Rowan University graduate Adam Chazen (left) pictured with fellow Emmy-winner Neil Patrick Harris Rowan University grad Adam Chazen made his alma mater proud over the weekend when he nabbed an Emmy for his work as visual effects coordinator for HBO's medieval fantasy hit "Game of Thrones."
The 26-year-old accepted the award for “Outstanding Special Visual Effects” during the 2012 Creative Arts Emmys held on Sept. 15 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
“It’s all kind of a blur, but it was fantastic,” Chazen said Monday. “I never thought that, at this point in my life, I’d win an Emmy. It’s just a life-changing event.”
Chazen, 26, earned his bachelor’s degree in 2008 in Radio/Television/Film (RTF) from Rowan’s College of Communication & Creative Arts. Soon after, he began making his mark in Hollywood.
“Some people work their whole career and never get an Emmy nomination,” said Joe Bierman, Rowan RTF department chair.
Back when Chazen was one of Bierman’s advisees, he exhibited winning traits and elements that Bierman knew would lead to success.
Chazen held leadership positions with Rowan Television Network, Cinema Workshop and Student University Programmers (SUP) while he was still an undergraduate.
“When he was a student, he got involved with SUP because he wanted to learn how to talk to agents,” Bierman said. “He knew that would be beneficial to him in his career. He went about everything in a very strategic way.”
According to Bierman, Chazen made several connections through a summer internship with The Onion, an online news source. From there, he went on to working on films including “Transformers,” “Yogi Bear,” “2012,” “Iron Man 2” and the documentary “Being Elmo.”
While Chazen now resides in Belfast, Ireland, for filming purposes, the rising star maintains connections with Rowan University. He often lends his time and mentoring skills to students when he should be eating.
“During his lunch breaks, he would be Skyping with our students,” Bierman said. “He is just one of the nicest students I’ve ever known. He’s the kind of guy where, if you had a single sister, you would introduce her to him.”
Chazen is also the kind of guy who chose to bring his mother to the Emmys.
“It meant the world for her to be there and see me nominated,” Chazen said. “We both lost it when I won.”
Matt Montalto, a senior RTF major from Rowan, was also able to attend the Emmys and see Chazen’s victory firsthand.
Montalto previously held an internship in Los Angeles and was in attendance with a handful of other Rowan RTF alumni.
“We all had our fingers crossed,” Montalto said. “It was just a surreal moment. It almost felt like we were winning.”
For Montalto, and a few others, Chazen has been an inspiration.
Since he graduated, Chazen has made time for Rowan Television Network on occasion, according to Montalto.
“He’s said to our students, ‘If you’re coming to LA, call me. You can sleep on my couch for two weeks,’” Bierman said.
More and more Rowan RTF graduates are picking up and moving to Los Angeles, the nation’s entertainment hub, as Chazen did a few years ago, according to Bierman.
“It’s amazing to know there are Rowan alumni out there doing great things,” Montalto said.
And such great things, Chazen said, are possible with hard work and simply being a nice guy.
“You gotta have drive. It’s tough, you work long hours and you have to make sacrifices. But at the end of the day, it’s fun,” Chazen said. “And you have to be a good person.”
Contact Jessica Bautista at 856-686-3729 or jbautista@southjerseymedia.com