Archive › 2012
06 End of Fight Scene

Death Becomes Me

In addition to making my own films this semester, many of my friends and classmates also asked me to perform in their films. More than once, I found myself acting in two films in a single day. Interestingly, I didn’t survive in most of the films. I’ve been killed off in my friends’ films in […]

06 Scene from The Tutor

THE TUTOR (LMU SFTV Film), Directed by Tyler Nicholas

This is my third Production 200 project.  It’s titled The Tutor and stars Kristen Haynes and Gabriel Gonzalvez. Without giving much away, the film is about a girl who doesn’t realize how lucky she is to have the best math tutor in the school until his mysterious secret is revealed to her.  The assignment limited […]

Please Kick Me Around screenshot

PLEASE KICK ME AROUND (LMU SFTV Film), Directed by Tyler Nicholas

This short film is my second out-of-class project for my LMU SFTV Film Production 200 course.  Again, the assignment didn’t allow us to have any dialogue. I wrote, directed, shot, edited, colored, and scored this film, with my friend, the awesome Mars Oliva, as my gaffer and AD.  Patrick Koocheradis starred in the film.  This […]

01 Paramount Pictures, Melrose Gate

LMU’s FILM OUTSIDE THE FRAME 2012 Film Festival & Awards Ceremony at Paramount

Film Outside the Frame is LMU SFTV’s annual student film festival and awards ceremony which honors both current and former students, including distinguished alumni, in all areas of filmmaking. This year’s festivities were held on October 27 in the Paramount Theater on Paramount Pictures’ Studio Lot. As you can see in the photo gallery below, it […]

The Message (feature image 2)

THE MESSAGE (LMU SFTV Film), Directed by Tyler Nicholas

This short film is my first out-of-class assignment for the LMU SFTV Film Production 200 course. The assignment was that we couldn’t have any dialogue, had to shoot in sequence, and had to shoot for continuity editing. I wrote, directed, filmed, edited, and scored this film. Because I chose to film at a beach location […]

Johnny Ramone (photo credit, Wikipedia Commons)

Hollywood Forever …

After spending the afternoon at the Paramount Theatre on the Paramount Pictures lot rehearsing for Film Outside the Frame 2012, I checked out Hollywood Forever, which is just around the corner. Paramount Studios was actually built on the back half of the original Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery. The cemetery was founded in 1899 and is […]

If I Had a Hammer - still

IF I HAD A HAMMER (LMU SFTV Film), Directed by Corey Bigoni

This short film was a quick in-class project for my LMU SFTV Film Production 200 course, shot on campus. My director/costar was Corey Bigoni, Jocelyn McDaniels was the DP,  and I scored the film.  We met as a group a few days before shooting to plan out the project, the assignment being to make a […]

VVAW Silent March to Fontainebleau Hotel (Nixon Bunker), RNC, Miami, Fl (1972, photo VVAW File)

LMU Monday Night Series: Operation Last Patrol (1972) with Ron Kovic and Frank Cavestani

This edition of LMU SFTV’s Monday Night was very special. We had the honor and privilege of attending a screening of the 1972 documentary Operation Last Patrol and spending the evening with the subject of the documentary, Ron Kovic, and fellow Vietnam veteran and director Frank Cavestani. Most of you are probably familiar with Ron as the […]

Virtual Inc

VIRTUAL INC. (LMU SFTV Film) Selected for California International Shorts Festival!

Great news — and congratulations to LMU SFTV Production grad student Devin Wilson! His film Virtual Inc. is an official selection at the California International Shorts Festival! The film was produced by Toni Bakal and Alex Wilson, and the DP was Adam Lee. I had the privilege to work on Devin’s crew and he graciously […]

01 Justified creator Graham Yost

LMU Monday Night Series: JUSTIFIED with Graham Yost

The first Monday Night Series at LMU SFTV was a big hit. We were honored to have as our guest writer/producer Graham Yost, known for writing blockbuster films like Speed, Broken Arrow, and Hard Rain, and for the screenplays for Mission to Mars and The Last Castle. Most recently, however, he’s riding high as the […]

01 Teddy shooting from above

I’m Ready For My Closeup

AT LAST, I HAVE HEADSHOTS! Now that my IMDb page finally contains some legit credits, it seemed like it was also time to add professional photos. That meant getting some headshots taken. Picking the right photographer in Los Angeles, from the endless choices in this town, can be an overwhelming task. Well, I really got lucky […]

09 Laura pays homage to Apocalypse Now

SHOOT THAT RAT! Update (“Is That CHOCOLATE I Smell?”)

Now that the teaser trailer is out for Mikael Kreuzriegler’s low-budget independent feature film, Shoot That Rat!, and a more extensive trailer will be available soon, I wanted to publish some additional pictures taken during shoot by Veronica Wood, while I was busy fulfilling my PA responsibilities on the set. As I mentioned in my previous blog […]

Life After Film School (FXM): I Ask Valerie & Jonathan about avoiding the pitfalls of co-directing ...

LIFE AFTER FILM SCHOOL: RUBY SPARKS Directors, Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton

NEW:  VIDEO SCREEN CAPS ADDED TO PHOTO GALLERY (scroll halfway down) On Friday, I taped my second appearance as a student-host on FXM Presents’ Life After Film School. Our guests were Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton — the directing team of this year’s upcoming, Ruby Sparks, the much-anticipated second movie from the multi-talented co-directors of 2006’s Best Picture nominee and multiple Academy […]

017 Ashton Kutcher as Jobs

Ashton Kutcher Came to LMU and We Didn’t Get PUNK’D

Five Star Institute was on LMU’s campus today filming scenes for the upcoming film titled jOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, J.K. Simmons, James Woods, and more.  Ashton is cast in the title role and you can see pictures of him on set, along with Joshua Michael Stern, the director. University Hall was transformed into […]

Asking actor/comedian Chris Parnell about his in input into "Archer" scripts -- FXM's Life After Film School (January 2012)

LIFE AFTER FILM SCHOOL (VIDEO): My Chris Parnell Interview Airing in New “FXM Presents” Format!!

There’s been a BIG change in the way Life After Film School is being aired on the re-branded FX Movie Channel.  Instead of the traditional weekly half-hour timeslots that were the norm in previous seasons on “Fox Movie Channel”, LAFS is now part of a larger collection of behind-the-scenes “interstitial” programming broadcast under the “FXM Presents” brand […]

Pie perfoms - closeup

PIE Shoots “BACK TO ME” at LMU: My First Job on a Music Video Set

09/16/2012 — GREAT NEWS, PIE FANS !!! THE “BACK TO ME” MUSIC VIDEO SHOT AT LMU IN JULY (featured in the story below) JUST DROPPED ON VIMEO … HERE IT IS !   PIE, musical artists who describe themselves as “alternative rock infused with latin and blues flavors,” came to LMU to shoot a music video for […]

Shoot That Rat Crew

My 2 Weeks as a PA on SHOOT THAT RAT!, a feature film by Mikael Kreuzriegler

Finding themselves on a junkyard – of all places! – for their first date, two lonely souls are forced to risk everything to find true intimacy and companionship.  A provocative critique of consumerism, and a crazy love story. — Mikael Kreuzriegler In June, I had privilege to work on Shoot That Rat! — a feature film directed by […]

Sacred Heart Chapel

The Most Beautiful College Campus

LMU was founded in 1911 and encompasses approximately 150 acres high atop a bluff, providing unbelievable views of everything from Marina del Rey and the Pacific Ocean to the Los Angeles Basin and the Hollywood sign. Every day at LMU is an amazing experience.  There are so many reasons why I’m happy to be here […]

Devil as Old Man

NOCTURNE Voice Gig: The Devil Made Me Do It!

During finals week, I finally got to see the completed version of the senior animation thesis that I voice-acted for.  Previously known as The Devil’s School, it’s been renamed Nocturne. It was AWESOME!  The most interesting thing about it for me was how 2D characters were placed into 3D environments.  It made sense, practically,  because the […]

Commencement

LMU’s Centennial Commencement

As my freshman year comes to an end, the LMU campus is preparing to say goodbye to the Centennial Graduates of the Class of 2012. The entire Sunken Garden is a sea of white chairs in preparation for Commencement, with the length of Alumni Mall in the backdrop.  It’s impossible to walk past the stage […]