Documentary Filmmaker Jonathan Formica Makes His Way back to OCSA for GALA 2022
Written by Julia Gutierrez
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Putting on a show like Orange County School of the Arts’ annual fundraising gala is a massive collaborative effort. Students across many conservatories perform, work behind the scenes and display artwork, and many alumni come back to lend their skills to the show.
OCSA alumnus Jonathan Formica (FTV, ‘08) has graciously come back year after year to be the video director for the annual gala. With his team, he oversees all video elements displayed during the performance.
He said, aside from the vendors and engineers who help make sure everything is working properly, the crew consists entirely of OCSA Film & Television students – from the camera operators to the floor director.
As anticipated, this year’s gala, “Night of a Million Dreams,” featured a spectacular show thanks to all the hard work put into it by students and alum, including Formica and his crew.
“It is always a pleasure to work with the OCSA students, and I am also so impressed (but not surprised) at how quickly they pick up the task at hand. We only have one full in-person rehearsal as a crew before the show – it’s sort of a sink or swim moment – and they always rise to the occasion,” he said.
As an OCSA student, Formica said the school offered him a place where he could grow academically and as a filmmaker. He said that while he was always challenged to put his best foot forward, OCSA also offered a flexible environment, allowing him to try new things and prioritize his passions.
“Teachers – both academic and conservatory – always went the extra mile to have that one extra conversation or mentoring session. When I had second thoughts about a project to trying something new, I was always given the push I needed to take that extra step,” he said.
Formica was particularly inspired by one of his seventh-grade teachers, Mrs. Sharon Browne-Davis, who made him and the rest of her students feel welcomed and supported. He said her impact was very formative to who he is today, both personally and as a filmmaker.
During his junior year, Formica was inspired to create a documentary about Mrs. Browne and her strength in raising her two children, Russell and Alex, with the rare genetic disorder, Mucopolysaccharidosis type III. The seven-minute short – aptly titled Courage – screened at the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival.
“Fast Forward to my senior year of high school and one of the gala silent auction items that year was to rent the 500-seat Folino theater at Chapman University to watch any film you wanted with a group of friends. The gala team offered it to anyone who wanted it for the sticker price of $225. I think it was Mr. Aaron Orullian [Film & Television Director] who approached me and asked if I was interested. Without really thinking it through, I said yes,” he said.
With the support of his FTV peers and Mr. Orullian, Formica was able to expand his seven-minute short into a 30-minute film before planning a premiere event.
More OCSA students stepped up to help, including students from Musical Theatre (back then known as ‘Music and Theatre’) who opened the show and an instrumental music student who played piano during the reception. All funds raised during the premiere benefited the National MPS Society to support cure research, clinical trials, and families whose children were affected by the disorder.
“I honestly thought I'd be lucky to fill ¼ of the theater. Much to my surprise, on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2009, over 500 people packed the auditorium to the point that guests were standing off to the sides and I was worried the fire marshall would say something. I vividly remember that I was about to walk on stage to welcome everyone, going up to Sharon, and I just teared up. It was at that moment I saw not only the love and support that community can have, but the impact that documentary film can have on an audience and individual’s lives. It cemented to me that I was pursuing the right craft,” he said.
Over the years, Formica has continued his work as a documentary filmmaker. He recently was a producer on The Human Trial, a feature documentary that peels back the headlines to show the sweat, passion and sacrifice poured into every medical breakthrough by way of type 1 diabetes (T1D).
The film interweaves the stories of the patients -- who have borne the physical and financial burdens of T1D — with the researchers who epitomize the struggle of innovating cures. The narrative arc is the clinical trial itself. The film launches in select theaters and virtual watch at home cinema in June. He is also working on an untitled original documentary for Netflix.
Formica said he is reminded every day of how lucky he is to have the privilege and responsibility of telling people’s stories. He has also managed to stay connected to his roots at OCSA – giving back to students who benefit from learning from an expert like himself.
“I keep a picture Rusell, Alex, Sharon, and me near my desk. It serves as a daily reminder of why I do what I do,” he said.
