{"id":5239,"date":"2023-10-16T23:36:41","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T23:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=5239"},"modified":"2025-03-28T14:17:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T18:17:16","slug":"bella-dontine-and-travis-brown-budding-hollywood-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/16\/bella-dontine-and-travis-brown-budding-hollywood-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"Bella Dontine and Travis Brown: Budding Hollywood Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column5239_47b876-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column5239_47b876-2c dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>College of Technology alums <strong>Bella Dontine<\/strong> and <strong>Travis Brown<\/strong> are earning their stripes as Hollywood producers \u2014 and in Tinseltown, that\u2019s no easy feat. Released in May, their feature film, \u201cDevil\u2019s Hollow,\u201d earned serious buzz at its West Coast premiere in February at Grauman\u2019s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A southern Gothic crime thriller, the film centers on a man on house arrest at his farm attempting to save his estranged daughter from his former partner-in-crime.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image5239_4bd541-f8 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image5239_4bd541-f8\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-320x480.jpg\" alt=\"Devils Hallow movie poster\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-5241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-320x480.jpg 320w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-167x250.jpg 167w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/DH-Poster-web.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Scoring Official Selection designations at Louisville\u2019s International Festival of Film and the Golden State Film Festival and hitting the SOHO International Film Festival, among others, \u201cHollow\u201d has been fueled by reviews from A-listers like <strong>Octavia Spencer<\/strong> and <strong>Hugh Jackman<\/strong>. Spencer complimented the film\u2019s \u201crich cinematography and powerful performances,\u201d while Jackman called out star <strong>Shuler Hensley\u2019s<\/strong><br>\u201chaunting performance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The nods, Dontine says, \u201cwere surreal, but it feels wonderful to know it\u2019s getting out there and being seen after all the hard work everyone put into it to bring it to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown agrees, calling the attention humbling. \u201cIt certainly helped with landing a lot of eyes on our film, as well as attracting a solid distributor, Lion Heart Distribution, to help get our movie out there,\u201d he says. \u201cOctavia Spencer actually posted about the film to her Instagram page on the day it released, which I know gave us massive exposure and greatly helped with the overall sales of the film.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now based in Los Angeles, Dontine and Brown met at WilmU while working on a student film called \u201cThe Average Guy,\u201d says Dontine. \u201cOur professor, <strong>Calvin Hill<\/strong>, directed. I auditioned for the lead role, and Travis was working on the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both attribute their chops to WilmU.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown, who in 2010 earned his undergrad in Studio Production with a minor in Digital Film-Making, says WilmU offered \u201ca very hands-on learning environment, which was extremely vital and helpful in preparing me for a career in film and TV. I\u2019m more of a visual learner, so being able to actually see how it\u2019s done versus being told how it\u2019s done helped me a great deal. WilmU taught me about editing, cameras, and the overall art of narrative storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWilmU taught me about editing, cameras, and the overall art of narrative storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite><em>\u2014 Travis Brown<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time he graduated and made his move to LA in 2015, he adds, \u201cI knew I was ready to work professionally as a filmmaker due to the preparation and foundation I received at WilmU.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He has since received multiple awards as a producer, director, and writer. For his short film, \u201cThe Norwalk Witness,\u201d Brown took home the Narrative Short prize from the International Independent Film Awards in 2020. He also founded the LA-based Browntown Studios, a production and media services company.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image5239_77a55a-d7 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image5239_77a55a-d7\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"342\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bella-web.jpg\" alt=\"Bella\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-5240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bella-web.jpg 342w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bella-web-216x250.jpg 216w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bella-web-259x300.jpg 259w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 342px) 100vw, 342px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Dontine, enrolled as Michelle Williams, graduated in 2016 with a B.S. in Video and Motion Graphics and a minor in Digital Film-Making. Also an award-winning producer, actor and writer, she has appeared in numerous films and television shows and is equally comfortable behind the camera. She\u2019s been the assistant director on the award-winning film \u201cDelaware Shore\u201d and assistant director and writer on Brown\u2019s \u201cThe Norwalk Witness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWilmU&nbsp;has been such an integral part of my journey in the film industry because it taught me so much, from the smaller, hands-on classroom to the connections I made that have been sustained since being a student,\u201d says Dontine. \u201cThere are so many little things I remember while on set from my days at WilmU, like, audio is the most important thing. That was drilled into me in audio class. An audience will forgive you for bad camera angles, a bad storyline, etc., but what sets an amateur apart from a professional is the audio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She grew up performing around the East Coast, but when she attended WilmU, she says, \u201cI got to see behind the&nbsp;lens, so to speak. As much as I love being in front of the camera, I always knew I wanted to know all the ins and outs of film-making to be the best storyteller I could possibly be, and WilmU really helped give me the&nbsp;foundation I needed to begin my career as a writer,&nbsp;producer, and one day, a director.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWilmU really helped give me the foundation I needed to begin my career as a writer, producer, and one day, a director.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite><em>\u2014 Bella Dontine<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Next for the pros is the feature film \u201cA Lion\u2019s Game,\u201d which they co-wrote and produced. Brown directed, and Dontine has the lead role.&nbsp; Post-production wrapped this past summer. Info, including release dates, can be found on Instagram (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alionsgamemovie\/\">@alionsgamemovie<\/a>) and Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBella and I also have several other feature films that we co-wrote and will be producing together,\u201d says Brown.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world sees Hollywood as one big, glitzy red carpet, but succeeding in the intensely competitive enter-tainment business can be brutal \u2014 anything but glamorous. It takes passion, perseverance, and buckets of sweat and tears. Brown and Dontine are aware of the hardships. They have tough skin. And they\u2019re just getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dontine and Brown\u2019s major is now called Video and Film Production. To learn more about the undergraduate program, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/technology\/indext.aspx\">wilmu.edu\/technology<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014 Maria Hess<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>College of Technology alums Bella Dontine and Travis Brown are earning their stripes as Hollywood producers \u2014 and in Tinseltown, that\u2019s no easy feat. 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