UW-Stevens Point professor translates award-winning experience to mentorship

A professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is showing his students that they don't have to go farther than Central Wisconsin to find opportunities to grow as filmmakers.

Kevin Obsatz, an assistant professor of media studies who recently won a Midwest Emmy-Award, is translating his experience into his work as an instructor and mentor.

Obsatz came to UW-Stevens Point in 2021 after several years of working as a freelance non-fiction video producer. He spent his early career working on commercials, documentaries and even mainstream television shows like "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and HGTV shows before going back to school for his Master of Fine Arts degree.

Since coming to UWSP, he has built a network of local creatives for his professional advancement as well as his students'. Through his efforts, Obsatz connected with Jason and Hope Rajasinghe, co-founders of RAD Productions USA.

The couple founded the company after returning to Wisconsin in 2023. Since then, they have established themselves as a trusted team of storytellers and filmmakers. With years of international experience in the production industry, their specialties include commercials, documentaries and narrative films in Wisconsin and beyond.

"They brought good energy to the area, being outgoing and assertive about the skills they had to offer," Obsatz said.

After RAD Productions' initial work on a video for the Portage County Business Council gained traction, conversations continued with a project for Gamber-Johnson. Obsatz got involved with the project during the initial brainstorming stage, eventually writing the voice-over script for the commercial. Although Gamber-Johnson's products may not stand out in daily life, he was drawn to share their mission of public safety and reliability.

"We started with a script outline that highlighted all the different areas that Gamber-Johnson excels in, and the high-level impact of their work," Obsatz said. "You may not notice the plastic mount inside of a police vehicle for example, but these are products that help save lives. We folded that idea into the video and came up with a script that centers around their mission of reliability."

Stevens Point police and Wausau fire professionals joined the production, resulting in an action-packed brand film that embodies the slogan "Rugged, Reliable and Responsive." RAD Productions submitted the film for consideration at the Chicago/ Midwest Regional Emmy Awards, where it earned Best Commercial - Single Spot.

Beyond having gratitude for this recognition, Obsatz found the awards to be a beneficial professional experience he could share with his students.

"I always tell my students to say yes to everything because you could end up having a great experience," he said. "The Emmy's ceremony was a big gala event in Chicago, and it was cool to be there because it is such a well-oiled and professional event. We had no expectation that our production would be recognized, but it was a special feeling. Thinking back, this project required me to say yes a lot of times, and I'm grateful to the team for asking me to be a part of it from start to finish."

Since Obsatz' involvement with RAD Productions, the company has given several UWSP students real-world production experience. He says that bringing guest speakers like Jason and Hope to his classes has been a great way for students to build professional networks of their own, putting the soft skills learned in media studies to the test.

"When I bring guests to my classes, that is a chance for my students to be assertive," he said. "If an opportunity sounds interesting, exchange contact information. Enthusiasm trumps everything else and showing a willingness to learn and adapt is what people really want to see."

Madison Schiefelbein '25 interned with RAD Productions after connecting with them during a classroom presentation.

"I legitimately followed them out of the classroom and asked for a job, so we set up an interview and they hired me," she said. "The first project I worked on was for the USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison, and hearing the scientists talk about what they love doing was so much fun. I've always been interested in non-fiction pieces because I find real stories so emotionally moving."

Although the initial internship was kick-started by her own enthusiasm, Schiefelbein has since seen steady freelance opportunities in Central Wisconsin, largely thanks to the role Obsatz has played as her mentor.

"He has helped me immensely in navigating employment post-grad. It is refreshing to see somebody who wants to cultivate a community and connect others with work, because this industry can feel like it's every man for themselves," she said. Schiefelbein now does photography for UWSP Athletics and produces with local alumni-owned production company Thousand Lumens.

Although he is grateful to be a part of an Emmy-winning team, Obsatz is not focused on receiving recognition for his work. Rooted in curiosity, his passion is telling compelling narratives and translating this love to his students.

"I am lucky that I have found ways to work with people and causes that I feel aligned with and want to learn more about through non-fiction filmmaking," Obsatz said. "I see students who maybe like the glamour of Hollywood or streaming, but this kind of work can be a sustainable career, and it's something you can feel really good about."