Leadership Clarksville Arts and Entertainment Day

Today I had a lot of fun introducing some of the fine folk from Leadership Clarksville to our VR toys at Austin Peay. It was part of their annual Arts and Entertainment Day. It was a great chance to meet some of the standout leaders from our city as well...and make them put on silly goggles and wave their arms around :)  They were great sports.

Heather's Disney Summer

Today Heather takes off for a huge adventure - she has been hired over the summer to head back to Disney Feature Animation and be a Set Extension Artist on Frozen 2! The boys and I will join her in a few weeks when they get out of school. I'm so proud and excited for her and can't wait to see what the summer will hold!

UNL Alumni Award

With Charles O'Conner - photo credit Justin Mohlin

I was honored to get to spend the weekend at my Alma Mater - University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where I was the first Film & New Media student to be awarded the Alumni Achievement Award. I was able to visit campus and give a talk to some of the current students, as well as catch up with the Film and Theatre faculty that I had as professors myself 15 years ago.  The program has grown tremendously and is about to take another huge leap next year where it morphs into the new Emerging Media program.  It was very exciting to see everyone again and I am truly honored to be in such good company.

With Oscar winning editor Mike Hill and Dean Charles O'Connor

My kids enjoying the awards dinner

Lecture at UNL

As part of receiving the Alumni Achievement Award at UNL, they asked if I would give a talk to the faculty and students as well. I was very happy to get the opportunity and decided my talk would be "A Story of Saying Yes" - discussing how my career trajectory took many twists and fortuitous turns because I embraced the opportunities in front of me. It was great, and perhaps a little surreal, to return to my alma mater and reflect on where the last 15 years has taken me. Actually, my slideshow started with a VHS clip I found of me back in 1994 attending a summer theatre camp at UNL! 

Jackson Alley Film Fest - Awards

I'm very proud of the Art+Design students who won several awards last night for "The Pitch" - their animated short submitted to the Fest.  It won "Best in Fest" overall award, and "Best Lead Actor" for Myles Johnson.  Congrats to all the teams - it was a fun night!

Jackson Alley Film Fest - First Animated Short

Tonight is the 3rd Annual Jackson Alley Film Fest here at Austin Peay. I'm very excited that we have our first animated submission this year! Four Art+Design students teamed up to create this is just a few short weeks (in the middle of Finals)...it might even have a special cameo at the end :)