[ PERSONAL STATEMENT ] 

I received my initial media studies training at San Diego State University, the city where I was born, in the Film, Television and Theatre department for two and half years. After transferring to prepare for law school in the state where my aunt received her JD, I earned my BA in Literature from the University of Houston. However, I still desired to pursue film and theatre studies more in depth, and applied to several graduate programs in Europe. I was accepted into several, but chose the University of Royal Holloway in London because of its interesting roots as a woman's college when it was initially founded. There I received my MA in Cinema and Screenwriting and continued to live there another three years on a work-study visa.  Some of my notable instructors were film director, Andrea Arnold and BBC programming head Dr. Jonathan Powell, who adamantly conveyed how audience perception were large parts of their careers -- as in, for them, entertainment was deemed to be a vehicle to educate and enlighten the viewer. 

My internships abroad have included working for the European Media Fund and the Spanish Film Commission, where I provided summaries and assessments along with other international teams conducting reviews of artistically valuable projects, important for the European community, then covering twenty four nations. I am currently contracted to create media briefs for NGO's and non-profits that seek to incorporate media into their programme initiatives which in the past have been the United Nations Development fund and more recently, the California Department of Rehabilitation.  Freedom to do freelance and consulting work have often been maintained by my work as a tutor and online instructor for professionals who speak English as a second language. Serendipitously, films from their culture, as well as plays, have proved helpful common ground for their memorisation and my own cultural awareness. 

Luckily, by watching and reading new material from my own students, it has been easy to remain globally aware of new media narratives, and support my ability to remain a consultant to new producers preparing their MIP TV market proposals through PACT UK, a producers network.  My early years working in theatre at The La Jolla Playhouse to film festival coordination first in Houston and later in London through the BFI, increased my appreciation, and has fuelled my consistent communication with several international creative directors as mentors. Over time, I've had the opportunity to observe subtle cultural differences between various media organisations and their needs -- from programming in public sectors of television, to film funding bodies -- witnessing times where a particular narrative traveled well around the globe, and other times only regionally or locally. 

I've tried to describe through visual example in "The Concept of Collection", here on this site. Basically, exemplifying how (in this case, film, television and media) collectively look similar, yet profound differences are revealed when up-close analysis is taken. My work in India with Viacom/MTV, and in the UK with Studio Canal, and in Cannes, France with the International Television Programming Conference (MIP) has shown me that the full breadth of a nation's media is ultimately priceless -- even if some of it is not marketed in the millions. Eventually, my interest in examining the smaller, non-traditional films prompted me to pursue interviews with the creators of these unique films, from writers to directors, for future publications in book form and documentary series. This led me to consider returning to deeper explorations of film theory and history again, which in turn inspired me in 2018 to begin my Ph.D. studies in Barcelona, Spain, where I now reside.  

Once the pandemic hit, with Spain being hit very hard early on, preparatory classes for audit were stopped and I re-considered if remaining to live far from family to dedicate myself to Ph.D. study in Europe was all that wise or even necessary; especially (and unfortunately) since we can see the virus remains to afflict education, work and normal life, across the globe. Of course, naturally, one can still be part of the cinematic community within academia and education, even while physical productions have had to adjust their practices drastically. For this reason, I carefully considered pursuing a research project where I can apply my skillset built from persistent and constant evaluation of films, and their screenplays, to a methodical process based on how I’ve come to know them through the eyes of others; in context of living abroad for nearly ten years. And, with the attentiveness of a curatorial approach, continue to highlight those of unique narrative and visual structures against the backdrop of a well-crafted and well-advised study. This would include films and literature during my studies within the US, through work experience, future discoveries and recommendations. I feel both academic and professional experiences in broad aspects of the arts have enriched my approach to analysis, along with the support of an international artistic community I've been privileged to come to know. 

In closing, my perspective of cinema has expanded from the times of my earlier education, and I feel my professional background would focus this research in a way that prepares groundwork for a network of global discussion required for entering an incorporative teaching career in the future.  With that in mind, selection of films, screenplays and academic/professional participants are just the first steps to what may be a valuable long-term analysis of modern cinema's diverse landscape of language, utilised by visual and literary expression. In coming years, I look forward to its language reflecting the multi-faceted interpretation reviewed by myself and critical contemporaries who also admire the canon of dramatic literature and film theory as an historical gem to our world's collective intelligence through art.

Please feel free to review more of my resume and experience at, https://fr.linkedin.com/in/annrenne?trk=pub-pbmap

  "CAPTURING THE HER/OINE"