Shooting for the Hollywood Stars

Studying film is one thing, but being given an opportunity to make a film for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, now known as the Golden Globe Foundation, is a new level.

This happened over a year ago to Christine Cortez, a former Film, Television and Media student. Cortez got funding to create her own short film and showcase it.

The Golden Globe Foundation (GGF) is a nonprofit organization made up of journalists and photographers. Its most famous endeavor is founding and organizing the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.

California State University, Dominguez Hills has been working for several years now with the GGF, getting grants for its Journalism and FTVM programs. They provide students with funding to showcase their work in their choice of medium.

For the Journalism Program, the grant covers fellowships for Journalism majors and the World Press Freedom event at the end of April. Journalism program coordinator Dr. Nancy Cheever explained how to apply. Students write a personal bio and an essay on what work they want to complete. The department then considers financial need, GPA, performance, aptitude and whether the student will be able to complete the work.

The grant pays for the fellows' tuition, which helps those struggling to pay for it and allows them at the same time to practice their craft.

Journalism fellows then produce a news package by World Press Freedom Day, which is when they present their work. The package is made up of a podcast, video, feature story and investigative news story, all published on a website. Students can pick their own topics, which usually revolve around social justice and ensuring equality in the newsroom and issues of representation.

Dr. Cheever said the "GGF is committed to equal practices and celebrating inclusions," making the partnership a staple in DH's mission to equality.

The Equity in Journalism Fellowship grant represents $21,500 for both the World Press Freedom Day event and the fellowships for which the money is divided between the students to pay their tuition.

Last year, one of the fellows, mentored by Dr. Cheever, looked at the roadblocks Latina journalists face in professional jobs such as being passed up for opportunities, not being given the resources they need or having their stories denied.

Cortez got GGF funding through the FTVM Program. To get it, she had to write an outline on a past or current project. Once her application went through the first stage, she sent a detailed version of the film project she would realize with the grant. Although the fellowship provided financial compensation as it was issued through the financial aid office, the total amount allocated to the project is largely different based on the receiver's financial status.

Cortez, like many others at CSUDH, is passionate about creating opportunities and experiences for her fellow students. Once she got the grant, she created an opportunity by enlisting others wanting to make it in the entertainment industry to help on the project. Richard Soto, one of the team members, stated he joined the project to experience being part of a team in relation to film. The team was made up of almost 20 students, most working for the first time in their respective roles. Cortez said she "would love to expand people's portfolios and skillset with this short film."

In order to have the film be both efficient in the story arc and shooting logistics – locations, characters, length – the script was reviewed by FTVM professors during pre-production. But before this came the writing of said script.

Cortez remembers the start fondly, although she stated it seemed it happened ages ago.

"Writing the script was definitely a fun learning process," Cortez said.

With the seven other writers she recruited, they threw ideas around every Thursday morning on a whiteboard as well as "scavenge for a dry erase marker."

As a first-time producer, Cortez confessed to learning the significance of having a linear plot line while keeping in mind budget, cast and other production components. Moreover, to achieve her goals, deadlines and responsibility delegations had to be set.

Getting others to join the team was crucial, and Cortez is grateful to all those who got on board. Two of them were key components in encouraging Cortez to follow her ambitions. She remembers pitching this project to her friends and teammates Ceejay Nicholson and Sandis Wightman in a study room September 2022. Wightman recalls the moment as well, stating how Cortez mentioned starting a club with FTVM majors to create their own material, which other schools do and DH did not at the time.

He added that he joined as he wanted "the CSUDH FTVM Program to have more of a presence at the school" and he wished to be "a part of something and leave a legacy."

Later a producer on the project, Wightman had come a long way from telling his friend, and Nicholson, the director, how it did not matter if they were the only three on the project or had to film on their smart phones; the goal was to collaborate and make something.

Keone Roberts, one of the post-producers, shared that "post-production is a tedious but fun process" that can take one to two weeks to complete and perfect. Ultimately, Cortez would like to submit the short to the CSU Entertainment Alliance (EA) film festival with a premiere screening on campus, with hopes of making it available on YouTube as well as hosting networking events.

Cortez would like the project to "extend beyond, to cultivate a sense of community and curiosity on campus."

The Communications Department greatly supported the project, whether it was for script coverage or finding equipment. The Las Vegas native expressed her gratitude to them providing resources for the shoot and extending their time.

To showcase the behind-the-scenes events and making of the project, two students worked on the short's social media presence. Soto and Dylan Bertani assisted in marketing the short for an on-campus screening and making a mini-documentary of the shoot. The social media posts showcased how well the team worked and functioned together.

Cortez expressed her gratitude to her team by saying, they are "comprised of wonderful, creative, and dedicated people" who support and encourage one another. And the feeling is mutual.

Talking to some of the members of the team, reviews of Cortez's leadership were all positive. Wightman could not stop raving about his friend and teammate, affirming that getting funding for the project was a "testament to how hard Christine has worked from day one." He went as far as comparing her to Superwoman with her passion and commitment to making this a successful project and helping everyone involved.

"I am seriously in awe of her because she has so much going on with internships and work and school," Wightman said.

Robertson echoed this sentiment.

"Christine is a great leader," he concluded.