Full-Time Faculty

Media Arts Faculty at Los Angeles Valley College have wide professional experience ranging from feature film production, television production (both local and network, movie-of-the week), radio production (on-air, programming, management, sales and marketing) documentary film & video, and multimedia. There are at present 5 full time faculty and 10 part-time adjunct professors.  Each instructor is very well qualified in his/her field and contributes significantly to the success of the Media Arts Department which includes Broadcasting, Cinema, and Media Arts studies.

Eric Swelstad, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Media Arts,  joined the Media Arts Department in 2001.  Eric has a BA and Master’s Degree from The Ohio State University, and has also guest-lectured in the Cinema/Screenwriting Departments at UCLA, California State University, Northridge, and Emerson College.

A screenwriter and director, Eric has worked for such companies as HBO, Paramount Pictures, and Big Picture Entertainment.  A movie-of-the-week he directed was nominated for an Emmy, and he has won two Telly Awards for his work in television.  His teen-comedy feature “Scooter Kidz,” and the supernatural film “Heartland of Darkness” have aired on cable, and most recently he directed the high-definition feature, “Frankenstein Rising.” A member of the Writer’s Guild of America, West, Eric co-wrote the MGM feature “Lucky 13,” and the upcoming thriller “Four Horsemen.”

Joseph A. Daccurso, Full Professor of Cinema/Media Arts, the senior most member of the department (& co-founder), joined the LAVC faculty in 1978.  Has double B.A.’s (PreMed Sciences & Literature/Creative Writing) from Northwestern U., double Master of Arts in Teaching (Literature/Creative Writing, Drama/Humanities) from Fairleigh Dickinson U., a M.F.A. (Cinema/TV Production) and Doctoral studies in Instructional Technology (emphasis in mixed-media & curriculum development for the teaching of film/TV/media) from U. of Southern California.

Among his numerous other teaching experiences are: USC’s School of Cinema/TV, Educational Technology Dept., & Urban Affairs/Urban Studies (Media Culture) Programs; California State U. (Northridge)’s School of Radio-TV-Film; L. A. City College’s Cinema/TV Dept.; Golden State Schools’ Television & Media Academy; & Director of Film Arts/Studio Workshops in Bradley U.’s School of Art, as well as having taught at several Senior High Schools in the NYC area.  He has also been a guest speaker at twenty other institutions coast to coast.  In 3 decades at LAVC, he has served as Chairman of the Departments of Theater Arts, Cinema, and Media Arts as well as been a long-time member of the Academic Senate.

Joe Daccurso has been a working professional in the film/TV/media industries since the 1960s, both at major studios & independent production houses (currently The Image Center Studios of North Hollywood).  Functioning in various capacities (producer, writer, director, camera, sound, editor, production mgr., actor), he has worked in a variety of formats/media/genres (features, movies-for-TV, commercials, music videos, corporate/industrials, educational/informational, scientific/medical, & multimedia for live theater), with a special interest in documentaries & animation of all types.  Worked also as a professional journalist, still photographer, athletic coach, theater director, ballroom dance instructor, & band leader/musician (trumpet/coronet/flugelhorn).

Among Joe’s various professional orgs (including having held office in some) have been: Digital Cinema Society, International Documentary Assoc.,  Internat. Assoc. of Animators,  Internat. Communications Assoc.,  Internat. Visual Literacy Assoc.,  Assoc. of Independent Video/Film-Makers, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, National Assoc. of Educational Broadcasters, Society of Motion Picture & TV Engineers, Ethnographic Film Assoc., American Federation of Film Societies, Society for Cinema Studies, University Film/Video Assoc., Los Angeles Film Teacher Assoc., American Film Institute (charter member).

In addition to receiving several doctoral fellowships, Joe’s many recognitions include: DV Award, Telly Award, The Communicator Award, The Videographer Award, The Accolade Award, & The Gettysburg Multimedia Award.  His films/videos have been in numerous international competitions, including: WorldFest Houston, Chris Awards/ Columbus Film Fest, Berkeley Film/Video Fest, Newport Beach Film Fest, International Family Film Fest, Hearts & Minds Film Fest, Dances With Films Fest, Port Townsend Film Fest, The Indie Gathering, Bridge Fest (Vancouver), Indie Can (Toronto).    He is also listed in several Who’s Who compendiums: American Artists, American Educators, Contemporary Media Achievement, and College Professors of Distinction. But, Joe says his greatest achievement and honor is seeing his former students’ names in screen and stage credits over the years or their having achieved productive lives. 

 Gail Nastasia, Associate Professor of Broadcasting, joined the LAVC faculty in 1996.  She has an A.A. degree from LAVC, and a B.A. from California State University, Los Angeles. Ms. Nastasia has worked in the entertainment industry since 1979. While at KTLA Gail received a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for sound on an information special. She worked in the news departments and on such programs as KABC’s “Eye on LA” and “Hollywood Close-up”and several other “magazine” TV shows. 

Arantxa Rodriguez, Associate Professor of Cinema, joined the LAVC faculty in 1997.  She has a B.A. from Universidad Complutense, Madrid and an M.F.A. from UCLA. 

Jason Beaton (Mr. B), Assistant Professor of Broadcasting and has been teaching since 1998 and has been working in the Los Angeles radio industry for over twenty years. He has held several positions in Broadcasting including Station Manager, Program Director, On-Air Announcer/Disc Jockey, Sales Consultant and Engineer and Producer to the stars in Hollywood throughout his career at Los Angeles radio stations such as KRLA, KLSX, KKLA, KLTX, KZLA, KLAC, KWIZ and more. He has worked with Radio and Television Broadcasting legends Gary Owens, Jonathan Winters, Peter Marshall, George Putnam, Ray Briem, Stephanie Edwards, Huggy Boy and Art Laboe just to name a few. During the last decade he was one of the first morning DJ’s on a popular worldwide Internet radio station fm.com and then went on to be the founder and creator of his own JJ Radio.com Internet radio station.

Jason Beaton is an Alumni of Los Angeles Valley College and holds a degree in Broadcasting and Communications, a certificate in Music for Recording Technician as well as the prestigious nationally recognized (CRMC) Certified Radio Marketing Consultant and (CDMC) Certified Digital Marketing Consultant from the Radio Advertising Bureau. Over the years, Jason has revamped the LAVC Broadcasting Program and brought it up to current industry standards by adding new classes that are relevant and developing on line courses, certificates, and degrees in Broadcasting for Distance Education, an area he strongly supports. He is currently writing a book for college professors to use in their classes incorporating “New Media” for the Broadcasting and Communication disciplines.

In addition, Jason Beaton serves on the LAVC Academic Senate, is the advisor to the Broadcasting Club, and has added responsibilities as the campus radio station director. He is passionate about teaching and loves to be able to give back to his students what he has learned over the course of his professional career. Jason is an avid music collector with an extensive record, CD and MP3 collection. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to the radio, attending music concerts, traveling, and volunteers as an Instructor of Broadcasting/Consultant to high school students who are incarcerated.

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Media Arts Department
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA 91401
[818] 947-2600 x5503