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Student wins MTV award for work with Katy Perry

A student trying to start a film club on campus received a surprising phone call last summer notifying him that his company won an MTV Video Music Award at the cable channel’s yearly award show.

Cal State Long Beach student Alexander Valentine, a junior communications major, works for Dot & Effects, a special effects company that won a VMA for best special effects on Aug. 28 at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Valentine and his boss, Jeff Dotson, along with 13 others, produced the special effects for “E.T.,” a Katy Perry single featuring Kanye West, in less than a month.

“E.T.” was placed in the “professional categories” online, and was up against Chromeo’s “Don’t Turn The Lights On,” Kanye West’s “Power,” Linkin Park’s “Waiting For The End” and Manchester Orchestra’s “Simple Math.”

Valentine worked as producer of visual effects for the “E.T.” video, but that isn’t the only high-profile job he’s had.

“If you make enough connections, work will come to you,” he said. “I encourage everyone to give it a shot, with or without any experience.”

Valentine worked with Capitol Records and Bonch Editorial, which created Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” videos.

Valentine has extended his passion for film and is now on his way to install a new club on campus, called Film & Photo Society Production.

There are four other chapters of FPS Production, including ones at the University of California, Los Angeles, UC Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino and Singapore Media Academy.

The clubs have anywhere from 40 to 50 members, including scriptwriters, sound technicians, editors and directors.

UCLA’s chapter combines educational lectures and workshops with productions and photoshoots to offer members hands-on experience, while providing a forum for networking, according to the official website.

“It is a club for people that aren’t necessarily film makers, but can find their creative voice through film making,” Valentine said.

Valentine said he encourages anyone interested in film or networking to look into FPS Productions.

The club will be working with the other college campuses and members will get the chance to make connections and be part of other projects as well as their own.

The recent VMA winner is focused on making CSULB the fifth addition to the club charter and plans to have meetings as early as next year.


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