Hollywood Producer Chris Moore of "The Chair" Visits SAEM Fundraising Class Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Assistant Professor Teresa Gregory's sports, arts and entertainment management fundraising class had the opportunity to learn about the business of filmmaking from Chris Moore, executive producer of "The Chair," a documentary series produced in part by Point Park University.
Moore discussed with students tactics he has used to raise funds for films he has produced including "Good Will Hunting" and "American Pie."
"Fundraising is about telling a story and convincing people about why they want to be involved in that story," Moore said.
Moore explained the importance of repaying funders at the end of the project along with showing personality and passion when requesting donations.
"Raising money is brutal," Moore remarked. "You have to love it that much that you know you can do it."
He also provided the class with general fundraising tips that could be used when raising funds for all industries, not just film.
"Bringing Chris Moore into the classroom was extremely valuable to my students," Gregory said. "It gave them a peek into the world of film financing from someone who has been very successful at it for a number of years. Even if they don't go into film, what he discussed universally applies to fundraising."
During his time in Pittsburgh, Moore visited five Point Park classes and provided many students on campus with valuable advice. Additionally, "The Chair" provided more than 40 students with internships and employed many Point Park graduates.
"Chris Moore's approach to engaging the local community is genius," Gregory explained. "He's building interest and connections for this project and future ones at an institution that is committed to training future entertainment industry professionals."
Learn More
Follow "The Chair" project on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Media Inquiries
Contact Ramesh Santanam at rsantanam@pointpark.edu or 412-392-8106.
Text by Abigail Mathieu, a senior double majoring in journalism and public relations and advertising
Photo by Sarah Cunningham, a senior photojournalism major