From Grosse Pointe South to Sundance Film Festival

John Guleserian, a graduate turned award-winning cinematographer, returned to the place of his teenage years Tuesday--revisiting the school halls and the city where he shot sometimes goofy, occasionally deep documentaries, or what he thought was deep, funny or edgy all those years ago, as he and his friends spent hours with video cameras and production tools.

Guleserian, a 1994 South grad who grew up in and went on to turn his experience with his alma mater's TV production program into an impressive resume that includes a Sundance best film prize for "Like Crazy,"  an independent film released in movie theaters Friday, appeared at South as part of the Grosse Pointe Public Library's speaker series. Guleserian was director of photography on "Like Crazy."

Before a standing room only crowd in South's Cleminson Hall, Guleserian was the star of a program that included an award for his accomplishments, a 10-minute reel of samples of his work and a question-and-answer session with the audience, many of them students aspiring to a career like Guleserian's.

"It's pretty amazing to have gone through this program. It's such a unique program. It really set our lives in a particular direction and without it we may never have found that," he told the audience.

Mary Beth Nicholson from the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education presented him with the Pillars of Excellence Award, a newly named honor that goes to "a special individual who has achieved excellence in their field and inspires and engages the Grosse Pointe community through their work," she said.

Nicholson complimented teachers such as Dr. Julie Corbett, who ran the TV production program in Guleserian's time, and her successor Steve Geresy for their successes in guiding students such as Guleserian. Corbett attended Tuesday.

"It's really dedication from teachers….that have inspired these significant students," Nicholson said.

Guleserian was one of several graduates of South and its TV production program celebrated Tuesday. Corbett talked about her former pupils, who are Emmy winners, accomplished cameramen, grips, editors on TV shows such as Law & Order, movies and commercials and more. There are South graduates who own their own production companies and editing businesses.

Guleserian, who attended Columbia College in Chicago and worked in the city for two years before going on to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, has been a director of photography on a dozen or so commercials, five TV shows, four music videos, including Maroon 5 and Ben Folds, seven web productions and five feature films, including "Spooner" and "Zombies of Mass Destruction."

"Like Crazy" was released Friday in 20 states, in more than one theater in several states. In Michigan it is showing at the Landmark Main Art in Royal Oak. 

Corbett, Guleserian's former teacher and mentor, recalled a trip to DC with Guleserian and a high school classmate to receive an award in an international student media contest.

As they were being interviewed by TV reporters, she said he was asked his favorite movie: "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," she said, laughing.

Guleserian, whose wife is also in the film business, said he is grateful to have worked on a variety of projects with people who have taught him much. He said he benefited from Corbett's teaching style of letting the students be free to express themselves and explore and tap their creativity. He left Grosse Pointe when he was 19 and has lived in Los Angeles eight years, a point that came up during the Q & A when someone asked what it's like living in LA after growing up in GP.

"I was really opposed to living in LA for a long time, but after a while you identify the things you like it about it, The good thing about LA is there are barely any people there who are from there. Actually there are a lot of great things about it."

Making it to where he is, he says, goes back to many supporters, including "very nice parents who help me." Mom and Dad, Susan and John Gulesarian, still live in the Park and attended Tuesday's event.

"I had gotten to a point before Sundance where I was able to support myself," he said. "But Sundance opened doors to a new universe so I'm able to branch out... We never thought it would've been received the way that it was….That's its in movie theaters."