Simkins grew up in South Bend, Indiana.[1] He attended Clay High School, where, in 1973, he start being active in the production of the Junior Achievement-sponsored comedy series Beyond Our Control.[1] Simkins learned the basics of television production on the series, which was broadcast locally on WNDU-TV.[1] After graduating high school in 1977, he studied film and broadcasting at The University of Iowa, earning a bachelor's degree in 1982.[1]
Career
He moved to Los Angeles, California, and got his first job at Sandy Howard Productions answering phones, and later reviewing and budgeting film scripts.[1] Simkins told The South Bend Tribune, "That's where I learned how scripts were written … I learned how they came up with a budget."[1] He later worked for a short period of time as a development executive for New World Pictures.[1]
In 2022, Simkins was hired as coordinator and facilitator for the "Study Away: LA" program, a semester internship program for Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Film and Animation (SOFA).[3]
Filmography
The projects[4] that Simkins has been involved with include:
↑Clarke, Kristyn (13 August 2019). "WU Assassins: Behind the Fight". Age of the Nerd (www.ageofthenerd.com). Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
