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CMDI helped Zach Chagnon unlock his creative potential. Photo courtesy Zach Chagnon.

Growing up, Zach Chagnon (CritMedia’26) thought he would be working in environmental conservation or as a paleontologist. His younger self would be surprised to find out he’s graduating from CMDI, with minors in business and Nordic studies. He is the William W. White outstanding senior for the critical media practices department.

Conversation edited for length and clarity.

����Nordic studies? That’s an interesting minor.
I have some family history that traces back to Norway and Sweden, and the classes inspired my capstone, as well. I made a narrative film called������ó��,��which means “ritual” in Old Norse. It explores the importance of communal connection through sensory and social experience.

����Were you a one-man crew?
Almost entirely. My girlfriend's friend helped with casting and carrying equipment. It was overwhelming at first because there were so many things I didn’t know would actually work out. But I got to get some cool shots in Nederland to film the natural scenery because it looks like Scandinavia.��

����Was that your favorite project?
I’m most proud of a feature-length documentary I filmed about a friend who was sexually abused by her coach at another university. It’s not done, but I want this film to be a call to action—I want people to be angry, to make a difference, because stuff like this needs to change.��

����Wow. Your favorite film must be really impactful.
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but actually, my top-rated movie on Letterboxd is��Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.��

����Wait. Seriously?
Yeah, for being a kids’ animated movie, it was so deep, and covered a lot of topics I could relate to.

����Well, speaking of kids, what’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
I wish I had said yes to more opportunities. I chickened out of things because I wasn’t comfortable pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Also, take risks—calculated risks—it can really push you along.��

����What’s an opportunity you’ve said yes to?
I work with the city of Arvada as a multimedia content producer, which is really cool. One of the big projects I’m picking up before the internship is over is a video about their climate and sustainability action plan and how the city is going to look in the future.��

����Nice! What do you think you’ll miss the most about college?
I think it's been long enough since I’ve lived in my dorm that now I have a lot of nostalgia for that time. We made our room look super cozy so my roommate and I would have friends over to play video games.��

����What’s next for you?
I’d like to travel—my friends and I have been talking about a trip to Europe. Other than that, I’m applying to jobs and in a year or so, I’m going to start applying to grad school.��

Iris Serrano is studying strategic communication and journalism at CMDI. She covers student news and events for the college.