Professor
Resume:
Wendell Nielson
Orlando, FL ****6
213-***-**** (cell)
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
STATEMENT
I am an experienced writer, producer, director, and university teaching professional. I am seeking to utilize my skills to assist others in developing their talents. In academia, I have had particular success with curriculum development, student support, and faculty training.
HIGHLIGHTS
Education: M.F.A. from the American Film Institute Conservatory in Screenwriting. Double B.A. from the University of Utah in English and Film Studies with a Special Emphasis in Creative Writing.
Film Producer, Director, and Screenwriter: Wrote several award-winning feature screenplays. Produced and directed multiple films based on my scripts. Last completed film, Zion Curtain, won Best Director and Best Short Dramatic Film at the CannaBus Culture Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York, June 2017.
Online Faculty Instructor: Two years and five months developing and teaching classes at the Los Angeles Film School Online with excellent student evaluations.
Humanities Adjunct Professor: Four years university-level teaching experience at Utah Valley University (UVU) with exceptional student and peer evaluations (available upon request).
English Adjunct Professor: One year teaching Intermediate Writing at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) with excellent evaluations (available upon request).
Ghost-writer: Twelve years assisting aspiring writers to develop stories and screenplays.
Mentor: Extensive experience mentoring students and other writers and served as an Honors Thesis Committee Member at UVU.
Marketer: Successful marketing of script, Wolf’s Bane. Obtained a shopping agreement with Director Mary Lambert (Pet Semetary).
Journalism: Three years of wide-ranging experience, initially working as a Staff Writer and later as a Senior Staff Writer.
Hospitality Services: Over ten years of experience working in hospitality services, managing and mentoring other workers.
RECENT RELEVANT WORK HISTORY
June 2015 – Online Faculty Instructor: General Education and Digital
November 2017 Filmmaking Departments
Los Angeles Film School Online, Orlando, Florida
Developed Creative Writing and Screenwriting classes. Redeveloped curricula for Storytelling and English Composition classes. Created and presented multiple Continuing Education trainings for faculty members. Assisted in training faculty members to teach Screenwriting, Storytelling, and English Composition. Introduced and conducted Q and A with Producer/Director/Screenwriter Will De Los Santos for the LAFS ‘Meet The Writer’ Series and Weekly Newsletter, the first such event to be streamed live for online students.
September 2014 – Educational Advisor
June 2015 SoftRock Inc., Orlando, Florida
Counselled potential students about undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.
August 2013 –
August 2014
August 2010 –
August 2014
Adjunct Professor: English Department
Salt Lake Community College; Salt Lake City, Utah
Developed and taught Intermediate Writing (2010) classes. Provided individual counselling to improve students’ writing skills. Designed the classes to enhance writing and rhetorical abilities and to expose students to social issues of concern. Introduced them to multiple genres of writing.
Adjunct Professor: Philosophy and Humanities Department
Utah Valley University; Orem, Utah
Taught four years of Humanities Through the Arts (1010 and 101G) at
Utah Valley University, the largest public university in Utah. Designed and taught two upper-division (204G) classes: Cult Film and Theatre and Cult Film and Culture. Developed curricula for my classes. Introduced students to media and compositional elements of literature, music, visual arts. Designed and developed two upper-division classes based on film and theatre theory. Established and produced a film festival. Published my academic paper, Kitsch, Camp, and the Politics of Taste, in the Utah Valley University Humanities Journal, Spring, 2015.
August 2004 –
Present
Producer/Director/Screenwriter/Ghost-writer
Ken Sherman and Associates, Beverly Hills, California
Wrote and edited multiple award-winning screenplays. Worked as a ghost-writer for several clients. Completed a shopping agreement with acclaimed Director Mary Lambert for feature screenplay, Wolf’s Bane.
Wrote short film Deep Down in Florida, directed by Creator and Showrunner of Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail. Produced, wrote, and directed award-winning short film Zion Curtain. Currently producing and directing short film Easy Livin’, based on my screenplay.
Achievements:
CannaBus Culture Film Festival Best Director Award for Zion Curtain, 2017
CannaBus Culture Film Festival Best Short Dramatic Film Award for Zion Curtain, 2017
WriteMovies.com International Writing Competition Finalist for Wolf’s Bane, 2009
Fade In Awards Screenwriting Competition Semi-Finalist for Wolf’s Bane, 2010
Story Pros Screenwriting Competition Semi-Finalist for Wolf’s Bane, 2010
Scriptapalooza International Screenwriting Competition Semi-Finalist for Wolf’s Bane, 2010
American Screenwriting Competition Quarter-Finalist for Wolf’s Bane, 2010
StoryPros Screenwriting Competition Semi-Finalist for Shards of
Time, 2009
The Writer’s Network Screenplay Competition Quarter-Finalist for Shards of Time, 2009
Acclaim Screenwriting Competition Semi-Finalist for Utah Speed, Fall/Winter 2007
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Competition Quarter-Finalist for Runner, 2004
The Writer’s Network Screenplay Competition Quarter-Finalist for Easy Livin’, 2003
OTHERE RELEVANT WORK HISTORY
Feb. 2002 –
June 2002
Journalist: Senior Staff Writer
Madera Tribune, Madera, California
Conducted investigative journalism for in-depth news stories. Wrote, edited, and reviewed other writers’ articles for the newspaper. Wrote a six-part series on gangs in Madera (first installment attained the largest circulation since the newspaper’s inception).
Oct. 1999-
Jan. 2002
Journalist: Staff Writer
Paradise Post, Paradise, California
Investigated and covered all news beats in a sprawling suburban community and wrote articles on deadline. One of three contributing reporters that received a California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) First Place Award for Best Spot News (On Fire, September 21, 2000). The Paradise Post received a CNPA First Place Award for General Excellence for the year 2000.
EDUCATION
2004
MFA, Screenwriting
American Film Institute Conservatory, Hollywood, California
Conservatory scholarship recipient
Penned two separate thesis scripts green-lit for production (one of only two Screenwriting Fellows to achieve that distinction in 2004)
First 2004 Screenwriting Fellow to acquire Literary Agent subsequent to graduation (Ken Sherman, of Ken Sherman and Associates, whose client list includes John Kerr, Anne Perry, David Guterson, Tawni O'Dell, Starhawk, and the late John Updike)
1995
Double B.A., English/Film Studies
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Special emphasis in Creative Writing
Nominated for valedictorian
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Cumulative GPA 3.9
Consistently on Dean's List
VOLUNTEER WORK
2011 Literacy Action Network, Salt Lake City, Utah
Volunteer Instructor
Leadership Award, April 2011
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Filmmaking, writing, reading, skiing, and playing the bass guitar
FILMS AND PUBLICATIONS
Easy Livin’ – Producer, Director, Screenwriter (currently in production)
Zion Curtain – Producer, Director, Screenwriter https://vimeo.com/210604832 password: Salem
Deep Down in Florida – Screenwriter https://vimeo.com/212823399 password: ecstasy
Two of Cups – Screenwriter
The Price of a Good Education – Director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Editor
American White Trash: Portrait of a Rockabilly Band – Director, Cinematographer, Editor
“Kitsch, Camp, and the Politics of Taste” – Spring, 2015 issue of Utah Valley University Humanities Journal
“Leaking Pipes Part of Ridge History” – June 2000 issue of Tales of the Paradise Ridge
“Untitled” – poem in Best of A.B.G.’s Atomic Mic Poetry Night
“Skinning” – poem in Best of A.B.G.’s Atomic Mic Poetry Night
REFERENCES:
Lisa Gustafson
Los Angeles Film School Online, Orlando, Florida
Program Manager
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
(Letter of Recommendation available upon request.)
Greg Straubinger
Los Angeles Film School Online, Orlando, Florida
Program Manager
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
(Letter of Recommendation available upon request.)
Ric Acevedo
Los Angeles Film School Online, Orlando, Florida
Online Faculty Instructor, Producer, Director, Writer
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
(Letter of Recommendation available upon request.)
Leslie Simon
Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah
Humanities Program Chairwoman
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
(Letter of Recommendation available upon request.)
Michaela Sawyer
Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah
Associate Professor of Humanities
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
(Letter of Recommendation available upon request.)
Kim Abunuwara
Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah
Associate Professor of Integrated Studies
ac4v0b@r.postjobfree.com
(Letter of Recommendation available upon request.)
Other references available upon request.
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