MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2024

Best of Film Showcase 

Great job to all of our students who presented their films in our Best of Film Showcase at Washington West Film Festival on October 12th. Thank you to Professor Lisa Thrasher for hosting the Q&A after the screening.  

Our next and final stop of our 2024 showcase will take place at Mason Exhibitions in Arlington on Thursday, November 21 at 6pm. 

Register here. 

Spring 2025 Registration

Registration for Spring 2025 starts on  October 31. Check your time ticket on Patriot Web. If you have questions or concerns regarding your schedule or course offerings, reach out to your Academic Advisor, Maddie Portnoy, at mportnoy@gmu.edu.  

Spring 2025 Course Spotlight 

FAVS 399 Cinematic Podcasting
Thursdays, 10:30am-1:10pm | AB 2001
Professor Amanda Kraus

In this course, students will learn how to develop and produce a cinematic fiction-based podcast step-by-step. From writing and casting to recording and editing, students will be responsible for the concept and completion of the very first episode of their podcast.

FAVS 260 Video Editing for Film
Multiple sections offered
In this course, students practice creative storytelling through video editing. They learn by doing, working with a range of editing software, watching and discussing movies, and engaging in hands-on individual and group projects.

FAVS 250 Business of Film and TV
Multiple sections offered

This course provides an overview of the film & television industry from a business perspective. Students learn basic filmed entertainment business practices and protocol, including film financing, copyright & trademark, anti-trust, trademark, IP licensing, Agents & Managers, Entertainment Unions & Guilds, film distribution, and marketing techniques.

FAVS 496 Advanced Visual Storytelling
Thursdays, 4:30pm-7:10pm | MTB 1017
Professor Heather McDonald

This course is an advanced screenwriting course devoted to using skills gained through previous undergraduate course work. In this course, students can enhance their storytelling with the option to write a feature-length script, tv pilot, or multiple short scripts.  

Visiting Filmmakers Series

Visit our VFS website for updates.  
On October 22, Visiting Filmmakers Series welcomed filmmaker, autism advocate, and George Mason Film alum, Alex Plank back to campus for a screening and Q&A discussion of Ezra.
In addition, Alex participated in an interview conducted by Mason Cable News. View the interview here (9:24 minute marker).
Thank you to everyone who supported our event. 
On November 14, Visiting Filmmakers Series will welcome Lagueria Davis to campus to show and discuss her film Black Barbie: A Documentary.  

Black Barbie: A Documentary, a Shondaland film, celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand as we know it. Through these charismatic insiders’ stories, the documentary tells the story of how the first Black Barbie came to be in 1980, examining the importance of representation and how dolls can be crucial to the formation of identity and imagination. 
For more information visit our VFS website.
Register Today

Faculty Achievements


Professor Russell Santos recently worked as video editor on seven music videos for Jon Batiste’s new album, Beethoven Blues. Below is one of the most recent videos. Russell has also worked as video editor on other music videos, including Batiste’s “Freedom,” Lizzo’s “Good As Hell,” Janelle Monáe’s “Q.U.E.E.N.” and “Water Slide,” Meek Mill’s “Lord Knows,” and Trey Songz’s “Slow Motion.”
Jon Batiste - Für Elise - Batiste
Jon Batiste - Für Elise - Batiste
Professor Santos will be teaching the FAVS 399 Music Video Production course in the Spring 2025 semester. 
FAVS 399 Music Video Production is a complete, step by step guide to creating a music video. The course will cover: creating a music video treatment, producing and directing, casting and locations, shooting and editing, learning VFX and color correction, and delivering a music video to MTV and YouTube. If you listen to music and you imagine stories that will make an awesome music video to share with others then this class is for you.
Professor Rebekah Wingert-Jabi and Professor Peter Kimball were both awarded the Purks Faculty Enrichment Fund for their films below: 

Kayden’s Hope  - Rebekah Wingert-Jabi 
A feature-length documentary film about the growing movement to protect children in contested custody cases. It's named for Kayden Mancuso: in 2018, this 7-year-old was killed by her father during a court-ordered unsupervised custody visit. Kayden’s mother, Kathy Sherlock, has worked to change US laws. While Kathy and Kayden’s story will provide important context, the focus will be on mothers whose struggles with the court system motivated them to get involved. 
Cinema in Sign - Peter Kimball 
Short documentary that combines a general examination of the history of deaf filmmakers with a more personal, specific examination of the work of one prominent deaf filmmaker, Gary Brooks. 
Established in 2018 by Robert Purks, a long time Mason Arts Board member and supporter, The Robert K. Purks Faculty Enrichment Endowment provides perpetual support to further the research and creative activity of faculty in the College. Faculty across CVPA can apply annually for funds in support of projects that fuel or are fueled by their own creative ideas and artistic expression.

Film Opportunities and Resources   


Festival Submissions:

Job and Internship Opportunities:
  • Deloitte – is hiring an Editor/Cinematographer in their office based in Mclean, VA.
    Apply here. 
  • WETA is seeking a Video Production Intern to support video content projects across the Student Reporting Labs (SRL) department. Apply here. 
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We want to hear from you! If you have news you would like to contribute, please send it to film@gmu.edu. We are looking for regional film events and updates from Film at Mason alumni. Keep up-to-date on all the current Film at Mason news at film.gmu.edu.

Film and Video Studies
College of Visual and Performing Arts
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