Every so often, we’ll be spotlighting alumni and what they are up to these days. These Q&A sessions will give you a bit of insight into where the world has taken them since graduation.

This week, the spotlight is on Dan Olson (MFA/Film Production ’07).

DODGE: Share your career path with us – how did you get where you are now?

DAN: These days I’m freelancing on film and television productions in Minneapolis, doing everything from managing and line producing to ADing and development. Geographically, at least, I’m back where I started. I’m here for a reason, developing a slate of low-budget features with my producing partners for production in Minnesota.

And how did I get here? I can say that every single job I’ve gotten since my time at Dodge is because of my time at Dodge. An internship led to a job, which led to another, and so on. By combining the skills I picked up at Dodge, with a the knack for making myself as valuable as possible, I’ve been able to work on a wide variety of content and pick up a range of skill sets that I can leverage across all phases of production.

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

DAN: Adjusting my timeline for success. My personal definition of success hasn’t changed, but getting to exactly where I want to be is a much more gradual process than my ignorant 25 year-old self realized. An undergraduate or graduate education doesn’t exist to provide you a path from point A to point B, but to give you the skills to navigate the wilds yourself and, if you’re willing to put in the effort, the means to forge a path to whatever your version of professional success may be.

DODGE: What is the best advice you have received and/or what advice would you give current students?

DAN: I can’t recall where exactly I heard it – I probably cobbled it together from several people – but take risks. I’m a huge believer in calculated risk taking. It’s so tempting to settle into a job and get comfortable. But, at least in my opinion, comfort is anathema to personal, professional, and creative progress. We need to take risks and test the waters of the unknown to discover who we really are, what we want, and what we’re capable of.

That doesn’t mean be stupid. Don’t risk life and limb. Don’t burn bridges if you can avoid it. Don’t bury yourself in an unrecoverable amount of debt. But if you find yourself facing a career or life decision, and one of the options scares you more than the other, odds are that’s the one you should choose.

DODGE: What is your favorite memory from your time at Chapman?

DAN: It’s not one specific memory so much as it’s the people. Great advisers like David Ward, Tony Alosi, Larry Paull, and James Dutcher…whose knowledge I’m only beginning to fully appreciate a decade later. And lifelong friends who are all extremely talented – I would drop anything to work with them all again.

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

DAN: Knowing when to listen, and when to speak up. Doesn’t matter if it’s a classroom, meeting, or on set – reading a room and knowing when it’s your turn to chime in is a critical skill at any stage of one’s career. The film and television industry is filled with strong personalities, so recognize your windows and take advantage of them. The rest of the time – actually listen.

DODGE: Have you received any awards or recognitions?

DAN: My feature script ‘Grand Portage’, co-written with Derek Johnson (MFA/Screenwriting ’06), was recently selected as a Featured Script on the Black List’s website.