Film Student to Have His
First L.A. Premiere
Article by
Heather Laird
April 13, 2007
dailybruin.ucla.edu
Some UCLA students go on vacation over their summer break.
Some take summer school, and others hit the beach. Mark Iverson,
a second-year film and television student, made his third
professional-quality film.
Iverson is a filmmaker in all senses of the word: He wrote,
directed, produced, and played a supporting role in his new film
“Blind Landing.”
He has completed and screened two other film projects in the
suburbs of Chicago, where he grew up, but today will be the
first time one of Iverson’s movies will premiere in Los
Angeles.
“As much as I love DVDs, there is something about the movie
theater experience that is incomparable,” said Iverson.
“Things are bigger, more exciting and more dramatic.”
Iverson isn’t the only person excited for the film’s Los
Angeles premiere. Steve Coulter, one of the lead producers of
“Blind Landing,” is eager to observe the student reactions
to the film.
“This kind of film is perfect for a college-aged
audience,” Coulter said. “It’s a story about how everyone
expects to grow up and have more mature relationships in
college, even though that isn’t always the case. Everyone can
relate to a story like this.”
Coulter is one of the founding members of CNGM Pictures, a
nonprofit organization of filmmakers in Chicago, many of whom
have worked with Iverson on their own projects in addition to
his.
“Working with Mark is really neat,” Coulter said. “When
he and I work together, we are able to help each other, but we
are aware that we have different styles”.
Coulter is graduating from the University of Iowa with a
degree in business management this May, after which he will move
to California and hopes to work on more films with Iverson.
Their differing styles ultimately lend themselves well to
gaining experience in the industry.
“(Mark) knows what he wants, but he lets his actors make
their own choices with their roles. He just likes to make
everyone happy,” said Paige Minor, who went to high school
with Iverson and plays the female lead in “Blind Landing.”
Minor is currently a production assistant at Disney and
intends to major in theater at Moorpark College and go into a
career in acting. But she’s impressed with what Iverson has
already accomplished.
“If I saw his name in lights, I wouldn’t be at all
surprised,” she said.
“Blind Landing” is a story very close to Iverson’s
heart because it is similar to an experience that he had with
his high school girlfriend. He was inspired to make this film in
his senior year of high school, after he had just finished his
first feature-length picture. He had written about his rocky
experiences with his high school sweetheart for a college
admission essay, and realized that the story had a great format
for a short film.
“Doing this film really helped me deal with what
happened,” Iverson said. “Making movies is such a great way
to work out your feelings about the world.”
Although Iverson is one of few out-of-state students at UCLA,
he welcomes the California college lifestyle.
“I never wanted to go to an art school,” said Iverson.
“Having a cumulative college experience is just wonderful.”
In the future, Iverson hopes to write many more films and
continue enjoying the life of a college student.
“If you want to be a filmmaker, you have to make movies,
even if you have crappy equipment, horrible actors, and you
aren’t really sure how to write scripts yet,” said Iverson.
“If you want to make movies, how can you not?”
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