麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e been constantly going, going, going since high school. After graduation, I 麻豆精品 S檒l only have my job to think about. That 麻豆精品 S檚 my next frontier 麻豆精品 S� slowing down, 麻豆精品 S� says Oquendo, a student in the experimental animation track of the ‘s emerging media program.

No one questions Oquendo 麻豆精品 S檚 pursuits, except maybe this idea of tapping the brakes. Landing the job with WBA is a microcosm of the personality we 麻豆精品 S檙e talking about. Oquendo texted a friend at the studio, then double texted and triple texted. The messages were to the point: Please give me a chance. You will not regret it.

麻豆精品 S淲hen I finally interviewed with the producer, she said she 麻豆精品 S檇 never seen someone so driven, 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says.

麻豆精品 S淲hen I finally interviewed with the producer, she said she 麻豆精品 S檇 never seen someone so driven. 麻豆精品 S�

Oquendo 麻豆精品 S檚 entire college life is a story of drive, nearly 10 years in the making. It includes full-time jobs, more than a hundred scholarship applications, paying for household bills, and pushing forward 麻豆精品 S� always pushing forward.

麻豆精品 S淢y mom would say, 麻豆精品 S榊ou have your head above the clouds with your feet on the ground, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says.

Oquendo could fill a motivational calendar with family quotes like that.

From Grandma: 麻豆精品 S淎lways look at yourself in the mirror and be happy with who you are. 麻豆精品 S�

From the person in the mirror: 麻豆精品 S淚 can mourn failure and spend energy complaining or get up in the morning and use my energy to make things better. 麻豆精品 S�

The quotes are rooted in life experiences for the Oquendos. Grandma and grandpa fled in Cuba and came to the U.S. in 1992. They arrived with no money, no jobs and four daughters to feed, including Lyn 麻豆精品 S檚 mother. For a long time, they lived with ten family members in a small apartment in Miami.

麻豆精品 S淭hey lost everything in Cuba, 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says. 麻豆精品 S淢y grandfather never learned to read or write. He and my grandmother had to figure out how to make it here. They never expected others to do it for them. 麻豆精品 S�

Oquendo grew up with mom and grandma after grandpa passed away.

麻豆精品 S淕randma always told me how important it is to fight for yourself and for your family, 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says.

She and mom would read to Oquendo, who became fascinated with stories and art while sitting in their laps. The book that kept Oquendo riveted more than any other? The Bible. Grandma and mom would read about Jonah and the whale, David and Goliath, David and Saul. Again and again.

麻豆精品 S淚 could never get enough, 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says. 麻豆精品 S淭he artwork and the power of those stories amazed me. They interconnected to tell this bigger overall story, and they impacted history forever. 麻豆精品 S�

As a teenager, Oquendo thought often about making a living with art and stories. But those thoughts were never voiced out loud. Instead, Oquendo would claim to have an interest in teaching. The family had worked so hard to re-establish their lives. What would they say about the practicality of an art career?

麻豆精品 S淣ow I look back and know my mother would have said, 麻豆精品 S楽ure, you can do it. 麻豆精品 S� But then she would have said, 麻豆精品 S榊ou can also figure out how to do it, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says.

麻豆精品 S淣ow I look back and know my mother would have said, 麻豆精品 S楽ure, you can do it. 麻豆精品 S� But then she would have said, 麻豆精品 S榊ou can also figure out how to do it. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

After high school, Oquendo figured out how to get into an art college in Chicago. However, Oquendo could not figure out how to continue paying $34,000 per semester. After one fall in Chicago, Oquendo enrolled at Broward Community College as a pathway into UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 emerging media program. A year later, another obstacle came up when the design portion of Oquendo 麻豆精品 S檚 portfolio didn 麻豆精品 S檛 pass entry into the program. Some students would have changed course. Not Oquendo.

麻豆精品 S淚t became a turning point in my life. I realized my own negative thoughts had been getting in the way,” Oquendo says. “That 麻豆精品 S檚 why I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 tell anyone about my interest in art. It 麻豆精品 S檚 probably why my grades weren 麻豆精品 S檛 so great in high school. I knew it was time to prove to everyone that I could do this. Most of all, I had to prove it to myself. 麻豆精品 S�

Oquendo worked overtime on design skills and pushed the door open to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 emerging media program. Mom couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 pay for college, so Oquendo applied for scholarships and worked full-time while taking a heavy course load. The resume includes making donuts at Universal Orlando, stocking inventory at Target, preparing takeout boxes at PF Chang 麻豆精品 S檚 and cleaning up at an animal shelter.

Figuring it out also meant paying for rent and monthly bills, buying a car, shopping for food, while growing as an artist and storyteller 麻豆精品 S� and maintaining a 3.9 GPA. This became Oquendo 麻豆精品 S檚 own motivational quote: 麻豆精品 S淚 can either be a stick in the fire, or be the wind and grow the fire to warm myself up. 麻豆精品 S�

Oquendo carved out time to apply for more than 100 jobs and internships with companies that had any vague connection to emerging media 麻豆精品 S� from local t-shirt shops to Pixar. A spreadsheet of notes from those applications fed the fire, and still does:

麻豆精品 S淯nread. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淣o. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淣o response. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淕hosted. 麻豆精品 S�

They warmed up Oquendo until a better opportunity than anyone could imagine arose 麻豆精品 S� an internship with WBA to work on productions like Teen Titans Go!, Harley Quinn, and Bugs Bunny Builders. The internship led to connections that led to the texts that led to a pre-graduation career start.

麻豆精品 S淭his field is not an easy one. But because of that, everyone who 麻豆精品 S檚 in it wants to be in it. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淭his field is not an easy one, 麻豆精品 S� Oquendo says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut because of that, everyone who 麻豆精品 S檚 in it wants to be in it. I 麻豆精品 S檓 working with a person who 麻豆精品 S檚 passionate about designing movie credits. Think about that 麻豆精品 S� movie credits. I also met a guy who had always dreamed of making cartoon movie trailers. We 麻豆精品 S檙e like-minded. Something drives each of us to do this. 麻豆精品 S�

Two of Oquendo 麻豆精品 S檚 driving forces will be present at commencement. Mom will watch from a seat in Addition Financial Arena. The other will be on Oquendo 麻豆精品 S檚 graduation cap: 麻豆精品 S�Para ti, Abuela. Siempre para ti.”

For you, Grandma. Always for you.

麻豆精品 S淚 knew I had to counter my incarceration with something positive. Education would be the ticket to get my life back on track. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S� Jason Fronczek 麻豆精品 S�16

麻豆精品 S淎 straight line isn 麻豆精品 S檛 true to life, 麻豆精品 S� says Jason Fronczek 麻豆精品 S�16. 麻豆精品 S淢ake scribbles. Give them time. They 麻豆精品 S檒l eventually look beautiful and real. 麻豆精品 S�

Fronczek 麻豆精品 S檚 students have names. But if you saw their clothes and where class is being held, you wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 ask for their names. You 麻豆精品 S檇 just call them prisoners. The teacher has a different perspective, though.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e been in your shoes, 麻豆精品 S� he tells the students incarcerated at the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando run by the Florida Department of Corrections.

He has their attention.

麻豆精品 S淎nd I 麻豆精品 S檓 about to finish my master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree at UCF. 麻豆精品 S�

And with that, their eyes are open wide 麻豆精品 S� just as eyes should be.

Fronczek is still trying to process this himself. He was released from prison 10 years ago but is still releasing himself from the trap of his own story. Photography has freed him to see the world in a whole different way. And teaching art through the Florida Prison Education Project (FPEP) is his way of giving others hope while they 麻豆精品 S檙e still incarcerated.

麻豆精品 S淛ason is an amazing person, 麻豆精品 S� says Keri Watson, associate professor of art history at UCF and director of FPEP. 麻豆精品 S淚 don 麻豆精品 S檛 see him as a 麻豆精品 S榝ormer felon. 麻豆精品 S� He 麻豆精品 S檚 a father, a student, an artist. To see what he 麻豆精品 S檚 gone through 麻豆精品 S� he 麻豆精品 S檚 an illustration of success. 麻豆精品 S�

Fronczek tells his students to keep those eyes open wide. Because if he can see himself in their shoes, maybe they can also see themselves in his.

Finding a Positive Perspective

Fronczek doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 avoid the uncomfortable truth. 麻豆精品 S淚 was convicted, imprisoned. 麻豆精品 S� Just get it out of the way so the talk can go from small to very large. 麻豆精品 S淚 want people to realize that my mistakes are not my identity. I 麻豆精品 S檝e moved forward. We should all move forward. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淎 straight line isn 麻豆精品 S檛 true to life. Make scribbles. Give them time. They 麻豆精品 S檒l eventually look beautiful and real. 麻豆精品 S�

To do that, he 麻豆精品 S檒l first give the details you 麻豆精品 S檙e wondering about. He went to jail in August 2006 for burglarizing a neighbor 麻豆精品 S檚 home. Sentenced to five years, he ended up serving four years and three months.

Fronczek could easily have chosen to become bitter or jaded. He chose instead to read 麻豆精品 S� one or two books every day. The longer books, like etymological dictionaries, took three days. By the time he got out in 2010, he 麻豆精品 S檇 consumed about 2,000 books.

麻豆精品 S淚 knew I had to counter my incarceration with something positive, 麻豆精品 S� says Fronczek. 麻豆精品 S淓ducation would be the ticket to get my life back on track. 麻豆精品 S�

The Bible made such an impact that he first thought about going to seminary school. But shortly after his release, the mother of a friend gave Fronczek a used camera. It brought back memories 麻豆精品 S� good memories. He wanted to learn more.

So less than a year after leaving prison, Fronczek enrolled at Valencia College and through the earned bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees in visual arts and emerging media management and studio art. The two majors piqued his interest in the power of art, so in 2016 he applied to the emerging media MFA program. A year later he reapplied and was accepted.

Fronczek absorbed concepts and applied them to his own photography. He took a few of Watson 麻豆精品 S檚 courses because something at the core of her teaching connected with him, he says. She also told him the hard truth about his thesis.

麻豆精品 S淚t was too general, too focused on research, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淔or art to be universally understood, you need to start with your own story. 麻豆精品 S�

Although Fronczek is willing to share his story in casual conversation, he also knows how hard it is to understand. It takes perspective.

And that 麻豆精品 S檚 just it. Art is perspective, right?

麻豆精品 S淏ringing personal experiences into my thesis makes all the difference, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渂ecause I want a way to influence attitudes and behaviors. 麻豆精品 S�

Personal perspective is especially true with his photography, which can be traced back to the point-and-shoot camera he bought for $10 as a kid, the Nikon he got from his brother in a sweet trade, and the gift from his friend 麻豆精品 S檚 mother after his incarceration. Perspective allows him to marvel through his lenses at things the rest of us might ignore. Chaos in leaves. Empty bicycle racks at Walmart. The construction on I-4, of all places.

麻豆精品 S淚 look at the juxtaposition of the pylons and the angles of unfinished bridges, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t all has something interesting to offer. 麻豆精品 S�

Sharing His Story

Even with his bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees and a master 麻豆精品 S檚 nearly in hand, Fronczek finds it challenging to find a place to rent or to score job interviews. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the box he has to check on the applications. Ever been convicted of a felony?

麻豆精品 S淎rt has a way of showing the potential you never realized you had. Look at me. 麻豆精品 S�

But even the box has opened up a something marvelous. There were things Watson and Fronczek didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know about each other through their first few semesters together at UCF. He didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know she 麻豆精品 S檇 taught art to prisoners in Alabama and in 2018 launched the FPEP. She didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know where he 麻豆精品 S檇 been, either.

麻豆精品 S淚 could sense there was something special Jason had to offer, 麻豆精品 S� she says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know he 麻豆精品 S檇 been incarcerated until I saw the box he had to check when applying for our master 麻豆精品 S檚 program. That 麻豆精品 S檚 when I asked him to teach in the FPEP program. 麻豆精品 S�

Fronczek is more likely to say he spends three hours a day 麻豆精品 S渆ncouraging 麻豆精品 S� incarcerated students rather than teaching.

麻豆精品 S淎rt has a way of showing the potential you never realized you had, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淟ook at me. 麻豆精品 S�

He says he still hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 grasped the gravity of this: Jason Fronczek, MFA. But that isn 麻豆精品 S檛 his identity, either. His life is a bunch of scribbles, like the world around us. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the message of his story: When he started to find beauty in a world of scribbles, it found beauty in him, too.

That 麻豆精品 S檚 the premise of graduate student Jason Gregory 麻豆精品 S檚 TV pilot Waking Up White. Gregory 麻豆精品 S檚 story follows a black family that wakes up one day to find they are now white. They then have 30 days to decide if they would rather return to their cultural roots or stick with the skin that they are in now.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a show based on cultural identity and what is at risk of being lost. We deal a lot with gentrification [in the show] and the issue of gentrification also deals with the loss of cultural identity, 麻豆精品 S� Gregory says.

Gregory started developing the idea in 2016 as his thesis film for the Master of Fine Arts in emerging media program. Several professors suggested he turn the idea into a TV show instead and after three days of dedicated work he delivered the script for the pilot.

When the time came to start filming, Gregory put out a crew call and was surprised that so many people were interested in being a part of the project. Ultimately, 40 UCF students offered their time and assistance to take the story from a script to filming a full production in Eatonville, a historic black community, within a week.

麻豆精品 S淚 was really humbled and honored by the amount of people that came out, 麻豆精品 S� Gregory says. 麻豆精品 S淎 lot of people said we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 film a pilot in seven days, but we got it done. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a show based on cultural identity and what is at risk of being lost. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Jason Gregory, UCF student

The first screening for the pilot will air during the 30th annual Zora! Festival on Jan. 28 at the Eatonville Town Hall (307 East Kennedy Blvd.) Three showings will be 11 a.m. to noon; 12:45 to 1:45 p.m.; and 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

This year 麻豆精品 S檚 festival is the 30^thanniversary of the multi-day, multi-disciplinary event held to celebrate the life and work of author and former Eatonville resident Zora Neale Hurston. It will be held Jan. 26 to Feb. 3 and include public talks, museum exhibitions, theatrical productions and more.

Here, Gregory shares more about Waking Up White:

How did you come up with the idea for Waking Up White?
I was watching TV one night and an African-American woman was on TV and she was responding to a news reporter 麻豆精品 S檚 question about an African-American who had just recently been shot and killed, and she said: 麻豆精品 S淭his wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have happened if we were white. 麻豆精品 S� And I just started thinking about that and realized there 麻豆精品 S檚 a lot of power in that word 麻豆精品 S淚f. 麻豆精品 S� From there I just started creating the outline for this story.

The project is filmed entirely in Eatonville. Why did you choose this location?
There are a couple great things about Eatonville. They are their own municipality. They have their own mayor, police force, they 麻豆精品 S檙e pretty much self-governed. And we were looking for a town to partner with. We loved the rich history and culture that they have. For the show, we actually created our own fictitious town called Wellsville, so we borrowed from some of Eatonville 麻豆精品 S檚 history. We named our town Wellsville because of Dr. [William Monroe] Wells, who was one of the first African-American doctors in Parramore (another historic African-American community.) And then we took the 麻豆精品 S渧ille 麻豆精品 S� from Eatonville.

What was the most challenging part of creating this project?
Just trying to make sure that everyone had the time because everyone worked for free, from the crew to the cast. We just had to really work around people 麻豆精品 S檚 schedules to make sure we could get it done, and we did. A lot of people said that we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 shoot a pilot in seven days and we got it done.

What are some of your biggest influences?
One of my biggest influences is Spike Lee 麻豆精品 S檚 Do the Right Thing. I eat, sleep and breathe that film, so there are a lot of influences from Spike Lee [in the show.] I joke around and tell people when I was a kid everyone would say, 麻豆精品 S淚 want to be like Mike, 麻豆精品 S� because of the Gatorade commercials with Michael Jordan. I would say, 麻豆精品 S淚 want to be like Spike. 麻豆精品 S�

I have also been majorly influenced by Reginald Hudlin, who directed Boomerangand Marshall, [as well as] Ava DuVernay and Martin Scorsese.

Do you have any tips for other students who are attempting similar projects?
Find a mentor very quickly. A mentor that has been through what you 麻豆精品 S檙e attempting to go through so they can show you not only the successes, but also the failures. Become a student not only of film, but also project management and planning so you can plan accordingly. I planned so much that I even studied weather patterns over the past years on the dates we were filming just to be prepared. I made sure that if we needed to, we could shift from an exterior scene to an interior scene in case it started raining.

What are you most proud of within this project?
My proudest moment was working with a team dedicated to making quality projects, who are also motivated in advancing the Central Florida film market. We have great crews and actors here and I was honored to have them working on Waking Up White. It was a true community project. From the crew and actors to UCF and Eatonville. I 麻豆精品 S檓 extremely proud of what we accomplished.

What does it mean to you that the public is going to finally see this?
It means a lot. I think everyone wants to leave some type of mark on society. We have a society that is built on the word 麻豆精品 S渋f. 麻豆精品 S� 滨蹿听I were this, maybe I would have that. We really wanted to see if the grass is really greener on the other side and are there really opportunities out there that we are excluded from. And I 麻豆精品 S檓 hoping that this project will create an opportunity for dialogue so that we can get to a point to where we can identify more of what we have in common than just our differences.

Joseph Barbour, Christina Fowinkle, Janae’ Fox, Nadia Jarquin, Donald Marks, and Nicole Walsh produced the short in just four months in Scott F. Hall’s spring 2010 Animation Workshop course. Scott Hall is an associate professor in the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design.

Red Stick International Animation Festival highlights the convergence of technology, art, entertainment, and exploration. A record-breaking 421 animations were submitted into the competition from 45 countries, while only 87 were selected for screening.

Preview Mocha Latte on .

The school combines traditional studio arts, design and art history with emerging media concepts that are the foundation of animation, game and interactive design. The new school will feature tracks that unite curricula from each school, such as emerging media and game design.

In addition to the previously existing and overlapping tracks, the school will feature two new degrees: a visual arts and emerging media management degree, and an architecture degree.

The visual arts and emerging media management program gives students a basic insight into the creation of art and media, but the focus will be more on preparing students for a work environment centered around emerging media and visual art, Lew said.

The architecture program will be a 麻豆精品 S渢wo-plus-two-plus-two 麻豆精品 S� program, in which students will complete an NAAB accredited architectural program. They will complete two years at Valencia Community College, earning their associate 麻豆精品 S檚 degree, then two years at UCF to earn their bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees. The program is offered at UCF at the Valencia West campus, located off of Kirkman Road in Orlando.

If architecture students choose to continue their education, they will complete another two years with the University of Florida, earning their master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree at the Center for Emerging Media location in Downtown Orlando.

麻豆精品 S淲hat we 麻豆精品 S檙e doing with this interactive education is reflective of what 麻豆精品 S檚 happening in the industry, where different disciplines within the arts as well as related fields of the arts work together, 麻豆精品 S� Lew said.

For more information, visit the School of Visual Arts and Design website, .

Source: Central Florida Future, ,聽 by Anthony Syros,聽 contributing writer. Published: Sunday, June 6, 2010,聽 updated: Sunday, June 6, 2010.