![\"Matt](\"http:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Kappele-1024x732.jpg\")
\u201cI wanted to get something made just to say I had actually done it,\u201d Kappele said. \u201cIt was an opportunity to learn the basics of making my own project and develop my skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Team Effort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The film features former Seminole State College Upward Bound participants Jael Salceda and Mvhvya Gravatt. Salceda took on the lead role as a student searching for a study guide moments before a test when a supernatural force intervenes, enticing her to cheat. Gravatt handled sound. Salceda is currently finishing up her associate degree at SSC and Gravatt graduated from SSC last May and is currently enrolled in the Film and Media Studies program at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kappele credits SSC and its Upward Bound students for providing inspiration and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking here with such passionate young people has been a huge motivator. They\u2019re always willing to help out and bring so much energy to the process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Salceda and Gravatt joined Kappele for the screening of their film in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cL.A. Skins Fest was a really eye-opening experience about the filmmaking opportunities that are out there. I got to meet some great filmmakers and network with folks from Hulu and Netflix,\u201d Kappele said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCheatin\u2019 Ain\u2019t Easy\u201d was previously accepted into the Fort Smith International Film Festival in Arkansas and the Native Lens Film Festival in Pueblo, Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early Inspirations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kappele\u2019s love for storytelling began early. \u201cI\u2019ve been interested in films ever since I was a little kid,\u201d he said. \u201cThe first memory I have of seeing something and being like, \u2018Oh my gosh, this is insane,\u2019 was when I saw Jurassic Park in theaters. My grandma also bought me a VHS copy of King Kong vs. Godzilla, and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Those two films were big reasons why I fell in love with movies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating from Seminole High School in 2007, Kappele attended Seminole State College before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a degree in communication. His foray into film began humbly\u2014as an extra in a Gatorade commercial starring Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t really see me,\u201d Kappele laughed. \u201cI\u2019m way in the background during a warm-up at a Thunder game, but if you zoom in close, you can tell it\u2019s me.\u201d Kappele soon landed other opportunities, appearing in local commercials and a crime reenactment series on the REELZ Channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From 2012 to 2016, he worked with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he started in game-day operations before becoming an associate for the OG&E Thunder Bolt, the team\u2019s traveling marketing tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After leaving the Thunder, he joined The Sports Animal radio station as a producer. In addition to managing live broadcasts, he occasionally chimed in on-air during discussions about major sports events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Future Filmmaking Goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Outside of his role at SSC, Kappele is already hard at work on his next short film and plans to continue blending humor with eerie twists. \u201cI love comedies and scary movies because those were my favorites growing up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His short film \u201cCheatin\u2019 Ain\u2019t Easy\u201d is available to watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reflecting on his journey, he emphasized the joy of storytelling. \u201cIf success comes, great. But for now, I\u2019m focused on creating something entertaining for my family, friends and anyone who enjoys a good story.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seminole High School and Seminole State College alumnus Matt Kappele achieved a major milestone in his filmmaking journey on Nov. 24, when his debut short film, \u201cCheatin\u2019 Ain\u2019t Easy,\u201d was screened at the L.A. Skins Fest Native American Film Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,87],"tags":[149],"class_list":["post-4814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-http-www-sscok-edu-media-faculty-staff","category-news","tag-november-2024"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4816,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4814\/revisions\/4816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}