Background

My name is Charles Connell, and like you, I have a story to tell. The youngest of three, I was born and raised in the Great Lakes State of Michigan. I spent my time participating in just about every sport under the sun: soccer, gymnastics, tennis, basketball, floor hockey, wrestling, baseball and more. I focused on my real strengths in high school as a member of the football, cross country, swimming, and track & field teams, of which I was named a captain in the latter three. I continued running in college as a member of the MSU club team and in 2021 I ran my first marathon, sub 4. In my free time, I enjoy time with friends & family, reading nature nonfiction, watching films, photography and filmmaking.

My Education

I attended Michigan State University where I graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising Management and a minor in Film Studies. My concentration in film was in screenwriting, in which I wrote three full-length screenplays during my schooling. I also served as a student editor for several Writing for Public Relations classes. Along with the MSU club running team, I was also a member of Spartans for the Cure, a student organization founded in partnership with the Mid-Michigan Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

I currently attend American University in Washington, D.C. where I am a candidate for my MFA in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in Environmental and Wildlife Filmmaking. My first year in the program, I served as a Graduate Assistant and worked for the National Park Service as an NPS Video Projects Fellow. During my second year, I embarked on a second year of the NPS fellowship and I worked as a both a Graduate Assistant and a Graduate Teaching Assistant, running labs for three Video & Production I courses, teaching undergraduate students the principles and procedures of sound recording and editing, cinematography, editing visual images, and preproduction planning. As part of a class-led production group, I was a producer, show editor, archival producer, sound recordist and camera assistant for Reviving the Forgotten River, a film about the Anacostia River that will premiere in the spring of 2024 on Maryland Public Television’s Chesapeake Bay Week line of programming.

My Professional Career

My work life began at 16 years old, because if you can drive a car, you can drive yourself to work. I worked for the City of Troy at the Troy Community Center and Troy Family Aquatic Center for four years as a lifeguard and swim instructor. My first internship was as a marketing coordinator for Lucky Group Consulting in Troy, MI. The following summer, I took my skills abroad and interned at Beautiful Gate South Africa, a non-profit organization in the Cape Town township of Philippi.

After graduation, I accepted an offer with Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. as a Sales & Marketing Coordinator in Seattle, WA as part of their internal leadership development program. I was in that role for over two years before being promoted to an Associate Product Manager. In this position, I led a cross-functional team across several countries to develop new product innovations for multiple globally-known brands in the hammer & demo category from idea inception to product launch around the world.

Focusing on my creative skill set, I have done freelance work for a myriad of clients. I have been a jack of all trades, being hired as a photographer, videographer, screenwriter, video editor, web designer, and marketing specialist. Additionally, I have worked on numerous student film productions in every crew role to become a well-rounded filmmaker.