THE ACORN

Travolta creates young filmmaker's haven
By Michael Picarella

Acorn Staff Writer

Aspiring moviemakers can work on actual movie sets to learn the business of filmmaking, thanks to filmmaker Joey Travolta and his business partner, Brad Koepenick. The Entertainment Experience, West Valley , a program run by Travolta and Koepenick, is an alternative to college, according to Travolta. The Entertainment Experience, West Valley started classes about two months ago for students, ages 7 to 17. Adults, too, can soon participate in the program. "I learned how to produce from being an actor from watching what goes on," Travolta said. "I learned it by doing and putting together my own money to do my first film. I wish I had a course like this when I was growing up." Travolta, brother of John, produced and directed many movies and TV shows including "Mel" with Ernest Borgnine, the upcoming "Arizona Summer" and "L.A. Heat," and he's acted in many movies, including "Beverly Hills Cop 3" and "Dumb Luck in Vegas." "What makes (the Entertainment Experience) different from other schools is that you learn by doing," Koepenick said. Koepenick has appeared in such movies as "The Distinguished Gentleman" with Eddie Murphy, "Albino Alligator" with Matt Dillon and Faye Dunaway, and he appeared on many TV shows, including "Friends" and "E.R." He also taught filmmaking at the Entertainment Experience in Manhattan Beach and teaches enrichment programs at schools between Thousand Oaks and Woodland Hills.

The Entertainment Experience already exists in Manhattan Beach and the founder of that program had asked Travolta-pre-Entertainment Experience, West Valley -to consider bringing some of the students aboard a real film production that he was helming. Travolta brought some kids onto his movie set and the results were very satisfying, he said. "I like the concept of teaching acting, teaching filmmaking and combining the two. All the people that are involved (in the Entertainment Experience) do movies and television and it gives the kids exposure to people that are making movies, and that's what excited me about this," Travolta said. After such positive results with the Manhattan Beach program, Travolta wanted to start his own Entertainment Experience in his Woodland Hills neighborhood, so he did. Not only does Travolta run what he calls his workshop for young filmmakers, but he also uses the same office as his production company where he develops TV and movie projects and completes other business related to the entertainment industry. "This is great for the (young student) filmmakers because they're seeing deals made, we audition here-we're doing stuff here all the time," Travolta said.

Travolta has a background in education. He taught special education in New Jersey , where he was born. "I've always had an affection for kids and teaching," Travolta said. But growing up with other family members in the entertainment industry and being a musician himself, Travolta easily fell into making movies. And he does it all. He produces, writes, directs, acts and has even edited one of his films. Combining education and filmmaking together has brought both of Travolta's passions into his life simultaneously, he said. Young students are now learning acting, storyboarding, shooting, blue screen effects and more at the Entertainment Experience. But Travolta is most excited about what's yet to come. " I want to do what I'm calling a practical film school," Travolta said. "When I direct a movie, the movie is the lesson plan. I'll take 10 or 15 older teens that are looking to get into the business and we'll break the script down, cast, hire crews-you'll learn every department and work in a department during the course of the shoot ... It's probably like a three to four month course. We have not implemented that yet, but that's what we're looking to do." Travolta said once he includes this course in the program, what he calls "practical filmmaking," adults could participate in the Entertainment Experience as well as kids. Teachers at the Entertainment Experience are all veterans of the film industry, according to Travolta. As Koepenick said, the facility is " Disneyland for moviemakers."