Continually Growing

The great thing about the program here, I'm beginning to realize, is that it's so new (our beautiful multi-million dollar, 76,000 sq. foot facilities are only about a year and a half old). That means, of course, that most bugs have been worked out of the system (I mean 'most') and we have the opportunity to just build upon what we have and get bigger and better. As a student, I feel like I'm here at a really great time: a time where I can make a difference, and be a growing part of the community.

It's been a while since I've 'blogged,' but I mention the above because I had a specifically creative and interesting day yesterday that I wanted to share. First off, we were just notified of a new, possibly annual program that's being created starting this spring/summer having to do with making Documentaries Abroad - this year, in Cambodia.
It's a a scholarship program, so the six students (or so) accepted won't pay anything for the travel - it's all sponsored by Chapman. After having a few get-togethers, film-watching sessions, and organizational meetings this spring, the group will travel to Cambodia for two weeks in the end of May (just after the end of the school year) to document issues regarding Social Justice, Human Rights, and other focuses abroad. In the fall, the group will come back together to edit the film or films into finished pieces and present them in festivals, public television, and more. It seems like a GREAT opportunity, and I was thrilled when I heard about it.

I ended up applying the other day, and had an interview yesterday. The turnout was much more than expected (close to 50 students for three to six spots) so I had to sneak in between scheduled interviews, between classes. After waiting for a bit, I finally got to sit down with Professor Swimmer (the leader of this project) and talk about my qualifications, etc. While I think I'd be perfect for this (and am crossing my fingers until I find out next week) I'm not so sure I blew my interviewer away with my interview... though I did my best. It seemed like at that point it had been a long day and he wasn't really looking for any more people. BUT as I said, I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best.

The other neat thing I got to do yesterday (as an actor) was audition for John Badham's Undergraduate Directing Class. Professor John Badham, for those of you who don't know the name, is insanely talented and has so many Hollywood credits to his name. He has hundreds of directing credits, but most noteably, TV: Heroes, Crossing Jordan, Las Vegas, Blind Justice, Just Legal, Film: War Games, Short Circuit, Incognito, Saturday Night Fever and about a hundred other film, tv movies and tv episodes. It's quite impressive to have him here, especially teaching undergrad and grad directing classes.

Anyway, I got to audition for his class, which was a neat setup - they schedule auditions with actors from the Theatre Department, bring them in, have them meet with a student director, run through their monologue a few times, come onto the cine stage and film their audition in front of a small crowd of directors and Professor Badham, under lights and with minimal sound & camera equipment. John Badham and the student directors would then give some feedback on the first run-through and give some different direction for the second or third takes. The filmed auditions will now be posted online in a film database so that the directing students at chapman have readily available access to student actors for their exercises and projects. Neat, huh?

It's actually a really great step towards connecting the Film & Theatre Departments here, a bridge that's been long needed. We have some great actors RIGHT on campus, willing to do projects, and yet film students don't always know how to get in touch, or don't know how to use the resources available (really important trait for a student filmmaker, often on low-to-no budgets). This year in particular, the two schools have been coming together on projects such as this one to great success and benefit to everyone involved. (Look for our new B.F.A. in Screenacting Major, now in the works between both schools!)