Story by: Callie Gisler
Sam Stendal
Photo by: Peabody Awards
Licensed under Creative Commons (CC by 2.0)
A dynamic program of theory and practice, the University of Oregon Cinema Studies Program is home to students whose interests, talents, and skills permeate every niche of the film industry. Students immerse themselves, inside and outside the classroom, to take full advantage of what the program has to offer. Here are three outstanding students who are making the most of their time on campus.
Brad Burke
Brad Burke
Photo by: Joshua Rainey
For University of Oregon student Brad Burke, making zombie movies became reality when Davey Porter Pictures, a studio in Corvallis, Oregon, picked up his zombie trilogy, Zompocalypse, for production. Did we mention it’s a musical? The “crazy” decision was met with outstanding support from family, friends, and Cinema Studies faculty.
Burke serves as Director of Photography for the studio, working long days between Corvallis and Portland, Oregon. “I’m usually the first one on set and the last one to leave the studio,” he explains. Burke’s current role keeps him involved in almost every aspect of the production process.
Zompocalypse has taught Burke the hard skills of film production, and he would not hesitate to encourage other students to follow in his footsteps. “The best way to get into film is by actually working on a film,” says Burke. “You’re able to build priceless connections and learn things that, quite honestly, are almost impossible to teach without physically doing them.”
“Film has always been my dream. It was really an easy choice,” says Burke, whose love for writing and filming began in elementary school. He will continue his work as a director on six different films between 2014 and 2018 while completing his education.
Jordyn Roach
Jordyn Roach
Photo by: Joshua Rainey
University of Oregon junior Jordyn Roach’s college career has been nothing short of “award winning.” To achieve her goal of a “thorough theoretical and practical background in filmmaking practices,” she is double majoring in Applied Physics and Cinema Studies.
Outside the classroom, Roach hones her skills by producing shorts and animated films and has already earned several distinguished honors. In 2013, her short film This is a Girl received 2nd Runner Up and Cisco’s Award for Most Innovative Film at the Girls Impact the World Film Festival. The following year, Roach was awarded the Brave New Beauty Award for her animation work, titled “Broken Beauty.”
“I want to become a film director capable of working in the avant-garde, blockbuster, and documentary styles,” says Roach. After graduating from the UO in 2016, Roach hopes to attend a graduate film school to further her education and career.
Sam Stendal
Sam Stendal
Photo by: Peabody Awards
Licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0)
For University of Oregon student Sam Stendal, a love for filmmaking and visual storytelling began early in her life. That passion made the University’s Cinema Studies major an easy choice when Stendal made her decision to enroll at the UO. In her junior year, Stendal’s talent was nationally recognized when she and fellow UO student Aaron Blanton won a 2014 Peabody award for their short video response to the Steubenville, Ohio rape case.
The video, titled “A Needed Response,” has garnered over nine million views on YouTube since it was posted in March 2013 and gained national media attention as the first viral YouTube video to earn a Peabody award. Stendal explains, “I wanted to create a video that would show a new standard for everyone: that it is not okay to take advantage of others. I am extremely surprised that the video has received as much attention as it has. I am glad that a message focused around respect can travel so far.”
The accomplishment has helped Stendal participate in many conversations around a topic about which she is passionate. After completing her Cinema Studies degree, Stendal plans to continue her career in film production, while pursing her own personal projects on the side.