The Working Filmmaker Series was made possible by their generous donation
Story by: Keri Aronson and Audra Mahoney
In 2010, Dave and Nancy Petrone invested in the future of Cinema Studies students by establishing the Cinema Studies Working Filmmaker Series, a unique experience that has allowed students to interact with and learn directly from industry professionals. The program has been a tremendous success. Attendance has continued to grow, and important industry relationships, from Portland to Los Angeles, have grown into internship and job opportunities for Cinema Studies students—all thanks to the Petrones’ generous donation.
The Working Filmmaker Series has brought a wide range of industry professionals to share their media-making experiences with the UO campus:
- Film editors from Pixar Animation Studios discussed the post-production process of making Monsters University®.
- Production crew from the Oregon television show Portlandia explained a variety of on-set responsibilities to students.
- Stephanie Drachkovitch, Executive Vice President of 44 Blue Productions, detailed the process of reality television production and ran an in-depth workshop for students on story pitching for nonfiction television.
- Music video director Todd Angkasuwan showed how to treat, pitch, and create music videos for popular artists like Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, and RZA.
- Matt Piedmont, screenwriter, director and Emmy Award-winning writer for Saturday Night Live, shared his journey breaking into writing for television and major motion pictures.
These first-hand experiences generate incredible enthusiasm and invaluably broaden student career goals. Cinema Studies sends a special thank-you to the Petrones for making the Working Filmmaker Series possible.