Careers in Cinema
Graduates of the program are well-prepared to pursue advanced degrees or enter the workforce through independent filmmaking, cinematography, editing, and more. Though our students aren’t specifically trained for industry work, they can succeed in that area with the education they receive at Binghamton University. Your BA degree is a great time to explore areas of interest that can develop into professional pathways. Explore classes that introduce skills linked to growing fields such as filmed or animated title sequence creation, cinematic projection in theatrical set design, live projection mapping, and sound design for film and video productions.
Alumni
Our alumni include Pulitzer-Prize winner Art Spiegelman; two major film critics, Jim Hoberman and Amy Taubin, both at The Village Voice; the most influential film programmers in New York City and San Francisco, Mark McElhatten at the Lincoln Center and Steve Anker at the San Francisco Cinematheque; and at least half a dozen independent filmmakers who have made their mark in the avant garde, in major festivals, and in major television such as Alan Berliner (PBS’s series POV) and HBO filmmaker John Wilson "How to with John Wilson".
- Cinema Department Alumni
John Wilson (class of 2008) has a widely followed series "How to with John Wilson" which has been picked up for a first season release on HBO starting October 2020. https://www.hbo.com/how-to-with-john-wilson Article about his show in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/arts/television/how-to-with-john-wilson.html
Sean Cunnninghamam (class of 2008) nominated for a Young Director Award at Cannes Lions for his commercial directing. His short film, This is When We Met, was featured on tastemakers like Short of the Week and the Oscar-qualifying Festival, Hollyshorts. Sean’s feature film Hudson, a dramedy starring Richard Masur (Transparent, Risky Business, My Girl) is slated to come out in 2021. Hudson won twelve awards on the festival circuit, including multiple Best Picture Awards as well as Best Director at the Phoenix Film Festival.
Casey Puccini (Class of 2008) Adjunct Assistant Professor at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Screenings/Exhibitions: Revelation Perth International Film Festival, AU; Onion City Film Festival, IL; Denver Underground Film Festival; Reelheart International Film Festival, ON; Minneapolis Underground Film Festival; The DIY Film Festival, CA; Illinois International Film Festival; Fandependent Films Online Festival, Gene Siskel Film Center; Chicago Filmmakers; The Nightingale; The Gallery, Beijing, CN. Bibliography: Chicago Reader; TimeOut Chicago; Cine-File; Screen Magazine; Indie Outlook; The Torontoist. Awards: Audience Award, Fandependent Films; Best Feature, Reelheart International Film Festival; Rising Star Award, Canada International Film Festival. Collections: Indie Rights Movie
Steven Canals (Class of 2005) co-creator, co-executive producer and writer of Pose, the Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy-winning show on FX. Since it premiered in June 2018, the show has gone on to earn Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Writers Guild of America nominations, as well as an AFI Award for TV Program of the Year, and a Peabody Award, which honors powerful and enlightening stories in the media. In September 2019, Pose was nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series. One of its stars, Billy Porter, won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Michael Chernak (2015) is a video editor, content creator & photographer from New York. Clients have included Shell, National AID's Trust, The Glory London & VaynerMedia. Michael's worked in post-production for the past six years working with Showtime Networks, Post Factory NY/Sim International, ABC's Quantico, Netflix “Lost Girls” and most recently on “A Quiet Place Part II”. Michael is documenting the LGBTQ community through his web series, Home, A Queer Cooking series; an acclaimed series that intersects the conversations of self care through cooking and the inclusive experiences of LGBTQ people.
Eliani Lima (Class of 2010) Adm Assistant / Talent / Editor at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.E liane Lima is an Brazilian-American filmmaker, producer, photographer, video artist, researcher, and translator. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema from Binghamton University, the State University of New York and two Master of Fine Arts in Film degrees from the San Francisco Art Institute and the California Institute of The Arts.
Emily Van Loan (class of 2017) pursuing an MFA at U.C. Boulder and Graduate Part Time Instructor.
Thomas Gaeta (Fall 2006): Working for a corporation outside of Boston, MA that sells Engineering Software to huge companies like Reebok, Tyco, BMW, AUDI, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, the US NAVY, and many more. Still taking pictures, watching as many films as I can, and even shooting my own short films.
