A mutual learning experience for filmmaker, Mason students

Damian Cristodero — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 15:05:23 +0000

A mutual learning experience for filmmaker, Mason students Damian Cristodero Fri, 12/20/2019 - 10:05

Mohammad Abdallah "Khamis" Alyakhari was Mason Student Media's third fellow through the International Research & Exchanges Board. "Media empowers us and makes us open to the world," he said. Photo provided.

To Mohammad Abdallah “Khamis” Alyakhari, filmmaking is an influential tool for education and empowerment.

As an independent screenwriter and film producer in Jordan, Alyakhari said he strives to tell stories and create programs that promote the ideas of peace, democracy and violence prevention.

“Media is a powerful platform to share our great stories, great moments, and information,” he said. “With the technology advancement and rapid growth, we are able to share tons of information every day. Media empowers us and makes us open to the world.”

George Mason University’s Student Media welcomed Alyakhari in August as an International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) Fellow. He came to Mason through the U.S State Department’s Community Solutions Program. The program works with IREX to place international fellows with host institutions in the United States.

Alyakhari was Student Media’s third IREX fellow. Previous fellows came from the Gaza Strip and Macedonia.

Mohammad Abdallah Alyakhari

“Hosting international fellows benefits Student Media and the Mason community in a variety of ways, and creates a unique learning environment on campus that expands the social and educational experiences available to our students,” said Kathryn Mangus, director of Student Media. “The opportunity to learn and practice their craft alongside media professionals from other countries provides invaluable global perspective for aspiring journalists and introduces them to new cultures, ideas and skills they might not encounter in the classroom.”

Alyakhari was busy during his semester at Mason. He created a video about ethical leadership for the Office of Leadership Education and Development (LEAD). He worked with Mason Votes to produce video coverage of Sen. Mark Warner’s town hall meeting on college costs, and he also shot video of Mason’s 9/11 Day of Service event.

He engaged with students as both a mentor and fellow Patriot, helping to analyze ways to grow Student Media’s online presence, revamping the WGMU website and learning to produce sports broadcasts.

“It was a great and amazing experience for me,” Alyakhari said. “I have grown my network and met new friends and gained new knowledge.”

For junior film student, a Hollywood career would be more than a job

Melanie Balog — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 09:00:32 +0000

For junior film student, a Hollywood career would be more than a job Melanie Balog Thu, 08/29/2019 - 05:00

Autumn Boxley at Atlas Entertainment, where she had a summer internship. Photo provided.

George Mason University junior Autumn Boxley drove down Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles every morning to get to work this summer. Amid the traffic and palm trees were myriad billboards, but only a few featured people of color, she said.

The realization strengthened Boxley’s ambition to succeed as a writer in Hollywood and, as a self-identified queer woman of color, to focus on improving the portrayal of underrepresented groups.

“I’m more driven than ever to make sure that whatever I decide to do with my career, it revolves around minority and queer representation,” she said.

Boxley, a film and video studies major, spent the summer as a development intern for Atlas Entertainment, a production company behind such films as “Suicide Squad,” “Wonder Woman” and “American Hustle.”

She managed a reception desk, kept casting materials organized and, most importantly, wrote script coverage. A critical part of film development, script coverage tells producers everything they need to know about a script in order to consider producing it.

“The other day I was on set as a production assistant for a King Princess music video,” Boxley said. “You can dip your toe in any pond you want. It’s a world of opportunity.”

Mason has one of the best film programs among Virginia’s public universities, according to film-colleges.com.

“My favorite part about the program is the unique voices our professors allow us to project,” said Boxley, who is from Saratoga Spring, New York, and a freestyler on the Mason swimming team. “As a whole, our film school is incredibly diverse. My web series class produced three series with queer storylines. I’m proud that’s the content our program produces.”

As part of her internship, Boxley attended weekly lunches with Atlas executives at which she asked questions, networked and learned from people high up in the industry.

“Being a part of that, even a minor part as an intern, reading the scripts, offering your input, interacting with these people every day,” Boxley said. “Having that exposure to the huge side of the film industry is the coolest.”

“I think Autumn has a really positive attitude and a really good work ethic,” said Mason film professor Lisa Thrasher, who has been a mentor to Boxley. “She’s disciplined and responsible. She’ll end up being really successful in her career, and this internship will definitely help with her education and career advancement.”

Hannah Harmison

A mutual learning experience for filmmaker, Mason students

For junior film student, a Hollywood career would be more than a job