Cinematic Arts

Cinematic Arts Faculty and Staff

stephan schultzeStephan Schultze

Executive Director, Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center

An active industry professional, both as a writer and cinematographer, Mr. Schultze was the former director of the Zaki Gordon Institute. Schultze was instrumental in the development and oversight of the film school for its first ten years. He holds an MA from Northern Arizona University, and a BS in Communications from Appalachian State.

Mr. Schultze began his career in advertising, before moving to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue a career in the film industry. Once in Hollywood, he worked his way up through the ranks, while learning the craft from the best, including projects directed by James Cameron and Ron Underwood. Mr. Schultze has worked in every aspect of the industry including major motion pictures (The Abyss, Tremors, Henson Productions), television (Drew Carey Show, HBO, Showtime), music videos, commercials, industrial videos and countless independent films. As a cinematographer he has worked with all media formats, including 70 mm, and High Definition. Schultze’s credits include The Lesser Evil, an independent film he co-authored and co-produced with Jeremy Levine (MGM).

micah johnsonDoug Miller

Associate Professor, Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center

When Mr. Miller was a little boy, he told his mom that he wanted to tell stories, make pictures and travel the world.  Little did she know that he would indeed do all three and that those activities would become a foundation of passion on which he would build his career.  As a filmmaker, Mr. Miller has worked all over the world.  From Vienna, Austria to Managua, Nicaragua to Hiroshima, Japan to broadcasting from the Capitol Mall in Washington D.C.; from feature films in Nigeria and India to lighting the 700 Club TV show on location in Jerusalem, to shooting hundreds of commercials, he has developed a reputation for being the “calming influence” on the set while getting the job done with grace and style.  Mr. Miller’s work as a Director of Photography and Lighting Designer/Director has been seen on PBS, INSP, The Family Channel, ABC, NBC, The Kennedy Center, and in Africa and India.

As an educator, Mr. Miller has been instrumental in the lives of students now graduated and working in the industry in Europe, Asia and the US including New York City and LA.  He completed his MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College in a program that has allowed him to bring together his belief that God loves the arts and desires to use them for His kingdom, each artist’s voice raised in giving glory to God, and that many artistic expressions are waiting to be revealed in each of God’s children.

micah johnsonScotty Curlee

Assistant Professor, Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center

Mr. Curlee is the Founder and Executive Producer of Red Cloud Productions, LLC. Committed to the vision of "Changing the World through Cinema", he founded RCP in 2007 to produce films that are socially responsible and have a positive impact on our communities. Mr. Curlee's feature length film, 'The Potential Inside' has been endorsed by the American Family Association, DOVE Foundation, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while receiving 8 festival nominations world wide. It is currently being distributed in the United States by Echolight Studios and has distribution in 13 countries.

Mr. Curlee is a working producer/director with projects in development. He is committed to producing exciting, engaging, and technically accurate films in genres that have been previously unexplored by filmmakers while raising the level of Christian cinema, worldwide. He is excited about integrating his passion of filmmaking with teaching at Liberty University and understands the importance of training a new generation of filmmakers with the foundation of a Christian world view. He is a native of South Korea and currently resides in Forest, Virginia.

james walzJames Walz

Assistant Professor, Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center

Mr. Walz is a practicing sound engineer, music producer, and composer. As a recent graduate of Liberty University he holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance. Mr. Walz is also an Avid Certified Instructor for Pro Tools. In 2008, he founded Hallow Tree Studios, a full service recording and mixing facility where he wrote, produced, and mixed numerous projects from gospel and worship to rap, rock, classical, and blue grass.

In 2006, Mr. Walz toured with the musical group he helped found “Six Chasing Seven”, where he got the opportunity to work with members of the Dave Matthews Band at Haunted Hallow Studios in Charlottesville, VA. It was during that experience he decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. Mr. Walz’s passion for film and music started at a very young age and was culminated in 2008 where he performed an hour-long senior piano recital that included works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Bartok. Mr. Walz is honored to be a part of the faculty at his alma mater. He plans to continue the tradition of Christian mentorship and high academic standards at Liberty University.

micah johnsonMicah Johnson

Technical Director, Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center

Mr. Johnson is an active industry professional as a cinematographer, visual effects specialist and editor. He has owned and operated his own production company, Micah Johnson Productions, LLC, for more than 10 years. Mr. Johnson began his career as a grip working for Steve David Productions, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona. He then went on to build several television/recording studios across the United States. He has worked in every aspect of the industry including independent films, music videos, commercials, industrial videos and television.

jill acostaJill Acosta

Administrative Assistant, Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center

Mrs. Acosta is a California native who grew up in Los Angeles. After meeting actor and entertainer Danny Thomas, she began an acting career at the age of 8, which continued through her early 20’s. Her credits include work in film, television, and commercials. This included The Omega Man with Charlton Heston, The Wild Party with James Coco, The Waltons, KidTalk, and commercials such as Mattel, Cheer, Franco American, Tang, and Sears. She also has stage experience having been in the casts of Peter Pan, Alice In Wonderland and Copelia. She remains a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Mrs. Acosta later married, had 2 sons, and went on to work as an administrative secretary in an award winning school district in California. There she received a Crystal Award for her work in the district, and was a candidate for Classified Employee of the Year in the state of California. She and her family moved to Virginia in August 2011 and she came to work for the Cinematic Arts Department in December of 2011.  She is enjoying working “behind the camera”, and sharing the experience from her years in television and film with the Cinematic Arts Students.