Several faculty members recently returned from a alumni meeting and digital summit in Los Angeles over the weekend. The trip sponsored by University Development, provided an opportunity to establish networking ties with Ball State graduates on the West coast.
Faculty pitched ideas about what to do with the department's recent $20 million Icom grant. They discussed obtaining film and digital equipment for a planned studio and entertainment editing suite which would be a joint venture between the Tcom, Theatre and English departments.
According to professor Jim Shasky the Telecommunications department has recently acquired more than $400,000 worth of High Definition motion picture equipment .
"We're going to be one of the only universities in the country that has High Definition equipment available for undergraduates. It's the same type of equipment that George Lucas shot the latest "Star Wars" movie on," he said. "At (major film schools) USC and UCLA they only let graduates anywhere near that type of equipment."
Faculty members made a presentation of 16 student films to a group of more than 100 people at the Los Angeles Hilton in Universal City. Among some of the Ball State alumni in attendance were Peter Adee, president of marketing for Universal Studios, Dwight Smith, executive producer of the syndicated version of "The Weakest Link" and Jay Williams, vice-president of publicity at Disney. Adee showed interest in taking two Ball State interns next year, Shasky said.
"The alums decided they wanted to start a mentoring program," Tcom department chair, Nancy Carlson said. "That way Ball State students (wanting to work in the entertainment industry) can find about L.A. like where to live, where to shop, what the neighborhoods are like."
Several students accompanied the faculty to L.A.
"It was a great chance to network with people that I wouldn't have otherwise met in Indiana," said Christine DeJoy, who graduated in May and plans to go to Los Angeles later this Spring to pursue a production career. "Now I have a starting ground and connection to meet with when I get out there."
Carlson met with five of the students she worked with on last year's WIPB program "Indiana Outdoors."
"One of the most exciting things for me was seeing them go from trudging along in the swamp (for "Indiana Outdoors") to working in the (entertainment) industry in L.A.," she said. "As we talked to the alums they gave us all sorts of timely information about where to get good software and editing equipment."
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