department of film media studiesfilm.ku.edu/sites/film.ku.edu/files/docs...october 2018 volume 9,...

Volume 9, Issue 3 October 2018

T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f K a n s a s

Department of Film & Media Studies

Inside this issue:

C A 2‐3

R A A

4

O A 5‐12

A N 12‐13

A ! 14

Department of Film & Media Studies October 2018

Coming Attractions


Recognitions and Accomplishments

Congratula ons to Demetrius Green on successfully defending his MA thesis, “Documen ng Drill Music: Understanding Black Masculine Performances in Hip‐Hop,” last July. This project uses documentary theory to analyze Drill Music, a Chicago‐based subgenre of Hip‐Hop, and the performances found in the music videos in an effort to understand the role that space plays on black masculinity.

Professor Tamara Falicov recently traveled to Honduras to give a 15 hour workshop on film finance at the Icaro film fes val, where she was also on the jury. While there, she met up with Hispano Durón, Ph.D. 2014.

Photo: Darwin Mendoza, Tamara Falicov, and Hispano Durón

Ron Wilson has an essay on the series finale of Hill Street Blues in the new book from Syracuse University Press, Television Finales: From Howdy Doody to Girls.

h p://syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu/fall‐2018/television‐finales.html


Out & About

William Allen White: What’s the Ma er With Kansas? was screened at the Free State Fes val in Lawrence on September 22.

Na onally known as the editor of the Emporia Gaze e, William Allen White was a progressive Republican with a commitment to racial tolerance. Director Kevin Willmo connects White’s use of words to drive the Ku Klux Klan out of Kansas and the responsibility modern journalists have when covering issues surrounding race and immigra on in Kansas.

A Q&A with Director Kevin Willmo followed the screening.

Copied from: h p://libertyhall.net/events/single/free‐state‐fes val‐presents‐william‐allen‐white‐whats‐the‐ma er‐with‐kansas

Book Signing with Ron Stallworth

Author Ron Stallworth signed copies of his memoir "Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover

Inves ga on of a Life me," in the Kansas Union on September 6. Released in summer 2018 from Fla ron

Books, the book is the extraordinary true story of Stallworth's inves ga on of the Ku Klux Klan and the basis

for the major mo on picture BlacKkKlansman, co‐wri en by University of Kansas Professor Kevin Willmo .

FMS student Stuart Jenkins with Patsy and Ron Stallworth


Out & About

Q&A with the Emmy‐nominated designer behind 'Westworld'

If you are a television aficionado, chances are you know the work of Bruce Branit — even if you don’t recognize his name. Branit works in visual effects and has contributed to well‐loved shows such as “Lost,” “Breaking Bad” and “Westworld.” He is also known for original short films “World Builder” and “405.” This summer he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for his work on season two of “Westworld.”

A er growing up in Kansas City, Branit started at the University of Kansas in 1986 but le before gradua ng. He currently lives in Los Angeles but remains involved with the University by serving on the Professional Advisory Board of Film and Media Studies.

Branit spoke to the Kansan in an email about his career and what he learned from bouncing from major to major at the University.

How would you describe your job? What exactly does it entail?

I am a freelance visual effects supervisor. I do everything from si ng at a computer for weeks at a me and making CGI airplanes, to standing in a cold desert all night with 200 other crew members while we shoot. In general, I work with produc ons as an expert in visual effects to find the best and most budget‐friendly ways to facilitate telling their stories.

The process involves being involved early in pre‐produc on and mee ng with the directors, producers and all departments like produc on design, special effects, stunts and construc on to find out how all of our puzzle pieces can best be put to use. Then a er the shoot, I work to guide and execute the VFX shots in the cut to the sa sfac on of the directors and producers.

How did your educa on at the University prepare you for your current career?

I took a really long route through my college educa on. I started in chemical engineering, moved to architectural engineering, and then architecture. In my sophomore year, I entered the School of Fine Arts and studied basic design, color, then pain ng and won a scholarship. I also began a minor in philosophy.

Eventually, I read an ar cle in the UDK about a KU grad who was working in the field of industrial design, and a er a li le research, I decided this was where I wanted my focus to be. In the end, all those engineering, design, and even philosophy classes created a sort of random but perfect educa onal founda on that I use every day in filmmaking. So, even though I never went to KU’s film school, I walked away with a strong background that allowed me to learn on the job.

Con nued on the next page

Bruce Branit is a freelance visual effects supervisor from Kansas City. He served as the onsite visual effects supervisor on the second season of "Westworld."


Out & About

Q&A with the Emmy‐nominated designer behind 'Westworld' (con nued)

What is the crea ve process like for you, both structurally and emo onally?

I write as well. So, for me, it’s wai ng for an idea to make itself known to you, followed by months of living with it, re‐visi ng and le ng it grow. Sort of like a potato. Then, the process becomes more structured: finding beats and pacing, understanding the themes and how they relate to our world today, making each part relate to all the other parts. Like I said, I studied industrial design at KU, which is a field where you have to use both sides of your brain; it’s drawing and design, but it is also math and engineering. Crea vity is the same way. It’s an intangible — literally dreaming stuff up, built on a rigid background of study and prac ce.

How does it feel to be Emmy‐nominated for your work on “Westworld”?

It feels great. It is always a reminder that the work you do is seen and appreciated. “Westworld,” in par cular, was a grinding year in very difficult shoo ng circumstances. The show is the biggest thing I’ve ever been on, and my role as on‐set supervisor was equally taxing and rewarding. This is my seventh [Emmy] nomina on, so I know what to expect with the ceremony and the party a er. I am looking forward to ge ng all tuxed up.

I’m pre y sure there is another HBO show with three incredible VFX dragons in our category that is going to take the statue again this year. I’m well on my way to being the Susan Lucci of VFX Emmy nomina ons. But I’m honored beyond belief for the recogni on and the nomina on.

Do you have any advice for aspiring visual effects ar sts, especially younger ar sts?

Yes, I do. There is a lot of free so ware out there. Download Blender or Fusion or Nuke and start playing with it. Get a one month subscrip on to the Adobe suite. If you find out you have a passion for it, talk to someone in the Film and Media Studies in Summerfield. Start taking some classes. Make a movie for yourself using your phone this weekend.

Like I said about crea vity: If the spark is in you, just start doing it for yourself. Then, structure some courses to give you that technical scaffold to build upon. When I started, they didn’t teach this stuff in school, so take advantage of what is available out there both in the wild online and at KU. We’ve got a group here in L.A. called the Hollywood Hawks that is working on bringing a lot of talented and successful KU grads [into] the industry via Skype or in person, to help guide and mentor the next genera on of filmmakers and digital ar sts.

Copied from The University Daily Kansan: h p://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/q‐a‐with‐the‐emmy‐nominated‐designer‐behind‐westworld/ar cle_b09a0a54‐a27e‐11e8‐b7f5‐47d7cd7e447d.html

University alumnus Bruce Branit is currently nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects for his work on the television show "Westworld."This is an image from the produc on of the season two episode: "The Valley Beyond."


Out & About

Kevin Willmo 's 'Becoming Mar n' depicts a leader’s early struggles

Yes, University of Kansas Professor of Film & Media Studies Kevin Willmo is co‐writer of one of the summer’s cri cal and box‐office movie smashes, Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.”

But he is hardly res ng on his laurels, even if they include the Grand Prix Award at this year’s Cannes Film Fes val. Rather, Willmo ’s new play about the life of then‐teenage college student Mar n Luther King Jr., “Becoming Mar n,” premieres September 18 at The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri.

In fact, King was just 15 when he was accepted into Morehouse College in Atlanta, and the play examines the historically black college’s decision to admit such a young person and young King’s difficult decision whether to enter the clergy.

“When I looked into it, I found out 15‐year‐old Mar n Luther King Jr. wanted to be anything but a minister. His father wanted him to be a minister, and that right there makes for good conflict, which is great for a writer.”

Willmo said he was inspired to write the play mainly by the work of his KU colleague Randal Jelks, professor of American and African & African‐American studies, who wrote a 2012 book about King’s mentor and Morehouse’s then‐president, “Benjamin Elijah Mays, Schoolmaster of the Movement: A Biography” (University of North Carolina Press).

Copied from: h ps://news.ku.edu/2018/09/11/becoming‐mar n‐depicts‐leaders‐early‐struggles utm_source=KU+Today+Newsle er+List&utm_campaign=5838667375‐EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_12_03_43&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ec834ed00f‐5838667375‐278656425

Photo: Playwright Kevin Willmo (le ) and the tular star of the upcoming show "Becoming Mar n" at The Coterie Theatre, Aaron Ellis, on the set. Credit: Rick Hellman, KU News Service


Out & About

KU professor's “Becoming Mar n” introduces younger, more radical MLK

In the ghtly‐packed Coterie Theatre, an engaged audience filled with children and adults of all races were afforded a unique opportunity in witnessing a young Mar n Luther King Jr. ques on his role in society in the play, “Becoming Mar n.”

The play, directed by Chip Miller and wri en by University of Kansas film professor Kevin Willmo , kicked off the 40th anniversary season of the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. The play will run un l Oct. 21.

Set in the 1940s, “Becoming Mar n” follows King’s forma ve years as he a ends Morehouse College, which remains the na on’s most pres gious ins tu on for black men. It’s during that me that King, played by Aaron Ellis, begins to explore various concepts, including his rela onship with God, his

purpose in life and his views on segrega on.

Although the play has a small cast, it’s supported by strong ac ng and solid, thought‐provoking wri ng. Walter Coppage really shines in his role as Dr. Mays. He does a great job of portraying Mays as the accep ng mentor and voice of reason that was influen al in King’s life.

Aaron Ellis brings a discouraged, yet determined Mar n Luther King to life and introduces the audience to a younger version of the leader who’s against conforming to the status quo. The wri ng of the play really illuminates that aspect of King. King’s conversa ons are guided in a way that makes audiences think about current issues of the world and how King could have played a role in them if he were s ll alive.

King’s path toward that discovery is also helped by May’s wife, Sadie (Sherri Roule e‐Mosley) who listens to King’s ideas and supports his ac vism. King is also supported by his religious studies teacher, George Kelsey (played by George Forbes), who brags about King’s success in his course. And it’s at the end of the play, just before King graduates from Morehouse, that King chooses what he wants to do with his life.

The play conveys the importance of brotherhood, mentorship and social jus ce. More importantly, considering the recent heightened a en on of student ac vism, the play serves as an appropriate reminder of the power of youth.

Diana Bell, a Kansas City, Missouri na ve, who a ended the show, said she liked how the play revealed a lot of the teenage characteris cs of Mar n Luther King, Jr.

“I was very impressed with the play, and to have a kid that young who was rebellious,” said Bell. “It just didn’t seem like the Mar n Luther King that we hear about in the news or how they report on him.”

Read more about this: h p://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/ku‐professor‐s‐becoming‐mar n‐introduces‐younger‐more‐radical‐mlk/ar cle_7bc23706‐bf49‐11e8‐b144‐bfc88f9037aa.html

Le to Right: Walter Coppage (as Dr. Benjamin E. Mays) and Aaron Ellis (as Mar n Luther King Jr.) in The Coterie’s world premiere of Becoming Mar n


Out & About

The real black Klansman visits Lawrence, talks story behind hit film Ron Stallworth set the record straight at Regal Southwind Stadium 12 Movie Theater on September 6.

Stallworth, the real‐life inspira on behind “BlacKkKlansman,” said the movie gets almost everything right: he was fluent in jive as well as “King’s English,” he used to have frequent phone conversa ons with former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, and he did spend the be er part of a year in the late 1970s as an undercover cop in a white supremacist group.

“BlacKkKlansman” is based on Stallworth’s autobiography, “Black Klansman,” published in 2014. The book went on to become a New York Times bestseller, and the story caught the a en on of director Spike Lee. Stallworth said

the amount of a en on he’s received from the book and the film is unexpected.

“I don't feel like a celebrity,” Stallworth said. “It is a li le bit overwhelming at mes, but I will admit it's a lot of fun. I especially like going to these fancy hotels and they say, 'Can I get you a taxi?' and I say, 'No, my limo's wai ng right there.'”

Every seat in the theater was filled for the Department of Film and Media Studies’ annual kickoff event of the fall semester, Film Rally. “BlacKkKlansman” co‐writer and film professor Kevin Willmo a ended with Stallworth for a free screening of the film and a subsequent ques on and answer session with the audience.

A University of Kansas film studies alumnus is typically invited back to campus for the Film Rally, but this year the department decided to focus on the success of Willmo ’s film.

“We see it as an opportunity to help our students see beyond gradua on,” said Department Chair Michael Baske .

The Film Rally has previously been held on campus, but an excep on was made this year, Baske said. Because “BlacKkKlansman” is s ll playing in theaters, the department was unable to secure the rights to screen it privately.

A line formed outside the theater ahead of the event’s 6 p.m. start me. Stallworth arrived early with his wife, both of them wearing Jayhawk t‐shirts, and shook hands with everyone in line.

“Did you buy the book?” Stallworth joked to the crowd.

Stallworth joined the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1972, becoming their first black detec ve. He infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in 1978 and remained in the undercover opera on for seven months.

Con nued on the next page


Out & About

The real black Klansman visits Lawrence, talks story behind hit film (con nued)

Before the film started, Baske welcomed the crowd and introduced Stallworth, who spent about 20 minutes giving opening remarks and taking preliminary ques ons from the audience.

Much of the movie’s comedy stems from the phone conversa ons Stallworth (John David Washington) has with David Duke (Topher Grace). Of course, Duke has no idea that he’s speaking to a black man. He thinks Stallworth is another white supremacist. The conversa ons between Duke and Stallworth really did occur.

According to Stallworth, Duke called him again a month ago for the first me in decades. During their hour‐long talk, Stallworth said Duke expressed concern about his portrayal as a villain in the film. He also said that he enjoyed Stallworth’s book.

“I’ve been endorsed by the Grand Wizard of the KKK,” Stallworth said.

Stallworth returned to the front of the theater with Willmo a er the screening ended, and spent an hour discussing the movie and taking more ques ons from the audience.

One point they discussed was the concept of double consciousness from W.E.B. DuBois that is frequently men oned in the film. Stallworth, both in the movie and in real life, said that he felt like he had to split himself into two people: the man who was a cop, and the man who was black.

“I always knew that once that badge and gun came off, once that uniform came off, I was a s ll going to be a black man in America no ma er what. My police iden ty would no longer ma er,” he said. “Hell, I owe a $25 parking cket already in El Paso.”

Copied from: h p://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/the‐real‐black‐klansman‐visits‐lawrence‐talks‐story‐behind‐hit/ar cle_189ab84c‐b265‐11e8‐9ccc‐bf08627646c5.html

Ron Stallworth and Kevin Willmo . Photo: Che Bu erfield


Out & About

Tamara Falicov, Professor, Department of Film and Media Studies; Associate dean for research, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Dr. Marta Caminero‐Santangelo, Director, Center for La n American & Caribbean Studies; Professor, Department of English; Interim director, Hall Center for the Humani es

Voices from Our Neighbors: Immigra on Journeys to Lawrence

This video presenta on is the result of a joint service learning course taught by Marta Caminero‐Santangelo and Tamara Falicov. In the course — Bridging Borders: La n American Immigra on in Literature and Film — the students studied representa ons of border crossing, immigra on, and culture. Students also partnered with the nonprofit organiza on Centro Hispano to meet new immigrants to Lawrence and hear their stories. In this lecture, Caminero‐Santangelo and Falicov discussed their course and the processes of their students in compiling these stories into a documentary.

Alumni News

Mike Gabrawy, Film Studies class of ’92, the chief crea ve officer of Arclight films, premiered the latest film he produced, Hotel Mumbai, to a standing ova on at the Toronto Interna onal Film Fes val. The film, starring Dev Patel and Armie Hammer, chronicles the siege on the Taj hotel in 2008. A wave of devasta ng terror a acks throughout Mumbai catapulted the bustling Indian metropolis into chaos. In the heart of the city’s tourist district, Jihadist terrorists lay siege to the iconic Taj Palace Hotel, whose guests and staff became trapped in a heroic, days‐long fight for survival.

The film will be released theatrically early 2019 by Bleeker Street.

Read more here:

h ps://www.if.com.au/anthony‐maras‐hotel‐mumbai‐hailed‐as‐gripping‐and‐intense/

And here:

h ps://gulfnews.com/leisure/movies/news/hotel‐mumbai‐gets‐a‐standing‐ova on‐in‐toronto‐1.2276189


Alumni News KU film grad earns distribu on rights for Western Kansas murder mystery

Josh Doke spent three years on his first film. A er the film, tled “Goodland,” was completed in 2017, he secured distribu on rights for the murder mystery set in rural west Kansas.

The film takes place in the tular town — Doke’s hometown — a er a dead body shows up on a local farmer’s land the same day a mysterious photographer comes to town. Law enforcement are le to figure out what’s going on underneath the surface, leaving a twisted turn of events in its wake.

Doke said a formal distribu on deal became possible a er he read about the American Film Market, an annual film industry event in Santa Monica, California.

“I picked up a book wri en by Ben Yennie,” said Doke, a 2012 University of Kansas film school graduate. “And at that me, we were thinking about taking it to the American Film Market, but we didn’t really have a full working knowledge of how that was going to work.”

“I reached out to [him] on Twi er of all places, and he got back to me and he saw the trailer for the film and he ended up becoming our producer’s rep for the film,” he said. This turn of events put “Goodland” on mul ple independent theatre markets around the country, thanks to help from Yennie and Parade Deck Films, a company based out of Portland.

“I started wri ng ‘Goodland’ in the fall of 2014. I completed the script in March of 2015,” Doke said. “And my produc on company Rockhaven Films was already on board, so we were primed and ready to make our first feature.”

Doke and his company spent about six months doing rewrites and working out other various pre‐produc on tasks like cas ng and scou ng for on‐loca on filming spots. Doke set up a Kickstarter fund to help fund produc on and post‐produc on on the project.

“That was just finishing funds. We had raised money outside of that from personal investors, and kind of finished that Kickstarter run as were star ng produc on in October of 2015,” Doke said.

From there, the produc on process moved to shoo ng film in just 17 days, a short me frame that Doke knew he had coming into the project. “It was a whirlwind. [It’s] not a lot of me to shoot a feature length film, so we shot six‐day weeks with Sundays off,” Doke said. “We ended up shoo ng 12‐hour days or more.”

The end of the film’s shoot in October 2015 led almost straight into post‐produc on and the edi ng process, with a deadline of September 2016. “Myself and my team came up through doing a lot of guerilla filmmaking,” Doke said. “So when I wrote this screenplay to begin with, knowing the loca ons I was going to film at, I wrote it for something I knew we could film right then.”

Loca on was an aspect of the film Doke knew would be an important role in reflec ng certain themes and aesthe cs in the final product. This led him to shoot most of the film in Goodland and other rural towns in western Kansas.

“I sat down and spent a lot of me with my cinematographer, Iain Trimble, and we really hashed out every scene and every single shot,” Doke said. “I really just wanted to paint that picture of western Kansas and the Midwest in a way that I feel is under‐represented.” Trimble, Doke’s director of photography and fellow 2012 University alumnus, shared this sen ment with Doke, adding that loca ons added to the film’s visual poten al.

“A lot of our projects were inspired by loca ons that made our imagina ons turn,” Trimble said. “That’s always a part of what intrigues us, what a loca on can conjure up in our imagina on.” Trimble added that the on‐loca on shoo ng led to many instances of refashioning spots for sets, especially when shoo ng scenes in small towns. Places like the police sta on, which were involved in mul ple scenes, required reorganizing to create a different type of office.

“The sheriff’s office was an exis ng insurance claims office, but the walls were painted right,” Trimble said. “We needed a couple of things and all of a sudden it looked like a sheriff’s office.”

“We actually filmed in a diner that had been closed down, so we had an actual closed set for the first me all shoot,” he said. “And I just got to sit back at the monitor and watch [the actors] do their jobs.”

A er post‐produc on, Doke began pu ng the film into fes vals. He said that quality over quan ty was always on his mind during this process, which helped lead him to Yennie.

Now, with distribu on rights and a small theatrical run behind him, Doke looks forward to releasing “Goodland” to the public, as well as seeing how the film does during a current limited Redbox release. “Goodland” will be released on Blu Ray and video on‐demand before the end of the year.

Copied from The University Daily Kansan: h p://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/ku‐film‐grad‐earns‐distribu on‐rights‐for‐western‐kansas‐murder/ar cle_cffca834‐b791‐11e8‐9c46‐333346ddb1aa.html

T h e D e p a r t m e n t o f F i l m a n d M e d i a S t u d i e s T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f K a n s a s

Department of Film and Media Studies

Summerfield Hall, Suite 230

1300 Sunnyside Avenue

Lawrence, KS 66045

Phone: 785‐864‐1340

E‐mail: [email protected]

Send your news items and

updates to Karla Conrad at

[email protected].

October 2018

Academic Calendar

October 1, 2018 ‐ Deadline Credit/No Credit

October 13, 2018 ‐ First Day of Fall Break

October 16, 2018 ‐ Last Day of Fall Break

Equipment Check‐in: 10:00 a.m.— 12:00 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Equipment Check‐out: 1:00 p.m.— 3:00 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Sign‐up to check‐out equipment in the binder on the counter in 230 Summerfield.

Sign‐up for edi ng rooms by signing the edit room schedule posted on the edi ng room door (418b Summerfield). Pick up the key in the FMS office (230 Summerfield).

Check with your instructor or Demetrius Green, Assistant Equipment Room Manager, for more informa on.

Miranda Cook

Academic Advisor

230 Summerfield Hall

[email protected]

785‐864‐3500

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Check out the College Blog: h p://blog.college.ku.edu/

Are you a Film & Media Studies (or Theatre & Film)

alum? We’d love to hear from you. Go to h ps://film.ku.edu/alumni‐

submissions to update your informa on with us, so we

can add you to the impressive ranks of our

alumni.

Twi er: @KUFMS, @KUSchoolofArts, @KUCollege

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