Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • Classifieds
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / News / Learning Studio to showcase documentary on power of creative collaboration
(Photo by Holly Dorn) The Learning Studio is located on the top floor of the library.

Learning Studio to showcase documentary on power of creative collaboration

March 7, 2023 by Will Dalton Leave a Comment

The Learning Studio and the College of Arts and Sciences teamed up with two ACU professors to present “Assembly Required”, a new documentary highlighting the growing importance of creative collaboration within the workplace. 

As more companies make the shift from individual-focused productivity to team-based success, the power of creative collaboration has become much more prominent within industries. 

In 2019, Mike Wiggins, professor of art and design, began applying for his faculty renewal leave while trying to come up with an idea for a project he would work on. After having previously worked on workshops in the Learning Studio a few years prior, Wiggins landed on the idea of directing a documentary. 

“We had played with the idea of doing a film on creativity,” said Wiggins, who was chair of the Department of Art and Design at the time. “It was obviously too broad, and there’s probably lots of things out there on creativity. So I had come up with the idea of collaborative creativity – creativity in the context of teams.” 

Wiggins pitched the idea to Dr. Kyle Dickson, director of the Learning Studio, and who Wiggins had worked with in the Learning Studio. 

“We thought exploring collaborative creativity was important and timely,” Dickson, professor of english, said in an email. “And that was before COVID-19 changed the nature of work. Now, understanding the power of teams has only become more essential.”

The film was directed and produced by Dickson and Wiggins. It was shot and edited by Nathan Driskell, media production assistant in the Learning Studio, and, filmmaker in residence in the Learning Studio, Matt Maxwell. 

The documentary presents interviews with notable executives from companies such as Pixar, Google and X along with authors, production and fashion designers. The film highlights the challenges and power of creativity and how it applies to a team’s overall success. 

However, the process of creating the film was not that simple, Wiggins said, and the filmmakers saw their fair share of challenges along the way. 

“For every interview you see, there were probably 10-20 other people that I reached out to try to get an interview with,” Wiggins said. “One of the big challenges was just getting people to say yes. The other challenge was we had to film almost all of the interviews outside. They were almost all at people’s homes rather than their places of business.” 

The documentary begins its rollout this spring and has been accepted at film festivals in Boston and Berlin. 

“I’m proud of the ideas that came to the surface in the film,” Wiggins said. “I think the main themes in the film are important for all disciplines that an educational system like ACU might promote.”

Filed Under: News

Other News:

  • Gamma Sigma Phi, Kirk Goodwin Run fundraise for Parmelly following leukemia diagnosis

  • General education requirements set to change for ’23-’24 school year

  • Wildcats welcome back Salas to campus as new soccer head coach

About Will Dalton

Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

You are here: Home / News / Learning Studio to showcase documentary on power of creative collaboration

Other News:

  • Gamma Sigma Phi, Kirk Goodwin Run fundraise for Parmelly following leukemia diagnosis

  • General education requirements set to change for ’23-’24 school year

  • Wildcats welcome back Salas to campus as new soccer head coach

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
16 Feb

Black Student Union, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have joined together to plan events that educate others and provide celebrations during Black History Month. Read more:
https://acuoptimist.com/2023/02/black-history-month-events-educate-celebrate-acu-community/

Reply on Twitter 1626340622872285184 Retweet on Twitter 1626340622872285184 Like on Twitter 1626340622872285184 2 Twitter 1626340622872285184
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
11 Feb

BREAKING: Robert D. “Bob” Hunter, vice president emeritus, passed away Saturday. Hunter served as a representative of the 71st district of Texas and worked part time with ACU until 2013.

Reply on Twitter 1624540404690436097 Retweet on Twitter 1624540404690436097 4 Like on Twitter 1624540404690436097 23 Twitter 1624540404690436097

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

6 days ago

The Optimist
BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Charles Wadlington, associate professor of psychology, was arrested Wednesday on allegations of sexual abuse of a child. Read more: ... See MoreSee Less

Professor arrested on allegations of sexual abuse of a child - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

Dr. Charles Wadlington, associate professor of psychology, was arrested Wednesday on allegations of sexual abuse of a child. Wadlington has been charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, appare...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

7 days ago

The Optimist
FilmFest, a student short film festival designed to give students who are interested in film production access to a creative outlet, will host its 19th annual FilmFest Gala April 14 at the Paramount Theatre. Read more: ... See MoreSee Less

FilmFest prepares to take the big screen - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

FilmFest, a student short film festival designed to give students who are interested in film production access to a creative outlet, will host it’s 19th annual FilmFest Gala April 14 at the Paramoun...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 22, 2023

Our top stories this week include the passing of Dr. Bob Hunter, a new endowment ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 8, 2023
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 1, 2023
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 25, 2023

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Podcasts

© 2023 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved