Faculty Produce Film Short

Faculty produce film short By Amy Janowiecki aculty and students from Eastern’s Department of Communication re- cently completed a short film project—theF third in as many years. This year’s film, “Our Secret Season,” tells the true story of Scott Coykendall, a man who lost his brother, Brian, in a tragic boating accident. The story follows the brothers’ tumultuous relationship leading up to Brian’s death. And also the feelings Brian began to develop for Wendy, a friend of Scott’s who is married. Assis- tant director and producer for the film, Emerson St. John, conveyed the heartbreaking details he learned while working with Coykendall. “They didn’t really speak in those four days [before the accident], so those last conversa- tions were not good ones with his brother,” St. John said. “He’s lived with this his whole life now.” The cast and crew filmed the traumatic drowning scene at Jacobson Lake in Lex- ington. Even though none of the actors had ments been in Coykendall’s life when the tragedy occurred, they noted things were very real for them at times. See FILM, page 2 Chad Cogdill, a film professor, on the set of “Our Secret Season.” Multimedia studio to open in Crabbe Library Noel Studio will offer video a $1 million donation from East- and tutoring for students ern alumnus Ron Noel and his wife Sherri Lou, will be located in the working on presentations north wing of the Crabbe Library. The studio will feature an array By Kyle Samples of different educational tools for students: everything from work- In the fall of 2010, Eastern will rooms, where students can collab- open the doors to a new training orate on projects, to video rooms, and tutoring facility that will use where they can tape and analyze 21st Century technology to help their speeches, presentations or students get a leg up on their com- other projects. munication and multimedia pre- “[The studio] will allow Eastern sentations. to offer students an inspiring and The Noel Studio for Academic creative academic environment Creativity, funded in part through within the university library that is Eastern Kentucky University Broadcast Professor Doug Rogers COM See STUDIO, page 2 The Department INSIDE COMments 2010 Student visits roots in Iran.............Page 5 of Communication From the Chair.............................Page 3 Halls showcase student stars........Page 6 at Alumni updates..........................Pages 3 & 5 Environmental conference.............Page 7 CMS major wins Miss Kentucky.......Page 4 Outstanding students....................Page 8 2 COMments Eastern Kentucky University FILM | $10,000 budget barely covered crew’s expenses on independent film From Page 1 everything. The department also helped with funding.” Jim Gleason, professor of With a cast and crew from public relations at Eastern, Eastern and the local area, composed and recorded sev- “Our Secret Season” ran into eral music tracks for the film. a few hurdles throughout pro- In three weeks he created the duction. emotional and melodic mu- Hiking to the top of a sic to give the audience a true mountain in Berea was no feeling of the film’s emotional easy task with about 18 peo- impact. ple carrying heavy equip- “I wasn’t thinking about ment. St. John said shooting the story as much as I was at Jacobson Lake was difficult thinking about the [next] as well. move I was looking for,” Glea- “It was important to keep son said. “This is a full blown the actors and the crew safe legitimate production. I creat- on the boat with the camera ed lots of musical pieces and moving,” St. John said. they took what they needed to After a year of production make it work.” the film premiered at the Lex- As an independent film, ington Public Library on Feb. a $10,000 budget barely cov- 18, 2010. Copies of the movie ered all the expenses. will be distributed to film fes- “President Whitlock was tivals. amazing,” St. John said. “He For more information gave us dorm rooms to use about “Our Secret Season,” and equipment to use. He visit www.girlonrockytop. was very supportive through blogspot.com. Professors Chad Cogdill and John Fitch filmed much of their movie in Lexington. STUDIO | Communication professors play role in center’s development From Page 1 both high-end technologies, such as touch-screen monitors, as well uniquely conceptualized beyond as traditional communication traditional research services typ- tools, like mobile whiteboards, to ically offered by academic li- help them in their classroom and braries,” Eastern President Doug career pursuits. Whitlock said. Everett said these tools will The project will be a huge prove useful for students who are boon to the Department of Com- developing written or oral pre- munication, giving students an sentations for a class or for those assortment of new ways to hone who want to improve Powerpoint their skills and get real-world slides with graphics or other de- feedback, said Dr. Renee Everett, sign elements. the department’s chair. “A student might be assigned Several of the department’s a speech in a CMS 210 (Public faculty members played signifi- Speaking) class, and the student cant roles in its development. might go to the studio to get help Jayne Violette and John Strada, from a library consultant focus- both communication studies pro- ing on a topic and doing the re- fessors, served as advisers in its search to write the speech,” Ever- ett said. conception. Emerson St. John, The Noel Studio for Academic Creativy is slated to open in the fall of 2010. the department’s technical direc- “The student might return tor, likewise offered technology to get help from a writing coach input. And Jim Gleason, a public in writing and structuring the Gleason said he believes the in terms of applicant skills and relations professor, helped with speech and then again to actual- studio will help the Department experiences,” he said. “The stu- the studio’s website and its search ly perform the speech in front of of Communication’s mission to dio will help communication ma- for a director to serve as the stu- a camera and work with a com- prepare students for life after col- jors broaden and refine both their dio’s steward. munications consultant to perfect lege. “The marketplace is becom- skills and the quality of their port- The studio will offer students the delivery.” ing more and more competitive folios.” 2 COMments Eastern Kentucky University COMments 3 Department chair bids goodbye ALUMNI UPDATES Kasey Mills, BEM ‘03, is a news producer of LEX 18 News after 29 years at Eastern in Lexington. very time I sit down to write one of Katherine J. Shepherd, BEM these, I am always amazed another Renee ‘05, is a news producer for academic year has slipped by. The de- LEX18 in Lexington. partmentE continues to grow, change and move Everett forward. Rachel Park, BEM ‘05, is the We hosted our annual Careers Day in the assistant director of athletic fall 2009 semester on Dec. 4. The event was planned and executed by the Event Planning public relations at the Universi- PR class. They did a wonderful job and we had ty of Richmond in Richmond, a great turnout. Chuck Creacy, the CEO of Va. Smiley Pete Publishing in Lexington, was our keynote speaker and we had numerous panels Communication and Media Studies at Zayed Adam Baker, BEM ‘06, is a re- and workshops for all majors. See related cov- University in Dubai. As some of you may re- porter at LEX18 in Lexington. erage in this issue of COMments. call, Dr. Ron Wolfe (former department chair) Tiffany Jarvis, BEM ‘08, is the We lost Dr. Angela Cooke-Jackson in the has been at ZU for a number of years, most re- summer of 2009 as she took a position at Emer- cently as the assistant dean of the same college. studio director/assistant direc- son College in Boston and Dr. Mike Branstet- It will be exciting and a bit intimidating at first! tor for WKYT in Lexington. ter left as a result of the completion of his three I hope to start a blog about our adventures and (actually four!) - year stint as a visiting instruc- will put a link to that on the department web- Andy Pollard, BEM ‘05, is a tor. Newcomers in the fall ‘09-spring ‘10 year page. ground cinematographer for included Eric Meiners (tenure-track position) Dr. Liz Hansen will be taking over the reins NFL Films and an investigative and Krista Kimmel (one-year visiting instruc- of the department as interim chair for 2010- photojournalist for KSHB-TV, tor). Both were teaching in the communication 2011. I wish her much luck and success in this NBC Action News in Kansas studies area. new position. We’ll be spending a lot of time City, Mo. We had one faculty search going on during together the remainder of the summer “transi- this past academic year (2009-2010) to fill Fer- tioning” as I leave 11 years as chair! Amber Ungaro, BEM ‘08, is rell Wellman’s broadcasting and electronic me- It’s hard to believe we have been in the the morning news editor for dia lectureship that he is vacating after 3 years. Combs Building for more than three years Fox 41 News in Louisville. After an exhaustive search, we will be re-hiring now. It feels like home and we are especially Dr. Branstetter into this position to start in the excited about the new “Communication Stars” Brian Keith Burba, BEM ‘05, fall of 2010. It will be great to have Mike back posters.

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