As part of the Professor for a Day event, CSUSB Alumnus Danny Bilson talks about his successes in the theater industry and his contribution to Da 5 Bloods, which will premier on Netflix on June 12. Graduating from CSUSB in 1978 with a BA in theater, Bilson co-wrote The Rocketeer with his writing partner Paul De Meo, co-produced the Sims, was Executive Creative Director for Electronic Arts (EA), and is now a professor and Interactive Media and Games Division Chair at University of Southern California (USC). As for his contributions to Da 5 Bloods, Bilson and De Meo wrote the original screenplay which was later adapted by director Spike Lee. “The story of Da 5 Bloods came from San … [Read more...] about CSUSB alumnus co-writes Netflix film
Arts and Entertainment
RAFFMA’s COVID-19 adjustments forces the team to innovate
RAFFMA made numerous adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from connecting with each other to connect with their audience. It’s been a big shift for the marketing department as well and staying in contact with their members and community. The teams continue working from home and coming up with new projects. This includes student assistants. Each person has their own projects and tasks ranging from creating crafts for every child they have in their summer workshops to making transcriptions and audio logs for their virtual tours. One of the upcoming virtual tours they are working on is their 3D Virtual Exhibition called Endomorphism by David B. Jang. His Exhibition gives an … [Read more...] about RAFFMA’s COVID-19 adjustments forces the team to innovate
Will the show still go on?
CSUSB's 2020 Spring musical “Once Upon A Mattress" is in a state of limbo on whether or not the live performance will take place on campus. The hard-working cast and crew of the musical are pressing on forward given the current pandemic crisis. They hope to perform an actual live show during the Fall semester 2020, with a hint of the possibility of a cancellation again. Thomas Provenzano, the director of the spring musical, said, "We are open to many ideas -- but nothing is certain." There is discussion about how and what can be done concerning the presentation of the musical given the unknown nature of the pandemic timeline. Approximately a year of planning has gone into the … [Read more...] about Will the show still go on?
Q & A with faculty editor of Pacific Review
“Alone Together: Confined in a Connected World,” a new issue of Pacific Review is accepting submissions until May 31, as it prepares for the soft launch date early this June. Angela Peñaredondo, Ph.D., has been the Faculty Editor of the 37-year-old journal for the past two quarters and has worked as a Creative Writing and Digital Humanities Assistant Professor since the Fall of 2018. She shares details about her work in the Pacific Review and those who are interested in getting published in the journal. Q: What types of works are accepted? A: Definitely fiction and poetry. We’re also accepting creative nonfiction, visual art or any type of art (photography, paintings, street … [Read more...] about Q & A with faculty editor of Pacific Review
Quarantine life through the eyes of Remy
Former CSUSB student Jorge Razo is taking advantage of the extra time during quarantine to showcase his creativity. Razo has been generating memes involving Remy, a character he created in 2013, being stuck at home during this pandemic. Razo has enjoyed drawing ever since he was a kid. "As I got older, I didn't have the same free time to draw, so I set aside all my drawing supplies and forgot about them for many years," Razo said. "It wasn't until I started reading children books to my daughter that the idea to write her a book and illustrate it came to mind." In 2013, Razo started an instagram page and called it "wiidoodle" and used the platform as an incentive to draw every … [Read more...] about Quarantine life through the eyes of Remy
Festival season cancelled
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, countless mass gatherings across the state have been cancelled, if not postponed, and this includes concerts and music festivals. Due to the nature of how COVID-19 spreads, mass gatherings that typically occur in political rallies, shopping at malls, watching in movie theaters, and attending music festivals have been placed on pause with events being postponed. California counties, including San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Riverside have seen their share of COVID-19 cases, which has prompted venue owners and festival promoters to reschedule or cancel their upcoming musical events. Festivals such as Coachella, Beyond Wonderland, and numerous smaller … [Read more...] about Festival season cancelled
Q & A with Raymundo Guerrero on photography business during pandemic
Photographer Raymundo Guerrero, owner and founder of Creative Precision Photography, reflects on how COVID-19 has damaged his business operations and artistic endeavors. Guerrero explains that since mandatory stay at home orders were placed on the state of California in mid-March, his scheduled shoots have been cancelled, clientele has shrunk significantly, and his overall approach to photography has drastically changed due to social distancing restrictions. He gives us his thoughts on the situation and believes there is still positives that can come out of this pandemic despite all the losses his business has endured over the last month. Q: How did you get into the photography … [Read more...] about Q & A with Raymundo Guerrero on photography business during pandemic
Pro-choice advocates continue discussion through online platforms
The spread of COVID-19 has pushed people in office to enforce orders that require people to practice social distancing and only go out in public for essential services. One of these services, abortion, has been deemed by many states, such as Texas, to not be an essential service and many clinics are either being shut down or are denied funds to perform the procedure. The short film “Grapefruit,” directed by Mike Peters, had an online film premiere on April 7 to spark the discussion of a woman’s right to an abortion and the obstacles she may face, such as being led into a fake clinic. “My hope is to be a catalyst to encourage discussion,” Peters said. “Grapefruit” focuses on a … [Read more...] about Pro-choice advocates continue discussion through online platforms
Q&A with local photographer, Salvador Sanchez
Photography is a beautiful way to memorialize or document any event that you wish to cherish later on in life. Local Inland Empire photographer, Salvador Sanchez (@SalsTouch), provides some insights into his life as a professional photographer. Salvador Sanchez, 24, has his own thriving business and shares what it is like being a professional freelance photographer. Q: Why did you choose to pursue photography? A: Fourteen years ago, my mom gave me a video camera and I swore I was going to become the next Quentin Tarantino. A few years later and I’m taking my first video production class in high school. As fate would have it, I discovered the class also had professional cameras … [Read more...] about Q&A with local photographer, Salvador Sanchez
Importance of comics
The topics of race and racism and the inclusion of wider gender identities was presented to CSUSB in the form of comic books. CSUSB hosted its third annual Comic Book Expo on Thursday, February 20, to state the impact of comics, help students who seek a future in comics, and This event was held by Cesar Caballero, the dean of the John M. Pfau Library, and Matthew Poole, the professor and Chair of Art Design on our campus. Cesar Caballero said, “We put this event on to help our students and give them an opportunity to show off their creative skills." There were also five panelists present who wrote comics and loved what comics do for society. Those panelists included Amanda … [Read more...] about Importance of comics