Welcome!
The University of South Dakota
Speakers
Dillon Kober
9:00am Tuesday, December 27th
Dillon is a senior at the University of South Dakota majoring in Media & Journalism. During his time at USD he became interested in video production. Dillon will speak about the opportunities students have at USD and how it can prepare them for a career in video production and more.
Todd Mechling
11:00 am Tuesday, December 27th
Todd is a USD alumnus with significant award winning experience in the private sector in the film/video production industry.
Peter Jackson
2:00 pm Tuesday, December 27th
Born on October 31, 1961, in New Zealand, Peter Jackson started his prolific career as a child, creating short films with a 8-mm movie camera. Without any formal training, Jackson has directed a number of successful films ranging across all genres. He is most well-known for his film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which has won numerous awards. He stayed with the Tolkien fantasy brand when The Hobbit film series was released.
J.J. Abrams
9:00 am Wednesday, December 28th
J.J. Abrams was born in New York City on June 27, 1966, and started screenwriting during his college days. He has created several hit TV series, including Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe. He helmed 2006’s Mission Impossible III and the 2009 revamping of Star Trek. Abrams also directed Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness and the humongous blockbuster Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.
Steven Spielberg
11:00 am Wednesday, December 28th
Born on December 18, 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Steven Spielberg was an amateur filmmaker as a child. He went on to become the enormously successful and Academy Award-winning director of such films as Schindler's List, The Color Purple, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, Lincoln and Bridge of Spies. In 1994, he co-founded the studio Dreamworks SKG, which was purchased by Paramount Pictures in 2005.
