Maynard’s passion for acting spills over into the classroom Spring 2009 - By Ellen Price
He was cast as an extra in a film last summer, adding to his list of movies and commercials. This scene was different than most, however; it starred Matt Damon.
“I’ve done thousands and thousands of things, this was just one of them,” Mass Communications Professor Riley Maynard said.
He was modest about his role in the film “The Informant,” a spy movie that will be released in 2009. The scene was filmed at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in May 2008.
It’s the second movie that Maynard has been in, the first being “A Will of Their Own,” a TV mini-series. He’s also been in tons of corporate videos and commercials.
Maynard got the call from his agent in May 2008 about the movie and from there found out that the casting director was his old friend Mike Ketcher. They had acted together in a dinner theater production. Maynard called him for more details and to say he was available for any role.
“He wasn’t sure; everything was up in the air,” Maynard said about the phone call to Ketcher.
The day of the shoot, Ketcher e-mailed him at 2 or 3 a.m. and said they were in need of extras. Maynard saw the e-mail at 8 a.m. and had to be there at 9 a.m. He hurriedly gathered what he needed for the role and got himself ready.
“I was all ready, all ready to go,” Maynard said about having costumes ready for the role.
But Ketcher called and said Maynard was not needed until 10 a.m. and that he didn’t need the costumes either.
“He said, ‘You’re going to be a pilot. You don’t need any wardrobe,’” Maynard said.
Later that morning, Maynard arrived at the airport where there were around 100 extras. His scene would be filmed with another “pilot,” and they would be in the scene with star Matt Damon. The “pilots” would be on one moving walkway and Damon on the other. Maynard said they were given a quick run through of the scene, and it was then he realized that the other “pilot” would be between him and the camera.
Maynard made sure to position himself so he would actually be seen.
“So, it helps to know angles and production,” he added.
They did the scene eight or 10 times, and then Damon was gone, but Maynard was impressed with his work ethic. He came in and talked things over with the director and got to work. Maynard said there was no arguing or complaining and he worked quickly.
“Why can’t my students do that?” Maynard asked.
Maynard will likely use the experience in the classroom. Eric Lorenz, a senior in the Mass Communications Department, was in Maynard’s Fall 2008 media management class and said Maynard often uses experiences to support his lectures.
“When he talks about his experiences, it turns into a story instead of a lecture, and it becomes much more interesting,” Lorenz said.
Lorenz said Maynard’s experience makes him a better professor, and he does not leave any subject uncovered.
“He is one of the professors who isn’t afraid to tell you like it is,” Lorenz said. “He doesn’t hold anything back, and I think that’s why a lot of students respect him.”
Using his experiences in his classes is a goal for Maynard. Before he became a professor, he worked in radio and TV for 10 years.
“I wanted to be the teacher that had a lot of professional experience,” Maynard said.
He knew he eventually wanted to be a teacher too, thought. When he was 17, he was a member of the Future Teachers of America. Now he’s in his 28th year of teaching at SIUE.
Mass Communications Department Chairman Patrick Murphy said Maynard is a professor who students respond well to because of his uniqueness and refusal to sugarcoat anything. Murphy said students would be blindsided when they get jobs after graduation if it were not for Maynard’s teaching style.
Lorenz added that Maynard’s teaching style makes an impression on students.
“Riley’s teaching style is a little over the top for some, but you have to look through it and see the real purpose behind it,” Lorenz added.