Brooks Institute, a leading provider of visual arts education, has named award-winning documentary film maker, director and studio executive Chuck Braverman as its new program chair for the film department under the school of film | communication. In his new educational role, Braverman will lead the film department program and develop a strategic direction for its future.

Chuck Braverman, an award-winning documentary film maker, director and studio executive, is named the new program chair for the film department under the school of film | communication at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Chuck’s extensive production, directing and documentary film work with his experience as a successful production company owner has made him an ideal candidate for this position,” said Susan Kirkman, Brooks Institute campus president. “His knowledge of the many facets of the industry will help shape the program and assist our students as they consider a variety of potential paths in motion pictures, television and emerging media markets.”

Braverman has run his own successful production company for more than 40 years, been a senior studio executive at Sony and a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He has also directed many television episodes – including “Baywatch,” “Melrose Place,” “Northern Exposure” and “Beverly Hills, 90210” – as well as several Movies of the Week and an independent feature film. Most recently, Braverman has been the executive producer of the new multi-hour series “Weed Wars” on the Discovery Channel and the co-founder and managing director of the annual Westdoc Conference for documentary and reality producers.

"Chuck has an eclectic background and extensive experience, from directing dozens of episodic television shows, movies for TV, producing, writing major award winning documentary programs and running his own production company,” said Gail Fisher, department chair for the school of film | communication. “With his industry experience, connections and vision, he will be a valuable resource in taking Brooks’ film program to new heights."

Braverman has been nominated four times by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and won the DGA award for Best Documentary for “High School Boot Camp.” In 2001, Chuck was nominated for an Academy Award® for his short documentary “Curtain Call” about the Actor’s Fund Home in Englewood, N.J., where many aging performers from Hollywood’s golden age told tales of their days in the spotlight, some even still performing for one another. In the last few years, Chuck has produced shows for Animal Planet, A&E, Discovery Times, HBO, TLC, Court TV, MSNBC, Discovery Health, ABC, NBC and the Disney Channel.

The school of film and communication offers degrees in the following fields: film, visual journalism and graphic design. For more information on these programs and others offered through Brooks Institute, please visit: www.brooks.edu.

About Brooks Institute

Brooks Institute celebrates 67 years of educating students in the visual and media arts. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura, Calif., the school offers bachelor’s degrees in fields including professional Photography, Graphic Design, Film and Visual Journalism and an MFA in Photography. The school is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS is a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.brooks.edu/disclosures. Brooks Institute cannot guarantee employment or salary and is part of the Career Education Corporation network of schools (NASDAQ: CECO). For more information about Brooks Institute and the school’s programs, visit www.brooks.edu or call 805-697-6925.

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