#majoropportunities

[chapmanadmission]

Major Opportunities: Livi Dom ’20, Television Writing and Production Major with a Minor in Documentary Film

At Chapman, we talk a lot about how you can personalize your education. What does that look like? Major Opportunities will show you how it’s done.

“Chapman has given me the chance to see what goes into every step of content creation and show development.”

I wanted to learn about the overall process of creating a show rather than just focusing on one area. That way, I’d have multiple paths to pursue in the TV industry. From writing and editing all the way to directing and producing, the Television Writing and Production Major has given me the chance to see what goes into every step of content creation and show development. Here are some ways I’ve used my time at Chapman to diversify my skills and become a passionate jack-of-all-trades.

Pursuing my passion for production. If you want to be on film sets, there are plenty of opportunities to help out on the multitude of student productions here. I’ve written, directed, edited and otherwise contributed to tons of exciting projects, meeting like-minded and dedicated future film professionals along the way. I’ve also turned my love for being on film sets into a student career, working as a Soundstage Assistant for Dodge College. I work every day with industry standard lighting and grip equipment, and the experience has been endlessly helpful. 

Exploring new interests (and countries). When I studied abroad in Prague, I got the opportunity to take a Documentary Photography course with renowned photographer Bjorn Steinz. I pursued a passion for nature photography, and when I returned to Chapman I got to exhibit my pieces in the Leatherby Libraries! In Prague, I also did an internship with Anglo-American University’s student magazine, which motivated me to minor in documentary film at Chapman. Adding this onto my degree means I get to work in narrative and documentary fields, strengthening my knowledge of the industry. 

Diving into the industry at Disney. This summer, I interned with the photography department of Walt Disney Television. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and shadowed producers, photo coordinators and retouchers, learning as much as I could about professional photo production. The hours were long, but I got to work on some incredible photoshoots: the Season 16 shoot for Grey’s Anatomy, the final season shoot for Modern Family, a shoot for the TCA Summer Press Tour and then one at the amazing D23 Expo. I couldn’t be more grateful for my time with the Disney team! 

You can learn more about our B.F.A. in television writing and production on our webpage.

[chapmanadmission]

Shannon Domingsil ’20, BFA in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary

At Chapman, we talk a lot about how you can personalize your education. What does that look like? Major Opportunities will show you how it’s done.

“Network news can be hard to get into, but my experience at Chapman gave me a foot in the door.”

Ever since I was part of my high school’s bi-weekly newscast, I knew that I wanted to work in broadcast journalism. Though I’m still in college for another year, I’m amazed at how much hands-on experience I’ve gotten while at Chapman. Here are some ways I’m getting closer to my goals while still a student.

Industry Experience in Marion Knott Studios: In my writing and production class, I got to pretend to be on a talk show in Dodge College’s biggest studio, using industry-standard equipment. I was also Entertainment Producer for Chapman News for a semester, where I produced the weekly entertainment segment. I spent a lot of time in the editing bays, honing what I already knew about video production and absorbing new techniques. There’s something so rewarding about being able to shape snippets of real life into coherent stories.

(For Real) Industry Experience at CNN: It turned out that I gained a solid foundation for the type of work I did at CNN, where I spent a semester interning at their headquarters in Atlanta. I did everything from researching and writing scripts to developing almost 40 videos for their website and social media. I also did things that went far beyond my experience and expectations, like helping with the production of an interview with a former KGB spy.

Filmmaking On the Other Side of the World: This year, I took an Interterm travel course in Bhutan and Nepal to work on a documentary about the importance of the Himalayan mountains to the Bhutanese people. (Chapman President Struppa went with us, which was really cool.) All of us students served as directors and producers, but I was the only editor on our team. I edited the film when we got back to Chapman, which had to be done within a week. I was pulling all nighters while also being jet lagged, but it was worth it, because I’m still proud of the finished product.

Learn more about the program, and even more opportunities, on our BFA in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary webpage.

[chapmanadmission]

Rachel Ross ’21, Computer Science Major with Minor in Music Technology

At Chapman, we talk a lot about how you can personalize your education. What does that look like? Major Opportunities will show you how it’s done.

“I’ve used my time at Chapman to start making the world a safer place—online, at least.”

In high school, I realized I wanted to focus on science and math, but I didn’t want to choose between the two. Computer science has been perfect because it combines the subjects. I’m also motivated to help people, which is why I’ve focused on protecting them from cyber criminals. Here’s how I’ve used my time at Chapman to start making the world a safer place—online, at least.

Learning to defend by learning to hack. In my Intro to Cyber Security class, our professor Rene German set up environments where we learned how to hack and, from there, build defenses against hacks. (We only use our powers for good, of course.) If you’re going to defend a system against hackers, you should learn that system’s weaknesses.

Protecting people from cyber threats. I got to be part of Chapman’s Grand Challenges Initiative, which puts students into small teams to tackle huge challenges. Our challenge is securing all internet-based communication at Chapman. Working toward that, we completed vulnerability scans of Chapman sites and applications and also conducted a Cyber Self-Defense Workshop for incoming students and parents. To provide more support, we launched the Cyber Smart Panthers website and created a series of public service videos, covering everything from spotting scams to protecting social media accounts. 

Cyber security experience in the real world. This year I got an internship doing incident response with Los Angeles’s Information Technology Agency. They send phishing tests to all city employees. It was cool to assist in that process. Part of my job involved researching cyber attacks happening in the world, which put everything I’m learning in a tangible context.  

Putting music and science together. With my music technology minor, I’m combining my passion for jazz and playing the flute with science and math. I’ve studied how certain frequencies affect audiences and how to best capture sounds during the recording process. My background set me up to easily grasp the physics side. It’s also helped me understand different recording programs, which I use to capture (and sometimes tweak) my own flute performances. I’m excited to see how far my recording skills and music will go.

Learn more about the B.S. in computer science program on our Fowler School of Engineering website.

[chapmanadmission]

Jenny Gritton ’19, Environmental Science and Policy Major with Psychology and University Honors Minors

At Chapman, we talk a lot about how you can personalize your education. What does that look like? Major Opportunities will show you how it’s done.  

“I want the scientific background to figure out real-world problems.” 

As demand increases for environmental professionals, I think it’s important to know the theoretical science behind climate change as well as the psychology of communicating such issues—and then to transform that knowledge into solutions. I’m driven to make an impact through urban planning and sustainable design, and I’ve been able to leverage my experience in the environmental science and policy program to get a head start. Here are some ways I’ve done it.

Turning class work into real-world research. In a class on geographic information systems (GIS), I created a project examining bikeability in Orange County. My professor, Dr. Georgiana Bostean, was fascinated with the project, and asked if I’d be interested in collaborating with her on pushing my research further for eventual publication in a scientific journal. We’ve since included a sociodemographic component to give us insight on how sociological factors may affect cycling behavior. We’re hoping to have it published by the end of this year.

Sustainability on the other side of the world. The summer before my senior year, I interned full-time with the New Zealand Green Building Council. I’m super interested in sustainable infrastructure and was thrilled to get the chance to learn more about solutions utilized in a country more environmentally-conscious than ours. I evaluated a lot of floor plans and site descriptions to assess whether buildings qualified for a sustainability certification, and even became a Green Star Accredited Professional (the New Zealand equivalent to being LEED Green Associate certified).

My team in New Zealand

From Graduation to the Garden. After graduation I’m joining the Denver Botanic Gardens as a full-time garden assistant and plant records curation and mapping paid intern. The position qualifications required proficiency with AutoCAD design software, which I didn’t have, but because of my work at the NZ Green Building Council and my experience with the GIS software Dr. Bostean taught me, they decided I had the experience needed for the internship. I can’t wait to literally get my hands dirty!

Learn more about the program, and even more opportunities, on our B.S. in environmental science and policy webpage.