Raffi Handian came to the division as Communications Specialist in June of 2000. Over the past twelve years, his position as changed a bit and now he is our Web Specialist. In addition to overseeing and programming mlgw.com, he also assists with media relations and our internal employee communication system.
“My position lets me do a lot of different things. Everyday is different,” says Raffi.
Raffi got a degree in radio broadcasting from the University of Memphis in 1996. At the time he dreamed of being a DJ. While in school, the internet really started to take off and Raffi started teaching himself to program. “There was no one to teach html programming in the beginning,” explains Raffi. When he graduated he went to work for a web consulting company and later worked for Channel 5.
A screenwriting class that Raffi took at the University of Memphis also had a profound effect on his life. While in school he wrote a full 120 page screen play and has been dreaming of making his own movies ever since. “I would watch movies in college with my extra time—sometimes three a day,” says Raffi.
Although he developed a deep passion for film, he says, “I didn’t want to be one of those guys that drops everything, moves to L.A., and ends up living in his car.” He decided to focus on a career in communications, which paid off, and then a few years ago with the advent of digital technology, he decided to explore his old passion for film-making.
Last year he purchased some equipment and shot a karaoke documentary just for fun. “I met so many people and had so much fun that it reinforced my desire to make movies,” says Raffi. He did the writing, directing, editing, and filming. (“Nights of Karaoke” can be viewed on YouTube.)
His next project will take a slightly different turn. “I wanted to do something completely different, like a Foxy Brown/Shaft type film,” says Raffi. He plans to finish the film this year and enter it into festivals in 2013. Even though the movie will have a “cheesy 70s retro look,” Raffi says that it will have some important underlying themes like women’s empowerment, racial equality, and strong family ties. “For me to do a film, it’s got to have meaning.”
He is also planning to do a film focused on lost love that will have a very art house feel to it. “One thing that has really inspired me is the history of film, including silent and foreign films,” says Raffi.
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