Toby Lawrence
Assistant Professor
Toby Lawrence, MFA
Assistant Professor of Cinema
MFA in Film Directing | California Institute of the Arts
Office: Potter Hall 118
E-mail: tlawrence7@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: M 11-2, T/TH 2-3 (Appointment Only)
Bio
“I am a 27-year veteran of the entertainment industry; I spent my early career as a signed recording artist on Epic Records (a division of Sony). I also bring an MFA in Film Directing from California Institute of the Arts and more than seven years of teaching experience in Film/Video Arts at the University level.
I am a working filmmaker who wrote and directed an award-winning debut feature film in 2014 (Best Mystery Feature, EIFF 2014). I also directed an award winning short documentary in 2002 and several narrative shorts, industrials, and various commercials. My first feature length narrative film premiered in August of 2014 at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival and was user-rated #1 in its genre on IMDb (Internet Movie Database) at that time. Beyond writing, directing, producing, lighting, and cinematography, I have extensive experience with post- production, including editing, sound design, and color correction.
I am formerly the Chair of Media at the Art Institute of San Antonio, Texas. I oversaw more than 300 students in 5 separate disciplines and 20+ full-time and adjunct faculty members. I have experience in teaching all aspects of pre-production, production, and post-production. My diverse industry background provides me with the expertise to teach a broad range of both upper and lower division courses.
My class sign-up and retention rates are excellent; I take a personal interest in the success of every student. I have a passion for helping a widely diverse student population master the skills necessary to navigate the challenging and evolving professional world of film/video and develop their unique strengths and talents. Former students have gone on to successful careers in the film and TV industries.
I am excited to announce that I am currently employed by Missouri Western State University as an Assistant Professor in Cinema and will begin teaching in fall 2017.
It is my enduring goal to combine my broad personal and professional experience with a compassionate and enthusiastic teaching style to make a positive contribution to the growing field of the Media Arts.”
Part-Time Faculty
David Sutera
Adjunct Professor
David Sutera, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Cinema
E-mail: dsutera@missouriwestern.edu
Bio
Dr. Sutera holds an M.F.A. in Film and Media Arts Production from the University of Utah and a PhD in Film and Media Studies from the University of Kansas. He has been teaching film/video production, screenwriting, and media studies at the college level since 2008 at the University of Utah, University of Kansas, Doane University, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Bridgewater State University near Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Sutera’s main area of research centers on sports culture and the representation of sports in mass and social media. He published 4 books on sports media and most recently published a book as co-author examining the rise of superhero films in contemporary culture.
He is also an active screenwriter and filmmaker, with multiple film festival selections and awards to his name. His most recent projects are a documentary film about a burlesque troupe in Salt Lake City, Utah called Bible Belt Burlesque and a feature-length screenplay title Dead End Job set in Purgatory where occupants of this mystical realm are forced to work menial jobs on Earth as penance for their sins.
In his spare time, Dr. Sutera is a proud frustrated athlete who plays fast-pitch baseball in the Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL) in Kansas City, Missouri.