Office and People Directory

Chris Acosta

Specialization

Directing

Favorite Class

Film Photography

What do you like about going to college in Burlington?

Burlington is a beautiful city with a small-town feel. There’s a strong sense of community here, and I think that’s awesome. Burlington is super walkable and there’s so much variety in the types of restaurants, stores, and local venues here. It’s also a very outdoor and environmentally conscious city. There are a good amount of parks to get lost in, and the waterfront is always a great place to relax. The stars up here are really something else though. There’s not a ton of light pollution, so it’s like experiencing a brand new sky compared to where I come from. I recommend checking out the local shops, especially the local food. There’s a lot of great variety and food from other cultures that you can explore here in Burlington. I would also recommend investing in a hammock. Hammocking at the waterfront parks has become my favorite pastime and a good way to de-stress.

What do you like about your professors at Champlain?

First of all, I really love that all my professors still work in the field. The world of filmmaking is ever-changing, so to have professors that are still in the industry keeps the program relevant and accurate. I also love that my professors are personable; they feel more like colleagues and collaborators. The sort of lack of hierarchy between student and professor makes the learning process easier. Class feels more like I’m in a mock professional environment than anything else.

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

I feel more in tune with the filmmaking industry that I’ll be going into. Champlain has provided me with really accurate knowledge; not just the technical lingo, but the experience of what working in film will be like. In the classroom, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge about how to work with others, exercising my craft, and presenting my ideas in a way that they will be accurately understood. Outside the classroom, I’ve grown a lot more socially, which helps me build networking skills that I know I’ll be using in my career path.

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Hansel Carter IV

Internship

Writer and Assistant Director for The Wishlist, Production Designer for Cake

Favorite Class

Screenwriting III

What’s your favorite Core experience?

My favorite Core experience was my Food For Thought Class with Kelly Thomas and Cyndi Brandenberg, where we learned about food systems and how food deserts impact communities all around us. We cooked and ate dinner with members of a halfway house, talked with farmers who shared the successes and hardships of being in that profession in Vermont, and had a meal at Handy’s Lunch with the owner. My favorite part of the class was doing a research project into a dish we loved. I chose an Egyptian dish, koshary, and tracked down ingredients right to their sources. Another core class I enjoyed taking was Tween Alliance: Kid Heroes with Kristin Novotny. We were paired with a 6th grade student from Hunt Middle School and followed Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” Together, we created a superhero with a backstory and their own journey. It was such an awesome opportunity to work with the kids and see them grow throughout the semester.

What relevant life skills have your on-campus jobs taught you?

I have worked as a CCM SGA Representative, Eco-Rep, Eco-Rep Area Coordinator, Resident Advisor, Orientation Leader, Eco-Rep Captain, OIE Office Assistant, and Study Abroad Ambassador on campus. Through working as an Eco-Rep Captain, I have been able to work on my leadership skills by holding meetings and working with more than 20 members of a team. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and basic levels of knowledge about environmentalism and sustainability. It’s my job to guide each eco-rep into the program and teach them how to educate others through student outreach and engagement. As a Study Abroad Ambassador, I get to meet students from all years and majors who are interested in studying abroad. I have developed my communication and interpersonal skills through conversations with students and parents at campus-wide events and tabling opportunities.

Can you talk about your internships?

I was a Writer and Assistant Director for a project I co-wrote called The Wishlist. Beginning at the start of the fall semester, we had weekly video calls with Saudi interns and came up with ideas for scripts. We then split up into different departments (writing teams, production teams) and had weekly meetings with the interns in our departments. We had the opportunity to share our cultural differences with one another through this experience. I also worked as a Production Designer for a project called Cake. I set up a call with the Art Director and Director of the film to go over what we needed to come up with fora set look for production. I was able to share my knowledge and experience in set design with the Saudi interns and learn about their ideas and their knowledge.

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Blake Donovan

Favorite Class

Screenwriting II and III

What do you like about your program?

There are different types of major classes. One type is called a “production” class. In a production class, you are expected to make a film or documentary that will be finished by the end of the semester. Whether you direct a film or just work on someone else’s, you are able to focus on the practical aspects of filmmaking for the majority of the semester. This also allows you great freedom to dive into projects that interest you and your creativity.

Have you had a chance to study abroad?

I studied in Auckland, New Zealand during the spring semester of my junior year. I was the only one out of my immediate friends who was traveling there, and that allowed me the freedom to make new friends in a new place. I was fortunate enough to have great roommates who came from all over the world, and I got to see a country that is very geographically different than the one I live in. The Filmmaking program also tends to offer an abroad trip for a small group of students every winter break. The trip that I went on was to Saudi Arabia, where I produced a narrative short film with Saudi filmmakers. We spent two weeks in Jeddah, a coastal city on the Red Sea.

How has Core changed your perspective?

As a filmmaker and writer, every experience and every bit of knowledge that you learn can be pushed back into your work, and that’s because our job is to replicate the world around us. The broader your perspective and the more open you are to learning, the more complex and moving your art can be.

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Lena Groves

Specializations

Sonic Arts and Motion Graphics

Internship

Intern at Dublin Intercultural Language Service in Dublin, Ireland

Favorite Class

Documentary Filmmaking

What makes Champlain special?

I was particularly drawn to Champlain’s small size. It’s perfect because you get to know the people you’re going to class with, and you become close with your professors and mentors. Those relationships allow you to learn as much as possible from the most inspiring people.

Which was your favorite class at Champlain?

My favorite class was my first documentary class because that’s where I found out about the type of work I want to pursue. I also got to work on my own for the first time, which was challenging but rewarding. My project ended up receiving an honorable mention at the Northeast Student Emmys. It made me realize the impact I can have on people by telling their stories to the world.

Are you involved in any extracurricular activities or clubs?

I’m involved in the Women in Film Club and the annual service trip to Uganda. Women in Film is a great space that inspires women and nonbinary students in a male-dominated field of study. We inspire each other to create change and make the future more inclusive for all people in the industry.
I have also helped with the Uganda Service Trip for three years. It’s a great way for students to learn intercultural intelligence while creating meaningful change and fulfilling relationships through service learning.

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Evelyn Gustafson

Specialization

Sonic Arts

Internship

Fighting Words in Dublin, Ireland

What made you choose Champlain?

I was drawn to Champlain because of Division of Information Technology & Sciences amazing Filmmaking program, study abroad programs, and internship opportunities. Champlain has a really unique Filmmaking program in that it is very non-competitive and everyone wants to support each other. There’s a great sense of community at Champlain, which makes it a great place to learn and grow as a filmmaker instead of just competing against your classmates. In addition, Champlain has smaller class sizes, which makes your experience personalized since your professors and classmates get to know you well and always want to see you succeed.

What’s your favorite Core experience?

One of my favorite Core classes at Champlain was called Kid Heroes and explored the representation of kids as the protagonists in books, movies, and TV shows. I found this class fascinating, as it taught us about storytelling, examined how kids are represented as protagonists in media, and even explored philosophical questions like what it means to be a kid. I really liked how this class related a lot to my major, but also gave me a chance to work with other students who aren’t Filmmaking majors and who I might not have met otherwise.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I always go to the Grind, which is Champlain’s weekly open mic event. I met a lot of friends there and have performed quite a few times, usually playing guitar or ukulele and singing! One of my best friends and I have been performing together at the Grind since our first year at Champlain!

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Danielle Hazelton

Specialization

Sonic Arts

Internship

Production Coordinator at Ned Kelly Pictures in Dublin, Ireland

Post-Grad Job

Senior Video Producer at Scout Digital in Burlington, VT

How did you choose Champlain College?

Champlain College was the only in-state school I applied to because I loved the hands-on Filmmaking program and all the production classes. I couldn’t afford the other colleges I got into, but when I visited the Champlain Financial Aid office during an Open House, they said I was being considered for a first-generation Vermont students scholarship that would cover most of my tuition for all four years.
The day I found out I got the Vermont First Scholarship, I started crying. I had been planning on staying home to work because I couldn’t afford college otherwise. Champlain made it possible for me to earn a college degree, pursue my career, and realize that I could grow and flourish if I put in the work.

How did the Upside-Down Curriculum impact your education?

I loved all of the production classes. Having a camera in my hands on the first day of school was so unique. Being able to practice so much in my classes made me feel better prepared to get an internship and work as a freelancer in the film industry starting in my first year of school. In the Production Management course, we learned how to be an Assistant Director (AD), and we used the software that professionals use on blockbuster pictures to go through the process an AD does during pre-production on a feature film.

How did Champlain prepare you for the professional world?

I completed over ten internships and freelancing assignments during my time at Champlain, including working for companies like BBC Three UK, Vice Media, Wild Hart Gin, and Ned Kelly Pictures in Dublin, Ireland. I was able to bring industry knowledge and experience to each internship because of the content I created and experienced in my classrooms. I came into each role knowing exactly how to do my job and elevate the expectations that were given to me because I’d done it before at Champlain.

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Jaskaran Singh

Favorite Class

Advanced Cinematography

Internship

Production & Camera Intern at Class Four Co. in Burlington, VT

Tell us about your internship!

I am a Production and Camera Intern at Class Four Co. I help with most of the production-related work during gigs and in-house shooting. I had opportunities to learn new equipment, meet new people from the industry, and learn industry practices such as speaking with clients, getting paid by the gig, and other industry fluency.

What do you like about your program?

My major is intimate enough that my professors and classmates know who I am, and can help me be who I want to be. That is probably the best part about Filmmaking at Champlain College.

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

Champlain has turned me into a very hungry person. Champlain offers lots of opportunity, and it gives me so many chances to navigate lots of possibilities for my future.

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