A famous ice cream shop owner and former Vice President of production at Paramount Pictures spoke today about his career and transition from Savannah to Los Angeles.

Stratton Leopold, owner of Leopold’s Ice Cream in Savannah, spoke at 4 p.m. inside the Black Box Theatre.

“If you’re in film or furniture design, decide what you want to do and pursue it. Don’t let people point you where to go, be decisive,” said Leopold.

Leopold went through frame by frame into action scenes he produced from “Mission: Impossible III” and “The Sum of All Fears.”

Leopold also spoke on the importance of networking, writing, budgeting and decision making in the film industry.

“You’ve got to work at, get out there and try different things. He showed that you have to do whatever it takes to get where you want to be,” Pam Bourland-Davis, main organizer of the event and department chair of the department of communication arts, said.

I think the most telling part of the presentation was him stressing the importance of writing, Bourland-Davis said.

“I think it was interesting to hear his story, how he went from city to city trying to pursue his dream. He made it seem so easy,” Brooke Rabon, presentation attendee and senior journalism major at GSU, said.

After the presentation audience members had a Q&A with Leopold.

Leopold said, “I love doing things like this. I received so much help from people when I was coming through the ranks the least I can do is help where I can.”