"I became a filmmaker because I knew I had stories to tell," said Swiss-born director and writer Alexandre O. Philippe, an honored SCADFILM guest, as he led a masterclass on the art of writing with SCAD Atlanta students. "Now, 14 years later, I'm still making films. I'm still telling the stories that keep me up at night."

In his new documentary, "78/52," Philippe explores the multitude of shots and cuts Alfred Hitchcock used to create the infamous shower scene in his 1960 film "Psycho." The screeching strings, the plunging knife, the slow zoom out from a lifeless eyeball: "Psycho" radically altered cinema with its taboo-shattering shower scene. With 78 camera set-ups and 52 edits over the course of three minutes, "Psycho" redefined screen violence, setting the stage for decades of subsequent slasher flicks, and introduced a new element of danger to the moviegoing experience. Aided by a roster of filmmakers, critics, and fans including Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Jamie Lee Curtis, Eli Roth, and Peter Bogdanovich, Philippe pulls back the curtain on this cinematic game changer, with a frame-by-frame breakdown of Hitchcock's web of allusions and double meanings.

In addition to hosting a screening of "78/52," Philippe taught two masterclasses on writing and directing during his week at SCAD Atlanta. He captivated his SCAD Atlanta audience with his wisdom and passion for storytelling and poignant references to the filmmakers of Hollywood's storied past.

Referencing David Lynch and Akira Kurosawa and quoting Orson Welles and Aristotle, Philippe sited his beginnings as a writer as one of the reasons for his success as a filmmaker. That, and his fire to tell stories.

"A story is a promise," Philippe told SCAD students. "You're promising something. On some level you need to deliver on those expectations, or exceed them."

Philippe's visit culminated in the SCADshow screening of "78/52," which delivered on its promise and then some. The screening was followed by a question-and-answer session with the writer/director.

As the leading program for professional engagement in film, entertainment and the digital arts, SCADFILM offers exclusive access to industry influencers, leading resources, private masterclasses and certifications. SCADFILM was created as an evolution of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this past fall. Demand for television content led to SCAD aTVfest, a celebration of the small screen held in Atlanta. SCADFILM celebrates the 6th annual SCAD aTVfest February 1-3, 2018.

As we prepare to bid adieu to 2017, we look back at the past 12 months at SCAD and all the memorable moments we shared. Here is an exemplary selection from the year gone by: the SCAD 17 of '17.

1. SCAD GamingFest premieres in Atlanta: In November, SCAD Atlanta hosted the first ever SCAD GamingFest, a two-day convocation examining the evolving world of game design and development, including appearances by experts from EA SPORTS, Ubisoft, Cartoon Network, Google Daydream Labs and Georgia Game Developers Association.

2. SCAD FASHWKND makes runway splash: The inaugural SCAD FASHWKND in May presented four days of original designs curated from the finest SCAD School of Fashion senior and graduate student collections. A runway show at SCAD Savannah and tableaux vivants at SCAD Atlanta offered glimpses into the fashionable future here and now.

3. SCAD art curation adorns new stadium: SCAD partnered with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, new home of Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC, to curate all art for the stadium, featuring more than 200 works by 55 artists including 20 SCAD affiliates. Each game day, the curatorial selections of SCAD enhance the experience of the 71,000 fans in attendance.

4. Symposium for Jacob Lawrence: Amidst "Lines of Influence," the ongoing SCADMOA group exhibition celebrating the centennial of the birth of the acclaimed painter and chronicler of the African American experience, a two-day symposium of lectures, performances, screenings and panel discussions brought together scholars, artists, alumni and students to commemorate Lawrence's life and legacy.

5. Melissa Spitz named TIME's Instagram Photographer of the Year: Alumna Melissa Spitz's (M.F.A. photography, 2014) documentary photo series "You Have Nothing to Worry About" received the TIME accolade. Spitz's work will feature in an upcoming exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art, opening January 2018.

6. DesignIntelligence recognizes SCAD interior design programs: The university's interior design undergraduate and graduate programs got the esteem treatment from DesignIntelligence, receiving the No. 1 ranking on the list of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools 2018." Since 2008, SCAD interior design undergraduate and graduate programs have each garnered No. 1 standing six times by DesignIntelligence, the rankings body of the Design Futures Council.

7. Anna Haldewang receives European Product Design Awards: SCAD industrial design student Anna Haldewang's  (B.F.A. industrial design, 2017) project "Renascence" was named Discovery of the Year, the organization's highest honor, as well as capturing the gold medal in the transportation category. "Renascence," a cutting-edge design of a 300-foot trimaran yacht, follows Haldewang's "Plan Bee" drone project in earning the alumna international exposure.

8. Design for Social Impact recognizes Edgar Espejo: Inspired by his experiences with a deaf classmate, Edgar Espejo (B.F.A, industrial design, 2016; B.F.A., service design, 2016) created a service that allows deaf students to participate in regular classes with hearing students. Espejo's supporting service Muhimu (which means vital in Swahili) was recognized by the Core77 Design Awards as student winner in the Design for Social Impact category.

9. SCAD shines at YMA Awards: At the 2017 Young Menswear Association (YMA) Awards, 20 SCAD fashion and fashion marketing and management students each won $5,000 Fashion Scholarship Fund Awards, marking the most awards by a single university in the history of the competition.

10. SCAD alumni permeate Academy Awards: At the 89th Academy Awards, 47 SCAD alumni and students were recognized for their work on 11 of the year's best films, including best picture winner "Moonlight." SCAD alumni contributed to nominees for best picture, animated feature film, cinematography, costume design, directing, film editing, production design, sound editing, visual effects, and adapted screenplay. Eleven alumni contributed to more than one Oscar-nominated film.

11. SCAD Student Media earn top honors: At the 2017 Society for Collegiate Journalists National Contest, SCAD Atlanta's student magazine SCAN claimed first and second place in the Outstanding General Interest Magazine category. SCAD Atlanta Radio staff won first place in Internet Radio and Broadcast Overall Excellence for the second consecutive year.

12. Olivia Ray puts pedals to the medal: In a record setting year for SCAD Athletics at the state and national level, excellence was epitomized SCAD cyclist Olivia Ray, who won two national titles in track cycling at the meet in Indianapolis in September.

13. "SCAD: Architecture of a University" edifies readership: Assouline Publishing released the 360-page volume by contributing authors Paula Wallace, Margaret Russell and Chuck Chewning, highlighting the university's most inspired and inspiring spaces. Replete with 40 detailed narratives and 200 sublime photographs, the book leads readers from the university's flagship building Poetter Hall, to the panoply of SCAD architectural marvels around Savannah, and in Atlanta, Hong Kong and Lacoste.

14. SCAD Savannah Film Festival celebrates 20th anniversary: More than 50,000 film fans and industry insiders converged on Savannah for an unforgettable film festival featuring over 140 screenings amidst honorees Salma Hayek Pinault, John Boyega, Zoey Deutch, Richard Gere, Sir Patrick Stewart, Holly Hunter, Robert Pattinson, Willow Shields, Kyra Sedgwick, Aaron Sorkin and Andrea Riseborough.

15. Carlos Cruz-Diez has love, will travel: First at SCADMOA, then SCAD AT MIAMI, "Chroma," an exhibition by deFINE ART honoree Carlos Cruz-Diez, transported gallery-goers with its groundbreaking color theory in action. Designed as site-specific, "Chroma" proved as at home in Miami Beach as it was in Savannah. Bravo, maestro.

16. SCAD keeps student safe during major storm: With the September arrival of Hurricane Irma imminent, SCAD relocated more than 600 students and faculty from Savannah to its Atlanta campus. Students were given special tours of SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film and attended workshops taught by industry-leading SCAD faculty, who join the university from Dreamworks, Random House, Spanx, Alexander McQueen and Walt Disney Animation.

17. SCADfit opens inside the Hive: The university's emphasis health and wellness gained added traction with the opening of its new Savannah gym, SCADfit. The 12,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, located within the Hive residence complex, offers fitness classes including ballet, Pilates and Zumba, and IC7 Indoor Cycles and Ciclotte monowheels. Sweat necessary, results guaranteed.

Thank you, dear SCADworks readers. See you in 2018!

The Savannah College of Art and Design will honor Reese Witherspoon with the university's prestigious SCAD Étoile award, presented in recognition of her celebrated lifestyle brand Draper James and her unique contributions to fashion, culture, design and style, at SCADshow theater in Atlanta at an event on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, 2 p.m.

The SCAD Étoile connotes brilliance, luminosity and glamour. The award is a tribute to the biggest and brightest stars of the fashion, style and design realms, and recognizes trendsetting, innovative leaders for their monumental contributions. Witherspoon joins a highly acclaimed coterie of SCAD Étoile honorees, including Jonathan Adler, Pierre Cardin, Catherine Deneuve, Carolina Herrera and David Yurman.

SCAD is also partnering with Draper James to design a limited edition capsule collection for the brand's Spring line. Students from SCAD's top-ranked fashion program will design a "Mommy + Me" capsule, which will debut at SCAD FASHWKND in May 2018. The SCAD collection will be available for purchase at draperjames.com.

"I'm so incredibly honored to receive the SCAD Étoile award and thrilled to be partnering with such a gifted and respected institution. I founded Draper James in order to showcase the originality and beauty of the South, and I'm thrilled it resonates so well with the emerging talent SCAD is known for around the world," said Witherspoon, the founder and creative director of Draper James. 

Created in tribute to Witherspoon's Southern heritage and her grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, Draper James is the epitome of contemporary, yet timeless, style.

"SCAD and Draper James belong together! I really admire the depth and breadth of Reese's accomplishments in film and fashion. Her Draper James line is smart and chic, suffused with Southern charm — just like SCAD," said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. "This partnership with Draper James is a dream for our students, who study within the world's preeminent School of Fashion. Every day these SCAD students manifest their dreams, just as Reese has done with her elegant, up-for-any-occasion brand."

The project joins students from SCAD degree programs in fashion, accessory design, graphic design, fashion marketing and management, and fibers with the brand's top design leadership to develop a complete, market-ready collection. The collaboration will be unveiled at SCAD FASHWKND, the university's annual fashion celebration, May 17-20, 2018. Hosted in Savannah and Atlanta, SCAD FASHWKND presents SCAD students' senior fashion collections, mentored and juried by fashion industry designers and influencers, in a full professional production. In 2017, SCAD FASHWKND featured an immersive runway show at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, tableaux vivant-style vignettes at 1600 Peachtree in Atlanta, and a Shop the Runway component of SCAD alumni work at both locations.

SCAD is consistently ranked by Business of Fashion and Fashionista as a top fashion university, offering more than 200 courses focused on preparing students for professional careers in fashion industries. SCAD has pioneered programs in accessory design and luxury fashion management, and offers the largest fibers and jewelry degree programs in the U.S. SCAD fashion alumni work at globally renowned brands like Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and Lanvin. In the past three years, SCAD students have won over 130 major fashion-related industry awards including consecutive Supima Design Competition grand prize awards, the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Design Award, and the International Design Awards Emerging Fashion Designer of the Year.

The presentation and conversation are free and open to the public with a reservation. Reserve your seat at SCADShow and present your ticket at the event.

Six SCAD Hong Kong fashion design and fashion marketing students embarked on an immersive trip to Shanghai, China with accompanying professors Cristina Kountiou and Cory Quach to gain firsthand understanding of the fashion industry in Asian markets. Fashion marketing and management students Amanda Ceide, Evan Solomon and Margaret Hoyle and fashion students Sabrina Batiz, Delia Wade and Madison Gabriela Davis participated in this unique learning experience.

The trip began with a visit to flagship luxury department store Lane Crawford, located in Shanghai Times Square. The group were given a tour of the ground floor's center by a visual merchandiser from Lane Crawford China, including a large-scale presentation of the latest Calvin Klein collection.

Students then attended the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics fair, where they experienced a panel discussion led by Christina Dean, founder of Hong Kong based NGO, Redress. The panel focused on the question "Can fast fashion be sustainable?" with participants from textile manufacturer Sorona, fashion retailer H&M and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. The conversation encompassed the future the fashion industry, particularly how sustainable apparel can be made more accessible to everyday consumers. During an afternoon visit to the Swarovski collaborative showroom, students inspected the meticulous collections and engaged with brand representatives.

On day two, the group enjoyed a train ride to Tongxiang, where they toured Zhejiang XinAo Textiles, a facility that cleans and spins approximately 10 million kilograms of wool a year for textile company Woolmark. Wool from Merino sheep goes through a wash of water and generic detergent six times. Seventy percent of the water is recycled from the previous stage, reducing deposited water waste returning to soil. The company resells fibers for woolen yarn, and even sells dirt expunged from the cleaning process.

The subsequent concept retail tour started in Shanghai's K11 (a gallery-mall fusion with several locations in Asia, including Hong Kong), which hosts artists who define culture and stores that enrich it. Students continued on to 10 Corso Como, a bookstore, gallery, restaurant and retail store, its many levels displaying a variety of products in a curated boutique experience. Seeing brands presented in several formats showed students the expansive possibilities of well-crafted retail spaces.

On the final day of the trip, everyone met in the Former French Concession, a prominent shopping and dining district often referred to as the "Paris of the East." Starting at Dongliang, a villa transformed into a multi-level clothing store, the group was exposed to rising Chinese designers as well as familiar brands from abroad. Students spent their day exploring the streets of Shanghai, soaking up the beauty, history, and rich culture of this vibrant city. A unanimous decision was reached: no-one felt ready to leave Shanghai, but we were all ready to take what we gained from our experience and apply it to our studies.

Competing against undergraduate and graduate students from more than 40 colleges and universities across the U.S., Tess Burns (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management) is the top recipient of the 2017 National Retail Federation Ray Greenly Scholarship.

Burns composed an essay on innovation and a stop-motion animation "personal brand" video, then created a unique case study for the furniture and home décor company West Elm. Digital retail executives from companies including Williams-Sonoma, Kohl's and Nordstrom selected Burns as one of 25 semi-finalists to receive a stipend to attend this year's Student Experience at Shop.org in Los Angeles, where the trophy, and $25,000 top scholarship, belonged to Tess.

SCAD: How did you approach your award-winning case study with West Elm?

TESS BURNS: The challenge was to create a prototype to enhance the West Elm customer experience.

I went into the West Elm here in Savannah and saw a couple shopping who told the salesperson: "We don't know if this bedspread will match the paint in our bedroom." That sparked my idea. I realized augmented reality was the best way to solve their problem. Then I had to make an app.

There's an augmented reality function on my West Elm app so you can pull out your phone in your bedroom and select items and have them 3-D rendered in your room. You can see how a lamp is going to look like on your nightstand, what a bedspread will look like on your bed. Or you can take a photo of your room and come in to a West Elm store and have a consultant help you. It's about increasing customer confidence, online or in store.

SCAD: What was the key to you winning the top prize?

BURNS: I'd just come off working on a SCAD CLC [Collaborative Learning Center] project with Urban Decay Cosmetics that involved creating an innovative store experience, so I applied those lessons to my West Elm project.  At SCAD I not only learn business savvy but also acquire design knowledge. With my West Elm project, I was very aware of the aesthetics of the presentation and how that would make people think and feel.

Luke Chatelain, West Elm VP of Innovation, said they appreciated my passion for the company. West Elm values sustainability and educating people on their products, supporting the environment and society as a whole. I really connected with that.

SCAD: What was it like coming back to SCAD after your trip to Los Angeles?

BURNS: After the National Retail Federation event, I left L.A. and got back to Savannah at midnight. I arrived at my 8 a.m. class the next day in Morris Hall, where they announced there was a guest speaker upstairs. I went up, walked into the room and everyone started clapping. I started to sit down for the guest speaker but they said "No, this is for you." They had a cake with my name on it. It was so nice!

Professor Monika Jonevski and Daniel Green, chair of fashion marketing and management, encouraged me throughout the process and provided feedback. I wanted to do this for myself and for SCAD as a whole. It's a huge step towards getting a job in the industry I love.

The Savannah College of Art and Design has again earned international honors in the esteemed Red Dot Award: Communication Design competition. With students and alumni receiving 39 total awards, the 2017 competition marks the most wins for SCAD to date.

SCAD entries earned 12 awards in the film and animation category, 10 in illustration, and five each advertising, and publishing and print media. Projects from SCAD students and alumni earned additional awards in the interface and user experience design, typography, apps, and posters categories. Award recipients include students from SCAD campuses in Hong Kong, Savannah and Atlanta.

"SCAD competed with design students across the globe to bring home an impressive number of awards this year," said Anthony Fisher, dean of the school of communication arts. "These honors speak to the unsurpassed quality of the curriculum and the dedication of our faculty. They exemplify the university's status as the preeminent source of knowledge in innovation and creativity."

Global design authority Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen administers the annual Red Dot Awards. For the Communication Design competition, an international jury of 24 judges from 11 countries selected pieces of compelling quality and creativity. One of the most ambitious worldwide design competitions, the Red Dot Awards garnered submissions from 50 countries. This year's Communication Design program drew a total of 8,051 submissions across 18 categories.

SCAD alumna Whitney Renea Stephenson (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) received the coveted "Best of the Best" award for "Dreamkeeper," a narrative short film about Tom, a dream watchman, and how an encounter with an observant young girl alters his perspective on the world of dreams.

The Red Dot Gala on Friday, Oct. 27 will honor the distinguished recipients at the Konzerthaus Berlin in Berlin, Germany. Stephenson will receive her "Best of the Best" trophy and compete for the Red Dot: Grand Prix award, which recognizes the top work in each category. Following the ceremony, Red Dot winners will celebrate "Designers' Night" at E-Werk Berlin and an exclusive work showcase, "Design on Stage," exhibiting the winning pieces.

Congratulations to the following SCAD student and alumni recipients of Red Dot Awards in Communication Design 2017:

Illustration
Lidan Chen (M.A., illustration, 2017)
Nick Erickson (B.F.A., animation)
Irena Freitas (M.F.A., illustration, 2017)
Yevheniia Haidamaka (M.F.A., illustration, 2017)
Jamie Kao (B.F.A., graphic design, 2017)
Shann Larsson (B.F.A., graphic design, 2016)
Taylor McCaslin (B.F.A., illustration, 2017)
Amalia Restrepo (M.F.A., illustration)
Sunny B. Yazdani (M.A., illustration, 2017)

Film and Animation
Justin Boon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016)
Meadhbh Deeney (B.F.A., film and television, 2016)
Mohamed Echkouna (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016)
Milena Goncalez (M.F.A., animation, 2016)
Kuozheng Hao (B.F.A., animation, 2016)
Robyn Hicks (M.F.A., film and television, 2017)
Melanie Amanda Ho (B.F.A., film and television, 2015)
Andy Koeger (B.F.A., film and television, 2016)
Lamia Lazrak (B.F.A., film and television, 2016)
Ieva Lukauskaite (B.F.A., film and television, 2016)
Paula Andrea Sprenger (B.F.A., film and television, 2016)
Whitney Renea Stephenson (B.F.A., film and television, 2016)

Advertising
Kendra Bergman (B.F.A., advertising, 2017)
Timothy Carvalho (M.F.A., advertising, 2017)
Hannah Gilbertson (B.F.A., advertising)
Nick Lamando (B.A., visual communication, 2016)
Mikayla Lapierre (B.F.A., advertising)
Isabel Taborga (B.F.A., advertising, 2017)
Brian Alexander Madert (B.F.A., advertising)
Bryson Schmidt (B.F.A., advertising, 2017)
Nick Taormina (B.F.A., advertising)
Yugendu Vyas (B.F.A., advertising, 2017)

Publishing and Print Media
Keeley Gribb (M.F.A., graphic design, 2016)
Shann Larsson (B.F.A., graphic design, 2016)
Sharon Martie (B.F.A., graphic design, 2016)
Alanna Minor (B.F.A., graphic design, 2017)
Carmen Rodriguez Lo (B.F.A., graphic design, 2017)

Interface and User Experience
Dipali Bajaj (B.F.A., user experience design)
Zhaolin Cai (B.F.A., user experience design)
Nolan Canady (B.F.A., user experience design)
Gonzalo Gelso (B.F.A., graphic design)
Je Sun Hwang (M.F.A., service design)
Hwang Hah Jeong (B.F.A., user experience design)
Yuri Jai Johnson (B.F.A., computer arts, 2004)
In Won Jong (M.F.A., interactive design/game development, 2017)
Joe Kennedy (B.F.A., user experience design)
Jenn Lee (B.F.A., user experience design)
Cody Reppert (B.F.A., user experience design)
Andrew Sibert (B.F.A., user experience design)
James Simmons (B.F.A., user experience design)
Fernando Zeledon (B.F.A., industrial design)

Apps
Gentry Baird (B.F.A., graphic design)

Typography
Jenna Sullivan (B.F.A., graphic design, 2017)
Katherine Weaver (M.A., visual effects)

Posters
India Torrez (B.F.A., graphic design, 2017)

Students filled the halls of the SCAD Museum of Art Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, for WordCast, a day-long media conference connecting students with industry leaders in journalism, broadcast and multimedia storytelling through hands-on seminars, career advice workshops and one-on-one critiques.

Presented by SCAD Student Media, WordCast speakers included Adam Cole, science writer and multimedia journalist for National Public Radio, Mary Anthony Green, featured columnist for GQ magazine, Miguel Fuller, WPOI Hot 101.5 radio personality, and documentary filmmaker Gabriella Garcia-Pardo (B.F.A., film and television, 2012).
 
"Making it as a food and travel writer," a workshop led by Hannah Hayes (M.A., arts administration, 2013), associate travel editor at Southern Living, offered a meme-filled PowerPoint presentation complete with straight-talk about the business of being a freelancer. Hayes began her workshop discussing the current state of magazine industry, including recent editorial cutbacks and decreasing freelance rates.

"But there's good news!" Hayes said among a wave of relieved laughter. "There's never been a better time to be a younger person in the industry — we know how to do all the things!"

Hayes encouraged students to learn skills that complement their writing, including video production and editing, and experience with CMS, coding and analytics. On a slide titled "What do you need to show people to get a job?," Hayes spoke about the importance of holistic storytelling.

"Consider all the different ways to tell your story," she said. "If you can show an editor real reasons to spend money on a video component, they'll be impressed by the amount of research you already put into the story."

Following Hayes' class was "Editing for broadcast," a technical audio editing workshop taught by Tracie Hunte, a reporter for RadioLab/WNYC.

With the Avid Pro Tools application projected onto a monitor, Hunte reviewed the post-interview steps she took in one of her favorite RadioLab stories, "One Vote," about how a single state legislator's vote in 1920 changed the outcome of the American suffrage movement. Throughout her presentation, Hunte played clips from the both the edited and unedited versions of the interview, showing how audio was changed.

"The first thing I do with an interview is cut anything unusable and group by topic," Hunte said, cutting and pasting her favorite quotes from the interview to demonstrate. "I'm already thinking about the story arc when I do this—how should we open the story and what will make a good ending?"

Another tip Hunte shared concerned the process of finding and logging each interjection in an interview — every time a person says "and," "but," "yes," "no," and other connective words.

"Once I have a log of interjections, it is much easier for me to connect sentences and ideas when I edit an interview," Hunte said.

Hunte concluded her workshop by suggesting resources for students interested in podcasting, from books about ethical editing to the best microphones and other equipment.

"Always feel free to pitch me story ideas," Hunte said. "Maybe you're more interested in the storytelling aspect than the technical editing. We need it all!"

"I know a small person shouldn't hope for any attention," says Ka Foon Chau. "They should fulfill themselves, be the best they can be, and others will see your importance. There's no need to beg for any attention." This small, important scene, from the documentary "$30 to Antarctica," finds Dr. Chau reading from a personal diary composed during her exacting girlhood.

Concise in length and epic in breadth, the film charts the true story of how an impoverished child in Hong Kong became a nephrologist and transplant activist and eventually fulfilled a lifelong dream of travelling to Antarctica. Utilizing interviews with Dr. Chau's friends, husband, and former high school teacher, the film demonstrates how a seemingly token kindness lead to empowering self-belief, and how a commitment to learning and helping others can create transformative change in the lives of many. The film is a work of clear-eyed inspiration and natural beauty. It also reveals, in its end credits, that director Joey Chu (B.F.A., film and television, 2017) is Dr. Chau's daughter.

SCAD: How did "$30 to Antarctica" evolve?

JOEY CHU: I filmed the ending first, the trip to Antarctica. We were in a two-person kayak, my mother in front, and I put a GoPro between us, then filmed her walking on the beach of Deception Island. I had that footage, and mentioned to my mother that I'd develop it into a documentary someday. I told her it'd be powerful for people to see her story on film. She's been interviewed on TV many times for her work as a doctor, so being in front of a camera isn't a strange thing for her. The scene where she's reading from her diary she wrote while she was struggling as a kid, I was behind the camera with my DP Dumaine Babcock (B.F.A., film and television, 2017) and my mother started tearing up. I was crying but trying not to make a sound.

The fact that the subject of the film is my mother isn't really important to the film. If she wasn't my mother and I only learned about her and her incredible story, I would still want to make a film about her. Some people told me to make it more about her being my mother, some said not to mention it at all. Mentioning at the end credits felt like the right thing to do.

SCAD: What was your experience like as a SCAD student making this film?

CHU: Being at SCAD means being surrounded by passionate people and learning to collaborate. It's inspiring because it makes you want to work hard and see how your passions can connect. When I made "$30 to Antarctica" the entire crew were my friends. My professors Alexander Newton and Lubomir Kocka were incredibly helpful. They took extra steps to help the film fulfill its potential. And they're there for me now, after graduation, as resources.

SCAD: What's next for "$30 to Antarctica"?

CHU: This week it's going to screen at the I Imagine Film Festival in New York City. It just won Best Short Documentary at the Around International Film Festival Amsterdam monthly competition. I finished the film in August, and the deadline for the Savannah Film Festival had already passed, so I plan to submit it for the 2018 SAVFF. I look forward to bringing it back to Savannah.

Savannah College of Art and Design is pleased to announce James P. Cramer has joined the faculty of the architecture department as distinguished professor. In the fall 2017 academic quarter, Cramer will co-teach a course within the architecture curriculum alongside Savannah architect and president of AIA Georgia, SCAD professor Neil Dawson.
 
Cramer, renowned for his contributions to the A/E/C industry over the past four decades, is highly acclaimed in the field of architecture and design as an educator, futurist and business adviser. He is the co-founder of Design Futures Council and DesignIntelligence, and CEO-emeritus of the Greenway Group. Formerly Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects, Cramer's extensive career in architecture, design and consulting has been recognized by honorifics including the Richard Upjohn Fellow of the AIA, and Fellow of the International Leadership Forum in La Jolla, California.

Dawson has contributed to the planning, design and construction of numerous award-winning projects throughout coastal Georgia and the southeast including the Lucas Theatre, the SCAD Museum of Art, and the urban mixed-use site News Place, part of the Ellis Square renewal project in Savannah. Dawson's work has been honored with awards from the Historic Savannah Foundation, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Savannah Chapter of the AIA. His work has been published in Metropolitan Home, The New York Times and Good Housekeeping. He is the principal of LS3P Dawson Architects in Savannah and current president of AIA Georgia.

Cramer and Dawson's graduate-level course, How Firms Succeed: A Masterclass in Design Leadership and Management, provides students with an in-depth examination of current design firm leadership and management practices. The course is devoted to broadening students' awareness of the latest shifts and trends in design practice, in preparation for competitive leadership opportunities in the field. Students will be exposed to the mechanisms of contemporary business models, gain confidence in making management and entrepreneurial decisions and learn how to assess the health of a design practice through up-to-date performance metrics.
 
SCAD welcomes James P. Cramer to its faculty, and to an architecture department where students develop the necessary expertise to design buildings that bring value to the world.