Monday, February 10, 2014

Is it Spring Yet?!

Alright y'all--we're going to"think spring" by focusing on the great opportunities that are on the horizon for students this semester, starting with tomorrow's visit from Gregory Van Horn of Chicago PD at the Portfolio Center.  Get ye there! http://events.colum.edu/event/an_evening_with_gregory_van_horn#.UvlBwRYc3dE
(And I make no promises but if you're a fan of Big Brother at all, keep an eye out for possible guests this spring--or next Fall...)

I know you are all struggling back into your groove after a brutal winter that just won't quit, but getting busy early and often will energize you, I promise! Good things come to the hard-working--like the TV students who created and produced Film Fridays, which just advanced to a finalist round at the New York Festivals World's Best TV and Films (which had the good taste to also advance my favorite show, Orphan Black.)  See FF here: http://www.frequencytv.com/filmfridays.html

Need some fresh TV before Orphan Black returns? There's tons out there that's yummy right now! I'm indulging in my ABC Family diet of The Fosters, Switched at Birth, Pretty Little Liars and Ravenswood (silly plot but insanely creepy and scary). Fellow fans, you know who you are (and hopefully caught the Community visit from our lead on S@B). I want Ezra to go down and need Callie to get her act together. Girls has been treating me well (which I did not think would be possible after last season's underwhelming finale). I will let you know if any of the mid-season replacements catch my fancy, but do check out Amazon Prime's foray into original TV with Bosch. And in a pinch, re-watch Veronica Mars to prepare for the movie arriving March 14th!!

Now, stop watching TV and get busy applying for internships (see Christy LeMaster) and fellowships and scholarships--tis the season!  I'll tell you a weird secret--every year, the TV Department has to struggle to find enough people to apply for scholarships--get busy and apply, no matter how much of a long shot it seems. If you're "young," it's good practice at learning how to ask for money, something you'll need to do well in this industry! Visit:

http://theloop.colum.edu/s/644/staffnewsletter.aspx?sid=644&gid=26&pgid=252&cid=16054&ecid=16054&ciid=59094&crid=0

http://www.nickwriting.com

http://nickanimationstudio.com/jobs/internships/

http://www.emmysfoundation.org/internship-program-categories

http://www.colum.edu/Student_Financial_Services/create-a-plan/scholarships/sharon-palermo.php#http://www.colum.edu/Student_Financial_Services/create-a-plan/scholarships/sharon-palermo.php

Two more things: WaterCooler (our TV student journal online http://watercoolerjournal.com) is assisting with a really cool event at DePaul this May focused on celebrating the work of Joss Whedon. Visit here https://www.facebook.com/events/821719554520647/and ask me if you have any questions--and support WaterCooler!!!

Last--and pass it on: I'm on a team this spring that is looking at how the School of Media Arts can better prepare students for working in the complexities of the media industry today by working better across departments--especially in the area of non-fiction and in the area of online production. Tell me: What are we not teaching you that we should be? You should know where to find me...