Tikia Fame Hudson is in the process of directing “For Colored Girls,” set to perform in the blackbox theater at Warehouse 21 on Feb. 27 and 28.

1905 Magazine has been a buzzing topic amongst the SFUAD student body as of late. Darnell Thomas and Mariah Romero, editors of the magazine, have put their heart and soul into this self-made, long-term project.

Getting ready to graduate college and tackle the real world is a hefty challenge, but Jordyn Aquino is prepared for the big leap with a good head on her shoulders. Aquino, a senior BFA Musical Theater Major in the SFUAD Performing Arts Department, has spent her college career working on multiple productions, including starring as Ti Moune in the Spring 2013 production of Once on This Island, and appearing in Middletown, Little Shop of Horrors,  and Spring Awakening. Aquino sat down with Jackalope Magazine to reflect on her time at SFUAD, her relationships with her teachers, and what the future holds after graduation. Jackalope Magazine: Tell us a bit about your background as an actress and singer. Jordyn Aquino: Well, I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and as one would imagine, there isn’t a ton of wonderful theater going on there. So I did kids performing troupes and stuff like that. I never really did much high school theater. I was more into community theater and the different camps that they had going on at local colleges. Also, I grew up singing a lot, so music was always a big part of my life and theater just kind of went hand in hand with the music stuff. My singing led to competitions, and then that branched into acting competitions. There were agents and managers at these competitions and that led to me moving to LA. I did pilot season, for ABC pilots and Disney things. I was getting far along in auditions, but then I ran out of money, went back home, and decided ‘maybe I’ll go to college.’ So I did. JM: Why did you decide to attend SFUAD? JA: Well, I went to a prospective student dinner and I met [former PAD Chair] John Weckesser and [alumni] Lisa Hamilton, who did a ‘how to prepare for an audition’ video for the department, and I really appreciated what she had to say about the school. It seemed like a place where, not only could I grow as a performer and learn about my craft, but I could also be a better-developed human being. So John Weck gave me his card if I promised to call him, so the next day I did, I sent in a video audition, and he said ‘ok, you can come here,’ and that’s how SFUAD happened! God, this is awkward! Doing your first interview is like losing your virginity! JM: Haha, how so? JA: Well, you know, it’s awkward, a little bit painful…haha! JM: I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say that about an interview! Wow! JA: Sorry! JM: What has been your experience in the Performing Arts Department (PAD) at SFUAD and how have you grown? JA: It’s hard to wrap it up. The experience has definitely helped me prepare for working in the industry. I’ve had wonderful training and been able to work with teachers who helped me identify my strengths and I’ve been able to nurture those. I’ve also been able to work on my weaknesses and get better. As far as how much I’ve grown, I’ve learned to calm down, learned to be more patient and not take myself so seriously. JM: Do you have a teacher that you feel particularly influenced you in a positive way? JA: Oh yeah! All my teachers have been great influences, I love them all so much! Well, Victor Talmadge and Gail Springer, definitely! Gail has really influenced me and it’s been really wonderful to work with her, especially when it comes to vocal training and Estill training. She’s also cast me and helped me expand and given me parts that challenge me and help me grow. For Victor, I really appreciated the kind of discipline he had for acting. You always had to have a reason for what you were doing. You had to justify everything! I appreciated that because acting...

While discussing the integral role networking has in the film industry—a point he would continue to emphasize throughout the rest of his interview with Jackalope Magazine—Film School Chair Chris Eyre readied his computer to unveil his latest directing gig: a drunk driving PSA for the Wyoming Board of Transportation spearheaded by Wyoming First Lady Carol Mead. Eyre had just returned to Santa Fe from the Sundance Film Festival, where he served as both a Film School liaison to the festival as well as an alumnus, having received the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy Award in 1998 for his film Smoke Signals. “It’s important to maintain the network and then bring it back to the Film School,” Eyre explained, going on to mention a casual run-in he’d had with Peter Farrelly, an old friend. On Jan. 17, Eyre’s crew, consisting of (many) Film School students, shot the 30-second Drunk Driving PSA in a single day. “We had a budget here so we paid everyone for their time.” Eyre chuckled, motioning to his computer screen displaying his portfolio of work. “That’s why we’re all here.” Eyre played two other PSAs he had done in 2008 for the state of New Mexico. Similar to his recent work, the NM spots carried a vignetted style that plays like a 30-second feature film. ‘The way that I shoot, you know, I’m always making a movie out of something,” he said. The PSA hosted various paid positions for faculty, students, local acting talent and area film workers, including 13 students, one Film School alumnus and four faculty contributors. Film School Chair Paula Amanda served as producer, alum Seth Fuller was a camera operator and post-production efforts were handled by sophomore film student and Redford Scholar Alec Brown, with color-correcting and sound-mixing by Mark Sewards and Brad Wolfley—both full-time faculty members. “The grip department definitely knew their stuff,” said senior film student Tyler Sherek, who served as a grip/electric production assistant on the shoot, “the stress level was near non-existent.” “I use all different crews…” Eyre said when asked about his process in formulating a team. “There’s a lot of talented people out there.” He expanded by saying he seeks out team members that are more skilled than he. “It’s not always about your tight network of friends, you know, it’s about who makes the best product.” Eyre spoke about his work with reknowned cinematographers Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi), Elliot Davis (Twilight) and most recently Santa Fe resident Dyanna Taylor (North Country) with whom he collaborated on with this particular PSA.  “I have worked with Chris on a project in LA in the past,” said Taylor of her past experiences with Eyre. “Because of his excellent reputation and the various Native American film projects I’ve DPd, our paths have crossed at various times.” Taylor began her career in San Francisco roughly 30 years ago and has since worked on projects across the world, including Africa, Europe and New York City, creating films for ABC, National Geographic and Discovery Channel. She believes that student jobs like these are essential to advancing in the film industry and shed some tips for budding filmmakers.  “Working professionals remember you if you were attentive, worked well and easily and demonstrated your intentions,” explained Taylor, noting her admiration for the students participation. “The students were attentive and fun to have there. My only regret was that I couldn’t spend more time with...