Apr 10, 2025
Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman
University. Each episode features Chapman students who have
completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and
Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no
podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before
taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to
Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this
‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their
very own series. Each episode of Season 13 will feature one to two
different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different
aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
Senior Sydney Cook Rogoff begins our episode with an in depth
discussion of the Creative and Cultural Industries with Kellen
Sweny, a Tech Initiatives Program Manager for the Walt Disney
Company, specifically Walt Disney World. They discuss in detail the
study of Creative and Cultural Industries before diving into the
different aspects of the Walt Disney Company and focusing
specifically on the responsibility the company has to continue to
produce outstanding content and how Sweny contributes to this goal.
They touch on how Sweny came to work for the company and what drew
her to it in the first place, before they conclude with Sweny’s
“words of wisdom” for anyone trying to get a job in the corporate
world of Disney, and how she herself worked to get her job. They
touch on the Disney College Program (a program setup by the Walt
Disney Company for aspiring Disney employees) and how this program
helped her attain her current role at Disney.
Our second segment in today’s episode features an interview with
Travis Garcia, the Co-Director of Features Programming at the
Newport Beach Film Festival, who speaks with Marisa Lamas. Listen
in as Marisa and Travis delve into the film festival industry and
find out what it takes to take on the role of a director of
features programming. They discuss Travis’ previous work experience
and what prepared him for his current job, from interning with the
Austin Film Festival to student teaching at Cal State Fullerton in
the Film, Cinema, and Media Studies sector. They also explore some
of the position’s highlights and challenges which prompts a
discussion what kind of skills are needed to truly succeed in a
position like Travis’ and how to develop those skills. As they wrap
up the interview, Travis has a chance to discuss some of the
influential figures who were responsible for steering him in the
right direction, and the advice that they bestowed on him that will
always hold a prevalent place in his mind.