Guest Artist Spotlight Charlie Foerschner

This semester, LIHSA’s Multimedia Film & TV students are gaining invaluable insight from Emmy-nominated guest artist Charlie Foerschner. A graduate of Nassau BOES Barry Tech and Five Towns College, Charlie currently works at The Daily Show—a dream come true for the filmmaker. Charlie brings a wealth of real-world experience to the classroom, helping students develop both their technical skills and creative voices.

In a recent hands-on lesson, Charlie reached out to Kodak, who generously donated 16mm and 35mm scratch film, dummy rolls, cans, bags, and cores. For every student, it was their first time ever holding motion picture film. The excitement was palpable as they explored the film stock—ripping, stretching, touching, and truly engaging with the material. When students asked how long 400 feet of film really was, they unraveled an entire roll down the hallway, discovering just how much footage is packed into 4½ minutes of runtime.

This tactile, visual experience brought filmmaking to life in a way no textbook could. Students even took home film strips as keepsakes—eager to decorate with them or show their friends.

The lesson culminated with a viewing of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners video on aspect ratios and film formats, paired with literature provided by Kodak. It was the perfect way to connect historical techniques with modern-day filmmaking, and to inspire the next generation of storytellers.

Charlie’s work is a reminder that the magic of filmmaking begins with curiosity, creativity, and connection.  We so so lucky with his continued partnership with Long Island High School for the Arts.