Capital Emmys

This alumna was a production supervisor for the Oscar-winning film "Anora"鈥�

Shayla Brown — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:17:28 +0000

This alumna was a production supervisor for the Oscar-winning film "Anora"鈥� Shayla Brown Fri, 05/02/2025 - 16:17

Only five years after graduating from 海角社区, alumna Rhyan Elliott, Film and Video Studies 鈥�20, was recently a production supervisor for the five-time Oscar-winning film Anora (2024), directed by Sean Baker. 鈥�

鈥淚've always been interested in telling stories, but everything really started happening for me when I got to George Mason,鈥� said Elliott.鈥�

Rhyan Elliott. Photo provided.

When she first arrived on campus, Elliott joined the student organization Delta Kappa Alpha (DKA), which focuses on the professional growth of students who hope to work in the cinematic arts.鈥�

Although Elliott initially pursued a screenwriting concentration and had hoped to work in video game production, she soon realized she liked working in film production.鈥�

鈥淸With] DKA, I learned a lot more about myself as a creative artist and discovered that I also loved the office side of things, since we鈥檙e required to do a lot of different paperwork for events and things like that,鈥� said Elliott.

Elliott credits George Mason professor and award-winning filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu and her course FAVS 475 Advanced Fiction Directing for inspiring her.鈥�

鈥淧rofessor Jusu was very influential to me as a creative artist. I did a couple of projects for George Mason鈥檚 Best of Film that are the results of her classes and guidance,鈥� said Elliott.鈥�

The two projects were the student short film Close Call, which won a student鈥�Capital Emmy and the short film, Always Carry a Bible, which she screened at the Washington West Film Festival for.鈥�

鈥淚 had the pleasure of teaching鈥疪hyan and was immediately struck by her unshakeable confidence and ability to harness a room,鈥� said Jusu.鈥�

鈥淪he is a talented, unique storyteller and thinker who bravely made her way to New York after graduating from Mason. It comes as no surprise that she found her place in the crew of such a poignant indie film.鈥�

George Mason鈥檚 Film and Video Studies Program also requires its students to complete an internship before graduation.鈥�

Rhyan Elliott (bottom right) with the Anora film crew. Photo provided.

鈥�鈥淚 went to New York in summer of 2019 and worked on two films, Naked Singularity and Black Lady Goddess, as a production assistant, and everything just snowballed from there,鈥� said Elliott, who has worked on multiple indie films, television shows, and A24 productions since graduating.鈥�

She was also a health safety officer on sets in the wake of the pandemic.鈥�

鈥淲e started pre-production for Anora in November 2022, so this has been a years-long journey,鈥� said Elliott.鈥�

As production supervisor, Elliott worked closely with the film鈥檚 line producer, managing the finances and budget of the film, and making sure that spending was on track with projections.鈥�

鈥淭he cast and crew members are still pretty close, so we had an Oscars watch party at a really cool bar in New York,鈥� said Elliott, who also attended the film鈥檚 world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 surreal to think that this little movie that we put all of our blood, sweat, and tears into and worked so hard and passionately on is now on the big screen and receiving so much praise. There have been so many big moments that you don鈥檛 realize are building up to something so amazing,鈥� she said.鈥�

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Film and Video students take home Capital Emmy Student Production Awards

Shayla Brown — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:59:06 +0000

Film and Video students take home Capital Emmy Student Production Awards Shayla Brown Tue, 02/11/2025 - 08:59

Students from 海角社区鈥檚 Film and Video Studies Program collaborated in the classroom to create films that earned them their first Capital Emmy Student Production Awards. These awards, sponsored by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, recognize outstanding achievement in video production in the region.

鈥淚 knew I loved editing my whole life. When I was a little kid, I thought 鈥業'm going to be a famous YouTuber and make videos,鈥欌€� said senior film major Xavier Jimenez, who received an award in the commercial category for鈥€淢edia Production Program: Behind the Scenes.鈥�

Xavier Jimenez directing his promotional video. Photo provided.

鈥淚t wasn't until my senior year [in high school] that I realized editing kind of falls into film, and I started researching more about videography and cinematography,鈥� said Jimenez, who has a minor in photography.

During his junior year, Jimenez took COMM 358 Multi-Camera Studio Production with Department of Communication instructor David Miller at the Student Video Center.

鈥淭hat semester was my first time meeting Professor Miller. I showed him some of my previous video work of our basketball and soccer teams, and asked if I could borrow the Sony FX3 camera,鈥� explained Jimenez, who also creates content for George Mason Athletics.

Miller was thoroughly impressed by Jimenez鈥檚 videography skills, permitting him to use the new camera on the condition that he create a 鈥渂ehind-the-scenes鈥� promotional video for the course aimed at prospective students. This project, directed, shot, and edited by Jimenez with Miller鈥檚 guidance, ultimately earned him his first Emmy Award.

鈥淚 always tell my students that the only prerequisites for my course are curiosity and hard work. I noticed that right away in Xavier,鈥� said David Miller, who is the media production coordinator in the Department of Communication. 鈥淗onestly, Xavier appears to have an innate talent, and giving him additional challenges and opportunities will only help him reach new heights鈥攈e鈥檚 just that good.鈥�

The promotional video was finalized in May 2024, and Miller submitted it to be considered for the award.

George Mason alumnus Mauricio Alarcon, BA Film and Video Studies 鈥�24,鈥痑lso received a Capital Emmy Student Production Award in the Fiction-Long Form category for鈥痟is film 鈥淟a Vida.鈥�

Mauricio Alarcon (center) directing his film, "La Vida." Photo provided.

He wrote and directed the film under the guidance of his supervisor, Film and Video Studies professor Thomas Britt. Alarcon created the film across three semesters involving two courses: FAVS 498 Development for Senior Project and FAVS 499: Senior Project.

鈥淚 wrote about 10 drafts of the script with Professor Britt and I received meaningful feedback every time,鈥� said Alarcon. 鈥淚t was nice to always have him in my corner supporting and reassuring me that I could do it. He helped me make sure the story could be told in the most impactful way.鈥�

Britt, whose guidance covered everything from the initial script draft to the final sound mix, said he was proud, but not surprised by Alarcon winning an Emmy Student Production Award.

鈥淚t was a pleasure to work with Mauricio across three semesters on this project,鈥� said Britt. 鈥淗is vision for the film was strong from the beginning, so much of what I did was intended to help him bring that to the screen without losing his enthusiasm or purpose for the film.鈥�

Alarcon has many excellent qualities, said Britt, but one that stands out is his follow-through.

鈥淎t every stage of the filmmaking process, he showed that he could deliver on that ambition, so he always backed up his goals with results that meant he did not have to compromise,鈥� Britt said.

Alarcon鈥檚 film centers on a 17-year-old boy named Jorge who is the son of immigrants and whose aspirations to make his high school soccer team are halted by his father鈥檚 sudden absence and having to take care of his younger sister, Alarcon said.

Mauricio Alarcon (center) directing his film, "La Vida." Photo provided.

鈥淚 wanted to diversify the Latino American narratives. The Latino population in the DMV is primarily Central American, meaning El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. I was lucky enough to work with Xavier, who's also El Salvadoran, as assistant camera,鈥� said Alarcon, who minored in global affairs.

Alarcon鈥檚 film crew was made up of fellow film majors who he met during his time in the program. He was able to secure his locations through connections in the Arlington community, filming at his elementary school and local apartments buildings, as well as on George Mason鈥檚 soccer fields.

鈥淟a Vida鈥� was shown at the Mason Film Festival, the Georgia Latino Film Festival, International Kolkata Short Film Festival, and the Chandler International Film Festival.

Alarcon, who hopes to continue telling Latin American narratives, is currently in grad school at Loyola Marymount University studying film and television production.