Orange Hits the Silver Screen

Film education initiatives at OSU-Tulsa are advancing careers and creating opportunities

half of attendees received scholarship assistance from the Cherokee Nation Film Office.

“Oklahoma’s television and film production industries continue to grow at an exceptional pace, and we are pleased to serve a role in helping educate, prepare and connect a workforce capable of supporting that growth,” said Jennifer Loren, senior director of Cherokee Nation Film Office.

Led by working professionals, many of whom are Academy or Emmy Award nominees, the workshops emphasize set-ready skills and practical experience. Topics include film industry fundamentals, screenwriting, lighting and sound.

“Especially with filmmaking, it’s all about hands-on instruction and learning with the tools and technology that’s in front of you,” said Zach Litwack, filmmaker-in-residence at OSU-Tulsa and workshop instructor. “There’s only so much you can learn from a YouTube video or reading a book.”

Let’s set the scene: Oklahoma is an increasingly popular production destination, with major movies like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Stillwater” recently filmed in the state, along with hit TV shows like FX Production’s “Reservation Dogs” and Paramount+’s “Tulsa King.”

Every set needs workers. Not only actors and directors, but also technicians, producers, production assistants, makeup artists and a whole crew of other professionals to bring our favorite stories to life.

Until recently, it was difficult for Oklahomans to gain the skills necessary to work on a film set. It was also a challenge for productions to find qualified workers in the state. The Center for Poets and Writers at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa stepped in to meet that need — and when it comes to helping bring stories to life, they have decades of experience.

Growing A Workforce

The center has hosted film workshops since 2021, almost all sold out or with wait lists. Nearly

The intensive two-day film set etiquette or “Setiquette” workshops have been a gateway to the local film scene for many participants, including work on the third season of “Reservation Dogs.” The workshops create a live set where students produce a short film with professional equipment and guidance from a team of industry veterans.

“Three of the students that took that workshop networked with some of the instructors and were on a film with them the next weekend,” Litwack said. “It was awesome to see.”

Empowering Oklahoma Stories

Erin Parker, a resource advisor for the Indian Education Program team at Tulsa Public Schools, used an OSU-Tulsa screenwriting workshop as a springboard into the world of animation.

Every year, Parker’s program rents a movie theater and shows a Native American-themed film to participating students and their families. However, the small selection of age-appropriate films limits their options.

“I decided I would have to fill the gap for my students,” Parker said. “I saw that there was a scholarship through the Cherokee Nation Film Office for a screenwriting workshop at OSU-Tulsa, so I applied and got it.”

After completing her screenplay in the workshop, Parker was accepted to an animation mentorship program that will help her turn her screenplay into an animated short film.

“My story is about the day a young Kiowa boy is taken from his village to an Indian Boarding School and what his mother has to do to prepare him for the journey. I have a 7-year-old son and I can’t imagine him being taken from me,” Parker said.

“I know I’m new to this, but my story needs to be told.”

Looking Forward

The Cherokee Nation Community Film Lab is expected to open later this year at OSU-Tulsa.

“This lab will be a hub for community members and students who want to develop new skills and work on film sets in Oklahoma,” said Lindsey Smith, director of the Center for Poets and Writers.

The center continues to find new ways to build relationships with local professionals and productions, such as Sundance Film Festival finalist “Fancy Dance,” which used OSU-Tulsa as a production base camp.

OSU-Tulsa now also offers film courses for credit, including screenwriting and a film production course planned for fall 2023.

“All the work we’ve poured into workshops, the film lab, networking with professionals and building strong partnerships is paying off in the form of new careers and opportunities for students,” Smith said.

“It’s really exciting to think we can offer more opportunities to combine storytelling, critical thinking and new technology with the chance of a job opportunity.”

10 YEARS AFTER ITS ANNOUNCEMENT, MAJOR GIFT CONTINUES TO MAKE AN IMPACT THROUGHOUT CEAT

“Through this gift, we’ve not only been able to create a bright future for numerous engineering students, but also ensure our company remains true to our Oklahoma community and gives back to each Dolese employee for their service to the company.”

Roger, son of co-founder Peter Dolese, led the company for 58 years until his death in 2002. Although Dolese does not employ many engineers itself, it was a profession Roger had great admiration for, which was his motivation to give to CEAT.

He hoped the gift would increase the number of engineers in the workforce. OSU has done its part to make that vision become a reality.

Scholarship support has made the most impact in how the Dolese gift supports students. It’s been a driving force behind helping more people attend OSU and ultimately walk across the graduation stage.

Since 2012, the number of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded each year has more than doubled. During that time, degree production for mechanical and aerospace engineering has increased 151%, a figure exponentially higher than the university average of 28.6%.

Industrial engineering as well as electrical and computer engineering have also seen huge boosts in degree production with 207% and 84% increases, respectively.

“The growth of our engineering programs over the past decade has been remarkable,” said Dr. Jeanette Mendez, OSU provost and senior vice president. “And the scholarships and other student programs funded by the Dolese gift have certainly played a part in that. I’m so glad we have been able to fulfill Mr. Dolese’s goal of increasing the number of engineering graduates in the state.”

Last year, over $1 million of Dolese funds went toward direct scholarships that included CEAT Scholar awards, need-based applications, national merit scholars and other STEM scholarships. Another $152,500 was awarded as global study scholarships. Each of these awards is significant, as none was worth less than $2,500.

The CEAT Scholars program in particular, which used the Dolese funds to match other donors resulting in a combined impact of $722,935 in 2022, has seen significant growth in recent years.

Elevating the Student Experience

Molly Hoback is a CEAT S cholar and OSU senior studying architectural engineering. The program completely transformed her college experience, including allowing her to go on a 10-day study abroad trip to Finland last summer.

She said her time in Stillwater wouldn’t be complete without being involved.

“The CEAT Scholars program is not only a scholarship; it is a platform to enrich our college experience,” Hoback said. “It’s connected me to other motivated CEAT majors and allowed me to do so many more things that I simply would not have gone out and done on my own.”

Hoback has been impacted by the Dolese effect in more ways than one. She is also involved with Parker Engineering, Architecture and Technology Experts and CEAT Summer Bridge, which both helped ease her — and countless other students’ — college transition.

These two programs wouldn’t have been possible without Dolese’s generosity.

PEATEs are upperclassmen mentors who live in Parker Hall, a residential hall designated for CEAT students.

Hoback is one of nine PEATEs who work to create a community feel, help residents build relationships with each other and provide general guidance.

Many CEAT Scholars also serve as CEAT Ambassadors, a group of students who work to promote the college to prospective students and guests.

“Parker was a small community where we all could support each other through the struggles of college and freshman-level engineering classes,” Hoback said. “I applied to be a PEATE because they made the dorm a home for everybody my freshman year, and I really wanted to contribute and make it better.”

Summer Bridge, meanwhile, lends a helping hand to freshmen before they even start their classes. It’s a three-week preparatory program for students who plan to study a CEAT major.

Students can become accustomed to the rigors of CEAT coursework with academic review, mock exams, orientation seminars and engineering design projects. Preparation for Calculus I, specifically, is a focus.

The program is a factor in helping students navigate college, and even has the potential to help them shorten time to graduation depending on their level of math readiness.

Hoback participated in Summer Bridge as a freshman, and her experience motivated her to become a program counselor, a role she held for two years.

“Summer Bridge really set me up to succeed,” Hoback said. “The program helped me get familiar with campus, meet new friends and mentors, and get acclimated to the rigors of college. By the first day of the classes, I was still nervous, but I felt prepared.”

Developing Future Engineers

Dolese’s role in increasing CEAT’s student success rate isn’t just limited to students in their first year. The Dolese gift allowed the college to host student-led discussion and tutoring sessions. They were so beneficial that the sessions are now university-funded.

CEAT has even benefited future generations of engineers by holding K-12 STEM summer camps.

Current OSU students work with second-eighth grade students, while young professionals and graduate students mentor ninth-12th graders to hopefully cultivate an interest in a future STEM career. The camps, which were started with Dolese funds, are now sponsored and funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

“Not only are these programs beneficial to the attendees, but they also give our students a chance to hone their communication skills,” Tikalsky said. “They have to figure out how they can explain thermodynamics in a way that anyone can understand.”

Along with the academic impacts of Dolese’s gift, OSU research efforts have benefited, too. For more than a decade, numerous undergrad research positions and assistantships have been created.

For example, student work at the Bert Cooper Structures and Materials Laboratory has all been funded by Dolese. Fittingly, the lab’s primary focus is research related to concrete.

Students working at the lab, such as Josephine Lee, a senior studying civil engineering, gain a new understanding and appreciation of the industry. Lee has been involved with the lab since her freshman year.

“Concrete is such a widely used material, it is important for us to understand how to improve it,” Lee said. “The skills I’ve learned working there, along with the relationships I’ve built with other engineering students at the lab, will definitely be valuable in my future career.”

Even 11 years after the gift was made, the Dolese effect continues to make an impact throughout CEAT. And the ripples won’t stop anytime soon.

“Engineering is everywhere — from Dolese concrete to my desk chair,” Tikalsky said. “This gift has been an instrumental part of our college’s success. Dolese continues to change lives at OSU and beyond, and its impact shouldn’t be overlooked.”

INSPIRED BY THIS STORY OF GENEROSITY?

Make a gift to benefit CEAT or find out how you can make a difference by contacting Bryce Killingsworth at bkillingsworth@OSUgiving.com or by visiting OSUgiving.com.