In the early '80s, Tom Ortenberg and a few friends rented projectors and screened Revenge of the Nerds and The Big Chill at the Forum and other buildings on campus.
He now sits in his office at The Weinstein Company's Los Angeles branch across the courtyard from the building that used to house his former Lionsgate digs.
The 1982 Penn State alumnus left his job in late January as president of Lionsgate studios when his contract expired.
He labored there for 13 years, originally as its first employee, and has now jumped onto a new ship.
As the president of theatrical films (a newly created position) at independent film studio TWC, Ortenberg oversees distribution, marketing, acquisitions and publicity departments.
His idea of settling in, however, is not reclining in his chair, but exploring the topographic scope of his job. Six weeks into his new gig, he has been to London, New York and Berlin for the Berlin International Film Festival.
"I'm trying to get my feet off the ground and get up to speed on the new films," Ortenberg said. "In some ways, it was a seamless transition. In other ways, it was a brand new challenge."
Part of Ortenberg's job entails observing the studio's film sets across the globe.
Although the studio's big projects -- Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Rob Marshall's Nine -- wrapped production before he started to work, he plans a visit to Halloween 2's shoot in Atlanta to visit his old friend, director and musician Rob Zombie.
Ortenberg said he would like to visit Penn State in the fall to speak to a film class and take his sons, Jason, 14, and Andrew, 11, to a football game.
Late last year, Ortenberg arranged for the Penn State teen commercial, geared toward high schoolers, to play on 90 movie screens in Los Angeles, and he hosted a reception for College of Communications alumni during Rose Bowl week.
"When I was in a position to hold a party, I was thrilled to be able to give something back because the school has given me something to last a lifetime," Ortenberg said.
Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said many high-caliber alumni like Ortenberg "stand up and step in with things that they have a unique access to."
"We had to take advantage of the extra publicity and Tom's generous effort to help his alma mater," Mahon said.
Mike Poorman, senior lecturer who manages alumni relations in the College of Communications said alumni, such as producer Gerry Abrams, father of J.J. Abrams, and Carmen Finestra, Home Improvement producer, also stay in touch.
Some alumni pass on students' résumés, contribute funds or visit campus to lecture students.
Ortenberg, upon graduating college, was hired by Columbia Pictures and Hemdale Film Corporation, an independent production company, where he worked in distribution and marketing for films such as Platoon and The Last Emperor.
"Having grown up in the independent sector of the film world, you learn to do a lot because you're always short-staffed," Ortenberg said.
The last film Ortenberg oversaw at Lionsgate, where he worked after Hemdale, was My Bloody Valentine, a 3-D horror film shot in western Pennsylvania.
Theaters showing the 3-D version out-grossed theaters showing the 2-D version 5-to-1 on a per theater basis, he said.
Signaling a new tide in the industry, theaters across the country jumped on the bandwagon to install 3-D projectors. Ortenberg said he thinks it'll be around for a while.
"I'm not convinced it's going to take over the moviegoing experience, but it's more than just a fad," Ortenberg said.
In addition to sinking his teeth into his new position, one pressing obstacle Ortenberg faces is the battle for the increasingly savvy consumers' attention.
"So many entertainment choices are competing for consumers' dollars and there are so many ways to reach consumers," Ortenberg said. "We have to engage them on several levels, and that'll always be a challenge."
