Professional Recommendations
Lillian Vasquez, KVCR Director of Television
Letter of Reference for Brandon Chappell Summer 2016
When individuals ask for a letter of reference, I take the request seriously because I want everything I state in support of the individual to be accurate and sincere. Therefore, I am happy to write this letter of recommendation for Brandon Chappell.
Brandon has a talent for art and at this point in his life is ready to put his given talent to work. When he has an idea he pours himself into the project making sure no details are overlooked. His work is meaningful and fulfilling. Art, animation, illustration, imagination and storytelling is a career choice that will suit him well.
He also has a soft spot that I feel when given a task of showing emotions in his work of drawing, animation, special effects Brandon will be able to bring his work and his characters to life.
I had the pleasure to work with him on a project for our PBS station. It was nice to collaborate with him, as he was great at hitting deadlines and quick to reply regarding all inquiries and issues.
It is with pleasure and confidence that I recommend Brandon Chappell for an internship or entry level position, and I suspect he will advance to your needs.
Best Regards,
Lillian Vasquez
KVCR, Director of Television
909.384.4331
Alicia Steele, On-Air Fundraising Specialist, WPBA Atlanta's PBS Station
It is with utmost confidence that I proffer this letter of recommendation for Brandon Chappell.
I work with Atlanta’s PBS station, and as part of our community outreach program, we partner with the Atlanta Public Schools quite often. We had the special occasion to bring Brandon, and the author of the book Brandon illustrated, to Atlanta to share the important message of the book (preventing bullying), and to relate information about their individual talents with several of our local elementary schools. At each occasion, there were hundreds of students and educators in attendance. Brandon proved to be sincere and delightfully personal with the audience. It was a pleasure to work with him, and the children were enthralled.
Additionally, as we are also the National Public Radio station in Atlanta, Brandon was able to share information about his passion of illustrating on a broader platform on-air, and was very engaging. He is a talented artist and really puts his heart and soul into the characters he creates and draws.
What impressed me was not only was he really good with the students, but he enthusiastically responded to their requests to demonstrate how quickly he could draw characters. Being able to draw "on the spot" in front of an audience was inspiring. It was a fun, spontaneous moment, making it less of a presentation and more of a participative event. The students were in awe and very appreciative!
Brandon is sincere and kind and those qualities inspire his characters to be more relatable, beloved and life-like. He just completed animating the third book in his www.drewsbooks.com series and addresses a very serious, current and relevant subject with a lovely and engaging book. The book has an important yet simple message to the children regarding basic manners while using cell phones and social media.
I was even more impressed to learn that Brandon's involvement with www.drewsbooks.com is on a volunteer basis! He has tirelessly worked on the three books because he is passionate about a very serious topic: bullying prevention…and he is just as passionate about illustrating!
Unquestionably, when you choose to have Brandon on your team, he will be an incredible, uber-able asset and one worthy of your time and consideration.
Most respectfully,
Alicia Steele
On-Air Fundraising Specialist
WPBA Atlanta’s PBS Station
770.301.9383
Dione Dirito, Publicist
It is my pleasure to write on behalf of Brandon K. Chappell. I would highly recommend Brandon for a position in your organization.
As a publicist in the entertainment industry for 25+ years, I have been very fortunate to have worked with artists receiving Grammy and other prestigious awards. Having worked with an elite level of talent enables me to have an excellent perspective to evaluate artistry and I am proud to say that Brandon is an exceptional talent.
Brandon has impressed me the past three years professionally not only with his talent, but dedication and his character. He is a a very hard working professional. He has always submitted excellent work even when deadlines seemed impossible.
Throughout the creative process from research, scripts, story boards, sketches, and drawings Brandon has surprised me how well he develops his characters and with such "heart." He really has an extraordinary ability to bring delightful characters to life with just expressions and colors.
I am, hopeful, Brandon has more opportunities in the animation arena to broaden his experience. I think he has so much potential and could accomplish some wonderful bodies of work in his career.
Sincerely,
Dione Dirito, Publicist
Jacquie Del Monte, Client
Brandon Chappell is an amazing young man. When I met him he was a gifted child and was always at my house on Palmer Circle in Fairfield helping with my dogs while I was traveling on business and then later assisting with my aging parents. He has always been someone I could count on. He has grown into a talented adult with such an extraordinary character and I am beyond proud of him.
This is where the story starts………four years ago my daughter had a literature assignment and wrote a short children’s story. I happened to have my friend’s daughter visiting us and she loved the very short story and asked if she could use it when she did her volunteer work at the Big Sister’s Program in Washington. Of course, my 11-year old was flattered. She did mention that I should contact Brandon “he is so talented and he could bring the story to life.” I contacted Brandon and he worked on my daughter’s little book tirelessly and then sent it in to have a “real” book for her as a gift. He drove over to our home the day he received it – this is where the distance comes in – I now live in Clayton and he drove the two-hour round trip in traffic to personally present the book to my daughter, who was stunned he did something so kind for her and brought her story to life.
I had the book copyrighted and sent the book to the Big Sister’s Program. Soon there were requests for the book from other schools. Brandon decided he would try developing a “free” App to reach a larger audience. My daughter then decided to use the first book and a second book for her Girl Scout Award Proposal. She felt that most children’s books do not have discussion points for parents and younger children should understand bullying at an early age before the bullying escalates to more violent bullying when they are older. She wrote the discussion points for the books and Brandon added them to the website he developed so parents and teachers could use them and would never have to buy a book making the program free. My daughter received her Gold Award but the adventure didn’t stop there and it really has evolved into a sustainable program and has demanded so much of Brandon’s time but he has never complained. I have been there during school assemblies, etc., and Brandon is phenomenal. He is actually shy but he leaves his comfort zone to inspire preschool to high school age audiences. My daughter is busy with high school but receiving feedback from just a few people saying, “the books really comforted my little brother or sister because they were teased” has inspired her to accomplish her high school work while using her weekends to text Brandon coming up with ways to make the world a better place because they both proved that each person can make a difference.
The characters from the books, Drew and Boo, actually feel like part of our family and this would not have ever happened without Brandon’s brilliant and creative drawings. He is a generous and phenomenal young man with a strong work ethic and an amazing heart!
All the best,
Jacquie Del Monte