The Immaculate Nathan B.

Nathan Buchanan is a 21-year-old student at the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) at the University of Central Oklahoma. Music has been an important theme in his life and has become his dream for the future.

For Buchanan, performing and expressing himself lyrically through hip-hop has become an important part of his life.  As a musician in Oklahoma, Buchanan hopes to change the face of music in this state and more so to change the face of hip-hop. Buchanan's passion and drive to change the music industry makes him a critical player for change within the state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma's hip-hop scene remains largely underground, although key artists have collaborated with mainstream artists.  Rappers such as Johnny Polygon, Big8, Jabee and Josh Sallee have been collaborated with more widely known musicians. 

Recording studios in Oklahoma do not have much of a presence in the United States but they are there and growing. Buchanan hopes to own his own studio in the future and produce music for other bands while creating and performing his own.

N.P.O.B- New Professor on the Block: Kyle Bergersen

Kyle Bergersen is the new kid on the block in Gaylord College. He is the newest addition to the B.E.M. faculty. And after only one semester in Gaylord, he already loves it. “I feel like I am a good fit for what they need and I get to do exactly what I want to do, which is to teach an emphasis on single camera narrative world”, Bergersen said.

Bergersen teaching his EFP class
Photo: Sadie Short

Bergersen is bringing first hand industry experience into the classroom. He started out as a director of photography for commercials and corporate videos and then moved on to directing. Fortunately for the students of Gaylord College, he somehow found his way into writing and became a member of the Writers Guild. “That kind of skill set of camera to script is what I wanted to bring to this program.”

His ultimate goal was to become a cameraman, so he took a job on a set in Seattle as a P.A. There, his goal was to schmooze the camera guys and get in good with them; Fortunately, it worked.  After a few years in Seattle, Bergersen decided to make the move to L.A. in 1996 where he started directing car commercials. “The whole time I had an eye on getting better at writing. I wrote and self produced and financed a few Indie pictures, and they were okay, but ultimately where they always suffered was the script. When I moved to L.A. I had two goals for myself: I was going to learn to write and the second was that I was not going to pay to produce my own movies anymore.”

With much hard work and dedication to his craft, Bergersen was able to accomplish both goals. He said he finally wrote his ‘calling card’ script, which after a few pitches became his first backed film entitled ‘Love Comes to the Executioner’. In addition to being funded, Bergersen was able to cast some pretty big ‘up and coming’ actors such as, Jonathan Tucker, who at the time had just got done filming the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, Ginnifer Goodwin of Big Love, and Jeremy Renner, who was nominated for an Academy Award for The Hurt Locker.

Students listening to Bergersen's lighting lecture
Photo: Sadie Short

Bergersens teaching career began as an adjunct professor at Chapman University in Orange, California. He really began to take teaching more seriously after the writers strike in Hollywood. The writers strike and the fact that he and his wife wanted to spend more time with their children prompted their the move to Oklahoma. “It is cool to work production when you are in your 20’s because it doesn’t matter if you are gone working sixteen hour days. But when you have a family and you do that, you find yourself leaving for work before your kids wake up and then they are asleep by the time you get home. So it was just time for a change.”

Bergersen is not the only person in his family who has had some Hollywood experience under their belt. His wife worked in wardrobe for shows such as ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘Will and Grace’, and ‘Jonas’ (the Jonas brothers TV show).

Flyer promoting Bergersen's new practicum
Photo: Sadie Short

After only one semester at Gaylord, Bergersen has already developed two new classes for students. The first will be a winter intersession class called ‘Table Top Digital Cinematography’, where the focus will be lighting. Second will be a new practicum starting in the spring semester called ‘FPU: The Web Series’. The student-produced series, believe it or not, will be a comedy about puppets, which due to a Supreme Court decision, are suddenly allowed to go to college. 

Check out:

Bergersen is pretty legit, he has his own IMDB Page.

Here is a link to his ‘Love Comes to the Executioner’  movie trailer.

Cage master: Zachary Blocker

Zachary Blocker in Studio A
Photo: Sadie Short

Zachary Blocker is a 2009 graduate of Gaylord College and is currently working for the college.

Blockers' major was journalism with an emphasis in broadcast and electronic media.  “I picked that major because a lot of the stuff just came easy for me, and I wanted to learn how to do more camera work.” Today he is putting many of the things that come natural to him to good use in an effort to better the success of the college, its many productions, and most importantly, to its students.

Blocker has many jobs and responsibilities at Gaylord. The opportunity came about while he was still a student. “The semester I was supposed to graduate, Scott called me and said, ‘Hey do you want a job?’ and I said ‘Sure, that sounds great.’” Blocker’s jobs include being the teaching assistant for the intro to video class, the facilities manager for the new wing and also the cage manager.

As exciting and as busy as his job might be Blocker does not intend to work at Gaylord forever. He ultimately aspires to work in film or television, but he is not picky about where he ends up. “Big or small, I don’t care where I start out at, just as long as I get the opportunity to do what I really enjoy; making stuff and doing creative projects.”

Blockers advice for current Gaylord students is to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to them and to get involved with the practicums and internships. Blocker believes getting to know your professors and advisors is also key. “There are no other journalism colleges in the country that have the assets (professors/advisors and facilities alike) that we do, so take advantage of it.”

The infamous cage dragon
Photo: Sadie Short

If you have ever been to the cage where students check out equipment, you probably have noticed the ‘Cage Dragon’ that is on the marker board. It always has a friendly or threatening message for students. So I had to ask, “What is the deal with the ‘Cage Dragon’?“ Blockers reply: “That is a Josh Shockley creation, all rights reserved. He just asks me if there is any messages in particular that I would like posted up there, other than that it is all him.”

Students of Gaylord College can look for Zack Blocker in the classroom and also working about the college. He has lots to offer to the students, as his experience as one is relevant and always helpful.