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Presenting at 3Ts 2012
With the help of my SUNY Oswego colleagues, and my intrepid new TA, Kelsey, I’m excited to have been accepted to present at the peer-reviewed conference, 3Ts 2012: Engaging Students with Transliteracy, Technology and Teaching, taking place in Albany, NY this coming March. I’ll be speaking on the brand new Webisodes class I’m teaching in the Spring, which will certainly be the subject of further posts here as we get that up and running. In short, we’ll be creating three or four original web series, as well as a heavy social media and documentary “behind the scenes component” support platform online throughout the semester. Stay tuned!
Pitt-Bradford Visit
Thanks to my Spalding MFA colleague Nancy McCabe, director of the writing program at Pitt-Bradford, I was invited to speak at the school’s Spectrum Series about screenwriting. It was a beautiful drive, I stayed in a lovely B&B, and truly enjoyed meeting with her curious and engaged students. Many thanks to Nancy and to the school for providing a gluten free lunch and a beautiful room in which to speak!
Kentucky Film Educators Summit
While serving as a member of the Kentucky Film Commission, I was tasked by the state’s First Lady to organize and chair the first-ever Kentucky Film Educator’s Summit, the purpose of which would be to bring together Kentucky’s prominent film educators to discuss the successes and shortcomings of the state’s current film education opportunities, and to map a path for growth in the coming years. Chair of USC’s screenwriting program, Jack Epps Jr. (Top Gun), served as the keynote, and I was please by a turnout of fifteen professors representing all of the state’s major institutions. Held at the IdeaFestival in Louisville last September, the summit produced an engaging and spirited discussion before a public and tape-recorded audience, and yielded new awareness of, and opportunities for Kentucky’s film educators.
For more information: http://www.kyfilmedusummit.wordpress.com
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- Introducing the Summit and the Keynote
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- Keynote Speaker, Jack Epps, Jr.
Posted in News
Tagged Film Education, IdeaFestival, Jack Epps, Kentucky Film Commission
Set Visit
As I’ve noted here before, for the past two years I’ve been fortunate to do work on the script for Crooked Arrows, a great story by Todd Baird that centers on lacrosse and its role in Native American culture. It’s a family underdog sports movie, but it’s also the first film to represent lacrosse in a significant manner, speaking to the quickly growing culture of that sport, and of course, the ancient culture of the people who gave us the game.
I paid a visit to set recently, and was glad to see my long-time collaborator, director Steve Rash, the great producing team, meet our star, Brandon Routh, and spend some time with the cast and crew. Visit www.crookedarrows.com for information and updates on the movie.
Teaching in Italy
Through the Spalding University Brief-Residency MFA in Writing Program, I was afforded the incredible opportunity to teach in Rome and Tuscany through the first part of July. Writing students from across every genre and specialty participated in a discussion I co-lead on Fellini’s films, later supplemented with a fantastic lecture by Dr. Federico Pacchioni, a Fellini expert teaching at U-Conn.
Six students from across the U.S. and around the world workshopped their screenplays with me, and I gave formal lectures on basic dramatic writing techniques, the process of deciding how to choose one’s next project, and participated in a publishing and “first big break” panel discussion.
All of this inspiring creative and scholarly work was set amidst the stunning, historic power of downtown Rome, and then the pastoral, relaxing Tuscan countryside. We took day trips to Sienna and Florence (David!), as well as visiting ancient Roman ruins and the Vatican. It was a great pleasure to travel with my beloved and talented Spalding colleagues, and a truly gifted group of students – nightly readings given under moonlight after an organic meal and a glass of local wine. Bellissimo!
Kentucky Film Commission Interview
Here’s a brief interview that appeared in the latest Kentucky Film Commission Newsletter:
Why are you interested in the film industry in Kentucky?
I was born and raised in Northern Kentucky, and discovered my passion for film and TV as a student at the University of Kentucky. But at that time, I found information, access, training and opportunities related to the entertainment industry to be limited statewide. I love Kentucky, but had to leave it to pursue my dream. Luckily, things are changing now in Kentucky, and I want to do my part to help create new opportunities for aspiring filmmakers in the Commonwealth so their path can be easier than mine.
What is The Kentucky Film Lab?
KFL is a not- for-profit film education company I co-founded with Arthur Rouse, Mark Shepherd, and with the help of Kris Kimel and the IdeaFestival. Our mission is to provide low-cost film education to interested Kentuckians, as well as access to world-class filmmakers. To date, we’ve held seven filmmaking workshops, training close to 1,000 aspiring artists, and bringing high-profile professionals into Kentucky. KFL guests have included writer Andrew Marlowe (Air Force One, Castle), cinematographer Victor Kemper (ASC Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner), TV Writer/Producer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (Friday Night Lights, CSI:NY), feature writer/Chair of USC’s Screenwriting Division Jack Epps, Jr. (Top Gun), actor/director Domenica Scorcese, game designer Jason Shankel (Spore), and producer Jon Landau (Avatar, Titanic). We received consecutive grants from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to fund our programs, and several years ago, building off KFL’s success, Arthur Rouse established a certificate program in filmmaking at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington
How would you judge the creative talent in Kentucky?
As is evidenced by our impressive roster of film commissioners, and the long list of Kentuckians who have gone on to do great work in film and television, we have no reason to believe that our native creative talent leaves anything to be desired; however, we need to continue to build the foundational training and educational opportunities necessary to develop a prominent and lucrative film culture in the state. Our young people shouldn’t think of a career in media as an impossible long shot only attainable for those who can take huge risks or who can afford to leave the state. Growing a film economy begins with growing our talented filmmakers and craftspeople and keeping them home to provide an ever-expanding, knowledgeable and well-trained crew base. To me, that all begins with education. We have excellent, growing programs in place at Asbury and NKU, as well as several of our other institutions. We have to continue to grow that commitment statewide, especially in our high schools.
What do you enjoy most – screenwriting, filmmaking or teaching?
There is nothing quite like visiting a set to see hundreds of people working hard to turn your words into images. And seeing your name on screen during the opening credits is an unforgettable thrill worth all the effort every time. But I’ve always known I would teach. My parents are educators, it’s in my blood, I love being on campus working with young people, and hopefully making an impact on their lives.
Can Kentucky be a successful player in the film industry?
We have a passionate and informed Governor, the First Lady has been a devoted advocate, and together they have enlisted a talented, experienced, and diverse Film Commission, as well as the dedicated, tireless folks in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. All of that is an amazing start, but we also need to do better at the grassroots level. We need to remind the citizens of the Commonwealth that film and TV is a viable business that can employ hundreds of people across many, many different professions. We need to help them realize that it will be worth it to us all to develop this industry within our borders. If we do that, then perhaps demand will create new educational and training opportunities across the state, and the legislature will continue to give us the tools needed to showcase Kentucky as a prime destination for filmmakers.
