Category Archives: Sara McDermott Jain

DFA Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Rottkamp

August 11, 2016

When Andrew Rottkamp entered college at the University of Delaware, he was a finance major. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I picked finance,” he jokes. “But I had a feeling right from the beginning that it wasn’t the right program for me.” Luckily, when his junior year rolled around, he wound […]

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DFA Film Student Spotlight: Ayanda Chisholm

July 22, 2016

Student Spotlight What’s the biggest way in which the Digital Film Academy has affected student Ayanda Chisholm’s life? “Definitely the WebTV class,” she says. “I had never considered doing a web series before. Now I’ve completed two episodes and plan to finish an entire first season.” The web series, titled The Young, Black, and Gifted, […]

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DFA Student Spotlight: Jose Martinez

July 1, 2016

  Years ago, Jose Martinez took an intensive, one-month filmmaking course. He gained filmmaking experience, but quickly realized that in order to keep the ball rolling on his career, he needed to connect with like-minded people with whom he could collaborate on future film projects. When he found the Digital Film Academy, he knew it […]

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DFA Student Spotlight: Jimmy Zdolshek

June 24, 2016

When he was only in high school, Jimmy Zdolshek’s video production teacher encouraged him to participate in “SkillsUSA,” an organization that sponsors a competition to promote career and technical development. When the short Zdolshek completed within 6 hours as part of the contest went on to win 1st place, Zdolshek says it was one of the best […]

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5 Keys to a High Concept in Film

June 16, 2016

If you work in film, you’ve most likely heard the phrase “high concept.” This is Hollywood’s ultimate buzz phrase, the Holy Grail for producers. It’s so important, 99% of producers will make a deal with a writer who has a genuine high concept, even if their writing is terrible. Why? Because it’s easy to sell […]

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Alumni Spotlight: Joe Rodman

June 13, 2016

When Joe Rodman first entered the Digital Film Academy, he planned to become a director. It was only through the hands-on experience he got filmmaking that he realized his true calling was editing. “I fell in love with editing. You get to really see the story take shape in the editing room,” he says. It’s […]

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Student Spotlight: Joseph Perez

April 15, 2016

When Joseph Perez was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2011, following a five-year stint in Japan as a mechanical engineer, he wasn’t sure what would come next. It was pure luck that he had a friend working as a Production Manager at Chloe Productions who, when he heard of Perez’s return, offered him a […]

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Three Tips for Writing Great Characters

April 15, 2016

    A great character makes or breaks a film. It’s also what will get a major star to agree to sign on to a project. Having written a great character is money in the bank, so here are three helpful tips to help make yours the best they can be!     Don’t make […]

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Student Work: 'Assigned Sex' by Shaun Dawson

September 11, 2014

Obsessed with the art of storytelling since she learned how to walk and talk, Shaun Dawson followed a very unique path before she landed in the world of filmmaking. She was a surgical technologist for 7 years in the US military, when her dream of becoming a storyteller became more concrete. The experience of providing aid […]

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The Legendary Robin Williams, Dead at 63

August 13, 2014

The whole world was shocked by the news that Robin Williams, all-time great comedian and performer, died at the age of 63 yesterday from an apparent suicide. “An investigation into the cause, manner and circumstances of the death is currently underway by the Investigations and Coroner Divisions of the Sheriff’s Office,” a sheriff’s statement said. […]

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