One of the many opportunities at LACHSA is that student artists are taught by teaching artists in their arts discipline. LACHSA employs over 80 teaching artists under the leadership of each credentialed teacher who is the Chair of the arts discipline in dance, theater, visual arts, music, and cinematic arts. These teaching artists are working professionals who integrate their expertise into this unique public high school’s arts curriculum, making it an exemplary, conservatory level experience that is free and open to all students across LA County who are born to create.

The LACHSA Foundation’s spotlight is on the Cinematic Arts Department’s teaching artist, Mr. Jeffrey Obrow. Mr. Obrow is an accomplished American film director, writer, producer, and educator known for his work in the horror and thriller genres. He studied filmmaking at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, earning both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. Over his career, Obrow has directed and produced several notable films including “The Kindred,” “The Dorm That Dripped Blood,” “Servants of Twilight,” and “They Are Among Us.” His work focuses primarily on the horror and thriller genres, where he has built a decades-long career as a director, writer, and producer known for suspense-driven storytelling and psychologically tense narratives. His latest film, “PURSUED”, featuring Molly Ringwald, examines the dangers of social media, tapping into contemporary fears while using thriller pacing. He has collaborated with acclaimed actors such as OSCAR winners Rod Steiger and Lou Gossett Jr., and his films have premiered in theaters and on major networks like HBO, SHOWTIME and THE SY-FY CHANNEL.

Mr. Obrow has shared his extensive industry experience with the aspiring young filmmakers in the Cinematic Arts Department since 2019. In addition to teaching at LACHSA, he also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he taught Directing, Independent Filmmaking, and created a popular Music Video Course. He told us,

“Teaching at LACHSA is an amazing experience. I look forward to each day sharing my insights as a filmmaker and then learning from these young artists as they write and direct their own pieces. I am struck as I watch our students move from freshmen year, all the way through to senior year. It inspires me to watch their artistic growth — how they begin, trying to find their voice and use of technique, to confident storytellers with bold filmmaking skills. There’s a magic there for sure. One of my favorite courses to teach is History of American Cinema. Sharing classic movies with our young artists, then discussing them, is a real pleasure. We all love talking about films at LACHSA. That foundation of watching past filmmakers is necessary and our students embrace it with real appreciation.”

Obrow with students from the Cinematic Arts Department.

Obrow brings both professional insights and practical knowledge to LACHSA Cinematic Arts student artists. He not only provides them with a direct connection to the film industry but also serves as their mentor and an example of a working artist in the film business. He shared,

“My students know I am all in when it comes to teaching them. Watching them put all the artistic pieces together, with laughter and tears and fulfillment… reaches a level for me of astonishing satisfaction.”

With the support of all of our donors and partners, these opportunities are why the LACHSA Foundation was founded before LACHSA opened its school doors in 1985. To offer an exemplary arts education, additional funding is needed to enhance the arts instruction at LACHSA and allow for teaching artists such as Jeffrey Obrow to educate and guide these film and television artists of tomorrow. If you read the update from LACHSA Cinematic Arts Department alumnus Langston Griffith-Siebens, you learned about how he is now working at Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and his latest project is as Executive Producer of Doechii’s new video for the song Anxiety. This is proof of LACHSA’s ROI and why we believe LACHSA is worth every investment.