President's Blog

Are you interested in getting into the film industry? Come to the Brooks Institute open house on Saturday May 15 to learn more!

Presentations run from 10am through 1pm.

The Ventura Campus houses our Film and Video Production program and our Graphic Design program.

Formerly a motion picture studio, the campus is complete with a back lot, film sets, sound stages, and computer labs for editing and graphic design.

Come by and see if Brooks Institute is the right school for you!

Please RSVP: 888-304-3456

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The Chile documentary group held three packed release parties. All proceeds from these events benefit earthquake relief in Chile.

Last year, a group of 16 Brooks Institute Film, Professional Photography, and Visual Journalism students along with faculty member Paul Michael Myers spent seven weeks in Chile researching  and recording the country’s culture, people, landscapes, and so much more with the vision to bring what they found back to California in the form of a documentary Book, DVD and website.

They returned and on February 27, 2010 devastation struck many of those they met and the places they traveled in the form of a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake. With some quick thinking, the group partnered with Direct Relief and turned their documentary release parties into fundraising efforts for the country they have come to admire.

Documentary co-producer Jeff Johns issued this statement, “In our efforts to partner with local NGO Direct Relief International to aid the victims and those affected by the devastating earthquake in Chile in late February 2010, we are proud to announce that with your help, and the help of the local community, to date, we raised nearly $7,000 to be sent directly to organizations on the ground in Chile. With your help, this money, which totals almost $200,000 worth of medical supplies because of partnerships DRI has with medical supply companies, we are doing an amazing job getting desperately needed help to those who need it most in the country we fell in love with. Donations are still being accepted at http://www.directrelief.org/brookschile.html.”

Be sure to also visit the Revelar los Enlaces documentary website.

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The Alumni Association of Brooks Institute (AABI) announced the winners of their first annual Visual Arts Contest. The theme for the contest was Nature vs. Man. This contest was open to all Brooks Institute Alumni and held on the official AABI Facebook Page. They had over 60 alumni participants submit more than 100 images.

The images went through a three-tiered judging process comprised of esteemed Brooks Institute faculty and alumni. Thank you to faculty members Bruce Burkhardt, Ralph Clevenger, Chuck Place, Bob Smith, and alumnus James Neihouse for giving their time to review the images and select the winners.

Without further ado, the winners are:

1^st Place: Paul Knudsen

2^nd Place: Joe Morahan

3^rd Place: Ashley Suzanne Taylor

Runners Up:

Gina Papadakis

Kodiak Greenwood

Willa Kveta

Congratulations Brookies!

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"Rodeo" Image by Emma Fernelius

Brooks Institute presents the grand opening of “Revelar los Enlaces,” a student-developed documentary of Chile. The documentary, which chronicles the country’s people, life and culture, will premier as a multi-media presentation April 8, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara. Immediately following the premier, an exhibit and artists’ reception displaying the students’ documentary prints will be held at Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27.

As the premier date approached, the Feb. 27, 2010 earthquake in Chile became a focal point for the documentary group. With relief efforts underway, the students at Brooks Institute teamed up with Direct Relief International, a California-based, non-profit organization that provides financial and medical support to those in need. All proceeds resulting in the sale of the book and DVD will be donated to help the people of Chile. The students also will be collecting donations and conducting print auctions at the three gallery opening events.

“Chile now has a home in my heart,” said visual journalism student and documentary co-producer Jeff Johns.  “I realized we have an unbelievable opportunity to use these products we created to gain attention, awareness and relief for the victims of this horrible earthquake. By turning our opening events into fund raising opportunities, we have high hopes of raising funds to immediately impact those in desperate need.”

Each year, the visual journalism program of Brooks Institute offers an international documentary trip for interested Visual Journalism, Professional Photography, Graphic Design and Film students. The class, which is staged in a different international location each year, is limited to the strongest applicants. In November and December 2009, the 16 selected students and instructor spent seven weeks in Chile. Upon their return, the students created projects to showcase their experiences from this documented trip, including a multimedia presentation, a print exhibition, Web site, book and a DVD.

Following this grand opening event on April 8 will be a special screening and multimedia presentation at Brooks Institute’s Ventura Campus Saturday, April 10 from 6 – 10 p.m.  A screening and print show will also be held at the Marriott Ventura Beach Thursday, April 15, from 5 – 7:30 p.m. Each event will be unique as the students bring their Chilean experience to Southern California.

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Brookies Danielle Sandoval and Devyn Arrey were on-hand to photograph celebrity attendees.

Eleven Brookies teamed up with Brooks Institute’s  Career Services team, Eli Davis, Daniel Smith, Katie Huber and Isis Wills and attended this year’s pre-Oscars events, specifically the Eco Red Carpet and celebrity portrait session for The American Red Cross and benefit for Haiti relief.

“It was an incredible experience for me to be a part of the Oscars pre-party celebration,” said Brookie Katie Fagan, “I volunteered to help these talented photographers, who were also donating their time and expertise, to raise funds for relief in Haiti. [The photographers] definitely taught me a thing or two while they worked with each star; however, I had a few tricks up my own sleeve and was able to problem-solve in some intense moments, thanks to the influence of some great Brooks faculty.”

Our Brookies photographed celebrities including Candy Spelling, Chelsea Hightower from Dancing with the Stars and Shar Jackson from Celebrity Fit Club. The career services team was present for the two day event and made a lot of great connections!

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Flyer image by Mark Turner

Outstanding work from the Brooks Institute School of Visual Journalism is being featured now at the Ventura County Arts Council Collegiate Exhibition. The exhibit runs from March 5 through March 31 at the Ventura County Government Center located at 800 South Victoria Blvd in Ventura. (The exhibition is located in the Main Administration Building, top floor of the Atrium Gallery.) The public is invited to a reception scheduled for Thursday, March 18 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

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Left to right: Yao Shiguan, Professor & Vice Dean of Teaching, Administration Division; Xiong Ying, Dean of School of Foreign Languages; Dr. Roger Andersen, President, Brooks Institute; Kuang Guozhu, President, Dalian University of Technology Photo Credit: David Litschel

The three visitors from Dalian University of Technology were accompanied by Yuhsun Edward Shih, Ph.D., Director of International Admissions, Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the visit was to meet with Dr. Roger Andersen and David Litschel, Vice President of Academic Affairs, to discuss ways in which the two institutions could cooperate in the future. Plans are to follow up with another meeting in March.

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This  week Mr. Duk Hyung Yoo, President of Seoul Institute of the Arts, and I signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the Establishment of Academic and Artistic Cooperation between our schools. The academic, artistic, and cultural cooperation and exchanges between the two institutions may include:

• Exchange of students
• Exchange of faculty and staff members
• Student internships
• Joint productions (i.e. film, photography, design, etc.) and research projects
• Joint conferences
• Joint cultural programs
• Joint exhibitions, performances and workshops
• Special lecture programs

Both schools have been in preliminary discussions of a possible student documentary project in South Korea during the summer of 2011.

Mr. Yoo and I are excited about the cultural and educational programs that can be developed between our two premier visual arts schools.

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This past Sunday (August 30), 100 students participated in our October Commencement ceremony held at the historic Arlington Theatre in beautiful downtown Santa Barbara. The last two graduates to receive their Bachelor of Arts degree diplomas in Professional Photography were Katie Groth and Ace Ujimori.  Katie and Ace met when they started at Brooks three years ago. Upon receiving her diploma, Katie attempted to return to her seat with the other graduates but I asked her to stand with me as Ace crossed the stage to receive his diploma. Once Ace received his diploma from me, he turned to Katie, got down on one knee, and pulled out a small jewelry box and opened it to reveal an engagement ring. “Katie Groth, will you marry me?”  When Katie jumped into his arms with tears in her eyes, the entire graduating class erupted in cheers and gave this very special couple a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. Although most couples clearly remember where they were when they became engaged, I doubt that Katie and Ace will ever forgot this very important moment in their lives – and Brooks Institute history! “Commencement” means beginning. This past Sunday ’s commencement was truly a new beginning for Katie and Ace and their lives together as they become Brookies (Brooks Institute alumni). Katie and Ace: the very best to you from all of your family at Brooks Institute!

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