Mark Van Dyke, associate professor of communication, is featured in Campus Technology Magazine for recognition given to him by the Sakai community for innovative use of open source technology in teaching. The article can be found at: http://bit.ly/23dIVn.
Karen Michel, professional lecturer in media arts and a contributor to National Public Radio, has a feature about Carl Gustav Jung's "Red Book"on NPR's "All Things Considered" November 11, 2009. The piece airs on WAMC in the Poughkeepsie areas and all over the world via other NPR affiliates. Congratulations to Karen!
Senior Fashion Design majors at Marist College have recently completed a range of red coat designs which will be displayed at the February 26, 2010 Go Red for Women® Luncheon to benefit the American Heart Association at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, New York. The coats, which will also be featured at the annual Marist Silver Needle Fashion Show on May 7, 2010 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, represent a range of styles designed and sewn in luxurious red fabrics. The exhibit is intended to draw attention to the AHA’s goal of encouraging women to learn about heart disease and stroke, and to take positive action to reduce and prevent the risk of both diseases.
Senior design majors from the Fashion Program have created a unique design concept in support of the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation. Miles of Hope was established to fund support services for people fighting breast cancer in the Hudson Valley. The design project consists of ten dresses, in various shades of pink, that are linked together to form a creative representation of women united in the battle against breast cancer. The project will be on view at The Miles of Hope Spring Brunch on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, as well at the annual Marist College Silver Needle Fashion Show on May 7, 2010 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center.
Two turned out to be a lucky number for recent Marist College graduate Kaitlin Brennan, whose selection of that numbered briefcase on the NBC game show "Deal or No Deal" led to a $57,000 payday.
Brennan, who received a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude in communication and media arts last May, decided to take an offer for that amount from the show's "banker," rather than hold onto her briefcase. It turned out she made the right deal. The briefcase she gave up contained $25,000. The show aired on November 3.
The East Brunswick, NJ, native went to an open casting call in June in North Jersey. She learned of the opportunity during her job search. The audition was a series of quick interviews with show employees. Brennan said about 3,500 people showed up for the audition, standing on line "American Idol-style."
"I don't know if it was fate, or the fact that I could not stop smiling as I stood in front of the producers, but somehow I got an offer to be on the show to hold a case," said Brennan. "The catch is being on the show does not mean you will definitely get to play. The daytime version works a little differently, where instead of the models holding the cases, people like me get that job. If your number gets picked then you get to play. Out of 22 people, only five would get to play."
"It was an incredible experience, and if it taught me anything, it was that no matter how silly your goals may seem it is always worthwhile to go for them. Getting on this show was a goal. I had talked about being on this show in high school, so the fact that I actually got on is unbelievable," Brennan said.
The show was taped in Connecticut, and Brennan said she was shocked when her number was called. "Being up there with (host) Howie Mandel was so much fun and it went by so quickly. I was not making calculated decisions as I chose my cases, but rather just picked whatever number I felt like picking. Lucky for me the lack of strategy seemed to work out well because I walked away with the most money all week $57,000!"
Brennan said she made some great friends along the way and heard some interesting stories about what other people planned to do with their money. She went through the entire process, from audition to taping, with another recent college graduate from North Jersey. "It was great having her there to share this experience," she said.
"I think one of my favorite parts of this whole experience has been everyone else's reactions," Brennan said. "My friends and family from all over were completely shocked because they had no idea."
Now to the important part what will Brennan do with the money? "I was adopted from Chile when I was a baby so I plan on a nice vacation to see where I was born with family and a few friends. Beyond that I'll be saving the money, and waiting for the Alumni Office to call."
Craig Huston, a professional Assistant Director with more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, visited Marist College’s campus Saturday to deliver an intensive eight-hour seminar on the role of the AD in professional film and television production.
Mr. Huston discussed common production issues and challenges facing the AD, who is in charge of planning major aspects of the production and running the set during shooting. He discussed how to break down a script for shooting, the order in which scenes should be shot, how to handle the creative people involved in a shoot such as directors and actors, how to ensure safety on the set and comply with union regulations, and how to direct extras and create realistic background action.
Huston, who has worked with Ron Howard, Warren Beatty, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood, and many other well-known filmmakers, shared personal stories about his experiences working in an intense and competitive industry where the monetary stakes are high and mistakes can be costly. He also offered tips on how to pursue a career as an Assistant Director, as well as advice on securing other careers in the entertainment industry.
The two dozen students who attended the seminar received a packet of sample forms and examples of script breakdowns, call sheets and other commonly used production materials.
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A Local Agriculture Awareness Campaign has emerged from Dr. Missy Alexander’s Capping Course, attempting to enlighten the student body about the multiple benefits that can result in supporting local farmers and consuming local foods- also known as the Slow Food Movement.
The campaign is designed to promote awareness by providing a series of Slow Food related events. These opportunities include an apple picking trip to Weed Orchards in Marlboro, N.Y., coordinating an on-campus farmers market with local farmers and vendors, and a cooking demonstration using all local ingredients by CIA-trained and Marist Executive Chef Anthony Legname.
Footage of these events, as well as interviews with attendees, qualified staff and faculty, is being put together to create a final documentary screening event in December.
Donation baskets will be out at every event, and all proceeds will be given to the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, a non-profit that strives for a just and sustainable food system in the Hudson Valley by organizing and maintaining a member-supports farm, food/farming educational opportunities, and providing access to healthy locally-grown foods.
The apple picking trip and farmers market were successful, with high attendance and peaked interest.
The cooking demonstration will be in the Cabaret on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Legname will most-likely be preparing a Ratatouille and Apple Crisp in front of a live audience. Anyone can attend, entry is free, and there will be tasting for all.
The documentary screening festival will be in the Cabaret on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m., including the documentary’s premier, SEED, Sustainability House, GREEN Committee, light refreshments, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, and a performance by the Marist College Singers.
For more information, please contact Melissa Greco at (203) 605-5659 or email Melissa.Greco1@marist.edu
Assistant Professor of Media Arts Josh Robbins won first place in the Woods Hole Film Festival screenplay competition held in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and the Landlocked Film Festival screenplay competition, held in Iowa City, Iowa, for his feature length script "I'm Not Down."
The annual Woods Hole Film Festival winners were announced August 1st at a banquet dinner celebrating the culmination of the eight day festival showcasing independent film. The Landlocked Film Festival winners were announced August 30th.
"I'm Not Down" tells the story of Alfonso Veccerelli, a proud, aging punk rocker living in Manhattan's Alphabet City, who must fight for his way of life when a yuppie couple tries to turn the rent-controlled tenement building where Alfonso's been living for thirty years into their own private "McMansion."
Though the script is a work of fiction, with elements of comedy and drama, it is loosely based on an actual housing dispute that pitted a group of tenants against landlords in New York City's Lower East Side.
Robbins, who grew up in neighborhood where the story is set, wrote the script over last winter's break and is working with a director on preproduction of the project. He hopes that they are able to begin production within the next two years.
For more information on the annual Woods Hole Film Festival winners, visit: http://www.woodsholefilmfestival.org/2009/pages/home/festival-2009/2009-winners.php
Jeff Bass recently completed the ACI certification, qualifying him to teach the flagship class, Avid Media Composer 101, which accounts for more than half of all Avid classes held worldwide. Avid Technology makes the world's most popular film and video editing software, with more than 90% of feature films and network television programs edited on Avid products. Because of their popularity, there is a huge demand for training on Avid products. To meet this need, Avid supports a worldwide training program, featuring a sequence of official classes designed by the software's creators. The backbone of Avid Worldwide Training is a network of Avid Certified Instructors on six continents. To become an ACI, a candidate must have considerable experience with the software, completed Avid classes, and must attend a week of intensive training at the company headquarters in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Jeff plans to begin offering Avid training classes at Marist soon.
