Media Week 2016 was our largest yet—with 12 academic talks, 2 workshops, and an Indian music concert in addition to the Speechless Film Festival events. As always, our speakers cover a range of topics including production, broadcast, art, and design. Here are a few highlights, as described by some of our current media students.
Comments on the Bayard Black (Branch Industries) talk on Design, Visual Languages, and Compelling Brand Stories:
“I really enjoyed hearing from Bayard Black about his company and the history behind what he does. He had a lot of good advice about branding yourself by telling a story and he stressed the importance of explaining your work and who you are. Being personal and hard working trump artistic talent in his eyes because companies want life-long learners and people who can take creative criticism and use it to better their work. Putting in the time, working hard, becoming a life-learner, and being personal are the best ways to better yourself, get the job you really want, and do work that is fulfilling.”
– Cora Mumme
“A lot of the Bayard Black talk applied to my career. He talked about how every challenge is an adventure and gave us portfolio tips so that we can stand out, like displaying work ethic and determination in our art and interview presence. He told us to work hard at what we love and if we do it to the best of our ability, we will succeed.”
– Joe Kinstler
“The Bayard Black presentation was really interesting because it had to do with design and making a career. He talked a bit about schooling, but what I thought was most interesting was what he did after that. That’s coming up soon for me, and hearing someone talk about what they did was really engaging. He worked for a company and also created his own business, so he had perspectives in both areas.”
– Hayes Schneider
Comments on the Filmmaker Talk by Robert Platt from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design:
“I really enjoyed hearing about Robert’s use of lighting to capture his imagery whether for film or photography. The hut that captured reflective light reminded me of what I learned about in physics and would be an interesting study. I liked the organic feel of his work. For instance, when the snowcaps were filmed or photographed while being projected on snow or the people walking by in India reflected on the pavement. The experimental film he showed of the slow motion street was very cool.”
– Cora Mumme
“Robert Platt seemed like an interesting guy right away: he had a cool accent, he traveled to Dubai to shoot his film, he’s a painter, and he uses new and intuitive ways to make art. He related his landscape painting to his filmmaking, which is a type of connection I hadn’t thought of before. His experimental film was really interesting, because I was able to see the connection with landscape art rather than just a look on culture in different areas. So now I am able to look at art in more ways.”
– Hayes Schneider
On the Filmmaker Talk by Christopher Lawrence Chapman from Zorya Films:
“Christopher is a high energy, super exciting, and bluntly honest filmmaker that talked about how he got into the business of filmmaking knowing nothing at all and managing to make multiple films and a production company. His advice on surrounding yourself with people who know what they’re doing is probably one of the biggest things that I took away from his talk. He talked about finding people everywhere and anywhere to build a network—connections are important and can make things happen. You could tell that he was very dedicated and passionate about his films, which looked verey interesting, and he was a very entertaining and educational speaker.”
– Hayes Schneider
On “A Night of Indian Music” with Hans Utter (sitarist):
“It was exciting to experience something musically different than I had ever seen before…and in the chapel setting the Indian music was utterly intoxicating. I was very impressed to understand the challenge and dedication it takes to perform with the instruments.”
– Joe Kinstler
Comments on the Speechless Film Festival:
“We went to the ‘Romance’ showcase and I thought all of the films were amazing. My favorite was ‘The Champion.’ It was a clever take on a Western movie!”
– Kadyn Wishcop
“I really enjoyed seeing all of the possibilities for Animation at the Speechless Film Festival. Every animated short was made in a different and unique style. My only other experience with animated short films are Pixar’s…and those, for the most part, all look the same.”
– Cora Mumme
Here’s the full list of 2016 talks. If any MART graduates are interested in the video archives, contact Amanda.
