FIRST , YOU HAVE TO START
Q : Your personal and professional success with SCAD and other endeavors throughout your career demonstrate that you know how to get things DONE . How would you describe your leadership style , and what are you looking forward to next ?
A : First , you have to start . By actually beginning , you learn by doing what works and what doesn ’ t . Sometimes , there can be analysis paralysis . Just start !
Surround yourself with like minded dreamers and makers who take joy in results . The SCAD family is aspirational , innovative , collaborative , and transformative . A strong team is a must . So , build an exceptional team . If you can ’ t build one , join one .
ATLANTA ’ S XR STAGE
I ’ m looking forward to the Next Big Thing at SCAD . That NBT is not predetermined , but as a creative entrepreneur , I never have a dearth of ideas . I remain open to possibilities yet grounded in the purpose and success of SCAD exemplified by our brilliant alumni .
Q : Tell me about the XR stage ( in Atlanta and Savannah ) and backlot expansion that you ’ re building at SCAD Savannah . It ’ s the first of its kind in the Southeast , and it is a game changer for the region , illustrating what SCAD Savannah Film Studios will generate and its significance for the film industry in GA .
A : Can we even remember when Atlanta wasn ’ t one of the world ’ s great centers for television and film production ? Today , we ’ re talking about a statewide $ 9 billion industry , and SCAD students have been on the leading edge of Atlanta ’ s entertainment wave for nearly two decades . Between our three locations , we are primed to be the largest university studio complex in the United States ! We ’ ve just broken ground on our SCAD Backlot in Savannah that features an incredible XR studio — with a 40-foot-wide XR screen at SCAD Atlanta presently under construction .
Right now , almost 20 % of our SCAD alums enjoy careers in the digital media and entertainment industries — in Fall 2020 , we enrolled almost a quarter of our students across the SCAD Schools of Digital Media and Entertainment Arts alone . This year , more than 130 SCAD students and alums worked on 21 Academy Award-nominated films . Since its launch , the SCAD Casting Office — the only professionally run casting office in higher education — has helped students book more than 500 roles in major motion pictures and television series produced in Georgia .