Monday, April 6

Alumnus discusses role in Asian cast production of ‘Mamma Mia!’

BY OLIVIA MAZZUCATO Daily Bruin reporter UCLA alumnus Andrew Ge had acted for film and television, but he had never been in a musical when he attended the open call auditions for “Mamma Mia!” However, Ge had a background in live performance while at UCLA – he had been a part of the marching band, Samahang Modern dance crew and the UCLA Chorale and Chamber Singers. Read more...

Photo: Alumnus Andrew Ge features as part of the ensemble in East West Players’ production of “Mamma Mia!” despite having very little experience with musicals. This version of “Mamma Mia!” is especially meaningful for Ge because, with an all Asian American cast, it was a chance for them to take the spotlight rather than being reduced to secondary and background characters, he said. (Courtesy of Steven Lam)


Student orchestra to share music of Studio Ghibli in performance at UCLA

As a little boy, David Dong’s musical passions were “spirited away” by Studio Ghibli. Dong said the soundtracks of films from the well-known Japanese animation studio, such as those found in “Spirited Away” and “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” inspired him to study music at the University of California, San Diego. Read more...

Photo: (Bridgette Baron/Daily Bruin)



Q&A: New cinematographer-in-residence talks filming process of ‘Star Wars’ and more

Magic is in the mistakes we make, said Dan Mindel. The recently announced 2019-2020 cinematographer-in-residence at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television has worked on a number of films, including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Mindel will return to the “Star Wars” franchise in December with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” In working on the film, Mindel said he focused his efforts on retaining the parables and legacy left by the filmmakers of the original franchise. Read more...

Photo: Dan Mindel, UCLA’s cinematographer-in-residence, returns to the Star Wars franchise in December with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The key to franchise films is in finding a balance between keeping the tone set by the creators of the previous trilogies while finding a way to give audiences a fresh film, Mindel said. (Courtesy of Simon England)




Student-directed film considers awkward aspects of college sex life

Watching sex scenes in films can be uncomfortable. Yet Jordan Barger and Anali Cabrera want to highlight all the awkward and cringeworthy aspects of intimacy. First-year film students Barger and Cabrera wrote and directed their film “Let’s Talk About ‘It'” for the UCLA Film and Photography Society. Read more...

Photo: Actress Lauren Renee plays Yesenia in “Let’s Talk About ‘It’” alongside Ali Graba, who plays Aurora. The film navigates sexual encounters in college, and includes representation of the Latinx community. (Courtesy of Anali Cabrera)



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