Gabriel Medina is a Chicano filmmaker with an M.F.A. in Film and TV Producing from USC's Peter Stark Producing Program, where he received the George Lucas and TELACU scholarships. Before entering academia, he worked in the film industry at companies including Atomic Monster, Vertigo Entertainment, and Amazon Studios. He now runs Calavera Media, a production company focused on Chicano horror, magical realism, and drama, and his teaching blends industry experience with a commitment to community-based storytelling that gives students both technical grounding and a real stake in the stories they tell.