Spotlighting our alumni.
ReCent gRad BReaKS into FilM woRld for some people,
’ failure isn t an option. and smart ones like aspiring director Caitlin MacBride ’13 know you sometimes have to start at the bottom. This summer, caitlyn worked as a production assistant (pa) on the set of Captain America 2 in
anChoRS taMe Blowing BlanKetS
’ The key to building a successful business is fnding the right niche, a need that no one is flling. Dawn Adams ’92 thinks that shes identifed two such opportunities. dawn left erie the day she graduated with her hospitality management degree, excited to start managing a cleveland- area restaurant. since then, a series of jobs has taken her all over the country and today she maintains residences in both brooklyn and florida. The two businesses she created are the blanket anchor®, a patent-pending device she invented to keep blankets frmly anchored in the sand at the beach, and christ
’ it wasn t her frst production experience. as a senior at mercyhurst, caitlyn wrote and directed her frst movie, 100 , which took frst place in the communication department s annual scriptwriting contest. ’ - during summer 2012, she logged more than 600 hours as an intern for producer Tyler davidson on the set of Kings of Summer , formerly named Toy’s House . That connection helped caitlyn land her behind-the scenes position for the Captain America sequel. despite exhausting 14-hour days in extreme weather conditions — including freezing temperatures in early June — she has only good things to say about her post graduation temp job. - “ i have had such positive experiences working on sets, despite pretty much doing the grunt work for anyone who needs it, said caitlyn, who credits her mercyhurst education for her hard work ethic and production experience. ” “ my professors instilled in me that i can do anything. you may have to work 10 times harder, because it s not always about what you know but rather how professional you act. ’ ” - did caitlyn get to meet any of the stars of the anticipated box ofce smash? she didn t get to meet scarlett Johansson, samuel l. Jackson or robert redford, but she did get to see captain america himself, chris evans, from afar. ’ even better, she was able to help a very lucky fan, a young boy with down syndrome, and his mother and sister get an autograph and photo with evans. she says it was her favorite moment on the set. ’ macbride doesn t know where her future will take her; however, she is willing to put in the hard work, as well as relocate to make her dreams come true. cleveland, ohio. for three weeks, the ohio native was one of 50 assistants who helped with crowd control.
couture™, a casual christian apparel line.
’ she and her new partner errol bailey spend 12 to 16 hours a day managing operations for the two product lines, but she s extremely determined because she feels that working for oneself makes a huge diference. “ ” “ The florida location is perfect for her blanket anchor® business. you have to have sand to launch a beach product, right?” she laughs. she says she frst saw the need for the product in 2011 after enduring fying sand and blowing blankets during a trip to bermuda. her simple solution: a set of four plastic pegs with 6-inch coiled shafts that twist into sand or grass, topped with serrated clamps that hold a blanket or towel securely in place. blanket anchors® can be customized and a signature flag line branded with a variety of national fags is already available. dawn says she’ll be partnering with a sporting goods company and distributing blanket anchors® in conjunction with international soccer competitions in spring 2014. The line has expanded to include other branded beachy accessories such as blankets, towels and sarongs. “ ” “ The two companies are based in both brooklyn and florida. i feel it is imperative to keep an active new york footprint because it s the epicenter of business, she says. it s also a good base for her christ couture™ clothing line, billed as a brand worn by believers. she s relaunching her website and promoting the line using entertainers and celebrities in new york city. ’ ” ’ “ ” ’ “ dawn says she owned a plethora of t-shirts featuring nonsense and musical entertainers, and felt god should have a classy line that people would wear in public and not just on sundays. i thought, god, why don t you have a cool line? why can t i represent you on t-shirts that are cute?’ she quickly designed the christ couture™ logo with the T in couture symbolizing the cross. The simple, yet subtle, logo is emblazoned on t-shirts, tanks, hoodies and other everyday items for both adults and children. we just want to ofer people the option to wear their faith on their sleeves, literally, she explains. ‘ ’ ’ ” “ ” “ ” “ ”
on the web: originalblanketanchor.com and christcouturemovement.com
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