Position
Academic Background
Sample Courses    
Teaching Philosophy
Research & Interests    
Notable Appointments & Awards
Production Highlights    
Selected Scholarly Presentations  

                                                        View Other Faculty Profiles

• Adjunct Instructor of Film Studies

Academic Background        

• Ashford University - M.A. in Teaching and Learning with Technology, 2006
• University of Texas - B.A. in English, minor in Radio, Television & Film, 1988

Sample Courses Taught at Providence College

• Fundamentals of Screenwriting   
• History of Film: The Silent Era 
• Film & Video Production    
• Writing a Screenplay
• History of Film: The Classic Era & Beyond
• Advanced Video Production

Teaching Philosophy

I believe in helping my students find meaning in their studies, so at various points in the semester (through anonymous 1-minute writing assignments) I will ask them why they are enrolled in my course and what they are hoping to get out of it.  I share this feedback with the class with the purpose of reinforcing their roles as active consumers, rather than passive receivers, of their educational experience. I believe that students learn best when they are fully engaged, and I share examples from my own professional filmmaking experiences to spark discussion in the classroom. Getting an entire class participating and involved is fun and I will often use humor to help create a more comfortable atmosphere.

Aware that most of my students will not pursue a career in film, television, or screenwriting I focus on the balance between broadening their knowledge base and developing their critical thinking skills.  Regardless of what career paths they ultimately choose, I feel I have served them well if I have strengthened their oral and written communications, sharpened their ability to critique, and provided opportunities for them to work as a group in solving problems.  I recognize the impact I can have on their lives and career choices.  I embrace the responsibility I carry to excite them, not only about film and storytelling, but of the possibilities in the world around them.

Research & Interests

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker with particular interests in the evolution of film narrative and classic story design. How is film evolving? What cultural impact has visual storytelling had on our society and how has this translated historically to our influence in the world? To answer these questions, students are exposed to a wide range of cinema and screenplays, both American and International, building a professional vocabulary while critically exploring key film movements, production developments, literary styles and technological innovations of the 20th Century and beyond.

Notable Appointments and Awards

• National Public Radio, Providence, RI: Producer, Director of "Panorama," Radio Variety Show/Video Pilot; 2007
• SSW Productions, Houston, TX: Producer of "House of Dreams," Feature Length Documentary Film: www.elcx.com; 2005-2007    
• Front Porch Entertainment, Ltd., Philadelphia, PA: Writer, Producer, Director of "The Fifth String" Feature Length Film: www.thefifthstringmovie.com, 2000-2005   

Film Awards

• Golden Remi award for "House of Dreams"
• Aurora Platinum Award for Best Digital Feature for "The Fifth String"
• The Communicator Crystal Award for Directing for "The Fifth String"
• The Cineplay Award for Outstanding Screenplay for the "Fifth String"
• Best Narrative Feature Award for "The Fifth String"

Production Highlights

• "Panorama"
  Producer, Director
  Variety program for NPR featuring U.S. poet laureate Donald Hall, 2007
• "House of Dreams"
  Producer
  Award-winning documentary, 2007
• "The Fifth String"
  Writer, Director
  Award-winning film based on one of Phelan's original screenplays

Selected Scholarly Presentations and Activities

• Phelan, Jack (2007); "Persistence of vision: a brief history of film."  Invited lecture given at Providence College, Providence, RI
• Phelan, Jack (2007); "Constructing stories for the screen."  Invited lecture given at Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA
• Phelan, Jack (2007); "Research methods in developing fiction."  Invited lecture given at Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA
• Phelan, Jack (2004); "Script to screen: the filmmaking process."  Invited lecture given at The Writers' Circle, Providence, RI
• Phelan, Jack (2002); "Directing the feature-length film."  Invited lecture given at The Writers' Circle, Providence, RI
• Phelan, Jack (1999).  "Acting from within." Invited lecture given at The Philadelphia Filmmakers Lab, Philadelphia, PA

View Other Faculty Profiles