{"id":649,"date":"2019-03-19T21:54:05","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T21:54:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2019\/03\/19\/2019319quinnipiac-in-hollywood\/"},"modified":"2020-09-05T19:35:05","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T19:35:05","slug":"2019319quinnipiac-in-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2019\/03\/19\/2019319quinnipiac-in-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"Quinnipiac in Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:center;white-space:pre-wrap;\">HQ Press sits down with QU grad David Rabinowitz as he reflects on his Oscar win and looks down the line for his next job.<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-slide-up\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<p>          <a\n              class=\"\n                sqs-block-image-link\n                \n          \n        \n              \"\n              href=\"http:\/\/photos.presslist.oscars.org\/previewimg.php?photoIDNumber=61658\"\n              \n          ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:66.68000030517578%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  data-animation-override\n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Oscar-PRESS.jpg\" alt=\"Kevin Wilmott, David Rabinowitz, Spike Lee and Charles Wachtel with Brie Larson pose backstage with the Oscar\u00ae for adapted screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars\u00ae at the Dolby\u00ae Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24, 2019.  Credit: Matt Petit \/ \u00a9A.M.P.A.S.\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Oscar-PRESS.jpg\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Oscar-PRESS.jpg\" data-image-dimensions=\"2500x1667\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Kevin Wilmott, David Rabinowitz, Spike Lee and Charles Wachtel with Brie Larson pose backstage with the Oscar\u00ae for adapted screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars\u00ae at the Dolby\u00ae Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24, 2019.  Credit: Matt Petit \/ \u00a9A.M.P.A.S.\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5c9189dec830257438e0cafe\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div>\n<p>          <\/a><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p>Kevin Wilmott, David Rabinowitz, Spike Lee and Charles Wachtel with Brie Larson pose backstage with the Oscar\u00ae for adapted screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars\u00ae at the Dolby\u00ae Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24, 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Credit: Matt Petit \/ \u00a9A.M.P.A.S.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Ten years ago, David Rabinowitz was just an ordinary Bobcat. Like most Quinnipiac seniors, he was finishing his last months of college \u2013 walking the Quad, eating Chartwells in the caf\u00e9 while physically and mentally preparing himself for the \u201creal world\u201d after graduation. <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The \u201809 graduate had no idea what the \u201creal world\u201d had in store for him. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">A decade later, Rabinowitz became the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\">Quinnipiac University<\/a> alumnus to win an Oscar on Feb. 24, 2019. Rabinowitz co-wrote the nominated film for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oscars.org\/oscars\/ceremonies\/2019\" target=\"_blank\">Best Adapted Screenplay<\/a>, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt7349662\/\" target=\"_blank\">BlacKkKlansman<\/a>,\u201d with his longtime friend and writing partner, Charlie Wachtel. The film, directed by Spike Lee, follows the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.focusfeatures.com\/blackkklansman\/about\" target=\"_blank\">true story<\/a> of the first African-American detective to serve on the Colorado Spring Police Department as he goes undercover as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cWhen they mentioned our names (at the 91st annual Oscars ceremony), I think I blacked out a little bit,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cI sort of remember walking to the stage, going up and standing up there. I didn\u2019t really want the responsibility of having to say something on this live telecast that\u2019s going out to millions of people around the world.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>   <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pFc6I0rgmgY?wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1\" height=\"480\" width=\"854\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Hollywood is known for bringing people up from all walks of life, then placing them on a grand stage in front of millions to acknowledge and celebrate their successes. But, Hollywood is also known to make people pay their dues to get there \u2013 working their way up the ladder rung by rung into the spotlight. Rabinowitz never imagined in the mere six and half years he spent climbing that ladder that success would happen so quickly for him. <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cIt\u2019s been pretty crazy over the past year,\u201d he said reflecting on how, in a year\u2019s time, he went from struggling screenwriter to award nominee and Oscar winner. \u201cA year ago, I was in the middle of this process of meeting people, being full time, but not having a job technically.\u201d <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Many aspiring writers, directors, actors and actresses make the move to Los Angeles to begin their careers, yet Rabinowitz\u2019s started in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/entertainment\/2019\/02\/oscars-2019-nj-blackkklansman-writers-share-win-for-best-adapted-screenplay-with-spike-lee.html\" target=\"_blank\">New Jersey<\/a>, creating content with Wachtel in high school. He continued his passion for media production in Connecticut at Quinnipiac before making the transition to the Big Apple after graduation. Working as a multimedia producer for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>, Rabinowitz couldn\u2019t resist the allure of the industry out west. <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI had a number of friends who had already moved out to LA [Los Angeles] before me, including Charlie and so, at a certain point you just feel like it\u2019s your time to leave &#8211; I reached that time,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cThere was stuff coming out of LA \u2013 the LA bureau, about entertainment, and I\u2019d rather be the one doing the thing, not covering it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Ambition flew Rabinowitz to the Golden State, but came quickly to a halt upon arriving when the reality of breaking into the industry wasn\u2019t as easy as in the movies. He had experience in news, however entertainment was an entirely new beast. Rabinowitz freelanced motion graphic projects and corporate videos to keep active and continue honing his skills after the initial move. It wasn\u2019t until he reunited with Wachtel, who had connections as an assistant for <a href=\"http:\/\/wmeentertainment.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">WME<\/a> [William Morris Endeavor] that they got the ball rolling. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cUp until that point, my writing partner and I had day jobs, and when we sold (the script) we were able to quit the day jobs,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cWe were simultaneously full-time screenwriters, but we were also unemployed. It\u2019s such a long process, especially when you\u2019re starting out and you end up doing so much work for free before getting any sort of job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Being an aspiring scriptwriter isn\u2019t easy, Rabinowitz said. It requires time, patience and endless repetition. At one point the writing duo pitched their work to 35 different production companies over the span of three weeks, five or so a day, hoping that someone would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.writersstore.com\/what-do-i-do-when-someone-wants-to-option-my-screenplay\/\" target=\"_blank\">option<\/a> (a temporary contract for an exclusive right to purchase a screenplay) or buy their script. Even still, this pitching process alone is not enough to get many writers in the door and definitely not enough to pay the bills.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cIn order to get the job, typically, if you\u2019re a new writer, they want you to go off and basically work out the entire movie: first act, second act, third act, all the beats there and then come in or over the phone pitch it to them,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cYou\u2019re not getting paid for that. It\u2019s basically an audition to get the job.\u201d <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">For six and a half years, Rabinowitz struggled with the insurmountable hurdles of getting a job and getting out of the free-labor business. But, in due time, their persistence did pay off. <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cHanding the final draft off to him to edit that was a crazy moment,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cI was just sitting in my kitchen, checking the formatting and the style, being super self-conscious about this thing I was going to send to <em>Spike Lee<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:2500.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:66.68000030517578%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/91_ST_0027.jpg\" alt=\"Rabinowitz, Wachtel, Lee and Kevin Willmott accepting their Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay on stage with presenters Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson.  Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/91_ST_0027.jpg\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/91_ST_0027.jpg\" data-image-dimensions=\"2500x1667\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Rabinowitz, Wachtel, Lee and Kevin Willmott accepting their Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay on stage with presenters Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson.  Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5c916140f4e1fc1cfaeb73e6\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p>Rabinowitz, Wachtel, Lee and Kevin Willmott accepting their Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay on stage with presenters Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson.<\/p>\n<p>Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The duo adapted the novel, hoping that they were developing a story that would one day be directed by Spike Lee. Over a year later, they joined Lee onstage as they all accepted their first Oscars from presenters Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201c[Brie Larson] was giving me advice like \u2018This isn\u2019t going to make sense for a long time so just try and enjoy it,\u2019\u201d Rabinowitz recalled after receiving his award and heading backstage. \u201cI\u2019m just looking around and it&#8217;s just like Sam L. Jackson, Frances McDormand, Guillermo and next to him is Amy Adams and Charlize Theron and then James McAvoy and Michael Keaton and Sam Rockwell and Michael B. Jordan and it\u2019s just very overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Rabinowitz admitted that a win on the biggest night in Hollywood does have its perks. The shiny statue may literally and metaphorically have some weight within the industry, but it doesn\u2019t guarantee any future handouts. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cWhen you have a movie come out and things are good it doesn&#8217;t mean that automatically you\u2019re going to be offered jobs,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cBut it does mean that the process is easier and faster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Despite the attention Rabinowitz has been getting recently, Stephen Bisaccia, a senior film, television and media arts major who met Rabinowitz while studying with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qu.edu\/schools\/communications\/centers-resources\/quinnipiac-university-in-los-angeles.html\" target=\"_blank\">QU in LA program<\/a>, praised the writer for taking the time to help guide him onto the right career path.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"block-animation-none\">\n<blockquote data-animation-role=\"quote\" \n<p>   ><br \/>\n    <span>&#147;<\/span>I think that when people find success it can be easy for their ego to inflate and become a person that only talks and doesn\u2019t listen,\u201d Bisaccia said. \u201cDavid listened when I tried talking to him about my own ideas or goals, and it wasn\u2019t self-aggrandizing. That shows in \u2018BlacKkKlansman,\u2019 too. He\u2019s just a good guy and a true artist.<span>&#148;<\/span>\n  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Even before the nominations, Quinnipiac worked aspects of the film into its own curriculum. Professor Raymond Foery of the film, television and media (FTM) arts department teaches the course, \u201cSpike Lee&#8217;s America,\u201d highlighting some of the director\u2019s best work. With the critical acclaim and success of Lee\u2019s new movie, Foery intends to use \u201cBlacKkKlansman\u201d as an example for future students to look up to.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI am delighted and thrilled for both Mr. Lee and our very own alum,\u201d Foery said. \u201cWhen the course is next offered (perhaps spring 2020), I will include \u2018BlacKkKlansman\u2019 as one of the films to be shown.\u201d<\/p>\n<div\n        class=\"\n          image-block-outer-wrapper\n          layout-caption-below\n          design-layout-inline\n          combination-animation-none\n          individual-animation-none\n          individual-text-animation-none\n        \"\n        data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"\n    ><\/p>\n<figure\n            class=\"\n              sqs-block-image-figure\n              intrinsic\n            \"\n            style=\"max-width:2500.0px;\"\n        ><\/p>\n<p>            <button\n                class=\"\n                  sqs-block-image-button\n                  lightbox\n                  \n          \n        \n                \"\n                data-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Left to right: Rabinowitz, Wachtel and Willmott with their awards.&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.&lt;\/p&gt;\"\n                data-lightbox-theme=\"light\"\n            ><br \/>\n              <span class=\"v6-visually-hidden\">View fullsize<\/span><\/p>\n<div\n              \n                style=\"padding-bottom:66.68000030517578%;\"\n              \n              class=\"\n                image-block-wrapper\n                \n          \n        \n                has-aspect-ratio\n              \"\n              data-animation-role=\"image\"\n              \n  \n\n          ><br \/>\n            <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/91_PR_0191.jpg\" alt=\"Left to right: Rabinowitz, Wachtel and Willmott with their awards.  Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.\" \/><\/noscript><img class=\"thumb-image\" data-src=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/91_PR_0191.jpg\" data-image=\"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/91_PR_0191.jpg\" data-image-dimensions=\"2500x1667\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Left to right: Rabinowitz, Wachtel and Willmott with their awards.  Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.\" data-load=\"false\" data-image-id=\"5c91638e652deac064278c0f\" data-type=\"image\" \/>\n          <\/div>\n<p>            <\/button><figcaption class=\"image-caption-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-caption\">\n<p>Left to right: Rabinowitz, Wachtel and Willmott with their awards.<\/p>\n<p>Photo courtesy of 91st Oscars\u00ae Press Kits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The big win at the Oscars might have been a landmark for Rabinowitz and his future career, but the win also underscored his educational roots. While the major may have been called \u201cMedia Production\u201d during his time at QU, Rabinowitz\u2019s path to the big screen has set a precedent for future FTM students to follow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI think the QU film program\u2019s success is very dependent on the students and their willingness to push themselves,\u201d Bisaccia said. \u201cThe staff is knowledgeable, creative and open; it\u2019s just a matter of being willing to make the most of that opportunity. Hopefully David\u2019s win can inspire myself and my classmates to continue to push ourselves and fulfill similar heights of achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">To future film students, as well as anyone else with a pen, paper and a dream, Rabinowitz\u2019s biggest advice is simply to accept criticism and continue writing. <\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cShow your stuff to people, to friends, to people you respect, show it to people whose opinions you don\u2019t respect, listen to their feedback very seriously, embrace their feedback and don\u2019t keep writing the same project over and over and over again,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cKeep writing &#8211; quantity reads to quality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">In the wake of their big break, Rabinowitz and Wachtel have kept themselves busy writing. The duo currently has two feature scripts at different stages of production and are set to develop a drama series titled <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2019\/digital\/news\/blackkklansman-charlie-wachtel-david-rabinowitz-gunpowder-sky-1203128935\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cMadness.\u201d<\/a> \u201cMadness\u201d is the first piece the two ever wrote together about the world of college basketball. They are also working on a spy series in development with a French production company. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"block-animation-none\">\n<blockquote data-animation-role=\"quote\" \n<p>   ><br \/>\n    <span>&#147;<\/span>Simultaneously, all of this stuff is right in front of us and then you have to be looking, three, six months down the line trying to get your next job,\u201d Rabinowitz explained of the endless process. <span>&#148;<\/span>\n  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">While their work on \u201cBlacKkKlansman\u201d may have been finished after submitting their final draft, Rabinowitz described that the road to continuous work and success is never-ending.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI kind of describe it as Whack-a-Mole. You have all of these projects, but you&#8217;re not necessarily working on all of them at the same time,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cEvery project has a start, stop mechanism. At the same time, I could get an email right now from the producer with notes and suddenly that starts up again and I have to whack that mole.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Rabinowitz may keep his golden statue tucked away in his closet for now until he claims he can find a more suitable spot, but that does not mean he will be closing the door on his writing career anytime soon. While he jokes that his success is \u201call downhill from here,\u201d he knows he hasn\u2019t quite yet reached his peak.<\/p>\n<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">\u201cI don\u2019t see success as getting an award necessarily,\u201d Rabinowitz said. \u201cYes, that\u2019s a marker, but not necessarily for me. Success is career longevity and being able to do this for a living. So, the fact that the award helps that, that\u2019s the good thing. If I never make it back to the Oscars, but I end up having a long career, I\u2019ll be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">HQ Press sits down with QU grad David Rabinowitz as he reflects on his Oscar win and looks down the line for his next job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142,6],"tags":[333,332,330,328,329,331,4],"class_list":["post-649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage","category-quinnipiac","tag-blackkklansman","tag-film","tag-hollywood","tag-oscars","tag-oscars2019","tag-screewriting","tag-quinnipiac"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2245,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649\/revisions\/2245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}