Films of Lucas: Beyond East Meets West

May 26, 2015 | Joshua McCrary Star Wars has always revolved around the convergence of disparate cultures, both in the vast and eclectic worlds that the story spans and in the series’ aesthetic and thematic influences. When Star Wars premiered in 1977 it was the best possible version of the East-West crossover film, drawing from the lore and imagery of both classic samurai films and traditional westerns...

The Cinema of Capra, Part 2: Glimpses of Paradise

May 22, 2015 | Charissa Fenton In 1937 Frank Capra made his most expensive feature film to that date, the $2 million extravagant production of Lost Horizon. A year later he returned to a more modest production with You Can’t Take it With You. While the two films could not be more different with setting and atmosphere they have one very prominent feature in common...

Revisiting the Star Wars Prequels

May 19, 2015 | Anthony Parisi 23 Ten years ago today, the Galactic Republic transformed into the evil Empire, the Jedi Order was destroyed by the Sith, and young Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) was the long-awaited end of George Lucas’ six-film magnum opus. It completed both the prequel trilogy that Lucas began writing in 1994 and the larger story he had been telling since 1977...

The Cinema of Capra, Part 1: Pride & Humility

May 16, 2015 | Charissa Fenton “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” This excerpt from the book of James could very well describe any Frank Capra movie. Humility is a strong theme running through the moral center of each of his films. Capra’s own life story recalls the many times he himself was humbled. Growing up as a poor immigrant, he determined at a young age that an education was the way out of poverty...

Michael Collins Featured by Houston Public Media

May 11, 2015 | Cinema & New Media Arts

Michael Collins, the distinguished director of our Master of Fine Arts program, was recently featured alongside HBU’s fantastic art galleries and museums in this video segment produced by Houston Public Media.

We are so thankful …

Driven Golf Awards Students

May 9, 2015 | Cinema & New Media Arts

Our Cinema & New Media Arts students recently participated in an exclusive competition in partnership with Houston-based Driven Golf. Invited to a special Driven Golf event, our students captured hours of compelling footage and transformed …

CNMA Students Awarded Honors at Convocation

May 7, 2015 | Cinema & New Media Arts In May, four Cinema & New Media Arts students received special awards at the 2015 HBU Honors Convocation. Presented by Dr. J. Matthew Boyleston, the Dean of the School of Fine Arts, the awards recognize some of our most talented, hard-working, and generous Cinema & New Media Arts students.

An Evening of Monologues

May 3, 2015 | Cinema & New Media Arts

This weekend, our Cinema & New Media Arts acting students put on a special Evening of Monologues to showcase their developing talents. Directed by Professor Jesse GrothOlson, the presentation was full of drama, humor, and …

Students Demo Oculus Rift VR System

May 2, 2015 | Cinema & New Media Arts

We’re always looking forward to what opportunities technology will unlock for the next generation of storytellers and artists. This last week, our Cinema & New Media Arts students tried out HBU’s new Oculus Rift VR system …

Dr. Reno Lauro Shares Insight with CNMA Students

April 30, 2015 | Cinema & New Media Arts

This semester, our CNMA students are studying the cinematic work of Terrence Malick, the brilliant and elusive filmmaker behind The Tree of Life, The Thin Red Line, and Days of Heaven. We were …