This article is part of a series of stories covering SFUAD’s new scholarship opportunity, The Robert Redford/Milagro Initiative scholarship, and the key players who have been vital to its success.  “It’s all about networking,” Chris Eyre said, reflecting intently on his past 20 years in the film industry. Eyre, chairman of SFUAD’s Film School, spoke with such emphasis and humble pride about the path he has taken since attending NYU’s Master’s Program, that it appeared as if in this particular moment he had just put it all together, making sense of the incredible journey. Granted, as someone who had the life-changing opportunity to have his own creations workshopped and mentored by some of the movie-businesses’ finest as part of the Sundance Institute’s Director’s Lab, Eyre is no stranger to the intense and often unnerving world of independent film. “Ride the wave,” Eyre says. “That’s all you can do.” The wave Eyre refers to is the success into which he so modestly stepped when he met Robert Redford at the Sundance Institute. Eyre describes his first meeting with Redford as both daunting and, quite frankly, a little awkward (for Eyre, that is). Redford was reviewing the piece Eyre had written and created during his stay at the Sundance Labs. Eyre recalls Redford’s criticism as constructive and founded in years of knowledge of the craft, but there was only one problem: Eyre’s film was already finished. There was no time or resources to go back, re-shoot and fine-tune his work into a Redford-approved masterpiece. Eyre best described his reaction to this critique with a giant gulping “Huh?!” However, after spending time with Redford and learning more about the evolution of a filmmaker’s skill-set, Eyre found that those critiques were not calls-to-action, but solid advice for the...

A product of Austin, Texas, Alec Brown, a freshman at The Film School was selected by the Robert Redford/Milagro Initiative to join the SFUAD community for the 2013-2014 school year. “Texas is very conservative, but Austin is an oasis!” Brown described with genuine admiration for the city he’s called home. It was in this “oasis” that Brown was able to pursue his passion for editing and be as creatively versatile as he desires. He also had the opportunity to work with his role model, Kat Candler, an independent filmmaker based out of Austin. Brown described a brief run-in with Kat that he had while going out to eat with his father where he told her that he had finally decided what to do with his life: edit motion pictures. “She was so proud…” Brown recalled with a smirk. Candler is working on her current film, Hellion, starring Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis. After some counseling with a SFUAD academic advisor, it was revealed to Brown that he could apply for the Robert Redford/ Milagro Initiative Scholarship. A long time fan of both Redford’s acting and directing work, Brown indulged in the idea. Now, well into the school year, Brown appears to have found his niche. “Absolutely,” Brown promptly responded when asked whether SFUAD’s Film School has met his expectations. “It has exceeded my expectations.” Brown didn’t even hesitate to this question. He was confident and undeterred by the woes many new film students have upon entering the busy world of movie-making. This couldn’t have been more apparent than when asked what he does for fun around campus. Brown says that he is “short on activities, but he makes shorts with his roommate in his dorm room. It may appear at this point in...

Even from curb at the intersection of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail, you can hear the passive aggressive bickering of seemingly bored politicians from inside the New Mexico Legislature. Upon entering the grand rotunda, you are quickly glanced upon by the pampered-up middle-aged tour guides, but since it is a public building, the idea of free reign to walk wherever one pleases is a much more tempting offer.

By Nick Beckman/ Photos by Tim Kassiotis He neared the end of his cigarette when the truth really came out. “I was walking around my backyard…back home…” he began. Home for Tyler Sherek is the same as my own: Louisville, KY . “Then I stepped up to this big ol’ bush that we’ve always had and out flew this massive bumble-bee. I’m talking big.” He motioned with his hands the size of a volleyball. “That was pretty damn scary so I ran back into the house and closed the door. I was kind of freaked out so I decided to get a bowl of cereal, but when I poured it into my bowl, they all spilled onto the floor. Then, out of nowhere, every little Fruit-Loop had a face and they were all squealing. That was pretty crazy.” Tyler was telling me about some of the dreams he had been storing in his Dream Journal. While this one stuck with me for its peculiarities, it also spoke volumes about his character. I met Tyler in 2005 when we were both in the same science class. I had noticed one day that he and another friend of mine, were going bat shit insane on a craw fish that we were dissecting in class. They named it Macy Cray. From then on, I knew we would be pals. Eight years later, we are still best friends and collaborate on comedy projects in our spare time so I was rather hesitant choosing him for an interview. Here was someone I’ve known like a brother, but the thought struck me that, perhaps, there was more to learn. The basics I knew: favorite movies, music, how hard his punches were when exchanging a friendly game of “licks” and how when...

By Nick Beckman/Photos by Tim Kassiotis Dancing around a muddy puddle next to the fenced-off Michaels Brothers’ house, Jess Cornelius noticed her brand new Doc Martens. She showed brief hesitation before crossing the muddy path. I felt guilty for taking this strange and, sometimes-creepy walk around the backside of campus, but Jess was undeterred by a little mud. “I only got these a few days ago…and I’ve already had to wash them, so no worries.” Jess is a second semester freshman here at SFUAD, in the Moving Image Arts department. Her short hair, tinted blue and gold, is only a slight indication to her focus within the school, special FX and make-up. Revealed underneath her right sleeve, she showed me a scar she had gotten cheerleading in 7th grade. “My bone was sticking out of my arm…there was blood everywhere! Some of the girls started to scream and the coaches were freaking out!” At this point, I had to stop and get a closer look. The scar had run from the top of her wrist, down to the beginning of her elbow. More fascinating than the scar itself was Jess’s comfort talking about it. “Have you seen my scar?” she asked with wide-eyed anticipation that my jaw might hit the concrete upon first glance. To my surprise, this was not her inspiration for wanting to do special effects make-up. In fact, it is quite the opposite. “I don’t want to do gore or horror stuff. I like fantasy.” Her favorite film that have utilized special fx/ make-up are the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Edward Scissorhands. “Cinematography wise,” she says, “ I’d have to go with Wes Anderson’s style, like in Moonrise Kingdom. The shots are brilliant.” Since starting last fall, Jess has helped...

By Nick Beckman/Photography by Tim Kassiotus With a pleasant introduction by his brother Matt, Greg Donovan had already set the tone for his Jan. 18 lecture before he even began speaking; “Video Game Marketing 101 (kind of…)” read his Powerpoint slide which was being projected across the beautiful cinematic screen inside of SFUAD’s own Garson Studios. Matt Donovan, co-chair of the Creative Writing and Literature Department opened for his brother with a bit of nostalgia: A story of the two when they were young, experiencing the new video game craze also referred to as “Space Invaders.” The two were mesmerized and undoubtedly changed creatively by the game, both of them seeking out careers in the arts later in life. Matt went on to become a successful writer and Greg to produce the very thing that brought them both together, video games. Greg began his presentation by letting his audience know the casual tone of the lecture. “I use some terms and phrases that are common in the industry” Donovan explained, “ so please ask questions if you don’t know what I’m saying.” Donovan, a former Yilm school student, claims that he began working on the sets of short Yilms and eventually landed himself a marketing job for a gaming company. Here, he says, he found that his passion was for the production of the games themselves. So, after a year or so he moved to Volition, the company he is currently with and has produced Saints Row 1-3 and is currently working on the 4th. Volition is a video game developer based out of Illinois and has also produced titles like Red Faction and The Punisher. The game itself is a delightful mix of colorful characters, ranging from bumbling gang members to over the...