Stephen Galloway is bringing Hollywood star power, long-established connections to the entertainment industry, and some serious fundraising chops to Chapman University’s well-regarded film school.
The longtime journalist was recently named Twyla Reed Martin dean of the Orange-based private university’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Galloway counts more than three decades of experience at The Hollywood Reporter, one of the go-to publications for news on Hollywood’s film, television, and entertainment industries.
The publication has plenty of knowledge about Dodge College; it has ranked Chapman’s film school among the top in the nation for several years running.
In addition to editorial work, during his time at THR, Galloway led a series of community-building initiatives, such as its Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program, which connects female industry experts with aspiring filmmakers and artists, and has raised more than $10 million in scholarship funding for students.
He also established the publication’s Empowerment in Entertainment Event, which Chapman plans to co-sponsor in the future.
Galloway “has been the heart and emotional soul of The Hollywood Reporter for many years, and the mentorship programs he’s launched have literally changed lives,” said Matthew Belloni, editorial director at THR, at the time of the hiring announcement.
A similar game plan is in store for Chapman.
For his first act in his new role, Galloway said he plans to continue his work to ramp up diversity, bring intellect, and connect artists to the business world at Chapman University.
Bassett’s Replacement
Expect to see the new dean carry on the legacy of the film school, with a few strategic twists of his own.
He’s following “in the footsteps of someone who did the job brilliantly,” Galloway told the Business Journal, referencing the first and only dean of the film school, which was founded in 1996 (see story, this page).
As the founding dean of the Dodge College, Bob Bassett established an in-house production company funded by private investors, and also launched a series of efforts to connect the community with the entertainment industry.
Galloway starts on March 30. Bassett retired last year.
“It won’t take him long to figure out what the school needs,” Daniele Struppa, president of Chapman University, told the Business Journal last week.
Though Galloway plans to listen and learn in his first few weeks, he already has plans to create a speaker’s bureau with industry experts; boost diversity with a new officer and other programs; and launch a career center to bridge the gap between Hollywood and the Orange campus.
Struppa said that during the nearly year-long selection process, he was looking for someone who could “anticipate changes in the industry, so that our students will be ahead of the times.”
Galloway’s got the intellect: he graduated from Cambridge University and came to the U.S. on a Harkness Fellowship, which is the equivalent of a Rhodes Scholarship. He then went on to work in film and television before joining THR.
And his first piece of scholarly advice? “If you want to be a cinematographer, you need to know Rembrandt. If you want to be a writer, you need to know Dickens and [Marcel] Proust.”
Up-and-Comer
Dodge College boasts one of the better-known film programs in the country.
Notable alumni include brothers Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, who created Netflix’s Stranger Things, and Carlos López Estrada, a prominent music director who is said to be working on a project for Disney Animations.
The school has adapted with the times: this fall it added minors in virtual and augmented reality. It also continues to bring in Filmmakers-in-Residence to give students experience with directors, producers, writers and others. Dodge offers work experience through its in-house production company and series of industry-related events.
In addition to its film school, plans are underway to expand its dance facilities and the Hilbert Museum down the street, which is expected to nearly triple in size by 2023.
