View some of Rhys’s work:
• Ring
• In Those Jungles
• Some Things Just Can’t Be Replaced
• So Much To Lose
I knew early on that my passion was filmmaking, and that I would do everything I could to be able to make movies one day. It’s a dream come true to be doing just that.
Rhys Kroehler, the 2017 JDogg scholar, graduated a semester early (in the winter of 2020) from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles and has since gone on to extraordinary adventures.
Rhys began his first job out of college at a talent management company and says, “In my second week of working there, a movie that my bosses produced alongside our client, Kenneth Branagh, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.” The movie was Belfast, and over the next seven months, Rhys reports he was involved in an Academy Awards campaign that “saw my bosses, Ken, and me going to weekly screenings, events, and festivals to promote the film.” The incredible period culminated with 7 Academy Award nominations – including Best Picture – and one win for Best Original Screenplay. Throughout this period, Rhys has also been heavily involved in making deals for other clients, reading scripts, finding jobs, and learning an immeasurable amount about the way the film industry runs from the inside.
Outside his day job, Rhys continues to write and pursue his own projects. He shares, “A script that my writing partner and I completed senior year of college found its way into the hands of a manager, who liked it enough to sign us in all areas, and we are currently in the process of meeting with agents.” The script, centered around music, has attached Rob Cavallo as a producer. As the former head of Warner Music and producer behind Green Day, Iris, My Chemical Romance, and more, Rhys says Cavallo is looking to bring his vast knowledge of music into the film world. Work with Canadian financiers to secure funding for the project is ongoing.
Nevertheless, as with many of us these past few years, Rhys has struggled at times, but above all else, he says, “It has been a year of learning, growth, and excitement as I continue to pursue my dreams. And throughout it all, I’ve been reminded that those dreams would not be a possibility without the education and connections I received at USC, and USC would not have been a possibility without the help of Blair and the JDOGG family. I am forever grateful for what this scholarship has given me, and the opportunities that I’ve been presented with as a result, and I can’t wait to see where the path leads next.”
Rhys’s belief that “restrictions breed creativity” was never more tested than in his final college semester during Covid lockdowns but, he believes, it resulted in he and his teammates working at an exceptionally high level to turn out products of better quality than many of them expected.
In addition to a unique stop-motion film produced during his final semester, Rhys catalogues his accomplishments while at USC: He made over 30 films, worked 5 internships, gained experience on 20 professional sets, and wrote 2 feature-length scripts. Rhys indicates he felt well-matched with USC: “There is nowhere better for me to have spent my college experience — inspiring me about the industry I’m entering, filling me with belief about my ability to succeed, and allowing me to discover my voice as a creator and a professional.” He adds “While I’m sad to be leaving college, I know I have everything it takes to accomplish my dreams.”
In class, Rhys excelled at creating original content, even assisting other students and production groups in their own film development. He is not afraid to experiment with different types of media and genres. And though he excelled at comedy, Rhys also created stellar artistic projects. He often worked multiple roles on films, serving as everything from a writer to editor to cinematographer to director.
-Rebekah McKendry, PhD
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Rhys was a 2017 graduate of Shorecrest High School. His films won the 3-Minute Masterpiece Grand Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival, Awards of Excellence at the Northwest High School Film Festival, and an Official Selection of the All-American High School Film Festival in NYC.
Rhys is passionate about creating stories that resonate with an audience and help to bring us all a little closer together. Bringing a camera to Mexico, he documented his time in Tijuana building houses for homeless families. In his film “Found”, he dealt with the emotional struggle of a teenager whose experience of loss and feelings of isolation are echoed by many young people. In “In Those Jungles,” he explores the love of two young Vietnam veterans having to say goodbye. Rhys wants to make films that have a meaning, that give audiences an emotional journey and characters they can care about. He says If I can make someone feel something, then I’m successful.
Rhys has been instrumental in the success of the student newsshow both in front of and behind the camera for three years. Rhys has an exceptional attitude and is a great citizen of Shorecrest high school. His work ethic, maturity, and ambition will help him succeed in college. But it is his helpfulness and selflessness that will make him a huge asset for any program.
— Trent Mitchell
Media Teacher, Shorecrest High School
Rhys enjoys making films because it allows him the ability, through a unique combination of stimuli, to create an emotional bond with the audience like no other medium can. In 2017, he made multiple PSAs discouraging teens from driving distracted. The radio ad he made played across the country through iheartradio. The film he made focused on young love, showing how easily it can be taken away in a moment of carelessness. Rhys hopes to continue making films that will attempt to catalyze change, but also entertain audiences.
