This weekend I will be flying to Bozeman Montana, where I will be a special guest speaker at my old film school, Montana State University. This all happened because I helped a graduate student with a Varicam issue on the creativecow.net. I found out she was a student there, she found out I was a graduate…and the next thing I know I am getting an e-mail from one of my ex-professors asking if I would like to be a guest speaker.

Me.

When I went to school there, the guest speakers were big. The underwater DP who did THE ABYSS, production staff from the TV series COACH to talk about directing a sitcom, all the producers of FAR AND AWAY (that was shooting 26 miles away) to talk about the various roles of producers, Andrew Lazlo, the DP of such great films as THE WARRIORS, FIRST BLOOD and STREETS OF FIRE (he lived nearby).

Now they want me.

I will be giving two talks. One to the graduate students in which I will talk about the changing face of the TV documentary and working with High Def. Then there is a general talk open to any and all comers (mainly the undergrads) about how to make it in Hollywood, the post production process and politics in the edit bay.

I fly out on Sunday, give the talk on Monday and I have Tuesday to kick around town. It’ll be good to get back and see the ol college town.

I miss Montana.