Showing Students How It’s Done

CSUF Alumna and Lecturer Owns and Operates Entertainment Design Firm

November 5, 2007

By Gail Matsunaga

Wander down the DVD aisles of Best Buy, Target, Blockbuster or similar stores and chances are, you’ll encounter Cal State Fullerton alumna Cheryl Savala’s (B.F.A. art ’89, M.A. art ’94) work. In addition to teaching entertainment graphics as a lecturer, she runs her own company, Menagerie Creative, a Tustin-based studio specializing in entertainment design.

“The Full Monty,” “Alien vs. Predator” and “Silk” are just some of the titles Menagerie Creative has created DVD packaging and point-of-sale display designs for, in addition to the upcoming United Artist 90th anniversary celebration, Twentieth Century Fox’s film noir and Rogers and Hammerstein collections, and collectors edition packaging for “The Princess Bride,” “The Graduate” and John Ford collection.

“We design a great deal of DVD packaging for films from the ’40s-’70s, as well as contemporary movies and collections,” says Savala. “In today’s market, where movies are easily downloadable, it is our challenge as designers to develop packaging that today's consumer would be proud to own and showcase in their DVD library.”

In addition to DVD packaging and point-of-sale designs, her firm’s staff, most of whom are Titan alumni, conceptualize and develop ideas for such entertainment-related areas as web design, licensing, retail promotional pieces, key art one-sheets, press kits, lettering and children’s activity books for clients, including Twentieth Century Fox and Disney.

Savala brings her experience to the classroom, where over the years, her students have been nominated for and won honors in the Key Art Awards Student Competition — part of the Hollywood Reporter’s annual Key Art Awards, which honor achievements in motion picture marketing and advertising.

To see more of Menagerie Creative’s work, visit menageriecreative.com.