Brandon Schantz

Brandon Schantz (1980 - December 6, 2007) was a broadcaster, sports director and television producer. He was, perhaps, best known as an on-camera host for Movies.com and for producing music videos for the rock band Rooney. cite news |first=Diane |last=Hollaway|title=Farewell to UT grad on MTV’s ‘Real World’ |url=http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/tvblog/entries/2008/06/25/farewell_to_ut_grad_on_mtvs_real_world.html |work= Austin American-Statesman |publisher=Rocky Mount Telegram |date=2008-06-23 |accessdate=2008-07-09]

Schantz was a native of San Francisco and graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in the East Bay neighborhood of Danville, California.

Schantz graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in 2002. He worked as a production intern with KEYE-TV, an Austin, Texas, CBS affiliate from 2000 until 2002 while attending the University of Texas. Additionally, Schantz also interned within the sports department at KXAN.

Schantz was hired as the Sports Director at KGWN-TV, a CBS affiliate in Cheyenne, Wyoming, upon his graduation from college. In doing so, Schantz, who was 22 years old when he was hired by KGWN, became the become the youngest local news station sports director in the history of the CBS network. cite news |first=|last=|title=Brandon Schantz Memorial Endowment Fund |url=http://communication.utexas.edu/support/giving/scholarships/PROD75_013453.html |work=University of Texas College of Communication |publisher=|date= |accessdate=2008-07-09] He also appeared on camera at KGWN as a sports reporter and Sportscaster.

Schantz departed KGWN in the mid-2000s and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a producer and television host. He established a production company at the age of 25, Brandon Schantz Productions, which specializes in television, music videos, web and new media. He worked as a videographer for several music videos created by his company, including for Rooney ("I Should've Been After You"), a Southern California based rock band.

Schantz was also hired as an on-camera host and producer for Movies.com, which has since been acquired by the Walt Disney Company.

Death

Schantz was diagnosed with lymphoma in the Spring of 2007, and underwent surgery for the disease in October 2007. He continued to work on his production company and Movies.com while undergoing treatment. During this time, he made a brief appearance in the seventh episode of ', which was filmed in 2007, and aired June 25, 2008. Schantz, who was working as a host and producer for Movies.com at the time, gave internships to three "Real World" cast members, Kimberly Alexander, Nick Brown and Sarah Ralston, who sought to become on-air hosts. Schantz died on December 6, 2007, at the age of 27. His death, and Brown's reaction to it, was chronicled on-camera. [ [http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/realworld-season20/episode/episode.jhtml?episodeId=134983 Summary page for ', Episode 11 ("Making It") at mtv.com] ] [ [http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1589611&vid=252363 Video of "The Real World: Hollywood", Episode 11 at mtv.com] ] He was survived by his parents, Sean and Kim Schantz, his siblings, Ryan and Kaylee, his grandparents and his fiancée, Christin Anderson.

References

External links

* [http://www.realworlddailies.com/Post/Brandon-Schantz-Inspires/0115FEF0000EF5F110008009AAE46 Brandon Schantz on the Real World]
* [http://communication.utexas.edu/support/giving/scholarships/PROD75_013453.html Brandon Schantz Memorial Endowment Fund]
* [http://www.brandonschantzproductions.com/ Brandon Schantz Productions]
* [http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2008/06/25/TopStories/Ut.Alum.Left.Mark.On.Tv.Producing-3385071.shtml The Daily Texan: UT alum left mark on TV, producing]