The students in TFA's accelerated program started out in high gear and have pushed themselves even harder at every turn. They've been in college before. And they've had jobs. But something was missing. They wanted to strike out on an exciting new path. And that's what they've done. There have been plenty of setbacks and wrong turns, but by constantly, adjusting, adapting and evolving, these passionate and diverse media artists have delivered consistently exceptional work. Case in point…
An Interview with Director Wim Wenders
This fall, June-Start Jake Wilson interviewed Wim Wenders, director of such classic films as Paris Texas (1984), Wings of Desire (1987) and Buena Vista Social Club (1995). Wenders was in town promoting his latest release, Pina (2011), a 3D documentary about the work of his good friend, choreographer Pina Bausch, who died just before filming began. While preparing to address such emotionally charged material with a world-renowned filmmaker, Wilson—who was only one semester into his program at TFA—worked diligently, poring over articles about Wenders, delving deep into his oeuvre and formulating insightful questions. After shooting the interview and assembling a rough cut, he screened it in my Writing for Broadcast class, welcoming feedback and incorporating some of it into his final cut. The resulting interview provides an intriguing glimpse into the inner life of an often secretive and enigmatic auteur.
Production-In-Action
Always a force to be reckoned with, our accelerated program students brought some extra competitive heat to this year’s PIA. Chad Felder, Rudy Rubio and Calvin Steinken created a PSA for the Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry Campaign. It uses carefully interconnected music, voice-overs, lighting and graphics to deliver a quietly compelling call to action.
Grimm Reality
Creating an entire short film in two short days from start to finish was a challenge the June-Starts could not resist. “Grimm Reality” is the result. It is the story of a children’s book author who is tormented by her most famous creation, as well as an overgrown and overzealous fan. There is even an Easter egg for cinephiles, a closing nod to Albert Lamorisse’s “The Red Balloon.”
A Day In the Life of a Film + Broadcast Student
Because they were a small, tight-knit team, The accelerated group quickly became a well oiled machine, So when three outsiders joined their ranks, there was a moment of trepidation. Would these newcomers fit in? Although Liz Hyde, Ryan Cohen and Robert "Zach" Scott were late additions, they wasted no time distinguishing themselves as formidable collaborators. Once the three of them shot and edited their video, “A Day in the Life,” a well-paced and insightful overview of the Film + Broadcast Department, there was no question that the tribe was getting stronger.
By the time they entered my classroom last September, the accelerated program students were already a high-performing team; but I soon learned that they had more surprises up their sleeves. Over a period of just 3 months, the 14 students in the Film + Broadcast accelerated program generated 64 scripts (plus an additional 56 rewrites), 4 web campaigns, and 14 produced videos (plus an additional 7 reshot and re-edited “green-light” versions). They even created an end-of-semester show that served as a frame tale showcasing some of the best videos they had produced. Here are two highlights…
“The Ark” Online Marketing Campaign
Student Jason Gardner was thinking like a broadcast producer when he overheard some game students talking about a new project they were working on, and an elaborate web campaign was born. It featured a podcast, social media components, written content, images and even an idea for a flash mob in Daley Plaza featuring foam balls and people running around in dinosaur costumes.
The Tribeca Zone
The crowning achievement of the class was The Tribeca Zone, a black and white parody of The Twilight Zone that served as a showcase for some of the most memorable pieces the accelerated program had created throughout the semester. Tommy Cheely made a memorable star-turn, bringing writer/host Rod Serling back to life. Meanwhile, I was honored to perform a cameo as a “wrangler” for a mental institution. Secretly praying that this wasn’t a case of typecasting, I hoped for the best. Fortunately, the students came through and made me look like a fellow rock star…or at least a grizzled roadie. In any case, for a few moments, I felt like one of the tribe, and I have to confess—it was A LOT of fun!
About the Author: Brad Gyori, Film + Broadcast
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Brad Gyori has been a film and broadcast instructor since 2007. He also has over 20 years experience writing and producing for such networks as MTV, VH1, FX, E! and HBO online.For ten years, he was the head writer of the Emmy award winning Talk Soup.
Brad has been nominated for five Emmys and holds a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition from Arizona State University. His research interests include new media rituals and project-based learning models.
Email: brad.gyori@tfa.edu