School of Cinematic ArtsAlumni

Since graduating our first class in 2005, we've seen our School of Cinematic Arts alumni become experienced professionals in the film and television industry. Their time spent at DePaul prepared them well for successful and rewarding careers. These are just a few of our notable alumni.

Film and Television
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PRODUCTION
Alexis Auditore
Director of Physical Production, Marvel Studios Streaming
The Avengers, WandaVision, Ironheart
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DIRECTING
Dan Willis
Director/Writer
 The Blacklist, So Help Me Todd, Grey's Anatomy, Matlock
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
Brian Lannin
Cinematographer
High Maintenance, Dave, Dying for Sex
  • Vera Drew (BA '11), Emmy-nominated Editor (Who Is America?), Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award Nominee (The People’s Joker)
  • Daniel Willis (MS '12), Television Director - The Blacklist, So Help Me Todd, Grey's Anatomy, Matlock
  • Alex Thompson (MFA '17), Director - Saint Frances (2019 SXSW Audience Award & Breakthrough Talent Award), Ghostlight
  • Brian Lannin (BA '08), Cinematographer - High Maintenance, Dave, Dying for Sex
  • Sam Campos (BA '12), Vice President of Drama Development - CBS Studios
  • Kevin McGrail (MS '11), Sports Emmy-Winning Producer - The Shop
  • Alexis Auditore (BA '05), Director of Physical Production – Marvel Studios Streaming
  • Andy Behling (BFA '18), Creative Affairs, Scripted Content – Roku Inc.
  • Linh Tran (MFA '20), Director - Waiting for the Light to Change (Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winner, acquired by Freestyle Digital Media)
  • Colleen Rafferty (BA '09), Editor - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Old Man
  • Zoe Lubeck (MFA '17), Director and BAFTA award winner for Lucy
  • Karim Lakhani (BA '13), Feature Film & Television Animation – Baobab Studios
  • Ali Rizvi (MS '10), Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy-nominated video journalist
  • Judy Bafaro (BA '12), Associate Manager - Netflix
  • Alexandra Otto (BFA '19), Associate Producer – Peacock
  • Veronica Bouza (BA ’14), Cinematographer – Grassland, The Gutter
  • Josh Golden (BA '12), Screenwriter - Road to Oz (Nicholl Fellowship Finalist, sold to New Line)
  • Tom Dean (BA '11), Screenwriter - Time Traveler's LaRonde (2016 Black List), Caroline Caroline, Charlie Harper
  • Lehr Beidelschies (MS '13), Co-Founder/Producer/Director – Everything is Terrible! Presents: The Great Satan
  • Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (BFA '19), Director - The Headhunter's Daughter (Sundance Film Festival Short Film Grand Jury Prize winner), Vox Humana
  • Brittani Ward (BA '10), Casting Director – Ride, Back Fork; Casting Associate - The First, Mindhunter, Daredevil
  • Keith O'Hara (BA '11), Associate Producer - Universal Pictures (Wicked parts 1 and 2), VFX (Avatar: The Way of Water, Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
  • Roberto Larios (MFA ’17), TV Literary Agent – Verve Talent and Literary Agency
  • Adam Banicki (BA ’08), Head of Video - Fortune
  • Abby Plante (BA '13), member of the Emmy-nominated writing team for Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World; Associate Producer - Netflix, NBCUniversal, Logo Network, E! International, SyFy Network
  • Charia Rose (BFA ’17), Executive Story Editor, Warner Bros. Entertainment (All American: Homecoming)
  • Michel Kreisel Vaisberg (BA '08), VFX Artist - Life of Pi, X-Men: First Class, Harry Potter 7
  • Keely Lewis Wise (MFA '17), Screenwriter and winner of the Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellowship
  • Art O'Leary (BA '07), Editor and Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Picture Editing - Deadliest Catch
  • Hayley Anderson (BA '12), Chief Creative Officer and cofounder of soona
  • Galya Silver (MFA ‘21), Coordinator, Comedy Development - Sony Pictures Entertainment
  • Sachi Leith (MFA ‘21), Development, Script Editor - Route 24, London, UK
  • Michael Brockmann (BFA ‘19), Co-creator, Mikey & Wyatt - YouTube
  • Simon Machin (BFA ‘24), Writer/Director/Producer, The Black Veil audio drama
  • Leah Kunnath (MFA ‘19), Writer, Foreign and Familiar - sold to Monarch Media
Animation
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ANIMATION
Chaz Bottoms
Story Artist Founder, CBA Studios
 Nickelodeon, Adult Swim, Lil Nas X, Bleacher Report, Saturdays
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ANIMATION
Jennifer Stachovic
Storyboard Artist
BoJack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie, Velma
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ANIMATION
Molly McCandless
Stop Motion Animator
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio 
  • Jennifer Stachovic (BA '16), Character Designer/Animator (BoJack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie, Clone High)
  • Nora Earlie (BA '13), Storyboard Artist - Warner Animation Group (The Lego Movie 2, Scoob!, Space Jam: A New Legacy)
  • Pil Chang (BS '11), 3D Modeler - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
  • Chaz Bottoms (BFA '17), Owner - CBA Studios; Story Artist - Netflix
  • Areeg Sweis (MS ’12), Head of Production Processes - DNEG visual effects (Dune, The Last of Us)
  • Dominika Smetek (BFA '16), Production Manager for TV Series - Disney Television Animation
  • Iain Collins (BS '13), Storyboard Artist - Bix Pix Entertainment, Tumble Leaf
  • Ashley Ruhl (BA '10), Cinematic Designer - Gunfire Games, Telltale Games, Bioware
  • Chris Stallman (BS '11), Lead Artist - Young Horses, Octodad: Dadliest Catch
  • Carter Boyce (BA '15), Student Academy Award winner for Die Flucht
  • Molly McCandless (BA '12), Assistant Animator - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
  • Lily Streiff (BS '16), Animation Director - You're Not a Monster
  • Kevin Eskew (BS '14), Animator - Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
  • Ari Flesch (BS '10), Senior Animator - Epic Games
  • Laura Wargo (BS '13), Senior Animator - Lightforge Games
  • Dawn Adepoju (BA '16), Post Production Coordinator - DreamWorks Animation, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
  • Killian Gray (MS '10), Production Manager - DreamWorks Animation
  • Holly Kawiecki (BA '16), Production Manager, ILM Immersive (Lucasfilm)
  • Abigail Bokun (BFA '16), Production Coordinator - Nickelodeon Animation
  • Alice Panek (BA '09), VFX Artist - The Mill, Los Angeles