SCAN highlights School of Communications alumni who recently landed jobs in their field. Michael D. Witman (B.A., Film Production, 2005) is self-employed as an assistant director/production assistant with his Los Angeles-based film company, Domitian Films.



SCAN: How did you land your job?
Michael D. Witman: Connections. Perseverance. Persistence. And mandy.com. Freelance, it’s all about meeting new people and doing your best work for them, every time. One job usually leads to the next.

SCAN: When do you realize this was the career for you?
MW: I’ve always been interested in movies, ever since I was a kid. Special effects amazed me and I easily got lost in the adventurous stories of the screen. However, I didn’t completely realize that film was what I wanted to work in until I walked out of “Jurassic Park” for the first time, just before I started 6th grade. I’ve been in love ever since.

SCAN: Any advice for those looking for a job?
MW: Just be persistent and keep looking. If you want it bad enough, you’ll find it. And, of course it’s all about who you know, so always try to meet new people.

SCAN: Best on-the-job experience so far?
MW: There have been many actually, but I’ll highlight a few. When I was in St. Louis, I got the chance to work on a feature length film called “Steel City,” which was directed by alumnus Brian Jun and filmed by alumnus Ryan Samul. Since then, it has been accepted to premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. I will be able to attend its premiere, as I am returning to the festival for a third year as a volunteer. So far, one of the best experiences out here in Los Angeles has been working for a day as the Second Unit Assistant Director on a film shooting on the back lot of Universal Studios. We got to shoot next to both the town square of “Back to the Future,” as well as the plane crash set for “War of the Worlds.”



SCAN: Worst on-the-job experience so far?
MW: A not-so-great movie called “Show Stoppers.” It was possibly the worst organized film I’ve ever seen. I was working as their Key Production Assistant and quit the job about half-way through, when they worked me one day for 23 hours, still working on a flat rate of $65 for the day. But the power of connections and schmoozing during that shoot still got me my next job with the assistant directors of the film, as well as a pay bump for that grueling day. It just goes to show that forming good connections with important people, no matter what the outcome, is still a good idea.

SCAN: Company you’d kill to work for?
MW: Not so much a company, but more a person. I would do anything to work for, or around, Steven Spielberg. He has been an inspiration of mine for well over a decade, and to get the chance to work with him in any capacity would be a dream come true.

SCAN: What Web site is your home away from “Home”?
MW: Well, three actually. First domitianfilms.com, because it’s my site and I’m constantly up-keeping and updating it. Second, mandy.com, because it was useful in finding freelance jobs and making contacts with other production people. Lastly, myspace.com, mostly because it amuses me and allows me stay in touch with others and find out what they are doing from time to time.

SCAN: Best way to fuel creativity?
MW: Get out and explore your world. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend tons of money taking some exotic trip. Just do something that you haven’t done before, or go to a place near you and explore it in some way you hadn’t before. Get new perspectives, and gain new experiences.

SCAN: What’s on your desk right now?
MW: A bill, a list of my daily reminders, usual office supplies and trinkets, like the keys to my first car, a 1989 Ford Mustang convertible, may it rest in peace.

SCAN: How many hours a week do you work?
MW: When I have a job, usually about 70 or 80. When I don’t, I just sleep a lot to make up for it. This is the upside and downside to doing work in film as a freelancer.



SCAN: Favorite fringe benefit of your job?
MN: It’s great to be able to tell lots of stories from being on the job. Most people are fascinated and always excited to hear what new Hollywood star you just met that day and ate lunch with. Also, there’s always free stuff left over at the end of any project that has to go somewhere, and as the ADs (Assistant Directors) and PAs (Production Assistants) on a film are the last to leave, we usually get our pick of stuff.

SCAN: Is your current salary more or less than you expected to be making at this point?
MW: About what I expected out here in LA, as I am just starting out. I do admit however, that I did well for myself in St. Louis working as a PA and an editor. Honestly, if I had stayed there, I would be making more money, but not on the path to my career goals. Sometimes money just can’t be the most important thing in this business.

SCAN: Any bumper stickers on your car?
MW: No. Bumper stickers, although at times on other cars they are sources of amusement for me while I drive, I don’t believe in graffiti-ing my car. I do have a Webster University window cling and license plate frame, as I continue to be a traveling advertisement for WU.

SCAN: Last movie you saw?
MW: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Being a big fan of adventurous films, it is definitely one of my favorites from the last year.

SCAN: Thing you miss most about Webster?
MW: Having easy access to lots of people and lots of opportunities. Events and activities were always great times, however, often under-attended. Also, I miss making a difference in peoples lives as a Resident Assistant. It is one of the experiences that I will never forget for the rest of my life, and I do hope that I get the chance to see where some of those residents end up in the world.

Did you just land a job in your field? E-mail scan@webster.edu and tell us about it.

Return to Top  

• Words from the Dean

• Paula Schlueter Ross ’84
  Journalism

• Internships Benefit Students and Employers
• Now Playing: The Art of Film at the Webster Film Series

• Jill Moon ’05
  Global Journalism
• Jennifer Pickett ’03
  Advertising
  and Marketing
  Communications
• Michael D. Witman ’05
  Film Production

• Home Page
• About SCAN
• Become a GURU
• Send This to a Friend
• Contact Us
• Archived Issues
• Subscribe/Unsubscribe
• Copyright