Matthew T. Price, MFA
Writer/ Director / Professor
Teaching Objectives
- To teach aspiring filmmakers both the theory and practice of directing, writing, and producing for film, television, and new media.
- To utilize over a decade's worth of film and television experience in offering students a real-world perspective on the craft of filmmaking.
- To create a positive and supporting learning environment in the classroom where students can be creative and grow as filmmakers and writers.
Education
University of Southern California
Bachelor of Arts in Cinema/Television, Critical Studies – 2003
- IBM T.J. Watson Scholar
- USC Presidential Scholar
- National Merit Finalist
California State University, Northridge
Master of Fine Arts, Screenwriting – 2020
- State University Grant, 2019
- CSUN Arts Council - Matadors Community Credit Union 2020 Student Project Award
Teaching Experience
California State University, Northridge
- Designed a course curriculum and syllabus to teach students various screenplay formats, including feature, single camera television, multicam television, and two-column A/V scripts.
- Taught story structure, goal-oriented storytelling, and character development, engaging students with audio/visual slides, as well as numerous example clips.
- Guided students through story development, from ideation to outlining to script.
- Developed students’ pitching skills, including summarizing the plot and characters, conveying a personal connection to the story, and speaking in front of a group.
- Fostered a creative environment where students could feel free to share their writing in a supportive and collaborative classroom; encouraged constructive feedback of fellow students’ work in small, collaborative groups.
- Quickly converted to remote teaching via Zoom and Canvas due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, adjusting the curriculum with no interruption in course work.
- Designed a course curriculum and syllabus to study intertextual continuity (the way stories are told across multiple films).
- Taught the introductory sample lesson as part of the pedagogy course in the CSUN Screenwriting MFA program. (For which I received an A.)
- Engaged students with audio/visual slides, as well as numerous example clips.
- Designed a course curriculum and syllabus to teach writers about physical production.
- Topics include: producing, budgeting, scheduling, directing shot listing, casting.
- Designed in-class activities to teach the practical work of filmmaking to writers.
Columbia College - Hollywood
- Discussed the development, production, and post-production of the feature film I directed, Other Halves.
- Gave detailed analysis of editing in the horror genre.
- Discussed the editor/director relationship: what’s expected; best practices; collaboration and compromise.
University of Southern California
- Discussed writing and directing an independent film.
- Answered questions about getting started in the Industry.
Entertainment Experience
- Developed stories and series in conjunction with animators and artists.
- Wrote copy for pitch decks.
- One of twenty-two writers chosen from among 4,000 applicants to the inaugural Imagine Impact program, a creative accelerator founded by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.
- Developed a TV pilot under the guidance of writer/producer Saladin K. Patterson.
- Attended roundtable discussions with entertainment industry experts such as Mitch Hurwitz, Lindsay Doran, Jason Hirschhorn, Ryan Murphy, Judd Apatow, David O. Russell, Donna Langley, Jennifer Todd, and more, where writing, development, and the industry generally were discussed in depth.
- Produced a multi-season podcast interview series, with a focus on behind-the-scenes crew, executives, and representation.
- Researched and contacted guests to appear on the show.
- Wrote interview questions in advance, and guided conversation during interviews.
- Organized sound crew, host, and guests for a smooth production.
- Guests included former Head of Production at Amazon Studios, John Lynch; Oscar-nominated animation director Tim Reckart; Emmy-nominated editor Scott Powell, and many more.
- Covered screenplays, with written reports detailing the merits and challenges of each project, with an eye to producing them.
- Reviewed screeners of completed film for potential distribution.
- Gathered and screened resumes for hiring cast & crew.
- Rolled calls for agents to clients, studios, and producers.
- Touched based daily with studios and production companies to seek employment for below-the-line clients.
- Researched scripts in development and shoots in pre-production.
Freelance Credits
Writer
Writer/Director/Producer
Writer/Director
Writer/Producer
Writer/Director
Writer/Director
Staff Writer
Writer/Director
Writer/Director
Camera Operator
Camera Operator
1st Camera Assistant
2nd Camera Assistant
2nd Camera Assistant
Production Secretary
Production Secretary
Production Secretary
Production Assistant
Production Assistant
Production Assistant
Exchange Students (pilot)
Danse Macabre (short)
Other Halves (feature)
Fractal Vision (webseries)
We Need to Talk (webseries)
M is for Movie (short)
What a Relief (reality series)
The Interrogation (short)
Asleep with the Angels (short)
Bedside Manor
Naturally Delicious
Eville.com
Crazy Girls Undercover
The Blue Hour
Teen Wolf
Agents of SHIELD
Revenge
Dexter
24
Swingtown
Imagine Entertainment
Little Toy Boat
One Oh One Radio Pictures
Little Toy Boat
Nicely Made Media
Drafthouse Films
Echo Entertainment
Roseline Pictures
No Fun Entertainment
Echo Entertainment
Echo Entertainment
Stokes Productions
Showtime
Fresco Films
MTV
ABC/Marvel
ABC
Showtime
Fox
CBS
Skills
- A multi-skilled writer/director with over a decade of film and television production experience.
- Developing projects from inception through production and post, including several short films, web videos, and a feature film.
- Experienced at working on productions from a multi-million dollar set or on a one-man video shoot.
- Has personal experience working in every key department.
- Creating slide decks that engage students visually and auditorily, utilizing example clips, images, and screenplay samples.
- Engaging students with in-class exercises, in order to encourage participation and active learning.
- Experienced with Canvas as an online learning tool.
- Experienced teaching remotely through Zoom.