Our board

The SHM Film Collective board is behind all of our initiatives. The founders of this organization are alumni of the program + 1 faculty liaison. Board members are volunteers, and we try to get new board members join in every year.

Please consider join our board! Board positions are:

  • Chair (equivalent to SHM Club president, but less work)
  • Co-chair (equivalent to SHM Vice president, but also less work…)
  • Secretary
  • Events Committee (2 people minimum)
  • Mentorship Committee (2 people minimum)
  • Social Media/Graphics/Site (2 people minimum)
  • Archival (1 person)

For more information about each role,

please check “Roles and Tasks”

We meet once a month to plot, conspire and figure out ways to raise the bar of SHM filmmaking for our whole community – alumni and current students.

Founders

Denise Chan
Denise is a story artist/2d animator from the Bay Area who graduated from the A/I program in 2019 after directing the thesis short “Kaeru”, and currently works at Titmouse, Inc. on Animation Retakes for Q-Force.

Julie Thompson
Julie is an animator from the Bay Area who graduated from the SJSU A/I program in 2020. She worked as a lead animator on the thesis short film Malinchista.

Leti Castellano
Black and Filipino artist from the bay area. Graduated from SJSU in 2020. Leti is a storyboard artist.

Flora Rees-Arredondo
Flora is an Art Director based in Burbank, currently working in R&D at FS Studio. She graduated with her BFA in SJSU Animation/Illustration in May 2020, and directed the award-winning short film Malinchista.

JP Balmet
JP Balmet is an Art Director and Illustrator based in Los Angeles. Past work includes concept design for Lucasfilm, Dreamworks, EA, and Wizards of the Coast. He graduated from SJSU in 2007.

Mai Shirai
Mai is a storyboard artist and a 2019 graduate of SJSU Animation/Illustration. She directed a 2D short film “Coming Home” for her thesis project.

Michael Begen
Michael is an Animator and Story Artist from the Central Valley, who’s a former SHM Vice President and graduated from the SJSU A/I program in 2017. He has worked overseas and currently works at The Third Floor as a Previs Artist. 

Danielle Harmon
Danielle is a Bay Area Story artist who graduated from SJSU in 2016.

Amit Kumar
Amit is a 2015 graduate and is a production executive at Netflix. Past work includes Nickelodeon and DreamWorks.

Raquel Coelho
A 3d animator, writer and illustrator, Raquel Coelho is a professor in the SJSU Animation and Illustration program. She had the idea to create the SHM Film Collective in the summer of 2020, and since then she has been volunteering at the board serving as a liaison between the organization and the program.