Having been taught many different applications at UAT, from Avid Express to Photoshop and Dreamweaver, it has really leveraged my resume above others in the entertainment industry where a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ background can get you places when you are looking at production companies or other related companies. When it came to film production, I learned a lot making student films and I am thankful for having Professor Paul DeNigris show me the ropes around a film set. Had I gone in blindly with no education, I would have made a fool out of myself.

UAT was a self-driven, individualized curriculum that gave me the chance to be proactive about shaping my education.

What at UAT prepared me for this? Two words, Paul DeNigris. The biggest thing that has prepared me for the industry was working constantly for almost two years with Paul on set and on the computers in After Effects. Originally, my long-term goal was to be a producer, however the last year I was at UAT, I had mixed responsibilities on the film project, Fallout. Not only was I a producer, but also served VFX artist lead. Paul put me in charge of a particular scene and with his help I re-learned Adobe After Effects and became very fluent with the techniques we learned to use. I spent a lot of days and late nights in the editing lab reacquainting myself with After Effect's ins and outs and helping the other artists with what I learned at UAT. Paul was always nearby to ask for assistance or input, but most of all, it was inspirational to see him sitting at a work station like everyone else, doing the same work we were spending our time on. He obviously would do it much better, but you could often watch over his shoulder and get ideas on how to go about doing your own work. A few techniques I learned directly from working on that project, I used immediately at my new job at MasterKey.

Very simply, my compositing classes at UAT gave me hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment, so I was ready to hit the ground running in the film industry.

My internship with Adjunct Professor Chris LaMont is one key to getting my current position. Being out in the field teaches you way more than any classes could, but Paul DeNigris' classes were also very necessary for me to succeed.

I started at UAT thinking I wanted a degree in Web Design, then ventured into Network Engineering, and finally fell in love with the Video Production program. However, in reference to where I am now in life, I think all of the education I received at UAT was extremely beneficial. Except Calculus.

The most important thing that I learned at UAT was how to manage my time and juggle all of the projects that I had going on at that time. The Digital Video course at UAT was fantastic and as students, we really pushed the limits with all of our projects. That's the greatest thing about UAT -- as a student you are limited only by your imagination. We dreamed big, and we received big. If it wasn't for instructors like Paul DeNigris allowing us to use all of our creativity and imagination; I don't think my experience would have been as good as it was. I want to say UAT prepared us for our future, but I'd be wrong if I didn't say that we also prepared ourselves. UAT allowed us the hands-on training we needed to prepare ourselves for our future. We weren't held back, and we weren't limited to structured courses with zero creativity.

I have to say that Paul DeNigris is the catalyst for everything I've accomplished in the film business. There is NO doubt in my mind that I never would have worked in this business, made the contacts in Los Angeles that I needed to and met the people that I did without Paul's unwavering support. Each time the documentary is shown or recognized, that is ONLY because of Paul, UAT’s Digital Video program and the amazing support received from the school. I am not aware of any other educational institution which offers the intellectual, creative and technical support that UAT offered during the making of Poison Wind.