Don't Be Afraid to Start at the Bottom
When I graduated from Chapman, I didn’t know very much about the world. I had no idea what it was going to take for me to break into the entertainment industry. I didn’t know representation was going to teach me everything I needed to know, and that I would be miserable doing it. I never
Stop Motion Marries Visual Effects and Animation to Tell a Warrior’s Story
It’s probably safe to say that patience is not a defining characteristic of most college students. But when Taylor Johnston (BFA/DA ’18) and Austin Piko (BFA/DA ’18) decided to make a stop-motion animated film for their senior thesis, they took the demand for patience to a whole new level. Johnston and Piko are co-directing a
From Film Production to Tabletop Game Design
In most senses, filmmaking and tabletop game design are worlds apart. Ben Kepner graduated from Chapman with a degree in film production in 2013, and at the time didn’t know that tabletop game design was a viable career path. But six years later, after a few lucky encounters and a lot of hard work, landed
Jon Schnitzer: Probing Near Death or Scared to Death Experiences
John Schnitzer (BFA/FTP ’01) is fascinated by things that might stop your heart—literally, or almost. Hence two of his recent projects have an otherworldly connection, one in VR and one a documentary that examines the extreme lengths people go to scare each other on Halloween. His VR experience, Flatline, has been showcased at VR/World New
Internship Spotlight: Nick Walker '18
Recently, Nick Walker (BFA/FP ’18) worked as a Film Intern with Alcon Entertainment. Below he answers questions about his experience. DODGE: How did you find your internship? NICK: I found the internship through Barbara Doyle, who heads up the College to Career initiative here at Dodge. Barbara helped me clean up my resume and cover letter
Women of Chapman Support Students of Dodge
This year’s Women of Chapman recipients have been chosen with funds provided to students producing their thesis films for the 2018-2019 academic year. Funding is generously provided by The Women of Chapman Student Filmmaker Endowment, which has awarded nearly $300,000 to Dodge College students since being established in 2012. Adrienne Brandes, chair of the student film
2018 Commencement Clips Reel
Congratulations to the class of 2018! Above is a snapshot of the thesis film projects completed by the this year’s graduating class. This reel features the narrative, animation/visual effects and documentary projects created by the 2018 graduates of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. This video was compiled and edited by
Alex Italics: Getting your work seen—in festivals and online
The Slamdance Film Festival premiere of Order of the Orchid in Park City, Utah, marked a high watermark of sorts for Alex Italics (MFA/FP ’18). Programmed in the Anarchy Short films category as one of only 10 screened, the seven-minute, sci-fi fantasy, features an elderly woman confronted by a mysterious man who brings her to another
DIY Filmmaking Essentials from the Experts
Peter Baxter cares about filmmakers, and with a do it yourself spirit he and his colleagues at Slamdance developed a workshop for students interested in careers as independent filmmakers. With 25 years of experience programming film festivals, Baxter, Slamdance’s co-founder, and president, offered his wisdom to the students of Dodge College this spring. Consider these
Internship Spotlight: Katie Page ’18
Recently, Katie Page (BA/PRA ’18) was an intern as Brand Journalist/Blogger on the Storytelling Team at Kashi Co. Below she answers questions about her experience. How did you find your internship? I found my internship by chance, honestly. The office is walking distance from my house in San Diego and one day when I was
Speed Networking Event Connects Students with Alumni
Former students of Harry Ufland step up to emulate what the late professor gave them every semester; the chance to network with industry professionals. Elise Laplante’s ’13 reason for helping, “was to honor Harry’s memory. Harry was my first mentor in the business and I wanted to celebrate his spirit by helping current students connect
Finding Solutions for Filmmakers to Connect to Projects
As a proud alumni of the Dodge Film School Creative Producing class of 2015, I have become a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy Foundation. I’ve sold feature films internationally and domestically, and my work online has reached over 80 million viewers. Through my work as a Producer, I began