After graduating with an English/film studies degree, Rachel Smith ’06 began working on her first screenplay, “My Own Private Myocardial Infarction.” In it, Smith tells the story of a man whose heart is broken after his mother’s death. It took a top prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2008. “I am drawn […]
Continue reading "She’s drawn to tell stories"Bringing story to life
“The documentaries I have worked on during the past 19 years all have to do with bringing a story to the public.” — Alex Caserta ’74, film producer
Continue reading "Bringing story to life"URI gave me good training
“A production designer is the visual storyteller of a feature film or television show. URI gave me some very good training designing sets and interpreting plays and scripts.” — Matthew Jacobs ’77, production designer, art director
Continue reading "URI gave me good training"Story in everyday life
“My undergraduate classes impressed on me the power of story in everyday life.” — Cherry Arnold ’87, media producer/filmmaker
Continue reading "Story in everyday life"Gather the skills to tell the story
“Assisting with a professor’s documentary shoot made me realize that by pursuing film as a career, you could gather the skills necessary to tell any story that you felt passionate about.” — Dan Riordan ’03, video producer
Continue reading "Gather the skills to tell the story"The closest thing to living more than once
Kyle King ’12, filmmaker As a serviceman stationed in Afghanistan, Kyle King shot his documentary “Fatigued” in between 12-hour shifts. The U.S. Air Force member said he wanted to show his audience what life was like for troops serving in non-combat roles. A month after the film premiered, King left for Ecuador and a two-year […]
Continue reading "The closest thing to living more than once"More than an education, it’s an experience
Christian Castano (NEED GRADUATION YEAR) Communication Studies, Spanish Christian Castano’s summer internship in New York City with the CBS executive sales team threw him into the competitive game of television syndication sales. He knew he needed to go into every situation confident and informed, and research was key. Using role play, his supervisors helped him […]
Continue reading "More than an education, it’s an experience"She knows the power of everyday stories
Cherry Arnold ’87, media producer/filmmaker Documentary filmmaker Cherry Arnold won a New England Emmy for Best Documentary for her film “BUDDY: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Mayor.” In choosing projects for her production company, Big Orange Films, Arnold credits her URI classes with showing her the power to be found in stories […]
Continue reading "She knows the power of everyday stories"He was a media mogul while still an undergraduate
Bennett Koffa ’15 (GRADUATION YEAR NEEDS VERIFICATION), Communication Growing up, Bennett Koffa was drawn to pop culture as a way of bringing together people of diverse backgrounds. At URI, he created his multi-platform digital blog and radio show, BennettKnows, that at one point received as many as 21,000 views in a single day. While many […]
Continue reading "He was a media mogul while still an undergraduate"Effective writing is key
“Whether it’s radio, television, print, or digital, your ability to write effectively is the foundation of your career. Publish something every day. Potential employers love self-starters.” — Adam Weiner ’87, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Local Digital Media
Continue reading "Effective writing is key"