Matt Cipollone, SOC/MA ’18, documentary cinematographer, editor and producer took a front seat in our studio and in front of the camera for a change, to discuss his time at American University’s School of Communication (AU SOC). The esteemed alum gave Media in the Mix a look into his time in the MA program which included making documentaries with SOC faculty, a Dean’s Internship at Interface Media Group, and multiple other experiential learning opportunities. He has checked off a lot on his “Best of SOC” bingo card!

When asked why he puts most of his energy into documentary filmmaking around social issues, he shared, “I think one of the biggest problems we have, especially in this country, is people aren't necessarily committed to certain ideas or movements until it happens directly to them or directly to a loved one.” He said his anger about injustices and crises that exist in the world fuels his work.

One of the issues he’s currently exploring for a film is the tragic uprise of the fentanyl crisis. “A good documentary can save someone from having that happen to them or a loved one,” explained Cipollone. “[T]he best films can get people to [care about an issue] without a tragedy happening first, or without some kind of wakeup call happening first,” he said.

He credits SOC professors Maggie Stogner, Bill Gentile and Nina Shapiro-Perl, among others, for giving him access to some of the real-world experiences that set his resume apart from the rest, even as a student. Cipollone’s advice for current SOC students, “If there's one thing I can tell you, it's: don't think that you're limited by a specific assignment.” He also encourages students to ask faculty for opportunities, and not to fear rejection, which he said came far less than he had expected.

Stogner was the first professor to give him the green light on assignment expansions and out-of-the-box thinking, letting her students know that their creativity and skills can transcend the classroom where even small interview assignments can become short documentaries. At the time, he had no idea that Stogner would send him up and down the East Coast to film local activists for her film “Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air”, which takes a powerful look at fifty years of the Clean Air Act and the challenges we still face to ensure healthy air for everyone.

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Cipollone said he chose SOC largely because the faculty were all still working filmmakers who knew the challenges and trends of the modern industry. In particular, the “Backpack Documentary” course with Bill Gentile stood out to him. “I got to know Bill and his history, and I actually walked in and told him before I applied that I was going to work for him. And he kind of looked at me and was like, ‘okay’...he was polite about it,” laughed Cipollone.

With some lobbying, he did end up working for Gentile as a graduate assistant and later went on to accompany him to Mexico to film “Freelancers with Bill Gentile” which he also got to edit, earning both money and production credit. “That whole process was just so meaningful because I had never in my wildest dreams thought I was ready for something like that. And it's a real vote of confidence when people see it in you before you see it in yourself,” he said. 

Cipollone just celebrated his one-year anniversary at Lens End Media, a production company which brings stories to life through cinematic storytelling. The opportunity of networking with Lens End Media arose through a networking event before the pandemic in 2019. When everything shut down, he kept in touch with Lens End owner and CEO, Ibrahim Zafar, which ultimately led him to a full-time position that allows him to work on a mix of projects that includes everything from documentaries to commercials.