The College for Creative Studies (CCS) has been named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society (PTK) https://www.ptk.org/ transfer honor roll for the sixth consecutive year. PTK has named 228 colleges and universities to its 2024 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the dynamic pathways they have created to support transfer students. “I began my undergraduate studies at a community college before coming to CCS and I remember what an intimidating process it was for me,” recalls Amber Thomas, Director of Transfer and Academic Partnerships https://www.ccsdetroit.edu/admissions/transfer-admissions/ at The College for Creative Studies. “I love that the work we’re doing is providing a better experience for our current and future transfer student community.”
The Transfer Honor Roll https://www.ccsdetroit.edu/admissions/transfer-admissions/ is determined by 40 key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, including college cost and financial aid, campus life for transfer, admission practices, and bachelor’s degree completion. CCS is the only institution in Michigan to have received this unique distinction for the last six years.
“The goal of most students attending community college is a bachelor’s degree, but few do because of financial barriers and the complexities of the transfer process,” says Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “We are proud to recognize the exceptional colleges and universities that go above and beyond to create accessible pathways to bachelor’s degree completion for community college transfer students.”
Ilana Portney has been immersed in the world of set building since her childhood.
Fueled by her parents’ creativity during the 2008 recession, her journey began with crafting Popsicle stick structures and decorating dollhouses. Over the years, she evolved into a talented set designer, working on music videos, TV and film productions. Her impressive portfolio includes collaborations with artists including Ice Spice and Quavo, as well as with the likes of iconic companies like Nike, Vogue and Maybelline.
On a recent trip back to Detroit, Portney invited us to the Russell Industrial Center to discuss her latest project – designing a Complex magazine cover set for Detroit’s own Eminem.
The Interview
“When it comes to networking or getting a job, you do not have to do things in a practical way, because this world is not practical, and things don’t happen practically anywhere. All of my jobs came from Instagram, literally, and that’s how I grew my career. I didn’t start out as a production assistant. I started out as a production designer. I started out at the top of my career field.” –Ilana Portney
What led you to this career path? In my junior year of college, I met a director of photography who showed me the way of the Art department. We started making our own films and music videos. I took up a minor in Film my junior year and became obsessed with making videos and skits. The second I graduated I landed my first big project with the TODAY Show through NBC.
Once I did that, I wanted to do it forever.
I moved to New York and, after networking through Instagram, my first project was a Fetty Wap music video. From there, I met people my age and we all grew together and became really close friends. I met my now mentor, Robert Taylor, on a Charlie Puth music video, and I work with him all the time now. He’s like a brother to me.
What does a day in your life look like? It depends on the project.
I care about my work so much that it really feeds into my life. I wake up around 6 or 7 a.m. on a project week. I think about all of the things that I have to do, maybe make a deck to present. Start sourcing all the props I need, talk to the producers about the budget, and fight them on it. Have tea if I can. Go shopping for the things that we need, and source more things. Talk to the photographer, the director and the director of photography. Talk to my team, if we need to build. Talk to the fabricators, a.k.a. Robert. I go to bed about 2 or 3 a.m., wake up and do it again.
I do it because I love it. This is my life. I love art, I love the people that I meet, and I’m fascinated by how people think. It’s really hard for me to sleep because I love the things I do.
What do you love most about your career? I’m honored to be doing something that I love. I’m honored to be working with my friends, and I’m amazed that I get to work with them all the time and get paid to draw smiley faces on note cards and stick them in the background of a bedroom set. I get to do something fun every single day. It’s stressful to have to source three and a half yards of sand, but it’s like, that’s my job. Every day, it’s just an honor.
What would you say to current students or potential students who might be interested in this career? No one masters everything. And I’m still learning that, you know.
As an artist, you’re your own worst critic. You have to better yourself, whether that’s working out, drawing, painting, therapy or something. You’ll continue to fall, but you can learn a lot from other artists and your friends and lean on those people.
There are so many incredible people who I grew with at CCS who have taught me so many valuable things, not just talent-wise, but socially as well. They brought perspectives that I wouldn’t have, from how they were raised and their stories. That helped inform my work.
What, or who, inspires you? I love other people. Everyone around me is so talented. All of my friends, every single person at CCS. One of my closest friends, Dillan Murillo, is exceptionally talented. He was one of the hardest-working students at CCS, and I really admired his work ethic. Everyone at CCS was so talented in their own ways, you know, so other artists inspired me to have much more drive.
During the Winter 2024 semester, CCS welcomed alums Tyler Koberstein (Entertainment Arts ’19) and Ilich Gomez (Entertainment Arts ’19) back to campus to give current students a taste of what it’s like working on an animated series for a renowned television company.
After graduating in 2019, Koberstein began working as a Production Intern at Nickelodeon. It was during this time that he began freelance work as a Character Designer on “The Casagrandes” and “The Loud House.” In 2020, Koberstein was hired as a full-time Prop/FX Designer on “The Loud House.” He’s also worked as a freelance Prop/FX Designer on The Casagrandes Movie and No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie.
Gomez has done freelance work for the Canadian Council for Arts, WITNESS, Everybody Inc. and an independent YouTube series.
In the first half of the class, students focused on props, fx, character design and more. This set the scene for the latter half of their class, during which Koberstein gave students real prop assignments – the same ones he worked on for “The Loud House.”
