Inside Freshman Year: George Stewart, ’19

George Zen Stewart graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 2019 and today is a freshman studying film at Chapman University.

How did you come to choose Chapman?

I always wanted to go to film school, but I didn’t know where. Toward the end of my junior year, I began researching universities that had strong film programs, and that’s how I discovered Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media. I saw that they established themselves as one of the most prestigious film programs in the nation through their state-of-the-art facilities, industrial-tier equipment, and opportunities for student filmmaking and internships. It seemed like a filmmaker’s paradise to me. After I toured, Chapman soared to the top of my college list. Because I applied as a film production major, I had to submit a supplementary application which included essays and the creation of a two-minute film based on a given prompt. It was a very stressful process, but thankfully everything worked out.

Tell me about your first week.

My first week at Chapman was a little overwhelming. Moving and organizing all my belongings into my dorm room was an exhausting process, but I’m satisfied with how it turned out. Everything I brought makes me feel at home. I’m just not looking forward to having to move everything out in May. Throughout the week, there were constantly orientation activities, so I was always occupied. Although some of the activities seemed irrelevant to me, I met a lot of interesting people at them. I ended up meeting two of my good friends at an event I almost ditched, so I’m glad I went to as much as possible.

How is dorm life?

My roommates, Thomas and Sam, and I get along really well. Thomas is a screenwriting major, and Sam is a TV writing major. It’s not a huge adjustment living with two other people because I’ve shared a bedroom with my brother for my entire life. It feels like an eternal sleepover. We live in a dorm that houses all the Dodge College freshmen, and everyone I’ve met has a love for watching or making films. It’s a passion we all share, so it’s easy to connect with people.

What has been the biggest surprise about college so far?

The biggest surprise about college has been how much free time I have. In high school, everyone has to attend at the same time for five days every week. In college, everyone’s schedules are different and designed with the convenience of the student in mind. I have two classes every day, except on Thursday I only have one class. Depending on the day, my courses can start as early as 9 a.m. and end as late as 9:45 p.m. I can balance schoolwork, filmmaking, work, exercise, socializing, eating, chores and sleeping.

What is harder than you expected?

Making movies without my SVHS film comrade, Jackson Barbagelata, is much harder than I expected. After directing a few projects at Chapman, I realized how difficult it is to work with first-time actors or with someone unfamiliar. Since middle school, Jackson has acted in every short film I’ve produced. When we got to SVHS, we were practically raised by Mr. [Peter] Hansen in his video arts program and built up a dynamic director/actor duo chemistry. The more projects we worked on, the better we got. We pushed each other to our filmmaking limits, and Mr. Hansen guided us through this process. Filmmaking isn’t the same without Jackson, but I know this is a great learning experience. I’ll improve as a director and learn how to work with different casts and crews. I give Jackson and Mr. Hansen so much credit for my success, and I firmly believe I wouldn’t be at Chapman without them.

What is your favorite aspect so far?

My favorite aspect of college is being independent. I don’t need permission from anyone except myself when I want to do something. However, I know it’s important not to take advantage of my freedom. College students are supposed to have fun in their four years, but I think they need to value their schoolwork even more. It’s a maturing experience because I have to decide what’s best for me and my education. I enjoy trying to find that balance because it makes me feel more like an adult than a student.

What are your classes this semester?

This semester I’m taking three film-centric courses, one general education course, and one freshman foundation course. Intro to Film Aesthetics is in a 500-seat movie theater. We analyze editing, cinematography, acting, and set design in a new movie we watch every week.

My favorite class is Intro to Visual Storytelling because our homework is to make movies.

Students are partnered up in that class and have to pitch a movie idea based on the exercise prompt. Each prompt emphasizes a specific visual element that is effective in telling the story of the project. The course has taught me that every shot should have meaning.

How did you get interested in film?

My dad got me interested in filmmaking. Our idea of spending time together is watching movies at home or at a theater. Our favorite theater to go to is the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, which is where we’ve watched classics like “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “West Side Story,” “The Sound of Music,” “2001: A Space Odyssey” and many more.

What are your favorite movies?

A few are “La La Land,” “Whiplash, “Brokeback Mountain,” “Pulp Fiction,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Roma,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Silver Linings Playbook.”

What advice do you have for current seniors considering colleges?

My advice for current seniors is that whatever college you go to, make sure you’ll be motivated to learn there. Figure out your passion or dream career, and put your best effort into it. In high school, I was an OK student. I could’ve tried much harder than I did, but I wasn’t very inspired in most subjects. Now I feel like I have a stronger academic drive because I’m learning about what I’m interested in. Don’t go to college just to go. Go to strengthen your passion.

Additionally, I think college is an excellent opportunity to meet new people, perhaps even people who will become your future best friends, but it’s also important to stay in touch with your hometown friends. I still talk to my core group of friends from Sonoma every day. I thought it was possible that my best friends and I were going to fade away from each other when we went to college, but I can see that we all still firmly value our friendships. We’re always in contact with each other, whether it’s through texts, FaceTime, memes or even visiting each other at our respective colleges. If you stay close with your hometown friends, you can rely on them during rough times, if you’re homesick, or for a good laugh.

What else is interesting so far that you would like to add?

Southern California will likely be my permanent home because I want to stay close to the film industry, but I think I’ll always like Northern California more. It’s very urban down here, so I miss the greenery and views of Sonoma County. It’s such a beautiful place, and I’m thankful I grew up there.