Cinema (including film, television, and new media) is a collaborative art. I believe in carrying that collaboration into the classes I teach.

This begins in the classroom itself. My lectures are interactive. I regularly check in with my students to ensure they’re following the material, but moreover, I encourage questions about and challenges to my lessons. Although my lectures are thoroughly planned, with slideshows and video examples to keep students engaged, I have on more than one occasion allowed an in-depth discussion to overtake the lecture. I’ll amend the lesson on the fly, to allow a true debate between the students to take place. I feel they’re more likely to absorb the material if they’re actively engaged with it, rather than passively listening and watching.

I also build group projects into every course. Some of these are in-class exercises, while others are homework. The key is, students are never placed in the same group twice. They learn to work with different personalities and modes of thinking, which will be necessary throughout their life.

And while the practice of filmmaking (at any stage from writing to shooting to editing and beyond) is important, history and theory are equally valuable. Especially in our streaming age, a historical and cross-cultural understanding of cinema is more attainable than ever. Which is why I also create assignments that involve viewing films of every era, from silents to modern blockbusters, in many languages from many countries. Even in classes that aren’t, strictly speaking, film appreciation courses, learning from the past is the best way to grow in the future.

Lastly, I prefer to bring my own real-world experience into the classroom. With over a decade and a half of employment in the entertainment industry, in every role from PA to director to producer, I’ve seen how the theory gets put into practice on sets and in writing rooms. That kind of mentorship helps a lot of students who otherwise have no connections to Hollywood. Collaboration is as invaluable to beginning a career after graduation as it is to learning itself.