Calling all future filmmakers, journalists and media artists! This weekend, Nov. 7 and 8, the Duke Entertainment Media and Arts Network (DEMAN) will be hosting its annual DEMAN Weekend, which connects current undergraduates to alumni established in the entertainment and arts industry in order to inspire, network and collaborate on relevant projects and careers in the field. More so, DEMAN Weekend allows alumni and students alike to share in their passion for entertainment and media.
In years past, DEMAN has brought several successful alumni to the event, including The Daily Show senior producer Adam Chodikoff just last year. This year, among fifty-four other alumni, cinematographer Robert Yeoman T'73 will be the keynote speaker. Yeoman was the cinematographer in feature films such as Yes Man, Bridesmaids, Get Him to the Greek and, most recently, The Grand Budapest Hotel. In addition to running a AMI/CDS workshop and attending featured networking events, Yeomen will be screening his movie Moonrise Kingdom at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Griffith Theater. Afterwards, he will hold a question and answer session with the audience.
Organizers of the weekend, such as Arts Vice Provost Scott Lindroth, Assistant VP and Director of Campus Engagement Inga Peterson, Sr. Program Coordinator Sarah Baker and Career Center Alumna in Residence and Emmy-nominated producer Amy Unell, have specifically used student feedback in designing this year’s weekend event.
The weekend is primarily composed of a series of workshops and networking events that take place across campus, facilitated by various departments or alumni.
“Students will get to hear first-hand about what it's like to work in a variety of fields in the arts," Unell said. "It gives students, alumni and faculty the opportunity to meet and get to know the growing community of 'Artstigators' who are ‘Crazy about the Arts’!”
This year, the DEMAN organizers have added departmental workshops to the schedule on Friday. These workshops will be hosted by Duke academic departments such as AMI/CDS, Dance, Theater and Visual Arts and run by alumni. Additionally, there will be a panel of distinguished DEMAN alumni at the Nasher Museum of Arts that will discuss their experiences in their industries. Friday will conclude with a reception that offers yet another alumni-student networking opportunity.
On Saturday, smaller and less academically-focused workshops will be lead by alumni with backgrounds from NBC, Google, Facebook, CNN and the WNBA at the Sanford School. Students will have the option of attending either the 90 minute Today Show Production Workshop with alumna and producer Matt Greenfield or selecting two separate 45 minute industry-related workshops.
These less traditional workshops are meant to teach some of the tricks of the trade that are not typically obvious. Social media manager for McKinney/espnW Laura Suchoski and NBA and WNBA Marketing VP Hilary Shaev will lead a workshop that teaches students how to use their artistic creativity in a sports career.
“For creative individuals out there, true satisfaction comes from creating something new and engaging," Shaev said of her workshop about using creativity to leverage a career in sports. "That is what’s so exciting about a career in the sports industry. Sports fans are the most passionate consumers there are, and sports is one of the remaining entertainment options that still needs to be experienced live.”
“With the constant evolution of social media and digital, you are always finding new and creative ways to interact with fans however and whenever they connect with sports," Suchoski added. "Hilary and I are excited to share our experiences with the NBA, WNBA, ESPN, and espnW as well as ways creative-minded students can pursue careers in sports.”
DEMAN weekend aims to create conversation about what it takes to make it in the arts and entertainment industries.
“An important part of a liberal arts education is to attend to the increased student interest [in the arts], and a commitment on the part of the administration to increase the prominence of arts,” Scott Lindroth said, seeing a growing need for DEMAN Weekend due to a greater prominence of art in the student community and culture. He continued to explain that DEMAN is expanding to feature more events and programs to spark artistic fervor among the student body.
One example is the Duke to Hollywood Challenge in which students could create a one minute or less video that answers "What is DEMAN?" or design a new logo for the program. Judges included Transformers executive producer Mark Vahradian, Hunger Games co-producer Bryan Unkeless, Duke in LA director Karen Price and Lindroth himself. The video winner and logo winner will be announced on Friday during DEMAN weekend. The winners will receive a trip to Hollywood and have a VIP Tour of Paramount Studios and visit a live set with Vahradian and Unkeless. Not only does this contest directly connect students with Hollywood professionals but it inspires students to begin building their professional e-portfolio while they're still on campus.
Often, many students have pining interests in the arts and entertainment, but they do not know how to begin to approach pursuing their dreams. According to Peterson, DEMAN Weekend offers an “educational piece outside of the classroom that starts a conversation between a professional and a student what he or she wants to do in their artistic path. Sometimes it leads to mentoring and an internship and sometimes a job.”
The Duke alumni-network aims to be supportive in helping undergraduates with advice and finding jobs and internships. As such, these alumni use DEMAN as an opportunity to impart their experiences and to try to provide easier access for future Duke alumni to enter the arts and entertainment industry.
Organizer Sarah Baker encourages students new to networking to embrace the multiple opportunities, from the Nasher reception to the workshops, to reach out and connect with alumni.
“Don't be afraid to approach people who you admire and have an impressive title," Baker said. "Talk to them and do not see them as a title. They’re back because they want to help and guide you in the right direction."
Whether you have a passion for the arts, looking to network with some influential professionals, or are simply exploring your interests, DEMAN Weekend provides the perfect opportunity to embrace and celebrate a passion for the arts.
To attend DEMAN weekend events and view a detailed events schedule, register at http://dukealumni.com/alumni-communities/deman. Registration spots are first come, first served and are filling quickly. Follow the artstigators on Twitter/Instagram @artsigators. For more information about getting involved with the arts at Duke, direct comments and questions to artstigators@gmail.com.
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