Penn is getting a little more Hollywood.
From one alumnus who directed treadmill-oriented music videos that are viewed 20 million times since its release on YouTube to another who became a singer-songwriter, Penn alumni like these were featured last week at PennFest - an annual alumni festival that takes place in Los Angeles, Calif.
"The night is about showcasing emerging talent in movies and live music," said Matt Rosler, a 1996 College graduate, who created PennFest six years ago.
Rosler said he created the festival, which attracted around 150 attendees this year, after realizing there were not any events in the Los Angeles community to bring together alumni working on various artistic endeavours.
One of those alumni is Trish Sie, 1994 College graduate.
Sie initially helped choreograph the band OK Go, of which her brother is a member, for their song "A Million Ways." After the video was leaked on YouTube, it became a viral sensation.
Sie and the band decided to see if they could top their initial video.
"I had always had this absurd dream of doing a dance on treadmills," Sie said, noting she had been kicked out of her local gym for attempting her idea.
Her video would become a huge success, eventually earning a Grammy in 2007.
Another alumni showcased that night was Ananda Sen, 1998 School of Arts and Sciences graduate.
He has since started a project to release one song a week for the next year on his Web site, anandamusic.com. He performed his music at the Festival in Los Angeles.
PennFest "was great, it was an enthusiastic crowd," said Sen. "It was nice to see some old faces."
Sen was actively involved in the music scene while on Penn's campus. He was in the a cappella group PennSix, and later helped create Penn Masala, touted as the world's first Hindi a cappella group.
In total, three bands played and 15 videos were shown this year at PennFest. Every group or film involved a Penn alum.
"There are so many alumni doing projects out in Los Angeles," Rosler said, adding he created the festival because he thought "why not have a night where we can celebrate everyone."
Although PennFest also occurred in New York City for two years, it has since stopped taking place there. But Rosler says he hopes to eventually expand the festival.
"At one point I would love to bring it to Penn's campus," he said.
Videos and pictures of the event are posted on Rosner's Web site, duelingtampons.com.
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