News Release

Note: Participating students are listed by hometowns at the end of the release.

Hollywood plays classroom
to Tar Heels this summer

By KIM WEAVER SPURR
College of Arts and Sciences

CHAPEL HILL — Fifteen students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have set their sights on Hollywood this summer. They are learning the inside scoop from producers, directors, editors, screenwriters, agents, cinematographers and production designers through show-business internships.

The students, who are communication studies majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, are participating in the UNC Hollywood Media Industries Program.

They were selected based on talent, commitment to careers in the entertainment industry, knowledge of films and television and academic performance. Students earn academic credit for their work and gain valuable contacts that can help them land jobs on the West Coast after graduation.

Sean Overbeeke of Simsbury, Conn., is working at Scott Free Productions, the company owned by Ridley and Tony Scott. Ridley Scott directed "Black Hawk Down" and "Gladiator"; Tony Scott directed "Crimson Tide" and "Top Gun."

Overbeeke found out about Ridley Scott’s recent decision to direct the screen adaptation of the book "Shadow Divers" before the news became public. In fact, Overbeeke had to go buy the book for Scott.

"We’re reading a lot of scripts to see if any of them can be made into a movie" said Overbeeke, who works two doors down from Ridley Scott’s office. "This helps me out as an aspiring filmmaker — seeing how professional writers are structuring their scripts, what kind of plots are selling, what the dialogue is like.

During the day, students work at film production companies, camera rental houses, TV networks, animation studios, special effects houses and post-production facilities. In the evenings, they participate in seminars at Disney Studios with successful Hollywood professionals.

The students are learning about such topics as the role of the cinematographer from John Simmons ("Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored"), the relationship between the editor and director from Harry Keramidas ("Contact," "Back to the Future"), the role of the director from UNC alumnus John Schultz ("The Honeymooners," "Like Mike"), comedy from UNC alumni John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky ("King of the Hill"), the producer’s role from Walter Coblenz ("All The President’s Men," "The Onion Field") and production design from UNC alumnus Jim Bissel ("E.T., The Extra Terrestrial," "Jumanji").

The students also will visit the set of "Jimmy Kimmel Live." They will cap off their summer with a reception on July 28 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"We try to familiarize them with how the business works," said Paul Edwards, a UNC alumnus and screenwriter ("21 Jump Street," "Baywatch Nights") who directs the internship program.

Edwards’ new movie, "Fighting Words," is set in the world of slam poetry. "You kind of have to know everything," he said. "If you’re a director, you have to understand what a writer does; you have to understand what a producer does. … I want them to be exposed to every discipline in the industry in broad terms."

Michael Clarke of Matthews is interning in DVD post-production for DreamWorks SKG, the movie studio started by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. This summer he’s working on the DVD of "Madagascar," which will eventually be translated into about 30 languages. He has watched the movie in Mandarin and French.

"We handle international versions of the movie and sell and edit movies for the airlines,’" Clarke said. "We also build the DVD menus. I’ve been going through and naming the chapters for ‘Madagascar.’ We’re also working on editing ‘Road to Perdition’ for TV."

The 2005 internship program is supported by funds from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and UNC alumnus Ken Lowe of Cincinnati, president and chief executive officer of E.W. Scripps Co. and founder of Home and Garden Television. Additional support is provided by UNC’s summer school, communications studies department and College of Arts and Sciences.

Intern Adam Tiller of Boone, who works for the post-production house Blink Media, said he was surprised by the number of Tar Heels in Hollywood.

"It’s amazing how many UNC connections there are out here," he said. "One of our first days here we were driving through Hollywood, and I had my UNC sticker on my car. This guy started honking at us. He pulled over and started talking to us because he was from UNC, too."

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Students and their Hollywood internship placements are listed by state and hometown:

Adam Tiller, with former UNC intern Emily Hak at Blink Media, a post-production house.

Leah McWilliams, Dominant Pictures, director Betty Thomas’ company ("Charlie’s Angels," "Dr. Doolittle").

Peter Sickbert-Bennett, Film Roman, an animation studio.

Michael Liotta, Mogul Management, a talent management agency.

Jacqueline Elliott, Lifetime Network.

Latham Robertson, Lion’s Gate Films ("Blair Witch Project," "Buena Vista Social Club").

Ashley Bonnett, USA Network.

Michael Clarke, for UNC alumnus Bryan Ellenburg at Dreamworks.

Jennifer Lloyd, Birns and Sawyer, a camera rental house for feature films.

Joseph Biddix, Digital Domain, the production company founded by James Cameron as the special-effects house for "Titanic."

Brent Barto, for UNC alumnus Mike Piller at Piller Squared Productions, producers of "The Dead Zone."

Joseph Michael Saunders, Outlaw Productions ("The Santa Clause," "Training Day").

Sean Overbeeke, for former UNC intern Erin Upson at Scott Free Productions, Tony and Ridley Scott’s company.

Chrystal Baker, E! Entertainment

Dave Buchholz, Original Films ("S.W.A.T.," "Sweet Home Alabama").

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College of Arts and Sciences contact: Kim Weaver Spurr, (919) 962-4093, spurrk@email.unc.edu

News Services contacts: Print, L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589; broadcast, Karen Moon, (919) 962-8595