David Tesic
A&E Assistant
Although the Pepperdine campus is located in a community of actors, directors, producers and cinematographers, it’s not every day that students have the chance to meet with them and get their professional insights.
But thanks to the work of the CIAO club, several Pepperdine students got that chance.
Thursday, March 24, Pepperdine welcomed cinematographer Dante Spinotti and his friend and co-worker Frederic Goodich as guests at the Drescher Executive Center Tiered Auditorium in an illustrated lecture by Dr. David B. Kaminsky, professor of the fundamentals of Italian neorealism in cinema.
The lecture was sponsored by the Cultural Italian American Organization.
“Dante Spinotti is a world famous cinematographer who is respected by movie makers around the world,” said Kim Lowe, vice president of public relations for the CIAO Club. “He’s a master of his craft, so it was wonderful to hear him talk about his art.
“Also, he’s successful in both Italy and America, so he’s an excellent example not simply of cinematography but also of how art can transcend national boundaries,” she added. “Since the CIAO club exists to promote Italian-American interaction, he was a great choice as speaker.”
Lowe said the CIAO Club exists to share aspects of Italian culture, from food to film.
“The CIAO club was very active in years past, and has been revived this semester,” she said.
The club’s adviser, Dr. Paola Lorenzi, arranged for Spinotti to speak at Pepperdine.
“Given his tremendous reputation we were very excited when she told us that he was willing to come,” Lowe said.
The presentation drew a large crowd in Tiered Auditorium.
“We were very pleased with the turnout,” Lowe said. “The conference room was filled almost to capacity. The students all seemed to find the lecture very entertaining, despite it going a bit longer than anticipated.”
Lowe said Kaminsky was impressed with the students who attended.
“He said that they obviously had an intelligent grasp on the concepts behind Spinotti’s cinematography,” Lowe said.
Student reactions to the presentation were positive.
“I really enjoyed how Spinotti showed a clip and then went back and talked about how he made the clip,” said Clint Loveness, a sophomore telecommunications major.
Loveness, who wants to be a cinematographer, said he was very excited when he heard about this event.
“Every time I meet someone from the media, I give them a sample of my student films,” Loveness said. “Both cinematographers told me that they would look at it and give me some feedback.”
While talking with Frederic Goodich, a cinematographer and professor, after the lecture, Loveness said he found out that Goodich lives in Malibu and that he is interested in starting a film program at Pepperdine.
Loveness said he is one of many students at Pepperdine who are very interested in having a film program at the school, and he is hopeful that the school will consider it.
Overall, members of the CIAO Club said they consider Spinotti’s film presentation a success.
“I hope that those with an amateur interest in film were able to gain a greater appreciation for the artistry that goes into the shooting of films and the collaborative nature of movie-making,” Lowe said. “For the attendees who are hoping to go into the film industry, I hope that they were able to learn some about the methodology used by a master cinematographer, have their questions answered and maybe even make some useful contacts for the future.”
03-31-2005
