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Faculty

Three years ago, Jesse Negron and John Rose became valuable additions to the Electronic Media staff. They each brought with them industry experience to infuse into the curriculum, making it more practical and difficult for the students. John Rose commented on the higher demands Electronic Media places on its students:

"This program is not for students who are faint of heart. Most of the students spend hours and hours here over the weekend and staying late into the night. It takes dedicated, creative students - students who have a story to tell. We teach our students how to express themselves creatively."

The new faculty members have breathed life into the program by introducing high standards and bringing with them valuable experience.

Negron came to The Master's College from the entertainment industry. This presents a direct advantage to his students who are looking to break into film and television. He says:

"I think the most important thing to say here is that while I teach, I am also deep in the entertainment business. I am currently directing a film and writing screenplays for hire. This is absolutely vital for a solid film program. The students need to begin to get connected to the business right away, and that just can't happen without professors that are writing, producing, and pitching in Hollywood on a weekly basis."

Not only did Negron bring field experience, John Rose came to the department after ten years of teaching animation. Students can now learn to create professional, quality animated movement, characters, scenes, and opening sequences. Rose, like Negron, is passionate that everything he teaches competes on the professional level.

"I don't just want to create design; we try to push our students to the limits so that they are compatible with any student at a secular organization. We may be small, but we're not sacrificing quality."

Technology

An important part of that refusal to sacrifice quality is a refusal to have second-rate equipment or stale surroundings. From equipment that was purchased in the sixties to cutting-edge High Definition technology, The Master's College now has equal or better equipment than major university film programs. Students may now produce A-quality films in a relaxed, studio-like atmosphere.


John Rose compares the working environment at The Master's College to other schools:

"I also work at a couple of community colleges, and they don't have anything near what we have here. Even if they have a larger budget, we have a more creative working environment. It is a hub for the students in our department to hang out, work together, and exchange ideas."

This atmosphere allows professors to give students a lot more individual attention in mastering the new equipment and helping them produce competitive, creative pieces.

Philosophy

"I see my classes classes as training for a vocational trade. [Students] are getting a fabulous biblical training through other departments, and I teach the professionalism of the craft. I am here to train under the supervision of the Christian environment."

-Prof. John Rose

"Christ Himself chose to be a story-teller. His stories were not about great heroes of the Temple, but rather were about three girls being late for a Jewish wedding or shepherds and their sheep or farmers. Who couldn't relate to three girls being late for a wedding? These stories were targeted to everyday secular folk of the time. They were whimsical and light on the outside but deep and meaningful on the inside. To the students, I call this a soufflé. Light and fluffy on the outside, meaty and satisfying on the inside; this is the blueprint that Christ gave us for filmmaking."

"We want our students and graduates to produce material that is relevant to society. God is relevant right now. He is God of the present and the future, as well as the past. We want to make His presence felt."

-Prof. Jesse Negron

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Interview and write-up by Kelly Lynae Robinson