Pictured from left: Roman Coppola and Michael Zaken field the press. Photo by: Rich Schineller.

Screenwriter and filmmaker Roman Coppola returned to Ringling College of Art and Design this week not only to commemorate the groundbreaking of the new soundstage and post-production facility that he designed for the school, but to screen an episode from the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle, on which Coppola has served as showrunner for two seasons, writing and directing select episodes as well. Michael Zakin, a developer with American Zoetrope and executive producer for Mozart joined Coppola onstage after the screening to speak with Ringling students about the ins and outs of filmmaking, from the creative to the commercial.

A frequent supporter of Ringling’s film endeavors, Coppola gave the commencement address two years prior and for Mozart brought five Ringling students on-board the production, something he views as a continuance of the apprentice-mentor tradition from the early days of celluloid. “I make it a point on-set [to] always have younger people, whether it’s interns or students, be part of it,” said Coppola. “I still see myself as a student, and I see the value in that and continuing that tradition.” In a time when the film school route has become more and more common, he described Ringling as an effective mix of “both having a great academic situation plus recognizing the value of working professionally.”

Following the shocking and comic misadventures of the fictional New York Symphony, with its eccentric performers and “enfant terrible” conductor Rodrigo, played by Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart found a home at Amazon Series, the parent company’s production wing, in the world of digital distribution. But for all the talk of the digital wave, it’s already here according to Zaken and Coppola. “To us, it’s the same as working on a high-quality network,” said Coppola. And as television and digital content merge, so have the distinctions between television and film lessened. “The lines have been blurred, and for the good,” said Zaken.

“Certain stories are contained in that feature-length format,” added Zaken, contrasting the story told on Mozart, now entering its second season. “We can tell stories that go on and on. It’s exciting.”

Pictured from left: Roman Coppola and Michael Zaken field the press. Photo by: Rich Schineller.