Alumni Live: The Podcast

Current student Elena Chiu talks with award-winning, multiply Disabled, queer, horror and documentary filmmaker Ariel Baska about their short films, “Our First Priority,” and “Shining in the Dark,” the challenges they face as a disabled filmmaker, their podcast, “Ride the Omnibus,” and how to create a more accessible industry.

Website: https://arielbaska.com/ 
Ride the Omnibus: https://www.omnibusride.com/episodes
FWD-Doc: https://www.fwd-doc.org/
Accessibility Scorecard: https://www.fwd-doc.org/film-event-accessibility-scorecard-2023
FEAW (Film Event Accessibility Working Group): https://feaw.org/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12439350/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justaskabaska/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielbaska/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruinmysky 

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Current senior Jeff Staub talks with Alumni Michele Terpstra, Director of Digital Content at Toolfarm.com, about AI and tools for filmmakers. They talk about what AI is, recent legal issues surrounding it, how it will affect the film industry, and whether students should be taught how to use it and the ethics surrounding it.

AI tutorial: https://www.toolfarm.com/tutorial/a-i-tools-for-video-pros-filmmakers-content-creators-indepth/ 

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Current FVP senior, Jeff Staub, talks with Geoff George, a cinematographer and Education Outreach Chair with the Michigan Film Industry Association (MiFIA), about the Multimedia Jobs Act introduced in the Michigan legislature. Geoff explains how the film incentive worked in the past, how it’s different now, and why it’s so important to bring it to Michigan.

MIFIA: https://mifia.org/ 
Write Legislators: https://mifia.org/take-action 
Join MIFIA: https://mifia.org/joinus 
About the Multimedia Jobs Act: https://mifia.org/multimedia-jobs-act-details 
About Geoff George: www.geoffgeorgedp.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreygeorge/ 

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Alumni Michele Terpstra talks with alumni Wendy Jo Carlton about her career writing, producing, and directing award winning LGBTQ themed films. Wendy Jo explains the distribution process for an indie film, why she doesn’t write coming out stories, how to succeed as an independent filmmaker, her thoughts on AI, and why she likes creating web series.

LINKS:
Wendy Jo's Website: https://www.juicyplanetfilms.com/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0138238/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juicyplanetfilms/
Jamie and Jessie are Not Together trailer: https://vimeo.com/58852665
Easy Abby season one: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-afh1yK0_SynyZdcVFbGSUQt-n49UlZ
Easy Abby season two: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-afh1yK0_RN3oxecHCdLNLZvKDM2cna
Good Kisser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2x58d9yb88
Hannah Free trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dihna458hkM

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Host Randy Strobl talks with Grand Valley State University alumni Jaz Edwards, Jamie Bartkowicz, and Jim Taylor about their experiences with unions. Jaz explains how she joined IATSE Local 476 in Chicago, Jamie explains why she hasn’t joined a union, and Jim explains what it means to be on the Casual List for a union. 

This episode was recorded prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Jaz Edwards links: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaz-edwards-05997a176/

Jamie Bartkowicz links: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-bartkowicz/
https://www.theessentialartdepartment.com/
https://www.tead.blog/

Jim Taylor links: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtaylor49505/
https://elephantav.com/
https://www.instagram.com/elephantav9529/
https://www.facebook.com/Elephantav/

Union resources:
https://iatse.net/
West Michigan: https://www.iatse26.org/

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Host Randy Strobl talks with Grand Valley State University alumni Dan Campbell about his work as a freelance feature film producer at Blue Falcon Productions. They discuss how Dan’s experience as a Marine influenced his approach to college, his first paid job after graduation, his experience working on the Summer Film Project, and the satisfaction of starting his own production company.

Dan Campbell Links:
Blue Falcon Productions: https://www.bluefalconproductions.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluefalconprods
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalconProductions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bluefalconprods
The Incantation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5361596/
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3628074
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-campbell-93511655/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.campbell.9440

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Host Randy Strobl speaks with Brad Mead about his journey from LA TV series Assistant Editing to Editor which started with his internship with ACE (American Cinema Editors).

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Host Jake Wiegand (‘21) speaks with alumni Jon Flis (‘02) about the many jobs available to film and video majors in the world of broadcasting. Jon is the Director of Marketing for WZZM 13 On Your Side. Jake works for Jon as a Marketing Producer.

Jon's YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/promoguy

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

The Women in Cinema Mentorship Program is a female-run mentorship program connecting female alumni in the film/media industry with current female students in the GVSU film program.  Today we connect with a mentee, Kira Mason ‘23, and a mentor, Sara Jo Tchozewski ‘16, from the first year of the program. Hosted by Katie Dehn ‘06, the mentorship director.  If you are interested in becoming an alumni mentor please reach out to the GVSU Film and Video Alumni facebook page.

GVSU F/V Alumni: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gvsufilmvideoalumni
Women in Cinema Laker Link : https://gvsu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/wic
Women in Cinema Instagram: https://instagram.com/gvwomenincinema
Women in Cinema Mentorship Program Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gvsu_fv_wic_mentorship/
Women in Cinema Mentorship Program Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/gvsu.women.in.cinema.mentorship.program

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the LinkedIn group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258882/

Studies show that mentorships can have a big impact on a mentee’s salary, career path, and overall happiness in their careers.  Today, Katie Dehn talks with Gerry Cooke about the benefits of mentoring for students and the professional mentors that volunteer to mentor.  Gerry has spent almost a decade as a mentor and is currently the director of mentorship for the Seidman school of business mentorship program.  Katie is the director of the Women in Cinema mentorship program for female students in the film/video program at GVSU.

Seidman Mentorship Program: https://www.gvsu.edu/seidman/mentorship/

Women in Cinema: https://gvsu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/wic

GVSU F/V Alumni: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gvsufilmvideoalumni

To support GVSU film and video students by donating to scholarships and fellowships:

• https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-now-film-and-video-1162.htm

To join the FB group:

• GVSU F/V Alumni Facebook Group