Film & Electronic Arts Department History

Transcription

1 Film & Electronic Arts Department History For the first time the Speech Department at Long Beach State offers a Radio and Television Production emphasis. Professor Hubert Morehead, its founding faculty member, is joined by Professors Dan Baker, Howard Martin, and Billy Joe Langston. 25 students enroll The Beta Theta chapter of national honorary radiotelevision fraternity Alpha Epsilon Rho is chartered on campus. Membership consists of two women and three men, including Ed Arnold ( 67), who would later become a noted reporter and anchor in Southern California television Radio-Television becomes its own department in the College of Humanities KSUL 90.1FM, a 10-watt student-run campus radio station is launched. Radio-Television Technical Operations Director Isaac de la Rocha installs the transmitter atop the 18 story United California Bank building on Ocean and Magnolia in downtown Long Beach. The signal carries as far as Pasadena.

2 1977. Radio-Television relocates to the 9 th floor of the McIntosh Humanities Building from its cramped quarters in FA Radio-Television purchases and installs two 35mm film projectors in the University Theatre The Cinema Society, the Department's first student film club is formed The Music Department moves into new facilities across campus and Radio-Television relocates to the 2 nd floor of the Music Building, which is renamed UTC Long Beach State acquires professional radio station KLON 88.1FM (later to become KKJZ-FM) and KSUL leaves the air Radio-Television receives impacted status at the University, which sets the enrollment cap to a manageable 250 students for the Department s five full-time faculty The Department is renamed Radio, Television & Film Radio, Television & Film establishes two degree options: Narrative Production and Media Studies The Department purchases an Aaton Super 16 XTR film camera, to include video assist and Zeiss prime lenses The Department transfers from the College of Humanities to the College of the Arts and is renamed Film and Electronic Arts Film & Electronic Arts schedules its first annual student film showcase at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Hollywood Radio instruction in FEA ends. Audio courses shift to production recording and post production sound design The Dance Department relocates to new facilities across campus and FEA acquires their offices on the main floor of the UTC Building.

3 1994. Student Umberto Autore Jr. wins a Certificate of Regional Achievement at the 21st Student Academy Awards Multiple camera television instruction ends as program emphasis concentrates on media studies, narrative production, and documentary FEA acquires a Lightworks editing system and moves into video editing FEA organizes and sponsors the first annual Wide Screen Film Festival, an event that screens classic 70mm motion pictures at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center Super 8 film cameras in FEA are retired and student productions move to 16mm Avid Digital editing equipment and software is purchased and installed as part of the Department s audio labs and editing facilities Steven Spielberg, who attended Long Beach State from , returns to complete his degree. He joins his classmates at commencement on May 31, Final Cut Pro is purchased and installed to expand the Department s digital audio labs and editing facilities FEA s first HD digital movie is shot Stu Rosen, an Emmy-winning member of 1963 s first Radio-Television graduating class, returns to initiate an innovative self-supporting student production company, Surfside Productions Selected FEA student films are featured for the first time by Sony Media at the Los Angeles Convention Center s DV Expo.

4 2006. An MFA Degree in Dramatic Writing is launched by FEA and the Department of Theatre Arts Selected FEA student films are featured for the first time by Sony Media at the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals FEA acquires its first professional digital video camera Faculty approve the return of multiple camera television instruction. The former studio and control room in FA-1 are reclaimed FEA Career Day, featuring panel discussions with industry professionals, and Spring Cookout are instituted as companions to the annual Spring Showcase of student work Reviving the dormant Cinema Society concept, FEA students form the Student Filmmaker s Association, a club dedicated to making movies outside the classroom An anonymous donor pledges $1.4 million to the Department for facilities upgrades, production and postproduction equipment, lecturers, and graduate student stipends The Hollywood Foreign Press Association awards its first filmmaking grants to FEA students to help defray the cost of narrative and documentary film production The Department acquires its first 35mm motion picture camera, an Arriflex BL2, donated by alumnus J.T. Lawton ( 83) Sony Media funds the CSULB/Sony Film Festival on campus, which replaces the Wide Screen Film Festival. Alumnus Mark Steven Johnson ( 89) screens his new movie, GHOST RIDER starring Nicholas Cage, on opening night The studios and editing lab in FA-1 are named in honor of alumnus Steven Spielberg The annual DGA showcase of student films is discontinued due to budgetary reasons.

5 2009. Faculty approve a revamping of degree options to create more accessible tracks of specialization -- Narrative Film Production (including Producing & Directing and Cinematography), Documentary Production, Broadcast Television Production, Production Management, Screenwriting, Editing, Sound Design, and Critical Studies FEA Career Day features prominent industry alumni. Greg Irwin ( 83), David Twohy ( 78), Karen Baker Landers ( 84), Guy Bee ( 87), and Robert S. Woods ( 74) return to campus to share their career insights with FEA students and faculty Actor-Director LeVar Burton hosts the first Sony Spring Event on campus, a sponsored series that replaces the CSULB/Sony Film Festival with master classes, lectures, and screenings. Working with him is FEA student Jessica Williams, who three years later would become a popular new cast member of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central A Spring Documentary Showcase is instituted to present the numerous films being completed in FEA s rapidly growing Documentary Track FEA develops mobile multiple camera television capabilities. Students shoot their first remote -- a charity basketball game in Studio City featuring Lakers Legend Magic Johnson and Philadelphia 76ers star Jrue Holiday FEA s student production company, Surfside Productions, is so financially successful in fulfilling commercial production contracts that it begins donating equipment to the Department to help meet urgent funding needs The Southern California Ford Dealers and Dailey & Associates Advertising invite FEA to participate in a regional college competition to produce original commercials for the Ford Focus. Ten teams of FEA students submit spots and three of the four contest winners are from CSULB Film and Electronic Arts receives a series of equipment donations from such benefactors as Fox News, The Famous Group, Camera Ready Productions, Foothill High School, Surfside Productions, Cole Conservatory of Music, and Advanced Media Productions to enhance its production capabilities. Donations include a camera jib, SteadiCam, TelePrompters, Panasonic HD cameras, Sony BetaCams, lipstick cameras, Grass Valley and Panasonic video switchers, and an Alesis audio mixer. Estimated total value: $350,000.

6 2011. An annual Flicks Ala Mode event is instituted as a companion to Career Day and the Spring Showcase, featuring student work made outside of the department The MFA partnership with Theatre Arts is discontinued In response to industry trends, Film and Electronic Arts begins offering courses in transmedia, including Video Game creation The Department celebrates 50 Years of media instruction. Over 600 students are enrolled as program majors, with 7 full-time and 23 adjunct faculty teaching classes. Thanks to the following people who helped compile this history of our program: Professor and Chair Micheal Pounds Professor Emeritus Dan Baker Professor Emeritus and former Chair Bob Finney Professor and former Chair Maria Viera Professor Brian Alan Lane Associate Professor Tom Blomquist Alumnus and Lecturer Stu Rosen Alumnus, FEA Staff, and Lecturer Steve Hubbert FEA Staff Emeritus Isaac de la Rocha College of the Arts Director of Development Arlena Kauppi