Los Angeles-based filmmaker Moriah Doepken, a 2020 graduate of SOU’s Digital Cinema program, returns to Ashland this year as guest director with the Digital Cinema program’s innovative “Crew Experience” course.
The Crew Experience production intensive is taught by Digital Cinema Professor Nora Zubizarreta, a filmmaker with professional experience in Los Angeles and New York City, and producer of the film Umama, which won gold at the Student Academy Awards.
Doepken graduated in 2024 from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University with an M.F.A. in Film Production. For this year’s Crew Experience, she will direct a script written by Digital Cinema junior screenwriting student, Charlie McCabe.
The “Crew Experience” course, launched in 2022, gives SOU’s Digital Cinema students a chance to work on and complete a full-fledged short film project. Students assume professional film crew positions under the guidance of professional mentors in the production of a short film.
Doepken said of the opportunity, “I’m super excited to return to SOU and help make a film back in Ashland. Having been in the first graduating class of the Digital Cinema major and missing the first iteration of Crew Experience, which was canceled because of COVID, it’s a very full-circle moment for me.”
Professor Zubizarreta said, “I’m delighted to collaborate with Moriah and the Crew Experience students to make this film. This kind of project and collaboration adds so much to the learning process. It’s wonderful to see our students really get rolling on Charlie’s script.”
The Digital Cinema program was recognized by MovieMaker Magazine in 2024 and 2025 as a “Top 30 Film Program in North America,” in large part due to innovative course offerings like “The Crew Experience.”
The SOU Digital Cinema program sets itself apart as a hub for creative innovation and experiential learning. With the guidance of industry professionals, students hone their craft and make meaningful contributions to the world of cinema.
