Chip Rittenhouse is a producer and filmmaker from the Appalachian Valley of western Maryland, currently studying producing at UCLA. Before coming to UCLA, he spent several years working in physical production in Los Angeles, with experience ranging from independent shorts, music videos and commercials to productions for ESPN, NASA and NBC’s The Voice. He has also worked in development at Valhalla Entertainment, Story House, Atomic Monster and Project X Entertainment.
Chip is primarily interested in producing feature films, particularly horror, science fiction, thrillers and action. He gravitates toward working-class characters, outsiders and ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations. At this point in his career, he’s especially interested in high-concept films that can be pitched in a single sentence, where the premise alone gives an audience a good idea of the movie they’re about to see. He’s drawn to stories built around a clear external problem, goal and stakes, with character revealed through the choices people make rather than lengthy examinations of their internal psychology.
He believes movies should first and foremost entertain, move an audience and be worth the time people spend watching them. Rather than intellectualizing what makes a movie work, he’s interested in the practical challenge of making a good one. Some of his favorite films include Children of Men, The Thing, Rocky, Ex Machina and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Research and Creative Interests
High-concept films, feature film producing, horror, science fiction, action, thrillers, independent filmmaking and physical production.
Education
MFA, Theater Film & Television, Producing, UCLA (in progress)
BA, Media & Communication with a minor in Anthropology. UMBC