Jan Millsapps
Encyclopedia
Jan Millsapps, Ph.D. is a pioneering digital filmmaker, an early web innovator, and a versatile and accomplished writer. She has produced films, videos and interactive cinema on subjects ranging from domestic violence to global terrorism, and has published in traditional print and online venues.
, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the International Center of Photography
in New York.
She has published writing in a variety of formats. Her scholarly, political and personal essays have appeared in the journal Film Literature Quarterly, in the book International Film, Television and Radio Journals, in the San Francisco Chronicle
, in the San Francisco Examiner, on the New York Times wire service, and in the inaugural issue of Sinister Wisdom
.
Her short story, “The Way It Was,” was a 1986 award winner in the South Carolina Fiction Project. She has been a featured blogger on the Apple Learning Interchange and a contributing editor for the online, rich media journal, Academic Intersections. In 2007 she published her first novel Screwed Pooch, about the Soviet space dog Laika.
, and as an integral member of the Southern independent film movement. Her early animations won awards at the North Carolina Film Festival, Atlanta’s Reel Images, the Sinking Creek Film Celebration in Nashville and the Athens Film and Video Festival in Ohio.
Her 1983 film True Romance received a first place award in the Ann Arbor Film Festival
and was the first film to be included in the South Carolina State Art Collection. Her 1991 film “Maternal Life” won the experimental narrative award at Ann Arbor.
She worked closely with the South Carolina Arts Commission; she curated and toured with the 1982 collection, Travel Films from the Southern Avant-Garde, the first Southern experimental film program to tour outside the South. In 1985 she scripted, co-produced and hosted “A Southern Film Experience,” a public television program commissioned by the South Carolina Arts Commission and South Carolina Educational Television
.
, she created and taught the first "Cinema as an Online Medium" class and founded a unique Interdisciplinary Digital Arts program; currently she teaches courses in digital cinema, interactive cinema, web cinema and short format screenwriting. She was profiled as an outstanding California educator in the 1998 television series Quest for Excellence. In 2004 she was named an Apple Distinguished Educator.
She served as Chair of the Cinema Department at San Francisco State University
from 1991 to 1995, when she supervised the department’s move into a new state-of-the-art facility and introduced the first digital tools and courses into the curriculum.
In 1991 she was invited by Dean August Coppola
to work with a beta version of Apple’s Quicktime
technology. Her resulting first interactive work Cineplay, featured at the National Educational Film and Video Festival, began her transformation into a multimedia artist.
Her 1997 interactive work Episodes, co-produced with La Casa de las Madres and funded by the Creative Work Fund, presented stories told by survivors of domestic violence in a kiosk installed at San Francisco City Hall, the San Francisco Public Library, at several Bay Area Kaiser Permanente medical centers, and was also presented at the National Latino Health Conference in Washington, D.C.
Pleasure Island, an interactive, online performance piece co-produced in 1999 with Randall Packer, was presented at USC’s Interactive Frictions conference on new media theory and practice. Coverage, a feminist response to 9-11 and its aftermath, was the featured installation at the 2002 Mill Valley Film Festival
.
She has worked with Apple, Inc. in a variety of capacities; from 2004 to 2009 she served on Apple Education’s Higher Education Advisory Board and was featured in their 2007 webcast.
Her work has been cited in the book Experimental Animation, in the Journal of the Writers Guild, West, and in the book Film and Video on the Internet: The Top 500 Sites.
, her M.A. at Winthrop University,
and her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina
. She is also certified as a cosmologist and as a water fitness instructor.
Biography
Her films, videos and multimedia works have been shown at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the International Center of Photography
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
in New York.
She has published writing in a variety of formats. Her scholarly, political and personal essays have appeared in the journal Film Literature Quarterly, in the book International Film, Television and Radio Journals, in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, in the San Francisco Examiner, on the New York Times wire service, and in the inaugural issue of Sinister Wisdom
Sinister Wisdom
Sinister Wisdom is a multicultural, lesbian literary & art journal by and for lesbians. The magazine is the oldest surviving lesbian literary journal; now more than 30 years in print...
.
Her short story, “The Way It Was,” was a 1986 award winner in the South Carolina Fiction Project. She has been a featured blogger on the Apple Learning Interchange and a contributing editor for the online, rich media journal, Academic Intersections. In 2007 she published her first novel Screwed Pooch, about the Soviet space dog Laika.
Early Filmmaking
She rose to prominence as an independent experimental animator, as head of the media arts film program at the University of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, and as an integral member of the Southern independent film movement. Her early animations won awards at the North Carolina Film Festival, Atlanta’s Reel Images, the Sinking Creek Film Celebration in Nashville and the Athens Film and Video Festival in Ohio.
Her 1983 film True Romance received a first place award in the Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the third-oldest film festival in North America ; and the oldest experimental film festival...
and was the first film to be included in the South Carolina State Art Collection. Her 1991 film “Maternal Life” won the experimental narrative award at Ann Arbor.
She worked closely with the South Carolina Arts Commission; she curated and toured with the 1982 collection, Travel Films from the Southern Avant-Garde, the first Southern experimental film program to tour outside the South. In 1985 she scripted, co-produced and hosted “A Southern Film Experience,” a public television program commissioned by the South Carolina Arts Commission and South Carolina Educational Television
Educational television
Educational television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access ...
.
Digital Cinema and Multimedia Work
In 1987 she moved to San Francisco. As professor of cinema at San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, she created and taught the first "Cinema as an Online Medium" class and founded a unique Interdisciplinary Digital Arts program; currently she teaches courses in digital cinema, interactive cinema, web cinema and short format screenwriting. She was profiled as an outstanding California educator in the 1998 television series Quest for Excellence. In 2004 she was named an Apple Distinguished Educator.
She served as Chair of the Cinema Department at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
from 1991 to 1995, when she supervised the department’s move into a new state-of-the-art facility and introduced the first digital tools and courses into the curriculum.
In 1991 she was invited by Dean August Coppola
August Coppola
August Floyd Coppola was an American academic, author, film executive and advocate for the arts. He is also known as the father of actor Nicolas Cage.-Family life:...
to work with a beta version of Apple’s Quicktime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
technology. Her resulting first interactive work Cineplay, featured at the National Educational Film and Video Festival, began her transformation into a multimedia artist.
Her 1997 interactive work Episodes, co-produced with La Casa de las Madres and funded by the Creative Work Fund, presented stories told by survivors of domestic violence in a kiosk installed at San Francisco City Hall, the San Francisco Public Library, at several Bay Area Kaiser Permanente medical centers, and was also presented at the National Latino Health Conference in Washington, D.C.
Pleasure Island, an interactive, online performance piece co-produced in 1999 with Randall Packer, was presented at USC’s Interactive Frictions conference on new media theory and practice. Coverage, a feminist response to 9-11 and its aftermath, was the featured installation at the 2002 Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
.
She has worked with Apple, Inc. in a variety of capacities; from 2004 to 2009 she served on Apple Education’s Higher Education Advisory Board and was featured in their 2007 webcast.
Her work has been cited in the book Experimental Animation, in the Journal of the Writers Guild, West, and in the book Film and Video on the Internet: The Top 500 Sites.
Education
She earned her B.A. with honors at the University of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
, her M.A. at Winthrop University,
Winthrop University
Winthrop University is a public, four-year liberal arts university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. In 2006-07, Winthrop University had an enrollment of 6,292 students. The University has been recognized as South Carolina's top-rated university according to evaluations conducted by the South...
and her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. She is also certified as a cosmologist and as a water fitness instructor.
Selected Filmography/Multimedia Work
- Parthenogenesis, 1st place award in animation, North Carolina Film Festival, 1976
- Folly Beach Journal, Award, Ann Arbor Film Festival, 1982
- True Romance, 1st Prize, Ann Arbor Film Festival, S.C. State Art Collection, 1983
- A Southern Film Experience, S.C. Arts Commission and S.C. Educational Television, 1985
- Maternal Life, experimental narrative award, Ann Arbor Film Festival, 1991
- Cineplay, featured installation, National Educational Film and Video Festival, 1993
- Episodes, multimedia installation, with La Casa de las Madres, San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco Public Library, Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in Bay Area, National Latino Health Conference, 1997
- Pleasure Island, live web performance at USC's "Interactive Friction” conference, Mill Valley Film Festival, 1999
- Coverage, featured installation, Mill Valley Film Festival, 2002
Selected Publications
- Maya Deren, Imagist, feature article, Literature/Film Quarterly, Vol. XIV, 1986
- Close-Up, review, Film, Radio and Television Journals, 1985
- The Way it Was, short story, South Carolina Fiction Award, The State Magazine, 1986
- Hail to the Bubba in Chief, op-ed essay, San Francisco Examiner, 1993
- Al Gore: Oh What a Good Boy is He, op-ed essay, San Francisco Chronicle, September 3, 2000
- Take a Letter, Take a Look, feature article, The Lowell Observer, Fall 2008
- Screwed Pooch, historical novel, 2007