FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spencer Nilsen Appointed President and Creative Director of Expression College for Digital Arts

EMERYVILLE, CA – DECEMBER 4, 2006 – Expression College for Digital Arts, an accredited college that prepares students for careers in entertainment production and technology, today announced the appointment of Spencer Nilsen as president and creative director.  Nilsen has been part of the Expression family since the school was founded in 1999 and comes with more than 30 years of experience in the fields of music, games, film, television and education.

As president and creative director, Nilsen will continue to build upon the solid foundation created at Expression College by implementing on and executing a roadmap for strategic growth and a detailed creative education vision.  Together with the senior management staff, Nilsen will work to maintain objectives in the areas of campus expansion, marketing, curricula design, innovative development and delivery of courses, industry partnerships and his highest priority, student satisfaction.

“Spencer is an exceptional leader, and we are excited to have such a strong president to lead Expression toward a new level of creative impact,” said Eckart Wintzen, chairman of the board of directors for Expression College. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished in the last seven years and I’m tremendously optimistic about what Expression will accomplish in the future under Spencer’s leadership.”

“There is a reason that I’ve been part of the Expression family for so long,” said Nilsen. “Expression is truly an exceptional educational institution with an imaginative and vibrant culture. It’s important to me personally that we continue to provide students with a unique opportunity to revel in creativity while they hone their craft. Everything about Expression is intentional - our faculty motivates, our facility inspires and our curriculum challenges.”

Before being appointed to president, Nilsen held several director-level positions at Expression including program director of Common Core and course director of Media Sound and Visual, one of the first classes every student takes where they learn to script, produce, shoot and edit a short digital film.

Early in his career, Nilsen explored his love of live music with a stint in the concert industry, working with his mentor, famed artist manager/promoter Bill Silva on productions with bands including Aerosmith, The Clash, The Who, Tom Petty, The Police and U2.  He then formed a production company called AdVenture Communications with world-renowned lighting director and cinematographer, Bill Holshevnikoff.  At AdVenture, Nilsen helped produce, direct and score dozens of television shows, commercials and music videos.  In 1989, he was signed by American Gramaphone Records where he released his critically acclaimed album “Architects of Change.” In 1992, Nilsen joined video game giant, SEGA, where he headed the music department and composed the soundtracks to such hits as Sonic The Hedgehog CD, Batman Returns, Ecco The Dolphin, Spider-man and many others. Besides scoring hundreds of games, commercials, television shows and films, Nilsen has also produced and engineered album projects for other artists, including pop/gospel act Rod Washington Moore and hard rockers Bygone Dogs. 

Nilsen believes it is crucial to stay active in the industry he loves so much. “I’m still very much a student of life, and every creative project teaches me something important about being an artist and a human being,” added Nilsen.  In January 2006 he won a silver medal at the Park City Film Music Festival for his original score to the independent feature film, “No Return,” written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Tom Sylla, who happens to be among the exceptional teaching staff at Expression.

About Expression College for Digital Arts
Founded in 1999, Expression is a unique digital arts college. Expression College for Digital Arts teaches and grants Bachelor degrees in three programs: Sound Arts, Animation and Visual Effects and Motion Graphic Design. Expression utilizes a professional accelerated program and students live and learn in the culture of digital arts for approximately 2.5 years. Each class is limited to a small number of students to insure excellent hands-on learning and the student-to-computer ratio is one-to-one. Students are taught by and work with the best practitioners and equipment that the industry can offer. Expression’s close ties to top industry professionals provide students with real-world client projects, mentorship and internship opportunities and a top-rated career development track that has resulted in an exceptionally high placement rate for graduates. When graduates leave their Expression family behind, they are prepared to assume sought-after jobs in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and other art and high technology centers around the world. Expression College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, (ACCSCT).

Expression College for Digital Arts’ campus is located in an imagination-inspiring 85,000-square-foot building, at 6601 Shellmound St. in Emeryville, Calif., just across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. For more information, please visit Expression’s Website at: www.expression.edu.

For More Information: Sheri Seybold
Public Relations for Expression College