Faculty & Staff
REGULAR FACULTY
Department Chair
Associate Professor of Cinema and Television
BA, San Francisco State University
MA, San Francisco State University
Subject: Television Production
(323) 953-4000 ext. 2631
@email
Website: Jen Vaughn
Jen Vaughn joined the LACC Family as a full time Professor in the Cinema/TV Department in Fall 2013. She teaches multi-camera production courses, editing, television producing and performance techniques.
She holds BA and MA degrees from San Francisco State University ;where she spent 10 years as Lecturer in the Broadcast and Electronic Communications Arts Department. There she has taught a variety of hands-on television production classes and was Technical Supervisor of a live webcast news program, live-to-tape weekly variety show and weekly sportscast.
Jen worked professionally in Live Broadcast Television as an Editor and Technical Director for Pac12 Networks. Jen enjoys producing live streams, directing live music shoots, and was recently hired to produce the four-day Live Stream of the Ojai Music Festival.
MFA, American Film Institute (AFI)
Subject: Cinematography
@email
Website: Christopher Rossiter
Christopher Rossiter is a cinematographer ranked member of the International Cinematographers Guild (I.C.G.) is also proud to be a member of Color Society International (C.S.I.) Prior he worked as a Key Grip and Gaffer for union and non-union productions. Christopher has taught cinematography at many programs around the country such as California State University, American Film Institute, Los Angeles Film School and has also Led cinematography at National University’s MFA in Digital Cinema program and currently Leads the Los Angeles City College’s cinematography program. Christopher is a graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinematography. He is also a Cinematography member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Associate Professor of Cinema
BA, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
MFA, American Film Institute (AFI)
Subjects: Production, Editing, Directed Study
@email
Dylan has been teaching Cinema in the LACCD for over 12 years and working in the industry for over 25. He grew up in Owyhee, Nevada on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, though he is non-Native, and attended UNLV where he earned a BA in Film Studies. He worked in production in Las Vegas before moving to Los Angeles to attend AFI where he earned an MFA in screenwriting. After working as an executive assistant for several years, Dylan produced the indie feature film Half-Life which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He went on to work in postproduction at Modern VideoFilm for 7 years. Dylan served as production manager and line producer on several live multi-camera concert films for the LA Opera and LA Philharmonic, including Gustavo Dudamel's inaugural performance.
Dylan has been actively managing grants to support interdepartmental short film collaborations between cinema students LACC theater students. He produced TV/web series pilot, EmmieThing Goes, along with several short films in the AutoPlay series, including Blue Lapse, which won the 'Best of Festival' Award at BEA's 2020 Festival of Media Arts. Recent productions include Spare Change, Pinot Roux, VLA, and If You Have Any Information, Please Call. Dylan also co-produced and co-edited the short documentary Yo Soy Manuel, which has won 'Best Spanish' or 'Foreign Language Film' at multiple festivals. He is currently producing and editing a feature length documentary on the Whitestone Hill Memorial Ride that takes place in North & South Dakota.
Professor of Cinema
Ed.D, Loyola Marymount University
BA, Western Michigan University
MA, DePaul University (Chicago)
Subjects: Directing, Film Genres, Business, Television Production
Email: @email
Krystle Klein, Professor of Cinema/TV, joined the department in 2019. She has a B.A. in Television and Film Production from Western Michigan University, and an M.A. in Cinema from DePaul University in Chicago. She has been teaching the art of storytelling through film and television since 2005.
A producer, writer, director, and editor, Krystle has produced shows for ABC, NBC, Bravo, The Oprah Network, Vh1, and more. She has directed and edited documentary films, and recently authored a book on a filmmaking adventure through India. She has been working creatively in the entertainment industry since 1999, when she first began as a radio DJ.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Krystle lived in Chicago and Hawai’i before landing for good in Los Angeles. She loves to travel and explore, dabbles in stand-up comedy and yoga, plays the ukulele and the trumpet, and once went in front of the camera as RuPaul transformed her into a drag queen on DragU. But above all, she loves to teach, and is constantly in awe of her students’ talents and creativity.
Assistant Professor of Cinema
BA, University of Alabama
MA, University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts
Subjects: Screenwriting, Directing, Film Genres, History
Email: Nealbuxl@LACItyCollege.edu
Xavier Burgin is an Emmy-nominated writer/ director from USC Cinema. He's a staff writer on Starz’s wrestling drama, Heels. He's written for the WWE, CryptTV, Amazon Studios, The Discovery Channel, and Paramount. He directed AMC Network's Horror Noire, Adult Swim's Juneteenth Holiday Special, and the BET+ series, Giants. Xavier is the dubbing director for Netflix's sumo sports drama, Sanctuary.
Xavier directed Juneteenth With Open Mike Eagle, an Adult Swim Special about the national holiday's history. The project premiered between The Boondocks & Black Dynamite. Xavier's participated in numerous industry programs, including: Paramount's Viewfinder Program, Netflix's Dubbing Initiative, The Sundance Labs, HBO's Short Film Showcase, Berlinale Talents, The Commercial Directors Diversity Program, and Ryan Murphy's Director Shadow Program.
Assistant Professor, Cinema
BA California State University Northridge
MA California State University Northridge
Subject: Cinema Production, History, Genres,
trudgeje@LACityCollege.edu
Joel was born in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and grew up on the central coast of California. He majored in film production at Allan Hancock Community College before transferring to CSUN where he earned a BA in Radio, Television, and Film and a MA in Mass Communication: Screenwriting. He also participated in the Groundlings improv workshop at the Groundlings school.
Joel was a writer and DJ for KBEAR 95.3 in Arroyo Grande. He wrote and performed sketches on the morning show. After earning his MA, he directed the independent feature Walden in 2011. He served as an editor for the Salvation Army Vision Network and was part of the live production crew for multiple events. He directed and edited multi-camera productions for Millennium Pro Wrestling. He was a content producer for gala events for LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
Joel’s first teaching experience was teaching Foundations of Media Writing at CSUN. He has been an adjunct faculty in the LACCD since 2014 and has been part of the Cinema department at LACC since 2017. Joel teaches Production, History, Genres, Aesthetics, and Diversity. He has a passion for the history of film and helping new filmmakers connect to the past while creating their unique films that reflect their stories.
ADJUNCT FACULTY
Television Instructor
BA, University of California, Irvine
MFA, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
JD, Hastings College of Law
Subject: Introduction to Television
@email
An original Angelino, I’ve been teaching TV and cinema history classes at LACC for nearly 10 years. Before discovering my passion for the entertainment industry, I received a B.A. in Art History from U.C. Irvine, and Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Hastings College of Law. I practiced law in Atlanta, Ga, before moving back to Los Angeles to pursue an M.F.A. from UCLA’s Producer’s Program in Film and Television. I worked as a TV producer on several talk shows that were hosted by such comedic actors as Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne Barr, Keenen Ivory Wayans and Greg Kinnear. My background in law, entertainment & education has created a perfect blend of my interest in people, penchant for problem solving, love of comedy and proud banner as a lifelong learner.
Television Instructor
BA, Carnegie-Mellon University - Drama
MFA, New York Film Academy (NYFA) - Filmmaking
@email
Kena Dorsey is an adjunct professor who has been teaching film and multi-camera for 7 years. When not at LACC, she is the director of the television production program at a K-12 Independent School where she also teaches film and television production. She is also the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator at the high school, and has developed a number of partnership programs that teaches television and filmmaking to underserved students from public schools in and around Los Angeles. Prior to moving to LA, Kena was a Broadway stage actress that performed in a long list of musicals and plays on and off Broadway. She is an award winning director for two of her original films that she wrote, produced, and directed. She continues to work on independent film and editing projects outside of her teaching schedule.
Cinema Instructor
BA, Le Moyne College (Syracuse, NY)
MA, Ph.D. UCLA (Cinema & Media Studies)
Subject: Cinema History
@email
I am a Lecturer in the Film and Media Studies Program at Washington University in St. Louis, and I received my PhD in Cinema and Media Studies at UCLA in June 2019. I am the co-editor of the anthology The Franchise Era: Managing Media in the Digital Economy (Oxford/Edinburgh University Press, 2019). My publications have appeared in Mediascape (2012, 2015), the South Atlantic Review (2015), and the edited collections James Bond and Popular Culture: Essays on the Influence of the Fictional Superspy (McFarland, 2014), Content Wars: Tech Empires vs. Media Empires (University of California Press, forthcoming), Comics | Games: From Hybrid Medialities to Transmedia Expansions (Routledge, forthcoming), and Film Reboots (Edinburgh University Press, forthcoming). My doctoral dissertation (titled “Space Invaders: Warner Bros. and the History of Hollywood in the Video Game Industry”) analyzes the history of video game development and licensing at Warner Bros.
Associate Professor of Cinema Emeritus
BA, Bryn Mawr College
MA, Film and Television Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Subjects: Television and Film writing
@email
Michele worked in film and television for 28 years, starting as a story analyst, then as a writer. She worked on staff and freelance in hour-long drama, half-hour comedy, and animated series, including Newhart, Ghost Stories, and Sheriff Callie’s Wild West; she’s also sold three features. Her philosophy on teaching: give students the latitude to make mistakes in the classroom, not on the set. She is also the parent of two Pierce College alumni, and offers these examples of community-college success: her son transferred to UCLA, graduated with honors, and now has his doctorate; her daughter transferred to, and graduated from, Berkeley, where she now runs social media for one of the country’s largest non-profits. Never underestimate what you can accomplish.
Screenwriting Instructor
BA, University of Massachusetts
MFA, Hollins University in Film
UCLA Post-graduate Professional Program in Screenwriting
Subjects: Television and Film writing
@email
Having been born in Moscow and coming to the US as a Jewish refugee, Sergio grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Formerly a highly decorated police detective from the east coast, Sergio is now a screenwriter, producer and consultant in Los Angeles, utilizing his unique skill set and life experiences to create compelling characters and stories. Sergio is a summa cum laude graduate from University of Massachusetts, Boston, the UCLA post-graduate Professional Program in Screenwriting and in 2017 he received his MFA in Film from Hollins University, while working on a number of Television and Film Projects.
Professor of Cinema
BA, University of California, Berkeley
MA, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Subjects: Cinema and Television History
@email
Film historian Jonathan Kuntz (Ph.D. '82), studied psychology at UC Berkeley (B.A. '72) and UCLA (M.A. '74) before earning a Ph.D. in Film and Television at the UCLA College of Fine Arts. A widely respected expert on Hollywood cinema and the development of the studio system, Kuntz has taught generations of students at LACC with the study of cinema production and his Cinema 3 History of the Motion Picture, offered every semester. Kuntz has appeared in numerous documentaries on American film history as an expert on film production and exhibition, and has contributed to The New York Times.
Known for his encyclopedic knowledge, Kuntz has been quoted in the media on many topics from the careers of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe to the effects of the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm
Cinema Instructor
BFA, Youngstown State University - `Studio Art
MFA, Art Center College of Design
Subject: Media Aesthetics: Cinema/Photo 501
@email
Daniel Marlos, is a Los Angeles based artist whose primary media of expression are photography, film and installation. For nearly 25 years, he has turned his cameras toward the people and architecture of Los Angeles, constructing an intimate portrait of the city through its buildings and their denizens. Daniel teaches cinema and photography at Los Angeles City College and is an adjunct Foundation faculty member at Art Center College of Design.
Cinema Instructor
BA, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
MFA, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
Subject: Motion Picture Production
@email
An editor and writer, Mr. Mazak has extensive teaching experience in all areas of filmmaking and also has written about Lucasfilm in the book George Lucas's Blockbusting.
Cinema Instructor
MA, Art and Technique of Film Making, London Film School
National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield, UK
BA, University of Bristol
Subject: Motion Picture Producing
nyirid@laccd.edu
Daniel J. Nyiri - I am an executive, writer and filmmaker. I have worked in the USA, Europe and the Middle East; including on the Board of Directors of BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts; as Vice Chair of the Directors Guild of Great Britain; and for the Governor of California's Office of Career and Technical Education, creating education and training partnerships for careers in live and recorded media arts and sciences, research, development, production and postproduction. I teach cinema, screenwriting and producing in high schools, colleges and universities. I am based at Los Angeles City College.
Cinema Instructor
BA, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Creative Writing
MFA, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Film and Animation
Subject: Film History
@email
Jennifer Penton - I have worked at Warner Brothers, Klaspy Csupo, and Yahoo!, and on special projects for Disney. I have also worked with many independent filmmakers as an editor and web developer. As an educator, I have formed liaisons with and led projects for The Getty Museum and SIGGRAPH. One of my greatest joys is to inspire students to explore their creativity and gain the technological tools to express themselves through live action and animated motion pictures, and through virtual reality platforms. I hold a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from UCLA and a master’s degree in film with an emphasis in experimental animation from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).
AA, Los Angeles City College (Cinema Production)
BA, California State University Northridge (CSUN) (Film Production)
MFA, Mount Saint Mary's University (Film and Television)
Subject: Film Production, Film Genres
@email
Moy began teaching in the Spring of 2011 at CSUN when he volunteered to develop and teach seven film workshops. Each of these lasted eight weeks and catered to students who needed extra help understanding the technical aspects of the filmmaking process. From the Fall 2017 until Spring 2019, he taught different film workshops at LACC. These film workshops at both CSUN and LACC included the use of analogue film for the digital age, he showed students the process of working with Super 8mm and 16mm film stock. In his teachings, Moises likes to blend traditional classroom lectures with hands-on demonstrations to reinforce what is covered in class.
Moises has worked in the film industry since 2012. His film and television working experience comes from the field of advertising where he has worked behind as part of the production team in numerous television commercials and short films.
Cinema Instructor
BA, USC School of Cinema-Television
MA, PhD University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Subject: Documentary Film
@email
Dr. Mary Samuelson received her PhD from UCLA and teaches film history, film theory, digital writing, English composition, and literature. Dr. Samuelson has taught courses at LACC for 10 years including Cinema 3—History of the Motion Picture, Cinema 4—History of Documentary Film, and Cinema 18—Introduction to Film Genres. Her areas of specialty and research include the Hollywood studio system, documentary film, French cinema, genre studies, history of radio, and film theory. Dr. Samuelson has published several articles and her book, The Patriotic Play, is forthcoming.
Cinema/TV Instructor
BA, Boston University (Film Production)
MFA, San Francisco Art Institute (Film)
Subject: TV Production
@email
Since 1995, Kenneth Thomas has plied his trade in news and documentary production all over the world. He got his start in Northern California, as the Live News Director for the nightly newscasts at a local CBS TV station. During a five-year stint in Seattle, he helped start a dot-com that specialized in shooting multi-camera productions of rock concerts for the internet. He moved to LA in 2002 and became a busy freelancer, shooting red carpet events for Marvel, shooting and editing BTS videos for DVD’s, and becoming one of Yanni’s key cinematographers for his PBS specials in Florida, Mexico, and Egypt. Somewhere in there, he directed a music video that aired on MTV’s Headbangers Ball.
After receiving his MFA in 2012, Kenneth completed his first of three music documentaries — Blood, Sweat + Vinyl — about indie music culture. The final film in this trilogy is now in post-production. He joined the adjunct faculty of Los Angeles City College in 2018, both to teach Live TV Production and as an Avid Certified Instructor for Audio Post Production. In Fall 2019, he returned to his MFA alma mater to teach his dream class, on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. In his spare time, he stays active in live multi-camera internet broadcasting, and he’s studying to become a Certified Cicerone — which is a fancy way of saying “beer expert.”
Professor of Cinema & Television Emeritus
BA, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
MA, State University of New York, Buffalo
Subject: Introduction to Motion Picture Production; Beginning Digital Motion Picture Production
(323) 953-4000 ext. 2627
@email
Joni Varner has been a professional educator in the field of single- and multi-camera production and media studies for over 30 years at LACC, CSUN, and PCC and has served as the LACC Cinema/TV department chair. She has taught over one hundred sections of Cinema 1: Introduction to Motion Picture Production. Prior to that, she worked for a decade in broadcast television as a producer, director and writer of TV commercials, industrial videos, telethons and live TV shows.
Joni studied and exhibited experimental video art at SUNY/Buffalo. She was awarded a First Place (SE Region) in the AFI National Student Video Festival in the Experimental Category. Her work has been permanently curated into the Miami/Dade Library collection, and exhibited at the Mint Museum and North Carolina Museum of Art.
It is with great regret we announce the passing of one of the charter professors in the LACC Cinema department. JP Geuens taught many subjects during his almost 40 year career as a full time professor in the LACC Cinema/TV department, but his specialty and passion was cinematography. He also taught adjunct at USC and Art Center College of Design and was a published author on Film Production Theory. He passed on Thanksgiving Day 2020. Film Production Theory
Life at LACC
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List of Certificates and Degrees in Entertainment