JOE LEYDON - Sam Houston State University



JOE LEYDON

5907 De Moss

Houston, Texas 77081

Phone: 713-667-1285

Cell: 832-276-1475

JoeLeydon@

• Academic Background

MA in Communication Studies, University of Houston, December 2007

BA in Journalism, Loyola University of N.O., May 1974

• Academic/Teaching Experience

Instructor, School of Communication, University of Houston

2001 until present

Courses taught:

Media and Society (Comm 1301) – Basic survey course, with emphasis on the development of Old Media (newspapers, film, radio, TV, etc.) and the evolution of New Media (Internet, podcasting, etc.).

Writing for Print and Digital Media (Comm 2310) – Fundamentals of writing and editing, with specific emphasis on Associated Press style. Some opinion writing (including reviews and editorials).

Broadcast and Film Writing (Comm 2328) – Fundamentals of writing for film and television, ranging from public service announcements to dramatic screenwriting. Final project: Script for a 10- to 20-minute dramatic short.

Film Appreciation (Comm 2370) – General survey course, with emphasis on specific genres (Westerns, science-fiction, film noir, etc.) and filmmakers (Francois Truffaut, Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, etc.).

History of Cinema (Comm 3371) – Introduction to history of motion pictures, with emphasis on specific classics from various eras, ranging from “The General” to “Do the Right Thing,” “Duck Soup” to “Annie Hall.”

Social Issues in Journalism (Comm 4314) -- Lecture and discussion class designed to examine how public responses to -- and assumptions about -- contemporary events are reflected and shaped by the media. Each student is expected to maintain a blog in which he or she analyzes media coverage of social issues.

Social Aspects of Film (Comm 4370) – For five years, I designed and taught course as a semester-long examination of war films throughout film history, from the World War I era (“Shoulder Arms”) to the first Gulf War (“Three Kings”). More recently, I have focused on cinema of the 1970s, examining how films of the so-called “New Hollywood” era reflected, and were affected by, social, political and financial upheavals of the period.

Instructor, Houston Community College

2001 until present

Courses taught:

History of Cinema (Drama 2366) -- Introduction to history of motion pictures, with emphasis on specific classics from various eras, ranging from “The General” to “Do the Right Thing,” “Duck Soup” to “Annie Hall.”

The Art of Filmmaking (Drama 2367) – More detailed examination of specific genres and filmmakers, with emphasis on international as well as U.S. cinema. Curriculum includes “Vertigo,” “Day for Night” and “Rio Bravo.”

• Seminars, Panels, Film and TV Appearances

National television appearances on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, At the Movies, Kudlow & Kramer and MSNBC Live, since 1998.

Moderator of on-stage Q&As with Shirley MacLaine (2010), Ethan Hawke (2011) and filmmaker Jorge Hinojosa  at Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

Curator of retrospective tribute to Paul Newman at 2008 Denver Film Festival.

Guest lecturer on Latin American cinema for Department of Defense conference, “Changing Trends in Latin America,” hosted by Global Business Network, September 2006.

Guest lecturer on “The Rabbi as Portrayed in Film,” sponsored by Congregation Emanu El Sisterhood at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, March 2009.

Interview subject for documentaries “Junket Whore” (1998) and “The People vs. George Lucas” (2010).

Moderator of on-stage Q&As with actors (including Hal Holbrook, Elliott Gould, Patricia Neal and Scott Wilson) and filmmakers (including Norman Jewison, Gale Anne Hurd and Marc Webb) at Nashville and Denver Film Festivals, since 2005.

Chair of panel discussions, mentor for filmmaking professionals at South by Southwest Film Festival, 1998-2002.

Judge for screenwriting competition, WorldFest/Houston International Film Festival, 2007-12.

Moderator of panels and on-stage Q&As at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, since 1996.

Panelist at European Film Festival, University of Texas at San Antonio, 2005 and 2007.

Feature Awards Jury member, Palm Springs Film Festival, 1992-94.

• Writing/Editing Experience

Ongoing Activities:

Author, “Joe Leydon’s Guide to Essential Movies You Must See” (July 2004, Michael Wiese Productions).

Critic and regional correspondent for show business trade paper Variety (and ) since April 1990.

Contributing Editor for Cowboys and Indians magazine (and ) since February 2003.

Contributing Critic for “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide” since 2008.

Contributing Writer for since 2014.

Work History:

Film Critic/Entertainment Feature Reporter for KPRC-TV (NBC), 1995-1999. Duties included film reviews, interviews with actors and filmmakers.

Film Critic/Editor for The Houston Post, 1982-1995. Duties included reviews, interviews, analytical essays and feature stories. Also, coverage of Toronto, Sundance, Palm Springs and Cannes film festivals. Film location stories throughout Texas and Louisiana. Coverage of home video and direct-to-video releases.

Entertainment Staff Writer for The Dallas Morning News, 1979-1982. Duties included interviews, news and feature stories, and reviews while covering theater, popular music, movies and television. Also served as interim entertainment editor, January-June 1981. Oversaw eight-person entertainment department staff and various contracted free-lancers. Assigned coverage, maintained schedules, edited copy.

Entertainment Editor, The Shreveport Times, Shreveport, La., 1977-79. Duties included coverage of local arts organizations, and reviewing film, theater, music and television. Also, assigning and editing free-lance writers.

Entertainment Editor, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss., 1976-77. Duties included coverage of local arts organizations, and reviewing film, theater, music and television. Also, assigning and editing free-lance writers.

Film critic for Houston Examiner Newspapers, 2002-2005; Dallas Journal-Express, 2003-2004; San Francisco Examiner, 2000-2003; , 1996-1999; FW Weekly, 1996-2000; KLOL-FM, 1998-2000; The Houston Press, 1995-96; KTRH-AM, 1992-93; KRIV-TV (Fox), 1988-89.

Columnist and DVD critic for Stereophile Ultimate AV / Stereophile Guide to Home Theatre, 1997-2005.

Free-lance feature stories and reviews for Los Angeles Times, Newsday, New York Daily News, The Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, The Toronto Star, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Austin American-Statesman, The (Nashville) Tennessean and The Houston Chronicle; Yahoo! and ; Life & Style Weekly, Film Comment and New Orleans magazines; Entertainment News Wire and the United States Information Agency.

Book review editor for Moving Pictures magazine, 2000-01.

Correspondent for “Texas Entertainment News,” syndicated TV series, 1995-96 season.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download