John Mattson

John Mattson is a Lecturer in Film and Media Arts at Chapman University's Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, bringing extensive industry experience from screenwriting and film production to academia. His career includes writing two-thirds of Warner Brothers' successful Free Willy franchise and record-breaking script sales to major studios.

Education:

• B.A. in Motion Picture and Television Production (with honors), UCLA
• MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts, UC Riverside (2017)

Mr. Mattson's research and creative work bridges commercial filmmaking and literary fiction, with emphasis on narrative techniques across screenplays and short stories. His expertise spans family-oriented storytelling, realistic fiction, and the adaptation of cinematic principles to literary forms, contributing significantly to pedagogical approaches in film narrative structure. His dual mastery of industry practice and creative writing informs innovative teaching methodologies in media arts education.

His recent publications demonstrate a strategic evolution from blockbuster screenwriting to literary fiction, exploring contemporary human relationships through concise, music-infused narratives that maintain cinematic pacing while embracing literary depth. These works reveal consistent thematic focus on emotional authenticity within constrained formats.

Scientific Awards:

• 2018 R. N. Kinder Prize for Realistic Fiction for "Figure and Ground"
• 2019 Los Angeles Review Literary Award for Flash Fiction for "Eric Clapton’s Girlfriend"

While Mr. Mattson's industry collaborations represent significant professional engagement, the provided documentation indicates no formal graduate student advising relationships or externally funded research grants. His academic contributions primarily manifest through creative practice and industry-integrated pedagogy rather than traditional research funding channels.