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Film Alumni (BFA)

Creative Resilience: Alum Ana Lydia Monaco supports self-love with her film shot during the pandemic

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Alumni Stories

John X. Carey

Film Notable Alumni

Don Burgess 

Cinematographer

Roger Avary 

Screenwriter and Director

Michael Bay

Blockbuster Director and Producer

Zack Snyder 

Blockbuster Writer, Director, Producer, Director of Photography

Larry Fong 

Director of Photography

Tarsem Singh 

Film, TV and Music Video Director

Saman Kesh 

Director

Ericson Core 

Director and Cinematographer

Vivek Krishna Ramanujam

Producer, Overturn Media

Francis Polara

Filmmaker

Joe Lombard 

Director of Digital Content, Hyper X House

Natalie Dominguez Jacobs 

Associate Producer, Blizzard Entertainment

Alex Ibarra 

Integrated Creative Producer, Google

Kim and Florine Nuesch 

Joel Taylor 

Junior Motion Designer, Zealot

Danica Studioso 

Content Creator, Microsoft

May He

Video Editor, Figs

Film Alumni Gallery

Saman Kesh
Award-winning+director+John+X+Carey%2C+listed+in+%E2%80%9CAdWeek%E2%80%9D+as+one+of+2016%E2%80%99s+top+20+content+creators+for+his+branded+documentaries+and+commercials%2C+created+the+most+viewed+commercial+of+all+time+with+%E2%80%9CDove+Real+Beauty+Sketches.%E2%80%9D+In+one+month%2C+this+short+film%2C+reflecting+Carey%E2%80%99s+affinity+for+story+and+human-driven+emotional+content%2C+received+more+than+150+million+YouTube+views.+%E2%80%9CAdAge%E2%80%9D+dubbed+it+%E2%80%9CBest+Ad+Campaign+of+the+21st+Century.%E2%80%9D+Its+inspirational+tone+is+rooted+in+Carey%E2%80%99s+creative+turning+point%3A+his+Designmatters+documentary%2C+%E2%80%9CVoices+From+the+Field%2C%E2%80%9D+profiling+HIV+prevention+programs+in+Zambia.+Carey+has+received+scores+of+Cannes+Lions+awards+and+numerous+Directors+Guild+Academy+nominations.+His+client+list+includes%2C+among+others%2C+Apple%2C+Coke%2C+eBay%2C+Google+and+Samsung%3B+he+has+partnered+with+high-profile+agencies+Mullen%2C+Saatchi+%26+Saatchi%2C+Digitas%2C+Ogilvy%2C+and+more.+Major+media+outlets%2C+such+as+Forbes%2C+CNN+and+ABC+News+have+featured+his+work.

John X Carey

Zack Snyder
Zack+Snyder+is+the+co-founder+of+Cruel+and+Unusual+Films%2C+a+production+company+he+established+alongside+his+wife+Deborah+Snyder+and+producing+partner+Wesley+Coller.+He+made+his+feature+film+directorial+debut+with+the+2004+remake+of+George+Romero%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%9CDawn+of+the+Dead%E2%80%9D+and+has+since+helmed+a+series+of+visually+arresting+blockbusters+across+a+variety+of+genres%2C+including+%E2%80%9C300%2C%E2%80%9D+inspired+by+the+Frank+Miller+graphic+novel+of+the+same+name%3B+%E2%80%9CWatchmen%2C%E2%80%9D+based+on+the+Alan+Moore+graphic+novel+of+the+same+name%3B+%E2%80%9CMan+of+Steel%2C%E2%80%9D+starring+Henry+Cavill+as+the+iconic+DC+Comics+superhero+Superman%3B+and+its+sequel+%E2%80%9CBatman+v+Superman%3A+Dawn+of+Justice%2C%E2%80%9D+starring+Ben+Affleck+as+Batman.+A+superhero+in+the+DC+Extended+Universe%2C+Snyder+directed+Justice+League%2C+set+for+release+in+2018%2C+and+is+a+producer+on+the+forthcoming+%E2%80%9CWonder+Woman%2C%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9C+Aquaman%E2%80%9D+and+%E2%80%9CThe+Flash%E2%80%9D+films.+Snyder+received+his+BFA+in+Film+from+ArtCenter+in+1989.

Zack Snyder
After+launching+his+career+as+an+award-winning+commercial+and+music+video+director%2C+Michael+Bay+quickly+emerged+as+one+of+Hollywood%E2%80%99s+boldest+and+most+bankable+feature+film+directors.+Characterized+by+his+aggressive+visual+style+and+high-octane+action+sequences%2C+the+films+Bay+has+directed+and+produced+have+grossed+%246.5+billion+worldwide.+His+directing+resume+includes+the+films+%22Bad+Boys%2C%22+%22The+Rock%2C%22+%22Armageddon%2C%22+%22Pearl+Harbor%2C%22+%22The+Island%22+and+%2213+Hours.%22+He+has+also+directed+six+%22Transformers%22+films%2C+a+multi-billion-dollar+blockbuster+franchise+whose+2014+entry%2C+%22Transformers%3A+Age+of+Extinction%2C%22+opened+at+a+staggering+%24300+million+globally+and+broke+box+office+records+in+China.+A+graduate+of+Wesleyan+University+and+ArtCenter%2C+Bay+has+won+virtually+every+major+award+in+the+commercial+industry%2C+including+Cannes%E2%80%99+Golden+Lion+and+the+Directors+Guild+of+America%E2%80%99s+Commercial+Director+of+the+Year+award.+His+%E2%80%9CGot+Milk%3F%E2%80%9D+campaign+resides+in+the+permanent+collection+of+New+York%E2%80%99s+Museum+of+Modern+Art.

Michael Bay
A+commercial+director+who+has+worked+in+Los+Angeles+for+16+years%2C+Jonas+Mayabb+recently+joined+Denver-based+LRXD+as+the+agency%E2%80%99s+director+of+new+media+productions.+Mayabb+graduated+valedictorian+with+a+BFA+in+Film+from+ArtCenter%2C+where+as+a+student+he+directed+%22Blowing+Smoke%2C%22+a+30-second+climate+change+PSA+created+for+the+College%E2%80%99s+Designmatters+program%2C+which+was+launched+at+the+Live+Earth+world+concerts+simulcast+and+presented+at+the+United+Nations+DPI%2FNGO+Conference.+With+a+background+in+production+design%2C+Mayabb+has+worked+on+such+feature+films+as+%22Hulk%2C%22+%22The+Chronicles+of+Riddick%2C%22+%22A+Series+of+Unfortunate+Events%22+and+%22Superman+Returns.%22+He+has+since+worked+with+brands+such+as+Visa%2C+Umbro%2C+Bayer%2C+Sirius%2C+Vans+and+20th+Century+Fox.+Mayabb%E2%80%99s+numerous+awards+include+two+Clios%2C+a+National+Gold+Addy%2C+the+Gold+and+Silver+Young+Director+Awards+at+Cannes%2C+an+Emmy%2C+three+Tellys+and+an+Art+Directors+Club+award.

Jonas Mayabb
Evocative+narratives+are+the+signature+style+of+Los+Angeles-based+filmmaker+and+commercial+and+music+video+director+Jon+Jon+Augustavo%2C+known+for+his+dynamic+collaborations+with+Macklemore+%26+Ryan+Lewis+on+%E2%80%9CCan%E2%80%99t+Hold+Us%2C%E2%80%9D+the+Grammy-winning+%E2%80%9CThrift+Shop%2C%E2%80%9D+and+the+ground-breaking+hit+%E2%80%9CSame+Love%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94performed+during+the+2014+Grammy+Awards+telecast+as+gay+and+straight+couples+exchanged+wedding+vows.+Among+Augustavo%E2%80%99s+numerous+nominations+for+commercial+and+music+video+awards+are+MTV%E2%80%99s+Best+Electronic+Video+of+2016+%28Mike+Posner%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%9CI+Took+a+Pill+in+Ibiza%2C+SeeB+Remix%E2%80%9D%29.+His+awards+include+MuchMusic%E2%80%99s+Best+International+Group+Video+%28%E2%80%9CThrift+Shop%E2%80%9D%29%2C+and+MTV+wins+for+Best+Video+with+a+Social+Message+%28%E2%80%9CSame+Love%E2%80%9D%29+and+Best+Hip-Hop+Video+%28%E2%80%9CCan%27t+Hold+Us%E2%80%9D%29.+His+commercial+work+for+PlayStation+%28%E2%80%9CVictory+Dance%E2%80%9D%29+and+Neuro+%28%E2%80%9CSleep+with+Neil+Patrick+Harris%E2%80%9D%29+have+been+singled+out+by+%22Adweek%22+for+their+excellence.+Augustavo%E2%80%99s+work+totals+more+than+3+billion+views+worldwide.

Jon Jon Augustavo
Born+in+Tehran%2C+Saman+Kesh+grew+up+in+California+where+he+developed+an+early+interest+in+filmmaking%2C+launching+his+music+video+career+while+still+a+student+at+ArtCenter+with+Cinnamon+Chasers%E2%80%99+viral+hit+%22Luv+Delux%2C%22+winner+of+the+Best+Music+Video+award+at+the+2010+SXSW+Conference.+Other+titles+include+Kygo%E2%80%99s+%22Stole+the+Show%22+and+alt-band+Placebo%E2%80%99s+%22Too+Many+Friends%22+in+collaboration+with+author+Bret+Easton+Ellis.+Among+Kesh%E2%80%99s+commercial+clients+are+Visa+and+Taco+Bell%3B+the+latter+ran+an+ad+he+directed+during+the+2016+Super+Bowl.+Upcoming+directorial+film+projects+are+%22Cubed%22+for+Lionsgate%2C+a+re-imagining+of+the+1997+sci-fi+horror+film+%22Cube%3B%22+and+for+21st+Century+Fox%2C+a+full-length+version+of+his+2013+film+%22Controller%2C%22+an+eight-minute+short+that+first+brought+Kesh+to+the+attention+of+studios.+His+latest+project+is+%22HIT+TV%2C%22+a+short+murder-for-hire+thriller+with+a+dark+technological+twist.

Saman Kesh

Ericson Core

Michael Sucsy

Tarsem Singh
Academy+Award-nominated+cinematographer+Don+Burgess+ASC+started+his+career+in+film+as+a+student+at+ArtCenter.+He+is+most+recognized+for+the+stunning+visuals+and+iconic+framing+in+blockbuster+hits%2C+including+the+post-apocalyptic+drama+%22The+Book+of+Eli%2C%22+directed+by+Albert+and+Allen+Hughes%3B+%2242%2C%22+directed+by+Brian+Helgeland%3B+%22Source+Code%2C%22+directed+by+Duncan+Jones%3B+and+Spider-Man%2C+directed+by+Sam+Raimi.+Burgess%E2%80%99+career+stems+from+his+command+over+all+genres+of+film%2C+from+drama+to+action+to+horror+to+comedy%2C+and+his+ability+to+work+seamlessly+in+collaborations+with+various+directors%2C+most+notably+Robert+Zemeckis.+Burgess+and+Zemeckis+have+worked+together+on+many+critically+acclaimed+films%2C+including+%22Flight%2C%22+%22The+Polar+Express%2C%22+%22Cast+Away%2C%22+%22What+Lies+Beneath%2C%22+%22Forrest+Gump%22%E2%80%94for+which+his+cinematography+was+nominated+for+an+Oscar%2C+BAFTA+and+Outstanding+Achievement+from+the+American+Society+of+Cinematographers%E2%80%94and+the+spy+drama+%22Allied%2C%22+starring+Brad+Pitt+and+Marion+Cotillard.

Don Burgess