Dodge College has hired four industry veterans to the full-time faculty roster, beginning this semester, including three brand-new members of our community.  As the students throw themselves back into the swing of classes and productions, these new faculty will supercharge our programs, especially screenwriting, and begin the semester with a bang!

A word about our newest faculty, three of whom are just beginning with us:  Leslie Dixon, who spoke at our Women In Focus Conference last year and notably wrote the screenplays for Mrs. Doubtfire, Hairspray, and The Thomas Crown Affair; Barry Blaustein, screenwriter for several comedy classics such as Saturday Night Live (TV), Police Academy, and The Nutty Professor; and Steve Hirsen, who has worked closely with screenwriters in the Writer’s Guild Awards, as well as America’s Funniest Home Videos (TV).  Harry Ufland will return to campus as a newly minted full-timer, after an impressive year of initiatives and classes as an adjunct faculty member.

  • Barry is teaching Screenwriting Fundamentals, and Feature Screenwriting I (FTV-227 and -627)
  • Steve is teaching Intro to TV Production: Studio / Studio Lab, and Multi-Camera Field Production (FTV 114/114L, and -318)
  • Harry is teaching Intro to Visual Storytelling, Succecss in Media, Agents & Managers, and an Internship Workshop (FTV-130, -632, -329, and -492)
  • Leslie is our Filmmaker in Residence, running a weekly program of screenings with special guests, dinners, and mentorship

 

THR, a leading film publication, is equally excited about these high-profile hires, writing:

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange County, Calif., which rose from No. 22 to No. 13 on THR‘s Top 25 Film Schools list this year, will add Leslie Dixon, Steve Hirsen, Harry Ufland and Barry Blaustein as new faculty members this fall, bringing the faculty total to 41 full-time and 77 adjuncts.

Dixon, writer of Just Like Heaven and Freaky Friday and producer of Limitless, will be O.L. Halsell Foundation filmmaker-in-residence. Previous filmmakers in residence include JoAnne Sellar (There Will Be Blood) and William Friedkin (The Exorcist).

Emmy-winning director Hirsen (Entertainment Tonight, America’s Funniest Home Videos) will be assistant professor of TV and broadcast journalism.

Producer Ufland (The Big Wedding, The Last Temptation of Christ), a former William Morris agent repping Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, will be professor of creative producing.

Blaustein (Coming to America, The Nutty Professor) will be associate professor of screenwriting.

“Chapman University has an amazing film program,” Sony Pictures Television president Steve Mosko told The Hollywood Reporter. “Dean Robert Bassett has done an amazing job attracting the top names in town to speak. Chapman is quickly becoming the place for industry kids to attend, both for the undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, we have had a number of interns from Chapman working here at SPT and they have been some of the best we’ve seen.”

We’re thrilled that our newest faculty members have already made their mark on the industry, like all of our full-time and adjunct faculty, and we hope you students have a chance to interact with them soon!

Read the full article from THR on The Hollywwod Reporter.com.  There’s also a piece in Screen Daily, although it’s available only to premium subscribers.