe film to national broadcast,” sherecalls. “I wanted to grab the snow-boarder next to me and hug him.”

As her team begins various outreachefforts, O’Brien is eager to see howthis film can impact the lives ofcontemporary farm workers andother low wage earners in the UnitedStates. “We hope that Cesar’s example, his political tactics, hisperseverance, his spiritual strength,his organizational triumphs as wellas his failures will inspire audiencesto organize and improve their lives.”

Jeff Swimmer has recently completed two projects: a book and a film. His book DocumentaryCase Studies, being released byBloomsbury in December, containsinterviews with 13 Oscar-winningand Oscar-nominated filmmakerson how they overcame productionchallenges to make their celebratedfilms. Some of the films profiled in the book are Food Inc, Man onWire, Super Size Me, and 20 FeetFrom Stardom.

Swimmer also finished directing A Golden State of Mind: The Story-telling Genius of Huell Howser. which premiered in April as part of the opening of the permanentHuell Howser exhibit in ChapmanUniversity’s Leatherby Library.Sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California, theone-hour documentary spotlightsthe career of beloved travel showhost Huell Howser and includes interviews with his friends and colleagues as well as highlights from his television appearances. The film will air on PBS affiliatesacross the country this summer.

Swimmer invited Chapman studentsto work on the documentary withhim and they all enjoyed Howser’sfunny and easy-going nature, hesays. “Even after looking at thefootage of hundreds of his shows, I never got tired of the subject and I would be happy to make a sequelabout him tomorrow.”

Wading through those hours offootage, Swimmer kept in mindwhat his colleagues also echo: that in documentary filmmaking youneed to “have a game plan going in but keep your eyes wide open for unexpected opportunities and be ready to drop everything whenthe reality looks different than youthought it would be.”

27

Well, forget it! “Unless you know someone onthe 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’tget past their PR department.”

That’s what made Dodge College’s studio trip this springso special. At Pixar, students were greeted by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, who gave a brief historyof Jobs’ vision to create a studio that would encourageinteraction among animators. Inside, they marveled at offices that mimic everything from a World War IIbomber plane to a hut from Disney’s Enchanted TikiRoom to the house in Pixar’s movie Up. They alsocrawled through many of the studio’s secret passagesand were treated to a private screening ofPixar’s newest, unreleased short film.

On the tour, students also metanimation super-stars PeteDocter (Up), Ed Catmull (Toy Story), and Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) before afollow-up meeting with Lasseter.

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

On a personal tour of Industrial Light & Magic’s newbuilding in the Presidio led by none other than visual effects artist John Knoll (Star Wars), students saw manyiconic props and costumes, including Yoda from TheEmpire Strikes Back. Alumnus Katelyn Bianchini (BFA/DA ’12), who now produces visual content for the StarWars 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.”

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?

28

A team of five Chapman Public Relations and Advertising majors earned nationalhonors for their campaign in the Bateman Case Study Competition, the

12th time a Chapman team has been nationally recognized over 17 years ofcompetition. 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 anduniversity teams in the national contest sponsored by the Public RelationsStudent Society of America.

Over the course of five months, theteam researched the client and potential

target audiences, designed outreach activitiesand implemented their campaign, “PoppingYour 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 Parkto promote the Popmoney app, and experienced the challenges of having to have every ideaand 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 whichideas were a little too ‘out of the box.’” Vaughn Ryanagrees. “The fact that we were required to createeverything and see it come to life was challengingand showed me what roadblocks I might run intowith future campaigns,” he says. “I feel ten timesmore confident in my abilities to carry out a campaign because of Bateman.”

“I FEEL TEN TIMES MORE CONFIDENT

IN MY ABILITIES TO CARRY OUT A

CAMPAIGN BECAUSE OF BATEMAN.”

PR STUDENTS SOAR IN NATIONAL

Bateman Competition

30

Grant Heslov, right, Smokehouse Pictures. Left, Charlie Ferraro, United Talent Agency. Chris Andrews, right, Creative Artists Agency.

As an intern, you can set yourself apart:

learn everyone’s nameand what they do.CARL WEATHERS, ACTOR

It’s incumbent on 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

“The key to

success?I wouldn’t tak

e ‘no’

for an answer because

I

had the acting bug.”

GRANT HESLOV, ACTOR AND PRODUCING

PARTNER WITH GEORGE CLOONEY}}

WHAT’S MY BEST PICTURE? MY NEXT ONE. I’M NOW

WORKING ON EIGHT PROJECTS.I KNOW SEVEN WILL DIE.

BUT YOU HAVE TO PASSIONATELY INVEST IN EACH.DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE, FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE

“”

{

THE BEST THING

YOU CAN TAKE FROM CHAPMAN —

LEARN HOW TO LEARN.

DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE, FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE

If you hear anythingfrom me tonight, it’s the importanceof reading. As anagent, you need to know what’s out there.CHRIS ANDREWS, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY

“”

The model now is anybody can do this. If you’ve gota strong idea,make it. Don’t waitfor anybody to tell you it’s good or bad or to give you the money. JON FAVREAU, DIRECTOR, ACTOR

ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY INSIDERSSp

ring G

uests

Donald PetrieCarl Weathers

I’ll tell the writer, I’ll payyou $10 for each word you

take out of the script.DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE,

FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE

You’ve got to be very quick. There’s always

someone comingupbehind you.”

CHRIS ANDREWS, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY

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

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

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

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, fundscomedy lectures and provides support for student work in comedy. Informationon applying for the grant to Dodge College will be available in the fall.

HOLLYWOOD TRIPLE THREAT JON FAVREAUDIVULGES CHEF ’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESSWriter, director, actor Jon Favreau joined Filmmaker-in-Residence DonaldPetrie for a post-screening Q&A following the pre-release screening ofhis latest film Chef. Favreau’s recipe for success? If you have somethingyou’re really excited about, make it. “It’s the most fulfilling thing, don’twait on others.” Pick something you’re excited about and that you canobsess over, something you’re “hauntingly excited over.” Then the restwill fall into place. “It all comes from preparation, concentration, layering, lots and lots of layering ... and love.”

PRODUCTION DESIGN EXHIBIT SHOWCASES SETSEach spring students enrolled in the Production Design Program showcase their projectsin 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 historicalfigure and creating some sets that pertain to them. As a result, there are models rangingfrom 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, andmake it easier for a cinematographer to capture the image.”

Oakie Foundation Supports Student Work in Comedy

Support film and media artsat Chapman University

For inquiries regarding making a gift, please contact

the Dodge Development Department: (714) 628-7267

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The Power of American Films

or the second year in a row, Dodge Collegehosted a gathering of high-ranking militaryofficers 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 50countries from Ethiopia to Vietnam came fora discussion sponsored by the National DefenseUniversity, an educational andleadership program funded bythe U.S. Department of Defense,and brought to Chapman by former trustee Cece Presley.

Fall Filmmaker-in-Residence andAcademy Award-winning producerCathy Schulman, president ofMandalay Pictures, chaired a panelof Chapman faculty including BillKroyer, director of the Digital Artsprogram, and PR and Advertisingprofessor Jim Fredrick, who owns atrailer-cutting company and teaches entertainment marketing. They were joinedby Russell Schwartz, president of DomesticMarketing at Relativity Media and a formerDodge College adjunct.

The power of the American dream — of makinga better life for oneself or one’s family — “is astory created by immigrants, which is why ithas 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 withWestern audiences.

A colonel from Algeria pointedout that for many peoplearound the world, all the information they have aboutAmerica comes from movies.Yet, the panel agreed, the effects-heavy studio block-busters that do most of theinternational 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 theirfilms seen outside of the domestic market.

The National DefenseUniversity, an educationaland leadership programfunded by the U.S.

Department of Defense,sponsored the event, whichwas attended by 80 guests

from 50 countries.

While China’s box office clout continues to grow and foreign sales are nowthe 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 machinerythat take American films worldwide?

Global Leaders Examine

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Adding the drama of

sound to a scene

What do plant monsters, stuffed animals, axe murderers, and puppets all have in common? They areall the subjects of student films that were part of a master class on sound design taught by Foley artistGreg 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 PrimeTime Emmy Award-winner to develop the soundscapes for Mr. Bananas, Trellis, Scarlet, and TheMisadventures 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 boyfrom 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 thequality of a scene,” says Kadyn Michaels (MFA/Film Prod. ’14). “In ourfilm, Scarlet, Barbanell was able to increase tension and enhance characterby 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’ssomething I hope I can carry forward intomy future work; I’m grateful I had a chanceto participate in this class.”

MASTER CLASS

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DODGE COLLEGEALUMNI NOTES

Ana Catalina Acuña(MFA/PD ’10) hastaken her Americanwork experience toher home in CostaRica. After adaptingto the lack of prophouses, she was ableto hunt down all theset dressings she needed and just finished art directing the second period-piece ever made in the country.

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

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

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 theassistant productionoffice coordinatoralongside Segment Producer AndrewHuddleston(BFA/Film Prod. ’08)on an A&E show, Epic Meal Empire.

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

Michael Cruz (MFA/FP ’11) heads programmingand 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.

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

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

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 SeattleWunderman Network as a social strategy intern.

Zak Griffler (BFA/Film Prod. ’13) edited a commercial spot that was featured as a centerpieceof 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 theOrange County Fire Authority as a MultimediaSpecialist with Jakub Lichtenstein (BFA/FilmProd. ’06), whom he calls “the War Machine to my Iron Man.”

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

Elise Holowicki (BFA/Film Prod. ’10) is a finalist for thepilot 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 premiereat the Nantucket film festival.

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

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

Reed Kaufman (BFA/Film Prod. ’05) is involved in thelaunch of Fox Sports 1. He is working on improving file-based workflows, supervising post production and developingthe asset management system for all of sports production.

Sanyukta Kaza (MFA/FP ’07)edited an independent film fromIndia, Ship Of Theseus, that wentto TIFF and won the 2013 India’sNational Film Award.

Michael Kirsch (BFA/Film.Prod. ’99) crowdfunded $6,500for his documentary The BrickPeople in 2011. The doc was released in 2012.

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

Tim Lightell (MFA/Screenwriting ’03) has just wrappedproduction on his biggest feature project Manbaby,funded through Kickstarter. He and cowriter/editorJoseph Campanale (MFA/Film Prod. ’06) plan to takethe low-budget comedy on a tour around the countrywhen its finished, screening it at venues and giving people a unique, MANBABY experience. View the Kickstarterpage at https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/1674313369/manbaby

Michelle Lanthier (BFA/TBJ ’14) is executive assistant tothe EVP of Business and Legal Affairs at Relativity Media.

Matthew Ladensack (BFA/Film Prod. ’09) recently directed and produced the comedic feature film SaugatuckCures. 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 PlatinumAward in the Action/Adventure category at this year’sWorldfest-Houston International Film and Video Festivalfor 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 SearchAgency (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.”

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

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

Al Raitt (BFA/TBJ ’10) is working with the LA Galaxyas the supervisor for game entertainment and events.He is responsible for producing each Galaxy homegame and coordinating outside events.

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

Tori Rose (BFA/TBJ ’11) will be working as a scriptsupervisor on the upcoming season of NBC’s LastComic 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 award-winning feature-length film she associate produced at Chapman, A Big Love Story, was released on DVD,VOD and select international territories last fall. Shewas one of four producers chosen to pitch her featurefilm plan to a panel of judges for the UCLA ProducersMarketplace Award in June.

Evan Seccombe (BFA/Film Prod. ’09) is an art departmentassistant 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 fellowalumni Emily Denker (BFA/Film Prod. ’13), HillaryHendler (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) andGrayson Stone (BFA/Film Prod.’10) areworking on the last season of their award-winning zombie podcast We’re Alive, onair since 2009. The sold-out live finale is premiering in Los Angeles on July 19.

Brandon Wade (MFA/FP ’10) funded his film Equitismvia 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.

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

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-web-series-about-rpg

Julie Vescera (BFA/TBJ ’14) is a segment researcher at CONAN.

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How did you get where you are now?I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2010 with a B.A. in FilmStudies. I’d known for years that I wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but I knew that my studies at Calprobably 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, Idecided to take on an internship during my year off betweenundergrad and graduate school and I ended up at IMAX. I interned in distribution and marketing and at the end of thesummer Greg Foster (CEO of IMAX Entertainment and SeniorExecutive 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 Gregtold 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 andabsolutely love it.

What was the biggest adjustment you facedafter 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 ataround 8 AM every day and out anywherebetween 6 PM and, on the busier days, 11 PM or midnight. Also losing the safety netyou have as a student was a big adjustment.

When you’re a student, you can make certain mistakes at your internshipsand get away with them becauseyou’re still learning, but onceyou’re out in the real world, ifyou screw up badly enough,you’re going to get fired. It’sscary, but it keeps me on mytoes and it’s one of the thingsthat keeps me motivated to doa great job.

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3What advice would you give current students?Make the most of your time as a student. Take that extra classthat sounds cool, travel, be a TA, intern, network, the list goeson and on. The fact is you only get one chance to do this andyou don’t want to miss out on anything.

Be open to the things that scare you, take risks, make mistakesand learn from them. Don’t be afraid to fail every once in awhile. Know a little about a lot, and not just about the moviesand 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.

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 myfriends, just hanging out and goofing around. I don’t think of a lot of the people I went to school with as friends, thosepeople are my family, and I treasure each moment with all of them.

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 tablethat 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 comfortablyfor everyone as possible.

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

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Max KellerMFA/FTP ’11, DMR PROJECT

CO-ORDINATOR, SANTA MONICA AT IMAX

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How did you get where you are now?

Coming out of Chapman in the mid-eighties, working infilm meant the traditional film industry — electronic artswere 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 handas a storyboard artist and that turned out to be the rightfit. For over ten years I boarded films ranging from Bladeand Con Air to Superman Returns and Poseidon. Duringthat time, I also produced and directed two micro-budgetfeatures — the first, a comedy called The SasquatchHunters, was made with the help of other Chapman alumsand professors. The second, a thriller titled Exposure,was partially shot in Dodge’s former Gold Room stage.

In 2006, I learned that BlizzardEntertainment, the videogamecompany behind titles like Worldof Warcraft, was looking to hiretheir first dedicated storyboardartist for the Cinematics depart-ment. Making movies for gameswas something I could not haveimagined back in my Chapmandays but it sounded intriguing,and by this time I had a familyand longed for a stability thatfreelance art could not provide. In 2007 I began work at Blizzard,storyboarding films for all theirgame titles, including Starcraft 2and Diablo 3 as well as WoW.

Then in 2009 another opportunitypresented itself. Our departmentleaders announced that they wereseeking an additional director. I was chosen to direct the cinematic introduction to Worldof Warcraft: Cataclysm. This

led to my directing films for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Directing atBlizzard is a great joy and the culmination of a lifelong ambition to make movies.

Marc Messenger, BA/Com ’86,

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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 therehad still been guidance. Now I had to find my own way in the entertainmentindustry, 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 storymight have evolved very differently. Together we sustained our hopes and each other.

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 hirethose who are diligent team-players with a positive attitude. You may not be the most experienced applicant for your early jobs, but with theright 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 willserve you for years to come.

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.

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

Chapman gave me a foundational understanding of the filmmaking processand those lessons have not left me. Perhaps more importantly, my schoolprojects allowed me the chance to experience the human equation that isintegral to making movies. It is an intense group collaboration that mustoperate 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.

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

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

James Beck (BFA/FP ’12) Green Acres:Best Student Short at Carmel, Best Animated Short at LA Comedy, BestAnimated Short at Kansas City, BestAnimation at Love Your Shorts, BestInternational Film at Greater AugustTown Film Festival (Jamaica), BestStudent Film at San Luis Obispo, Best Student Animation at Sedona,Best Animation at Snake Alley, BestAnimation at Tiburon, AudienceAward at Charleston, Audience Awardat Rumschpringe; Animation Torrent,Big Bear, Breckenridge, Catalina,Collinsville, Costa Rica, Dubuque,Durango, Forster (Australia), FortMyers, Fresno, Gasparilla, Geneva,Green Bay, Hell’s Half Mile, HighDesert, Hollywood Student, Idyllwild,LA Comedy, Logan, Maryland, Moab,New Orleans, Newport Beach, OCFilm Fiesta, Oceanside, Princeton,Rhode Island, River Bend, River’sEdge, Roseville Animation, RubyMountain, Santa Fe, Sierra Canyon,Sunscreen, Topanga, Treasure Coast,Twain Harte, Waterfront, West Chester

Katelyn Bianchini (BFA/DA ’12),Rena Cheng (BFA/DA ’12), & AsiaLancaster (BFA/DA ’12): Blue: BestAnimated Short at Sedona, AudienceAward at Charleston, Honorable Mention at Anchorage, Special JuryMention at Pune (India); 1 Reel

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, SierraCanyon, Sonoma, St. Louis, Sunscreen,Topanga, Traverse City, Waterfront,West Chester, Woods Hole

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

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 ReelBumbershoot, Animation Torrent,Athens, Bare Bones, Berkshire, BigBear, Big Island, Big Muddy, Brecken-ridge, Capital City, Carmel, Catalina,Charleston, Cincinnati, Collinsville,Daytona Beach, Downtown LA,Dubuque, Fort Myers, Gasparilla,Green Bay, Hell’s Half Mile, HighDesert, Hoboken, Hollywood Student,Humboldt, Idyllwild, Indianapolis,Kansas City, Knoxville, Logan, Los Angeles Shorts, Louisville, LoveYour 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, RosevilleAnimation, Ruby Mountain, San Jose Shorts, Santa Cruz, SantaFe, Sedona, Sidewalk, Sonoma, Sunscreen, Topanga, Treasure Coast,Tupelo, Twain Harte, WashingtonD.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, GrandRapids, Hill Country, Hoboken,Kansas City, LA Shorts, Maryland,Newport Beach, River Bend, SanLuis Obispo, San Pedro, Santa Fe,Starz Denver, Studio City, Sunscreen, Tupelo

Harrison Givens (BFA/FP ’13)There Is No God And We All DieAlone: Best Student Film at SanPedro, Best Comedy at Snake Alley,Honorable Mention at Fargo; Bend,Breckenridge, Crossroads, DancesWith Films, Eugene, HoustonComedy, Kansas City, Maryland,Omaha, Portland, River Bend,River’s Edge, Santa Fe, Sunscreen

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Light Me Up

There Is No God AndWe All Die Alone

Andrej Landin (BFA/FP ’13) Into theSilent Sea: BAFTA-LA Student Award,CINE Golden Eagle Award, Best StudentFilm at Crossroads, Best Student Film atGeneva, Best Student Film at RehobothBeach, Best Student Film at San LuisObispo, Best Short Film at Santa Fe,Best Short Film at Sedona, Best Interna-tional Film at Sunscreen, Best Screenplayat High Desert, Honorable Mention atNashville; Arizona, Asiana (Korea),Berkshire, Black Hills, Breckenridge,Capital City, Catskill Mountains,Charleston, Dubuque, Eastern Oregon,Gasparilla, Gothenburg (Sweden), GrandRapids, Hill Country, Lighthouse, LittleRock, 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

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, SouthDakota, Stony Brook

Monica Stefanelli (BFA/DA ’13)Grounded: Audience Award at Sedona; Animal Film Fest, ChicagoChildren, 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 TelevisionAward (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, Comic-Con, Dam Short, Irvine

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED

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Into the Silent Sea

Home

Straight Down Low

Zach Wechter (BFA/FP ’13) Straight Down Low: ASC Student Award, CINE GoldenEagle 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

FROM COMMUNITY VOICES:

Learning to Live (Katie Wise BFA/FP ’13, AshleyMoradipour BFA/FP ’13, Malina Fagan BFA/FP ’13) CINE Golden Eagle Award, Best Short Documentary atDowntown LA; Big Bear, Dubuque, Newburyport, SilentRiver, West Chester

Under My Skin (Alex Ivany BFA/TBJ ’14, James ParkerBFA/FP ’13, Kevin Wolf BFA/FP ’15, Samantha SchoenbergBFA/FP ’14) American Documentary, Bare Bones, Thin Line

Why We Race (Andrew Evers BFA/FP ’16, Ben FischingerBFA/FP ’14, Kiley Vorndran BFA/FP ’13, Ryan WestraBFA/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 FranciscoBlack, 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, BenMullinkossen BFA/FP ’13) Best Student Film at Nashville;Hot Docs, Indianapolis, Palm Springs Shorts, Seattle, Tribeca

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

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, MalinaFagan 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

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 DocumentaryShort at Ojai, Best Undergraduate Student Award at Society for Visual Anthropology; Atlanta Doc, Chagrin,DocUtah, Newport Beach, Prescott, Sacramento, SeattleSocial Justice, Thin Line, Unspoken Human Rights

DOCUMENTARY SUCCESSES

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We Are The Land

UPCOMING EVENTS

One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDOrange, CA

Permit No. 58

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

“After many years, I’ve realized that what we actually need to developover 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.

Develop Skills that Travel