Eric Timmons takes us on a transformative journey through the world of educational filmmaking, revealing how authenticity and student voice are reshaping career pathways for underrepresented youth in Santa Ana.
The story begins with a pivotal moment of pedagogical humility—when students rejected Timmons' theater program, he asked why instead of doubling down. This simple act of listening launched a revolutionary approach to education that now thrives as the Saintly Film Academy CTE pathway at Santa Ana High School. The four-year program blends English language arts with progressive film production skills, creating cohorts of students who move through narrative filmmaking, episodic content creation, documentary production, and finally independent thesis films.
What distinguishes Timmons' approach is his strategic foresight about where the industry is heading. Rather than preparing students exclusively for traditional Hollywood careers, he connects them with local videographers, photographers, and marketing teams who need their digital storytelling skills immediately. The program also embraces emerging technologies like virtual production environments (the LED wall technology used in productions like The Mandalorian) and content creation for platforms that are disrupting traditional media hierarchies.
Most powerfully, Timmons addresses representation gaps head-on. Citing research showing that Latino directors are 6.5 times more likely to hire other Latinos in key creative roles, he focuses on empowering students to become decision-makers who can transform who gets to tell stories in our culture. Through partnerships with working Latino filmmakers who serve as mentors, students see people who look like them succeeding in the industry.
The results speak volumes—students are securing paid internships, starting production companies while still in school, and using their skills to elevate voices in their community through projects like "Discover DTSA" in partnership with the City of Santa Ana. As one student realized: "We can start doing this now. We don't have to wait."
Join us for this inspiring conversation about how creativity, technology, and culturally responsive teaching are creating new pathways to success that simply didn't exist before. Discover how film education is transforming not just students' futures, but potentially the future of media itself.
Visit us at our Buzzsprout site for more ways to listen, links to our social media sites and any referenced materials, and complete transcripts of our full-length episodes: https://bit.ly/SAUSDAmplifyingLeadership
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Bianca Barquin (00:07):
Welcome back to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
the podcast, where we explorethe stories, strategies and
successes of those shaping thefuture through education and
leadership.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we have an exciting
episode focusing on theintersection of creativity and
technology.
Joining us is Eric Timmons, theinnovative mind leading the
(00:31):
Saintly Film Academy CTE pathwayat Santa Ana High School, a
groundbreaking program thatblends English language arts and
visual and performing arts.
Eric brings a wealth ofexperience from both teaching
and the entertainment industry,and today we'll be discussing
his journey, the role of AI ineducation and the unique
(00:51):
opportunities available tostudents in Santa Ana.
Eric, welcome to the show.
Eric Timmons (00:57):
Thank you so much for having me.
Bianca Barquin (00:59):
We're excited to dive directly into your story.
Let's start with a littlebackground.
Can you introduce yourself andtell us about your teaching and
industry experience?
Tell us what led you toteaching and how did your
background in the entertainmentindustry influence your approach
?
Eric Timmons (01:16):
Thank you.
So I started at a small specialneeds school in Laguna Hills,
california.
It's a private school calledNew Vista School.
It specializes in supportingstudents with autism, and I was
instructional aid there and Istarted a theater program and
the students hated it and theydidn't want to participate in it
and I didn't know why and Icouldn't figure it out.
(01:38):
And so I did something that hasshaped my career ever since.
I asked them why don't you likethis class?
And they said because it'sembarrassing for us to stand in
front of people.
And I said so what could we dodifferently?
And so they decided they wantedto make movies, and I had a
theater background.
I had done screenwriting andI'd made movies when I was
(02:00):
younger.
But I decided I was going toshift things and I was going to
venture into making movies, andso we did.
We started making movies and Ihad never edited a movie before,
and so I quickly learned how toteach editing and the
screenplays I had under control.
And as an English teacher, Iwent to school and became an
English teacher while I wasthere working as an aid, and so
as I shifted into being anEnglish teacher then I started
(02:21):
incorporating more screenplaywriting and so we had the
literacy component.
But then students were able toexpress themselves through
filmmaking, and that's where Ireally saw the magic of what
filmmaking can do in theclassroom.
And the biggest epiphany andturning point in my career was
when we screened their movies ata local theater and seeing the
(02:42):
parents come up with tears intheir eyes saying I never
thought I'd see my child dosomething like this, and that
has also been a huge shift in mycareer the understanding that
we have to provide parents andstudents the support that they
need as clients.
And it was a private schoolthat I worked at and so that was
the approach, and I understoodat that point that I needed to
(03:06):
think about how education wasn'tserving the students that I was
working with.
Many of those students camefrom public school because they
weren't getting the supportsthey needed.
And then after that, I moved toSanta Ana and started Chavez,
which is a continuation schoolin our district, alternative
education school, and at ChavezI also continued meeting
(03:29):
students who had not fit intothe education system we have
designed and were struggling.
And again I brought screenplaysto the English classroom and
one of the best compliments Ireceived was from an English
student who asked why theiralternative ed English class was
harder than the class they hadbefore they got to alternative
ed, and that made me so proud,but it wasn't impossibly
(03:49):
difficult they were.
They were feeling that sense ofachievement because they were
creating a screenplay.
It was just different.
It required them to create newworlds, to think in a way they
hadn't thought before.
So those two experiences reallydefined my career.
And so when the brilliant SofiaCuevas moved into the district
(04:15):
her district office position nowshe left behind the Saintly
Films program which she startedand I took it over.
And I just was so excited forthis opportunity because it's
such a gorgeous facility thatthe district built, and it was
an opportunity to take what Ihad been learning and developing
and now put it into place witha four-year pathway.
That direct line between whatstudents can see happening at
school and their future careeralso reaffirmed my mission and
(04:38):
what I wanted to do with SaintlyFilms.
Bianca Barquin (04:41):
There's so many brilliant and inspiring things
that you just said in that firstquestion.
I'm super excited.
One you realize as a teacher,because you're a true reflective
practitioner that what you weredoing initially didn't work and
instead of just thinking, oh mybrilliance, I will just tweak
(05:02):
it and create somethingdifferent.
You were empathetic and youwere an empathetic communicator
and you listened to yourstudents, which is one of the
attributes of our graduateprofile that we want to
exemplify, right?
So you listened to them andthen you adjusted and you were
super responsive and you startedto personalize what you were
(05:23):
doing to really meet their needs.
And then fast forward to whenyou went to Chavez.
Here you are in an alternativesetting and you're with some of
our most vulnerable students andyou are still actually
personalizing and meeting theirneeds and you're providing them
with rigor, which is incredible,and they are actually working
(05:48):
really hard to get through yourclass.
You were doing thingsdifferently in a way that they
hadn't encountered it before.
And now let's segue into whatyou're doing at our flagship
high school, at Santa Ana HighSchool, which I'm super excited
about, which leads me right intoour next question Can you tell
us more about the Santa Ana HighSchool, saintly Film Academy,
(06:10):
cte pathway.
How are the courses structured?
To prepare students for collegeand career and you already
started talking to us a littlebit about that and what's the
mission of the program.
Eric Timmons (06:23):
St Lee Films.
It's a four-year pathway and soit starts with ninth graders.
We teach narrative filmmakingand then it goes into episodic
filmmaking, like for Netflix andstreaming content.
Then junior year is documentaryand now we've actually added a
news component where they'remaking broadcast news once a
week.
And then senior year is theirindependent senior thesis film
that they create and that's partof their senior portfolio that
(06:44):
they submit and that's part oftheir senior portfolio that they
submit.
All four courses are aligned toan English language course and
then I meet with the Englishteachers and we collaborate so
that we're supporting thosestudents.
So the students who movethrough the pathway have me in
their film production class andthen they have their English
teacher and it's the same cohortmoving through all four years.
(07:05):
And what that has allowed isfor students to really move past
the film production aspect andget into the storytelling, into
exploration of identity,exploration of what angers them
about their community, whatfrustrates them and what they
can do as artists to shapenarratives that could possibly
(07:25):
change the world.
And what I'm most proud of withthat pathway is the three
focuses that we've shiftedtoward.
The three focuses we have nowis that we're focused on how can
we connect more with thecommunity to ensure
opportunities for students tomove away not entirely there are
some students who still willbut move away somewhat from the
(07:46):
Hollywood model of goingstraight to Hollywood and to
focus more on what does it taketo become a real estate
videographer?
What does it take to open upyour own photography studio If
you want to be a photographer?
We have lots of studentphotographers and their own
companies at school takingphotos for athletes and dancers,
and so how can we turn thatinto a career path?
And so how can we turn thatinto a career path?
(08:06):
What does it take to build justa network?
I have a student who wants tobe an orthodontist.
He never wants to be afilmmaker but he's going local
industry film production, but byhaving them in the classroom
and engaged in the projects thestudents are creating, not guest
(08:35):
speakers.
I'm not a fan of guest speakers.
I felt like when I was in highschool I did not enjoy guest
speakers.
I pretty much checked out.
It was pre-cell phones, but Iprobably would have been on my
cell phone.
So I think that teenagers needpeople to come into the
classroom to work with them andthe teacher through a
collaboration on whateverproject the student is currently
(08:55):
on.
So, for example, when studentsare doing their pitches, we
bring in filmmakers andproducers to give them sometimes
brutal feedback about whatneeds to be adjusted.
And that is a wake-up call forwhat life will feel like like
when you go out and you needs tobe adjusted, and that is a wake
up call for what life will feellike like when you go out and
you have to produce something.
I think, going back to what Iwas saying earlier about my
(09:16):
private school training and whatI learned there, it's not about
whether they attempted tocomplete something.
They actually need to deliversomething, a product, and it
needs to be a rigorousassignment and they need to get
feedback on that and they needto improve it until it reaches
the level that we have set as astandard.
Rather than check the box, moveon.
And so by bringing inprofessionals, I can see it in
(09:37):
the students it elevates thework because they feel added
pressure.
It's not just their teacherwho's going to give them a grade
on the rubric and then move onright.
They are getting feedback froma Hollywood producer or someone
who works locally in filmproduction.
The next part that we're focusedon is technology.
So technology is changing inthe film industry.
Technology is changing in ourworld rapidly.
(09:59):
As you know, I was a member ofthe ICC and it's yeah, it's
clear that we need to startthinking about what are the
signals that are happeningaround us, and so, with students
in class, we are looking atwhat skills can they develop as
far as virtual production goes,virtual production is like the
Mandalorian, where you have theLED screen on set and so
(10:23):
students, instead of having aset piece behind them, they have
an LED wall and it can bechanged and adjusted and the
camera follows them.
And so think of, like a weatherreport You're watching the
weather and if the camera wereto move, the background wouldn't
move, it would be static, right, the static image.
With virtual production, thereare trackers on the camera and
the wall, so it actually tracksthe camera's movement, so the
(10:53):
background moves with them,which means you need to design a
full, like a video game, a fulllandscape that can be moved
around and adjust the lighting,and all of that's on Unreal
Engine.
So we are shifting towardUnreal Engine training, we're
shifting toward virtualproduction, and that goes back
again to my start at the privateschool is I see the writing on
the wall.
Hollywood is people are losingjobs, and so if students do want
to pursue this, they need to atleast understand at a basic
(11:14):
level a foundational level howto work on a virtual set.
They may not be the personwho's designing the background,
but they need to at leastunderstand how virtual set
functions.
The other thing, too, is that Iwas in a conversation with an
executive producer from WarnerBrothers, and he's executive
producer for several car showsand he's had to lay off 70
people because Warner Brothersis just moving away from car
(11:37):
television.
The industry is shifting.
They're going to YouTube.
Students are watching YouTube,students are watching TikTok,
instagram, and so we need tostart teaching that content as
well.
How do you create that content?
How do you meet the marketdemands so that you can compete
in a changing market?
That being said, and what's kindof wonderful about that is that
(11:58):
the big word for 2025 isgatekeepers.
Right, they're like thestudents always say don't stop
being a gatekeeper, mr Timmonslike if I try to stop them from
something.
But that's a wonderful idea isthat you know we have, we've
moved away from the gatekeepers,because a lot of those
gatekeepers are actuallycontrolling access.
And that's my third point is tobring students up to provide
(12:19):
access.
There was a study that was doneby McKinsey that so, okay,
above the line and below theline in Hollywood is so you have
.
Above the line are the peoplewho are the creators behind it,
the people like the writers, thedirectors, the producers and
casting directors and then leadactors.
The below the line is everybodyelse who basically brings the
production to life.
The below the line is everybodyelse who basically brings the
(12:41):
production to life.
So if the director is whitethey found McKinsey this last
year it is a 4% chance thatthere will be above the line,
latinos on the set.
If that director is Latino, orshowrunner too, if the director
(13:02):
or showrunner is Latino, it's a26% chance there will be Latinos
above the line.
That's what McKinsey found.
So representation matters andgiving students access to the
table where the decisions aremade is imperative if they're
going to be successful and we'regoing to start changing the
narrative, and so I want toelevate their voices.
But I want to empower them toelevate their voices.
I want them to see that thestories that they have heard
within their families have valueand haven't been told, and that
(13:26):
they exist and will excite themarket.
It's not just aboutrepresentation for the sake of
representation.
It's also, too, that we'rebored with the same stories over
and over again.
We've seen them so many times,and so by bringing in unique
perspectives and hearing thosestories, it can really so many
times.
And so by bringing in uniqueperspectives and hearing those
stories, it can really shape theworld.
And so those are the threethings that we're working on to
(13:46):
really make sure that thestudents are ready for a pretty
uncertain future.
Bianca Barquin (13:51):
You know, it makes me deeply think about the
ICC and the work that we'redoing.
Everything you're talking about, eric, is you applying, without
even formalized training,strategic foresight.
Right, you're forecasting andreally deeply looking at those
drivers and signals of where theindustry is going and you're
(14:13):
making sure that our studentshave not only the knowledge but
the skills and the dispositionsthat they're going to need in
the future and you're givingthem an opportunity or a chance.
I think it's amazing.
There is a line when I waslooking at your LinkedIn and I
can't remember the exact wordingor I would bring it up, but
it's something about almostamplifying the voices of
(14:36):
emerging storytellers, somethingaround right.
So it's kind of resonating.
Do you remember exactly what itis?
I think it-.
Eric Timmons (14:45):
What I wrote on there no, it's been so long.
Yes, it is amplifying thevoices and that is an
empowerment right Is to makesure that they are heard, to
make sure that they have theaccess to the networks, that
they're in the rooms, to meetpeople who can give them that
access.
We live in a very wealthycounty and in South Orange
(15:06):
County I mean a lot of thosestudents going to Chapman go to
Chapman and their parents willpay $30,000 for their film at
Chapman.
So I mean the majority of ourstudents don't have access to
that and so for them to meetpeople and see people working in
those career paths and beingable to see that this is
something they can do.
And again, I mean going back tomy earlier statistic, I try to
(15:29):
get Latino representation in theclassroom for filmmakers and
I've been fairly successful.
What I love about that is justto see how the students change
when they see someone.
They see that's me, that couldbe me.
We have Maria Alanis, who sheactually just wrapped on the new
Captain America.
She just wrapped on that movie,but she's worked with our
(15:49):
students extensively andsometimes I will say you know, I
want you to talk to Maria,because I feel like that's a
conversation they need to have,because I didn't grow up in
their household.
Bianca Barquin (16:15):
And they need to have that access to someone who
understands and hearing herpresent and she was so
articulate, telling her storyand then having the ability to
interview her afterwards andjust ask her questions.
Lorene and I were just pickingher brain and her talking about
the impact that you had in herwalking away and going to the
(16:37):
next level in her life, justsaying, wow, this has really
profoundly changed who I am, shesaid.
It made me recognize who Ireally am and to be not afraid
to express it, and I just thinkthat was a beautiful thing.
It makes me think about all ofthe students that are actually
in your class and I rememberbeing at the Neurodiversity Fair
(16:59):
to mention it again.
There were some students whowere there.
You didn't even have to providethem with direction and I'm
watching them edit and coach andmentor interviewers who were
interviewing teachers that werethere, and community partners,
so your students become reallyself-sufficient as they move
through the years with you.
Is that?
Eric Timmons (17:20):
accurate.
Yeah, that's the goal is.
I want them to be able to walkonto a professional set.
And in fact, another greatcompliment is oftentimes they'll
go and they'll do their firstfilm production class in college
and they'll text me or call meand say I was so bored because
they know everything already.
So but I tell them, you know,be open to it and learn.
You know you can learn newthings, and a lot of those
teachers have lots of experienceto share.
(17:41):
But definitely that's the goalis for them to be independent,
self-sufficient and to takepride in their work.
That was something that I wastold over and over when I worked
at Navista School, and here wasI didn't want people to watch
the movies and say this is goodfor a kid's movie.
I wanted to say this is a goodmovie.
Bianca Barquin (18:01):
This is a good story, and so we always aim for
that.
Love it, Okay.
Next question being so close tothe movie capital of the world,
what partnerships, internshipsor unique opportunities are
available to students in SantaAna in particular?
Eric Timmons (18:13):
So I'm excited to announce that we just helped a
student from last year.
He graduated last year.
He landed a job with the HumbleCompany, a sustainable dental
care product from Sweden, and soI had met the CEO for North
America and he was looking for agraphic designer and someone
who had some film experience andvideo experience for online
(18:34):
marketing, and so I recommendedSam, and so they gave him some
challenging work to turn in andit was really interesting.
He'll probably kill me forsharing this, but it was really
interesting because he submittedthe work the first time and
they gave it back and said no,you're giving us what you think
we want, like, we want to seewhat you can create, and I love
(18:55):
that moment, and I learned fromthat moment that that's
something that our industrypartners are looking for.
They want that freshperspective.
They want that exciting teenagevoice to compete online.
They're not looking forsomething that someone my age
could produce.
You know, they want somethingnew students.
(19:19):
But I'm so excited for him.
He has a six-month paidinternship with them that could
turn into a full-time career.
He's going to be traveling totrade shows, he's going to be
meeting executives from Googleand all kinds of places, so I'm
just so, so thrilled with that.
We also have internships.
Right now we're doing anotherexciting project called Discover
DTSA.
It's something that I createdwith Logan Crow, who runs the
Frida Cinema, and we're workingwith the city of Santa Ana to
(19:41):
get paid internships for thestudents, but they're working to
interview business owners andartists in the downtown Santa
Ana area to amplify their voicesand to support economic
development for the city, and soin that case, you have students
who have learned this craft inthe classroom now taking it out
into the community and using itto improve their community and
(20:03):
to help other artists raisetheir voices through a means of
communication, through theinternet or through social media
that they're not thatcomfortable with right, and they
don't really know what's coolright, and so our students can
help them develop those things,and it's been really exciting so
far.
We also then, through thatthat's the thing I'm discovering
that I wish I had learned whenI was younger was that when you
(20:24):
meet one person, then that leadsyou to an event where you meet
more people, and then that leadsyou to an event where you meet
more people, and I keep tellingthe students that and they keep
seeing it firsthand.
So with that interview then wewere invited to the professional
photographers of Orange County.
They had a meeting and so nowthey want to offer memberships
to our students to be part of.
You know a handful of studentsand these are like Newport Beach
(20:46):
, laguna Beach million dollarstudios.
These are people who've beenphotographers, for they said it
was a collection of maybe 300years of experience in that room
.
I mean it's just an incredibleopportunity for them to start to
work now and that that wassomething.
Over the summer I did a summerinternship.
That was the first time where Iran an internship.
(21:06):
With that internship we did apodcast to kind of like reflect
on the process.
And I remember that day we weresitting together and doing the
podcast and one of the studentsit just as they're kind of just
talking it dawns on him.
He's like we can start doingthis now, you guys.
And another student goes yeah,yeah, I mean like we're
practicing and then when wegraduate from college then we'll
(21:28):
you know we'll get careers.
And he goes no, we can startdoing this now.
We have the skills we have.
Mr Timmons will give us thegear to borrow Like we, and we
can make money and then save upto buy our own gear.
We can start a productioncompany now.
We don't have to wait.
It was so cool and it inspiredme too.
I was like that's so true, youdon't have to wait, you have the
(21:50):
skills right now.
And this is the skill, as youknow, everybody wants.
Like as we're recording thispodcast, as you're, you know,
looking on social media sometime, like you know, we'll probably
all go look at social mediaafter we get off of here, right,
like we're all on it.
So, and we don't allnecessarily know how to do it
effectively, right, and we'retrying to figure it out, we're
(22:11):
trying to learn, but we're justso busy.
They know they have the skills,so they, once they learn how to
shoot cinematic film and how tocolor grade and how to add
music that complements the story, they can do all that and make
money and build a productioncompany.
Bianca Barquin (22:30):
Think about all the incredible things that
they're actually learning.
They're learning that theirstories matter, that their
authenticity, their voiceactually matters, and then
you're equipping them with allof these technical skills and
fostering their creativity.
I mean, it's just amazing.
Eric Timmons (22:50):
Hey there, Amplifiers.
Join us next Friday for parttwo of our conversation with
Eric Timmons to hear how he usesAI to transform his filmmaking
classroom student experience.
See you then.
Welcome back to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
the podcast, where we explorethe stories, strategies and
successes of those shaping thefuture through education and
leadership.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we have an exciting
episode focusing on theintersection of creativity and
technology.
Joining us is Eric Timmons, theinnovative mind leading the
(00:31):
Saintly Film Academy CTE pathwayat Santa Ana High School, a
groundbreaking program thatblends English language arts and
visual and performing arts.
Eric brings a wealth ofexperience from both teaching
and the entertainment industry,and today we'll be discussing
his journey, the role of AI ineducation and the unique
(00:51):
opportunities available tostudents in Santa Ana.
Eric, welcome to the show.
Eric Timmons (00:57):
Thank you so much for having me.
Bianca Barquin (00:59):
We're excited to dive directly into your story.
Let's start with a littlebackground.
Can you introduce yourself andtell us about your teaching and
industry experience?
Tell us what led you toteaching and how did your
background in the entertainmentindustry influence your approach
?
Eric Timmons (01:16):
Thank you.
So I started at a small specialneeds school in Laguna Hills,
california.
It's a private school calledNew Vista School.
It specializes in supportingstudents with autism, and I was
instructional aid there and Istarted a theater program and
the students hated it and theydidn't want to participate in it
and I didn't know why and Icouldn't figure it out.
(01:38):
And so I did something that hasshaped my career ever since.
I asked them why don't you likethis class?
And they said because it'sembarrassing for us to stand in
front of people.
And I said so what could we dodifferently?
And so they decided they wantedto make movies, and I had a
theater background.
I had done screenwriting andI'd made movies when I was
(02:00):
younger.
But I decided I was going toshift things and I was going to
venture into making movies, andso we did.
We started making movies and Ihad never edited a movie before,
and so I quickly learned how toteach editing and the
screenplays I had under control.
And as an English teacher, Iwent to school and became an
English teacher while I wasthere working as an aid, and so
as I shifted into being anEnglish teacher then I started
(02:21):
incorporating more screenplaywriting and so we had the
literacy component.
But then students were able toexpress themselves through
filmmaking, and that's where Ireally saw the magic of what
filmmaking can do in theclassroom.
And the biggest epiphany andturning point in my career was
when we screened their movies ata local theater and seeing the
(02:42):
parents come up with tears intheir eyes saying I never
thought I'd see my child dosomething like this, and that
has also been a huge shift in mycareer the understanding that
we have to provide parents andstudents the support that they
need as clients.
And it was a private schoolthat I worked at and so that was
the approach, and I understoodat that point that I needed to
(03:06):
think about how education wasn'tserving the students that I was
working with.
Many of those students camefrom public school because they
weren't getting the supportsthey needed.
And then after that, I moved toSanta Ana and started Chavez,
which is a continuation schoolin our district, alternative
education school, and at ChavezI also continued meeting
(03:29):
students who had not fit intothe education system we have
designed and were struggling.
And again I brought screenplaysto the English classroom and
one of the best compliments Ireceived was from an English
student who asked why theiralternative ed English class was
harder than the class they hadbefore they got to alternative
ed, and that made me so proud,but it wasn't impossibly
(03:49):
difficult they were.
They were feeling that sense ofachievement because they were
creating a screenplay.
It was just different.
It required them to create newworlds, to think in a way they
hadn't thought before.
So those two experiences reallydefined my career.
And so when the brilliant SofiaCuevas moved into the district
(04:15):
her district office position nowshe left behind the Saintly
Films program which she startedand I took it over.
And I just was so excited forthis opportunity because it's
such a gorgeous facility thatthe district built, and it was
an opportunity to take what Ihad been learning and developing
and now put it into place witha four-year pathway.
That direct line between whatstudents can see happening at
school and their future careeralso reaffirmed my mission and
(04:38):
what I wanted to do with SaintlyFilms.
Bianca Barquin (04:41):
There's so many brilliant and inspiring things
that you just said in that firstquestion.
I'm super excited.
One you realize as a teacher,because you're a true reflective
practitioner that what you weredoing initially didn't work and
instead of just thinking, oh mybrilliance, I will just tweak
(05:02):
it and create somethingdifferent.
You were empathetic and youwere an empathetic communicator
and you listened to yourstudents, which is one of the
attributes of our graduateprofile that we want to
exemplify, right?
So you listened to them andthen you adjusted and you were
super responsive and you startedto personalize what you were
(05:23):
doing to really meet their needs.
And then fast forward to whenyou went to Chavez.
Here you are in an alternativesetting and you're with some of
our most vulnerable students andyou are still actually
personalizing and meeting theirneeds and you're providing them
with rigor, which is incredible,and they are actually working
(05:48):
really hard to get through yourclass.
You were doing thingsdifferently in a way that they
hadn't encountered it before.
And now let's segue into whatyou're doing at our flagship
high school, at Santa Ana HighSchool, which I'm super excited
about, which leads me right intoour next question Can you tell
us more about the Santa Ana HighSchool, saintly Film Academy,
(06:10):
cte pathway.
How are the courses structured?
To prepare students for collegeand career and you already
started talking to us a littlebit about that and what's the
mission of the program.
Eric Timmons (06:23):
St Lee Films.
It's a four-year pathway and soit starts with ninth graders.
We teach narrative filmmakingand then it goes into episodic
filmmaking, like for Netflix andstreaming content.
Then junior year is documentaryand now we've actually added a
news component where they'remaking broadcast news once a
week.
And then senior year is theirindependent senior thesis film
that they create and that's partof their senior portfolio that
(06:44):
they submit and that's part oftheir senior portfolio that they
submit.
All four courses are aligned toan English language course and
then I meet with the Englishteachers and we collaborate so
that we're supporting thosestudents.
So the students who movethrough the pathway have me in
their film production class andthen they have their English
teacher and it's the same cohortmoving through all four years.
(07:05):
And what that has allowed isfor students to really move past
the film production aspect andget into the storytelling, into
exploration of identity,exploration of what angers them
about their community, whatfrustrates them and what they
can do as artists to shapenarratives that could possibly
(07:25):
change the world.
And what I'm most proud of withthat pathway is the three
focuses that we've shiftedtoward.
The three focuses we have nowis that we're focused on how can
we connect more with thecommunity to ensure
opportunities for students tomove away not entirely there are
some students who still willbut move away somewhat from the
(07:46):
Hollywood model of goingstraight to Hollywood and to
focus more on what does it taketo become a real estate
videographer?
What does it take to open upyour own photography studio If
you want to be a photographer?
We have lots of studentphotographers and their own
companies at school takingphotos for athletes and dancers,
and so how can we turn thatinto a career path?
And so how can we turn thatinto a career path?
(08:06):
What does it take to build justa network?
I have a student who wants tobe an orthodontist.
He never wants to be afilmmaker but he's going local
industry film production, but byhaving them in the classroom
and engaged in the projects thestudents are creating, not guest
(08:35):
speakers.
I'm not a fan of guest speakers.
I felt like when I was in highschool I did not enjoy guest
speakers.
I pretty much checked out.
It was pre-cell phones, but Iprobably would have been on my
cell phone.
So I think that teenagers needpeople to come into the
classroom to work with them andthe teacher through a
collaboration on whateverproject the student is currently
(08:55):
on.
So, for example, when studentsare doing their pitches, we
bring in filmmakers andproducers to give them sometimes
brutal feedback about whatneeds to be adjusted.
And that is a wake-up call forwhat life will feel like like
when you go out and you needs tobe adjusted, and that is a wake
up call for what life will feellike like when you go out and
you have to produce something.
I think, going back to what Iwas saying earlier about my
(09:16):
private school training and whatI learned there, it's not about
whether they attempted tocomplete something.
They actually need to deliversomething, a product, and it
needs to be a rigorousassignment and they need to get
feedback on that and they needto improve it until it reaches
the level that we have set as astandard.
Rather than check the box, moveon.
And so by bringing inprofessionals, I can see it in
(09:37):
the students it elevates thework because they feel added
pressure.
It's not just their teacherwho's going to give them a grade
on the rubric and then move onright.
They are getting feedback froma Hollywood producer or someone
who works locally in filmproduction.
The next part that we're focusedon is technology.
So technology is changing inthe film industry.
Technology is changing in ourworld rapidly.
(09:59):
As you know, I was a member ofthe ICC and it's yeah, it's
clear that we need to startthinking about what are the
signals that are happeningaround us, and so, with students
in class, we are looking atwhat skills can they develop as
far as virtual production goes,virtual production is like the
Mandalorian, where you have theLED screen on set and so
(10:23):
students, instead of having aset piece behind them, they have
an LED wall and it can bechanged and adjusted and the
camera follows them.
And so think of, like a weatherreport You're watching the
weather and if the camera wereto move, the background wouldn't
move, it would be static, right, the static image.
With virtual production, thereare trackers on the camera and
the wall, so it actually tracksthe camera's movement, so the
(10:53):
background moves with them,which means you need to design a
full, like a video game, a fulllandscape that can be moved
around and adjust the lighting,and all of that's on Unreal
Engine.
So we are shifting towardUnreal Engine training, we're
shifting toward virtualproduction, and that goes back
again to my start at the privateschool is I see the writing on
the wall.
Hollywood is people are losingjobs, and so if students do want
to pursue this, they need to atleast understand at a basic
(11:14):
level a foundational level howto work on a virtual set.
They may not be the personwho's designing the background,
but they need to at leastunderstand how virtual set
functions.
The other thing, too, is that Iwas in a conversation with an
executive producer from WarnerBrothers, and he's executive
producer for several car showsand he's had to lay off 70
people because Warner Brothersis just moving away from car
(11:37):
television.
The industry is shifting.
They're going to YouTube.
Students are watching YouTube,students are watching TikTok,
instagram, and so we need tostart teaching that content as
well.
How do you create that content?
How do you meet the marketdemands so that you can compete
in a changing market?
That being said, and what's kindof wonderful about that is that
(11:58):
the big word for 2025 isgatekeepers.
Right, they're like thestudents always say don't stop
being a gatekeeper, mr Timmonslike if I try to stop them from
something.
But that's a wonderful idea isthat you know we have, we've
moved away from the gatekeepers,because a lot of those
gatekeepers are actuallycontrolling access.
And that's my third point is tobring students up to provide
(12:19):
access.
There was a study that was doneby McKinsey that so, okay,
above the line and below theline in Hollywood is so you have
.
Above the line are the peoplewho are the creators behind it,
the people like the writers, thedirectors, the producers and
casting directors and then leadactors.
The below the line is everybodyelse who basically brings the
production to life.
The below the line is everybodyelse who basically brings the
(12:41):
production to life.
So if the director is whitethey found McKinsey this last
year it is a 4% chance thatthere will be above the line,
latinos on the set.
If that director is Latino, orshowrunner too, if the director
(13:02):
or showrunner is Latino, it's a26% chance there will be Latinos
above the line.
That's what McKinsey found.
So representation matters andgiving students access to the
table where the decisions aremade is imperative if they're
going to be successful and we'regoing to start changing the
narrative, and so I want toelevate their voices.
But I want to empower them toelevate their voices.
I want them to see that thestories that they have heard
within their families have valueand haven't been told, and that
(13:26):
they exist and will excite themarket.
It's not just aboutrepresentation for the sake of
representation.
It's also, too, that we'rebored with the same stories over
and over again.
We've seen them so many times,and so by bringing in unique
perspectives and hearing thosestories, it can really so many
times.
And so by bringing in uniqueperspectives and hearing those
stories, it can really shape theworld.
And so those are the threethings that we're working on to
(13:46):
really make sure that thestudents are ready for a pretty
uncertain future.
Bianca Barquin (13:51):
You know, it makes me deeply think about the
ICC and the work that we'redoing.
Everything you're talking about, eric, is you applying, without
even formalized training,strategic foresight.
Right, you're forecasting andreally deeply looking at those
drivers and signals of where theindustry is going and you're
(14:13):
making sure that our studentshave not only the knowledge but
the skills and the dispositionsthat they're going to need in
the future and you're givingthem an opportunity or a chance.
I think it's amazing.
There is a line when I waslooking at your LinkedIn and I
can't remember the exact wordingor I would bring it up, but
it's something about almostamplifying the voices of
(14:36):
emerging storytellers, somethingaround right.
So it's kind of resonating.
Do you remember exactly what itis?
I think it-.
Eric Timmons (14:45):
What I wrote on there no, it's been so long.
Yes, it is amplifying thevoices and that is an
empowerment right Is to makesure that they are heard, to
make sure that they have theaccess to the networks, that
they're in the rooms, to meetpeople who can give them that
access.
We live in a very wealthycounty and in South Orange
(15:06):
County I mean a lot of thosestudents going to Chapman go to
Chapman and their parents willpay $30,000 for their film at
Chapman.
So I mean the majority of ourstudents don't have access to
that and so for them to meetpeople and see people working in
those career paths and beingable to see that this is
something they can do.
And again, I mean going back tomy earlier statistic, I try to
(15:29):
get Latino representation in theclassroom for filmmakers and
I've been fairly successful.
What I love about that is justto see how the students change
when they see someone.
They see that's me, that couldbe me.
We have Maria Alanis, who sheactually just wrapped on the new
Captain America.
She just wrapped on that movie,but she's worked with our
(15:49):
students extensively andsometimes I will say you know, I
want you to talk to Maria,because I feel like that's a
conversation they need to have,because I didn't grow up in
their household.
Bianca Barquin (16:15):
And they need to have that access to someone who
understands and hearing herpresent and she was so
articulate, telling her storyand then having the ability to
interview her afterwards andjust ask her questions.
Lorene and I were just pickingher brain and her talking about
the impact that you had in herwalking away and going to the
(16:37):
next level in her life, justsaying, wow, this has really
profoundly changed who I am, shesaid.
It made me recognize who Ireally am and to be not afraid
to express it, and I just thinkthat was a beautiful thing.
It makes me think about all ofthe students that are actually
in your class and I rememberbeing at the Neurodiversity Fair
(16:59):
to mention it again.
There were some students whowere there.
You didn't even have to providethem with direction and I'm
watching them edit and coach andmentor interviewers who were
interviewing teachers that werethere, and community partners,
so your students become reallyself-sufficient as they move
through the years with you.
Is that?
Eric Timmons (17:20):
accurate.
Yeah, that's the goal is.
I want them to be able to walkonto a professional set.
And in fact, another greatcompliment is oftentimes they'll
go and they'll do their firstfilm production class in college
and they'll text me or call meand say I was so bored because
they know everything already.
So but I tell them, you know,be open to it and learn.
You know you can learn newthings, and a lot of those
teachers have lots of experienceto share.
(17:41):
But definitely that's the goalis for them to be independent,
self-sufficient and to takepride in their work.
That was something that I wastold over and over when I worked
at Navista School, and here wasI didn't want people to watch
the movies and say this is goodfor a kid's movie.
I wanted to say this is a goodmovie.
Bianca Barquin (18:01):
This is a good story, and so we always aim for
that.
Love it, Okay.
Next question being so close tothe movie capital of the world,
what partnerships, internshipsor unique opportunities are
available to students in SantaAna in particular?
Eric Timmons (18:13):
So I'm excited to announce that we just helped a
student from last year.
He graduated last year.
He landed a job with the HumbleCompany, a sustainable dental
care product from Sweden, and soI had met the CEO for North
America and he was looking for agraphic designer and someone
who had some film experience andvideo experience for online
(18:34):
marketing, and so I recommendedSam, and so they gave him some
challenging work to turn in andit was really interesting.
He'll probably kill me forsharing this, but it was really
interesting because he submittedthe work the first time and
they gave it back and said no,you're giving us what you think
we want, like, we want to seewhat you can create, and I love
(18:55):
that moment, and I learned fromthat moment that that's
something that our industrypartners are looking for.
They want that freshperspective.
They want that exciting teenagevoice to compete online.
They're not looking forsomething that someone my age
could produce.
You know, they want somethingnew students.
(19:19):
But I'm so excited for him.
He has a six-month paidinternship with them that could
turn into a full-time career.
He's going to be traveling totrade shows, he's going to be
meeting executives from Googleand all kinds of places, so I'm
just so, so thrilled with that.
We also have internships.
Right now we're doing anotherexciting project called Discover
DTSA.
It's something that I createdwith Logan Crow, who runs the
Frida Cinema, and we're workingwith the city of Santa Ana to
(19:41):
get paid internships for thestudents, but they're working to
interview business owners andartists in the downtown Santa
Ana area to amplify their voicesand to support economic
development for the city, and soin that case, you have students
who have learned this craft inthe classroom now taking it out
into the community and using itto improve their community and
(20:03):
to help other artists raisetheir voices through a means of
communication, through theinternet or through social media
that they're not thatcomfortable with right, and they
don't really know what's coolright, and so our students can
help them develop those things,and it's been really exciting so
far.
We also then, through thatthat's the thing I'm discovering
that I wish I had learned whenI was younger was that when you
(20:24):
meet one person, then that leadsyou to an event where you meet
more people, and then that leadsyou to an event where you meet
more people, and I keep tellingthe students that and they keep
seeing it firsthand.
So with that interview then wewere invited to the professional
photographers of Orange County.
They had a meeting and so nowthey want to offer memberships
to our students to be part of.
You know a handful of studentsand these are like Newport Beach
(20:46):
, laguna Beach million dollarstudios.
These are people who've beenphotographers, for they said it
was a collection of maybe 300years of experience in that room
.
I mean it's just an incredibleopportunity for them to start to
work now and that that wassomething.
Over the summer I did a summerinternship.
That was the first time where Iran an internship.
(21:06):
With that internship we did apodcast to kind of like reflect
on the process.
And I remember that day we weresitting together and doing the
podcast and one of the studentsit just as they're kind of just
talking it dawns on him.
He's like we can start doingthis now, you guys.
And another student goes yeah,yeah, I mean like we're
practicing and then when wegraduate from college then we'll
(21:28):
you know we'll get careers.
And he goes no, we can startdoing this now.
We have the skills we have.
Mr Timmons will give us thegear to borrow Like we, and we
can make money and then save upto buy our own gear.
We can start a productioncompany now.
We don't have to wait.
It was so cool and it inspiredme too.
I was like that's so true, youdon't have to wait, you have the
(21:50):
skills right now.
And this is the skill, as youknow, everybody wants.
Like as we're recording thispodcast, as you're, you know,
looking on social media sometime, like you know, we'll probably
all go look at social mediaafter we get off of here, right,
like we're all on it.
So, and we don't allnecessarily know how to do it
effectively, right, and we'retrying to figure it out, we're
(22:11):
trying to learn, but we're justso busy.
They know they have the skills,so they, once they learn how to
shoot cinematic film and how tocolor grade and how to add
music that complements the story, they can do all that and make
money and build a productioncompany.
Bianca Barquin (22:30):
Think about all the incredible things that
they're actually learning.
They're learning that theirstories matter, that their
authenticity, their voiceactually matters, and then
you're equipping them with allof these technical skills and
fostering their creativity.
I mean, it's just amazing.
Eric Timmons (22:50):
Hey there, Amplifiers.
Join us next Friday for parttwo of our conversation with
Eric Timmons to hear how he usesAI to transform his filmmaking
classroom student experience.
See you then.
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