Webster University’s School of Communications once again will be well represented at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival running Feb. 12-21 in Missoula, Mont. Four current students, three alumni and two faculty members will all be part of the 10-day event.
Cody Stokes (BA, Independent Film Production and Management, 2007) and Stewart Copeland (BA, Film Production, 2008) both have films showing; Sarah Truckey (BA, Media Communications, 2006) will be blogging and Twittering the event; Webster Film Series Director Mike Steinberg remains as festival director; and adjunct professor Cliff Froehlich will serve as judge for the feature competition.
SOC students Jessica Hogan, Jerod Welker, Austin Childress and Ellen MacPhearson were brought on as programming associates.
Spend part of your holidays chasing down a Zhu Zhu Pet? You may have James Landro (BA, Film Production, 1996) to thank. He is the man behind Pulltab Productions, the company responsible for creating the television commercial for the popular holiday toy.
Rob Severson (BA, Film Production, 2005) will appear on the popular television game show Jeopardy! in an episode scheduled to air Tuesday, Nov. 17. Sorry, no spoilers.
Severson’s appearance on the show came as little surprise to those who knew him during his Webster days. “It’s a perfect fit,” said Mike Steinberg, Webster University Film Series director. “It’s not a surprise at all. Rob is incredibly bright and very well versed. He was very much like a Renaissance man around the media department the entire time he was here.”
Johnny Cathcart (BA, Film Production, 2007) will be at Webster University’s Homecoming Weekend signing copies of his book “Hotpants … a memoir” from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Emerson Library.
Cathcart recently published his first book based on his battle with cancer twice as a teenager and his crazy life, including getting into the film production program in the School of Communications. The book has been out for more than two months and already has received positive reviews.
A selection of works by Justin Allen (BA, Film Production, 1999) is now on display at the Robert Miller Gallery in New York City. The exhibition consists of works from his Basement Afterlife series and new works from his Disposable Wonders series.
When Matthew Scott Krentz asked around town for help on an independent film project, he found Webster University student Nicholas Gartner … and more than a dozen or so other Webster University students and alumni willing to join the crew.
The completed independent film project, “Streetballers,” is now playing in theaters in St. Louis. It is a co-production of Dan Gartner’s Counterhound Productions, which handled all production logistics and coordination.
When Shaquille O’Neal arrived in St. Louis to tape an episode for his new reality TV show “Shaq Vs.“, it was a handful of Webster University alumni staffing the shoot.
They picked up people from the airport, ran wires and operated cameras — traveling all over the city for the frantic 3-day shoot. “I’ve been paid better for stuff, but it was by far the most fun I’ve had on a shoot,” said Ryan Doris (BA, Film Production, 2008). “Seeing Shaq and Albert Pujols next to each other is pretty ridiculous.”
Stewart Copeland’s ( B.A., Film Production, 2008) documentary “Jennifer” — a film produced as part of Copeland’s senior thesis at Webster University — will be air Sept. 22 on PBS as part of the program POV.
Webster University’s School of Communications once again will be well represented at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival running Feb. 12-21 in Missoula, Mont. Four current students, three alumni and two faculty members will all be part of the 10-day event.
