curriculum vitae - david mccracken

CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Jan. 2009—May 2013.
M.F.A. in Film & Television Production
Emphasis in Directing and Writing
• Directed, wrote, and produced over five short films.
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY Aug. 2006—May 2008.
M.A. in Creative Writing
Teaching & Research Assistant
• Taught multiple sections of English 103 and 104.
• Organized and ran “Creative Writing in the Community,” wherein
English students helped underprivileged youth and the elderly
express their stories in writing.
UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE Aug. 2002—Dec. 2005.
B.A. in Creative Writing
Emphasis in Mass Communication
Writer for The Crescent (the university’s newspaper)
C
• Wrote monthly film reviews.
Assistant to Dr. William Baer, professor of English
[email protected]
• Proofread, typed corrections, transcribed interviews.
(812) 598.1650
Unique Academic Experiences
• Studied in England for a semester at Harlaxton College.
MARITAL STATUS:
SINGLE
• Created an English independent study called “Scientific
DATE OF BIRTH:
8 MARCH 1984
Literature,” in which Dr. Robert Griffith and I studied the scientific
PLACE OF BIRTH:
EVANSVILLE, IN
writings of Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Brian Greene.
CURRENT RESIDENCE: LOS ANGELES, CA
• Created an interdisciplinary, year-long course called “Writing &
Directing the Feature Film.” Wrote and revised a feature screenplay
through the English Deptartment; shot and edited the feature through
the Mass Communications Department.
DAVID M CRACKEN
WORK EXPERIENCE
LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT Santa Monica, CA: Jan.—May 2012.
Intern for Head of Production, Alli Shearmur
• Script coverage and scheduling for Alli Shearmur.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles, CA: Jan. 2010—May. 2013.
Production Equipment Center
• Managed equipment checkouts and returns.
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NEVADA CONSERVATION CORPS (division of AmeriCorps) Reno,
NV: May—Aug. 2007.
Field Engineer and Historian
• Photographed and catalogued field projects.
• Conservation work at Lake Tahoe, Ash Meadows, and Reno.
VALHALLA MOTION PICTURES Los Angeles, CA: May—Aug. 2003,
May—July 2004.
Intern for producer Gale Anne Hurd
• Pitched material to producer Gale Anne Hurd (Terminator, The
Walking Dead) and president Geoff Stier (Sense and Sensibility).
• Script coverage, office management, and studio runs.
AWARDS
“BEST EMERGING FILMMAKER” ALEXIS AWARD 2013.
Jury Prize, Palm Springs International ShortFest.
• For my short film “OstrichLand.”
PHI KAPPA PHI STUDENT RECOGNITION AWARD 2013.
$500, University of Southern California.
• For my short science-fiction film “I Am Become Death,” in
demonstrating the moral complications of atomic weapons.
ALFRED P. SLOAN PRODUCTION GRANT 2012.
$20,000, University of Southern California.
• Film proposal demonstrated both excellence in storytelling and
the importance of science to the human condition.
JAMES BRIDGES SCHOLARSHIP FOR DIRECTING 2011.
$12,500, University of Southern California.
• One of the most prestigious awards given by the university for
excellence in directing.
ARTISTIC INTERESTS
FAVORITE AUTHORS
Robert Olen Butler • Michael Chabon • Michael
Crichton • Stephen King • Jhumpa Lahiri • D.H.
Lawrence • Flannery O’Connor • J.D. Salinger •
George Saunders • John Steinbeck
FAVORITE BOOKS
1984 • The Catcher in the Rye • Cannery Row •
Hearts in Atlantis • Into the Wild • Michael
Crichton’s Travels • The Rainbow • To Kill a
Mockingbird • Travels with Charley • Ulysses
FAVORITE FILMMAKERS
P.T. Anderson • James Cameron • Joel & Ethan
Coen • Francis Ford Coppola • David Fincher •
Stanley Kubrick • Martin Scorsese • Steven
Spielberg • Oliver Stone • Robert Zemeckis
FAVORITE FILMS
2001: A Space Odyssey • Aliens • Amadeus •
Apocalypse Now • The Big Lebowski • Boogie
Nights • The Departed • Jaws • Jurassic Park •
Lawrence of Arabia • Masculin Féminin
FAVORITE BANDS / COMPOSERS
Bob Dylan • Johnny Cash • Michael Giacchino •
Led Zeppelin • Mozart • The Rolling Stones •
Tchaikovsky • John Williams • Hans Zimmer
THESIS RESEARCH GRANT 2007.
$600, Ball State University.
• Traveled to New Mexico and Texas to research my MA thesis, a trilogy of Western novels.
WRITTEN WORKS
THE BARNABY LEGACY Feature Screenplay, 2013.
• Hired to write original screenplay for Lunacy Productions.
KILL THE LAST DRAGON Feature Screenplay, 2012.
• Wrote and revised to fulfill my MFA thesis requirement at USC.
FAKE BEARD Short Film Screenplay, 2010.
• Official selection of the USC BUSINESS FILM FESTIVAL, DC SHORTS FEST, and CHARLOTTE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL.
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A PARTING OF WAYS Short Story, 2007.
• Official selection of PENSCAPE, Ball State University’s literary
conference.
VIRGINIA IN AMSTERDAM Short Story, 2006.
• Official selection of the Practical Criticism Midwest Conference.
DIET Short Story, 2004.
• Nominee for Association of Writers & Writing Programs Award.
THE TALE OF DON HOBÓTE Short Story, 2003.
• Published in the University of Evansville Literary Journal.
THIS SINGLE LIFE Short Story, 2003.
• Third Prize winner in the University of Evansville Writing Contest.
FILMS
OSTRICHLAND Director, 14 min. 2013.
SYNOPSIS: A poignant comedy about two estranged brothers who
travel across the country in a truck full of their dead
dad’s UFO memorabilia.
LINK:
http://vimeo.com/davidmccracken/ostrichland
PASSWORD: Bristol
• 2013 Official Selection VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,
WILLIFEST in Brooklyn, WHITELIGHTS INTERNATIONAL FILM
FESTIVAL in Northern Ireland.
• 2014 Official Selection USC FIRST LOOK FILM FESTIVAL.
REFERENCES
MARY LOU BELLI
[email protected]
Multi-Cam directing instructor, USC.
JACK EPPS, JR.
[email protected]
Head of Screenwriting Dept., USC. Taught
Writing in Collaboration. Writer of Top Gun.
RICHARD KLETTER
[email protected]
USC screenwriting instructor of my MFA
thesis requirement course.
SEAN LOVELACE
[email protected]
Head of Creative Writing Dept., Ball State.
MA thesis advisor.
JOSH RIEDFORD
[email protected]
Producer of numerous films I’ve directed,
most notably our feature, Daylight.
PETER SIESENNOP
[email protected]
Writing partner and producer of a short film I
directed, “OstrichLand.”
DAYLIGHT Director / Producer / Writer, 97 min. 2010—2013.
SYNOPSIS: A supernatural thriller about a CPS team who
JOHN WATSON
investigates a series of bizarre child abuse cases and
[email protected]
discovers one girl may be demonically possessed.
Lead professor of Production III at USC, for
• Independently raised a budget of $110,000.
which I directed “OstrichLand.” Producer of
• Cast over 60 actors & shot in over 40 locations in the Midwest.
Backdraft and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
• Official selection of LONDON FRIGHTFEST 2013.
• “Best Thriller” winner at MOTOR CITY NIGHTMARES festival.
• Currently on VOD in the UK; sales agent currently in talks with international and domestic distributors.
I AM BECOME DEATH Director / Writer, 6 min. 2009.
SYNOPSIS: Dr. Robert Oppenheimer travels back in time to stop himself from creating the atomic bomb.
LINK:
http://vimeo.com/davidmccracken/atomicbomb
PASSWORD: Failsafe
WE NEED TO TALK Director / Producer / Writer, 5 min. 2009.
SYNOPSIS: A man and a woman who secretly hate each other are on the cusp of getting engaged.
LINK:
http://vimeo.com/davidmccracken/weneedtotalk
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