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JP Catholic News, September 24th, 2009
Student Business Highlight - Evan's Media
JP Catholic is a unique university. From the small student body to the highly focused curriculum to the solid Catholic identity, JP Catholic stands out from the crowd. One of the most valuable offerings of the university is its Launch Pad. All undergraduate students, whether majoring in business or media, are expected to launch a business before graduation. The Launch Pad is an incubator for these student-run enterprises. It provides the mentoring that is so vital to creating a successful company.
One of the businesses currently moving through the Launch Pad is Evans Media. Evans Media is run by Entrepreneurial Business major Steve Marshall and Entertainment Media major Tim Evans, both of whom are seniors.
According to Steve Marshall, Evans Media had humble beginnings. In 2006, Steve and Tim came to San Diego to join the inaugural class of John Paul the Great Catholic University. They were roommates in apartment 9106, Steve remembers. “One night Tim turns to me and says, ‘Hey, we’re not doing anything this weekend, wanna make a movie? We could have it done by tomorrow night and show it in the common room!’ And we’ve been making films together ever since.”
The company has matured since then, largely through the help of the Launch Pad. “We tell people that we do ‘new media marketing… and video production.’ The pause is very important,” Steve says. “It lets people digest the first part.” The long-term goal, however, is to create webisodes from a studio owned by Evans Media. In May 2009, Evans Media made its first web series, Skin Deep. “It was 36 hours of work in a 72 hour period,” Steve recalls. The hard work paid off for him. “We came out of it with a story that was all our own—and got about 5,000 views online.”
Evans Media has undergone a number of changes throughout the years since its inception. In its earliest stages, Evans Media planned to make high-quality feature films telling modernized versions of saint’s stories. This was later modified to something that would be more palatable to Hollywood—namely, true stories of heroic virtue. “We were going to produce the next Braveheart before graduation,” Steve remembers. Then came the one-of-a-kind idea of producing commercials for online consumption. At least, they thought they had a unique idea. “Then we actually looked at other businesses out there. We realized that there’s not a production company in San Diego that doesn’t offer web video.”
Through the Launch Pad, Evans Media has become a reality. “It’s not just something in our heads. Now we’re creating videos for people and helping them figure out the best way to use them.” That is the biggest difference between the Evans Media of freshman and sophomore years and the Evans Media of today. “We’re actually providing value for customers. And,” Steve adds, “there’s a very real pressure to provide for ourselves.”
While paying the bills with video production is the current focus, no one has lost sight of the ultimate goal: web series. Steve hopes for Evans Media to start its first Hollywood webisode production in five years. “The real appeal of webisodes is the whole ‘wild west’ feeling to it,” Steve says. “I really feel like it’s a brand new frontier.” This freedom has a strong appeal to Steve as a committed Catholic who wants to put his faith into action through the stories he tells. “There aren’t hard and fast rules in the online world—there aren’t people you have to ‘pay your dues to.’ It’s a place where we can tell stories that really matter, that are really good, and that really affect people, without them getting torn to shreds by all the grimy hands they would have to pass through in Hollywood.” Evans Media’s ultimate goal coincides with JP Catholic’s mission—impact culture for Christ.
That’s one of the great advantages of the university for Steve. Everyone at JP Catholic is on a mission for the Lord. “I’m surrounded by people who all want to start something of real value. There are other students with the same core attitude and desires that I have.” Students at JP Catholic—students like Steve—aren’t content with graduating, getting a job as a cog in a corporate machine and simply paying the monthly bills. They aren’t even content with becoming successful and well known in either the world of business or the world of media. No, students at JP Catholic truly want to make the world a better place. They want to show people the light of the Gospel. They want to lead people into a relationship with Christ.
The students aren’t the only ones who feel this way. The members of the faculty are also on mission. They provide the students with the example of faithful stewardship of God’s gifts. The professors of both media and business often remind their students of the ethical implications of nearly every decision.
All the well-meaning advice in the world isn’t much help if the professors can’t effectively lead the students. Thankfully the faculty at JP Catholic is not only committed Christians but also talented teachers who truly care about their students. This is particularly true in the Launch Pad, which provides students with mentorship. “I have a brilliant set of professors and faculty who totally believe in me,” Steve says. “I’ll get a professor asking how my last networking event went at the end of a class. I’ve spent hours in one office or another, getting direct guidance and actually collaborating with trained professionals on the business that I want to start.”
After all, that’s what the students really love about JP Catholic. The university gives them the opportunity to learn from and work with gifted teachers who have real-world experience. The Launch Pad intensifies this relationship by allowing students to receive the kind of personal mentorship that simply isn’t possible in a classroom setting. The professors in the Launch Pad have helped Steve Marshall and Tim Evans to take the fun idea of making a movie together and transform it into a company that provides value for customers—all this before graduation. These same professors stand ready to help each and every student build the kind of company that will not only be successful, but also make a positive impact on the world.
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