FIVE WITH A (future) FALCON: Danny Schaffer (COMM '27), from Middlesex Community College to Fitchburg State University

In this episode of FIVE WITH A (future) FALCON, Emily Puccia (COMM '26) talks to Danny Schaffer (COMM '27) about his goals and aspirations as he makes the transition from Middlesex Community College to Fitchburg State University starting the Fall 2025 semester.

Danny completed his Associates Degree at Middlesex in film and video production -- and is now looking forward to continue building towards a career in film production by finishing his bachelor's degree as a Communications Media major in the film/video concentration as a Falcon.

Danny is an avid writer who is deeply invested in the world of filmmaking.  As part of his network of collaborators at Middlesex (many of them Fitchburg State transferees), Danny’s been a part of projects such A Cold Night in Tartarus, The Lowell Mural Documentary, Sunday and Lonestar 3.  Emily, Danny and friends are now collaborating on their own indie film studio, Renegade Studios, since 2023.

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Episode transcript can be found here.

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Episode produced, edited, and mixed by Emily Puccia (COMM '26) for the Spring 2025 Podcasting course (COMM 2015).

Click here to learn more about Perseverantia. Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Transcript

[Five With a Falcon theme fades in]

EMILY PUCCIA (host): Hello, welcome to Falcon with the five. My name is Emily Puccia and I'm here with 

DANNY SCHAFFER: Danny Schaffer. 

EMILY: Okay, Danny, and can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

DANNY: I'm an oncoming transfer student from Middlesex. I was in the communications program and I'm transferring to Fitchburg for the same thing with a focus in film and media, and I write, make movies.  That's sort of my thing, and that's what I'm here to do. 

EMILY: That's great Danny. Um, and so can you talk to us a little bit about what you're looking forward to at Fitchburg State? 

DANNY: Well, I'm looking forward to the whole environment. I've been on the campus, I've been to the orientation. It seems like a very nice place, and I'm also looking forward to just kind of bettering myself and taking as many opportunities as I can to further my career and get better at what I do.

EMILY: Where do you hope to find your sense of belonging here? 

DANNY: A lot of my friends and the people that I make movies with have been to this program or are currently going to this program, and I have a very strong sense of belonging with them. So it just sort of makes sense to attend this school because that's just where a lot of my people are going.

EMILY: That was a really good answer. And so what are you hoping to accomplish?

DANNY:  Uh, well, to go back to my other answer, I'm hoping to get better at what I do and increase my portfolio. I want to get into more film festivals. So far I've been to two, and I'm trying to increase that number. I am trying to make better quality stuff.

I'm trying to just get all around better, getting more film festivals, get my name out there, and put my name out there and build my portfolio. 

EMILY: In what ways are you hoping to grow or transform during your upcoming semester at Fitchburg State? 

DANNY: Well, I'm, uh, hoping to learn more, become an all around better filmmaker, and just network with people that are really passionate about the industry and just immerse myself in people that have the same interests and the same ambitions, and the same hunger for doing this.

And I think being in that environment will definitely have a transformative effect on me. I can't exactly predict how, but that's, I'm looking forward to it. 

EMILY: Can you like tell us like maybe like a little bit about that? 

DANNY: I started off actually as a, uh, book writer. Literature was my focus, but I always had a fascination with movies. I just never really had the opportunity until I went to Middlesex and that's when I. Was afforded this opportunity to really pursue this career and. While I was at Middlesex, Fitchburg State came highly recommended as my next step. So it just made sense to come here and I feel like I was in the right place at the right time.

And Fitchburg State is another, is sort of another step along the way to a really successful career. 

EMILY: Well, Danny, I appreciate you joining this podcast. I really do appreciate this. And again, thank you for. Thank you for joining us. 

DANNY: Thank you for having me on. I was happy to be a part of the podcast and this is Emily Puccia on Falcon with the Five.

Thank you guys and have a good rest of your day.

[Five With a Falcon theme fades out]

[Perseverantia theme fades in]

EMILY: Hello, this is Emily Puccia, a junior at Fitchburg State, and you’re listening to Perseverantia, the Fitchburg State Podcast Network.

[Perseverantia theme fades out]