Helen Hood Scheer

Helen Hood Scheer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts at California State University Long Beach's College of the Arts. She spearheads the creative nonfiction track and serves as internship advisor, winning CSULB's 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2020 Advancement of Women Award.

Education:

• Stanford University: MFA in Documentary Film and Video, Department of Art & Art History (additional coursework in Business School and d.school)
• University of California, Santa Cruz: BA with highest honors in American Studies (minor in History, emphasis in Politics and Expressive Culture)
• Universidad de Madrid: Filosofía A (emphasis in Spanish language, history, and art history)

Research Focus: Scheer specializes in cinema verité portraits exploring emotionally complex outsiders who subvert expectations. Her work bridges documentary filmmaking with gender studies, media history, and cultural anthropology, particularly examining Hollywood's representation of sexuality and marginalized communities. She investigates contradictions in human experience through intimate observational techniques.

Publication Trends: Her filmography reveals consistent exploration of societal boundaries - from competitive jump rope culture in JUMP! to pharmaceutical ethics in The Apothecary and Hollywood's sexual politics in Body Parts. These works demonstrate evolving technical mastery while maintaining verité authenticity, increasingly incorporating gender analysis and historical context.

Honors:

• 2023 CSULB Distinguished Teaching Award
• 2020 Advancement of Women Award
• Student Academy Award for The Apothecary
• Aspen ShortsFest dual recognition for The Apothecary
• American Film Showcase selection by U.S. Department of State
• Sundance funding for Body Parts

Mentorship & Professional Development: Scheer organizes documentary film festival trips for students (funded by Hollywood Foreign Press Association), creates master classes with industry professionals, and has guided students to win top awards at the CSU Media Arts Festival including Jury and Audience Awards. Her internship program connects students with entertainment industry professionals through workshops and panel discussions.

Production Teams: Through Nutshell Productions, she collaborates with leading cinematographers and editors while serving as Consulting Producer for projects like For Madmen Only and Landfill Harmonic. Her work with the American Film Showcase involves cultural diplomacy through embassy screenings worldwide.