Donald Preston Cato

The Early Years

Donald Preston Cato’s trajectory as a multi-disciplinary artist, community developer, city planner, landscape architect, filmmaker, writer and event producer spans decades. Starting in the 1970’s Preston was a practicing Landscape Architect working first at Sasaki Associates and then Moriece & Gary both in Boston. At the same time he was satisfying his interest in film by developing his skills at the Orson Wells Film School. When he relocated to Eugene Oregon he was able to immerse himself in developing his skills in the Motion Graphics Department at the UofO while he pursued his MLA there at the same time.

In 1978, Cato was among the first Western filmmakers allowed into China, producing China Dawning: Behind Silk Curtains, which was screened on Beijing TV and at the Portland Art Museum. His short film, Pipeline Patrol, won an ‘Annie Award’ from ASIFA EAST and a Silver Medal at Cannes 28th Amature Festival and his City of Eugene Bicentennial documentary Skinners’ Beaut was featured by the World Futures Society. In 1988, he packaged & directed his first feature film, Dixie Lanes, starring Karen Black, Hoyt Axton, and Nina Foch and it was distributed to over 40 countries by Miramax and aired as a CBS movie of the week.

After moving to NYC in the late 1980s, Cato co-produced the award-winning Off-Broadway production For Play Improvised Theatre which went on to win Manhattan Association of Cabaret (MAC) award for Best Comedy and The Backstage Bistro Awards for Best Director. In 2004 he was in the first wave of teachers to be hired at the Digital Film Academy where he taught for almost 20 years before the school relocated to Atlanta.

FOR PLAY Improvised Theatre Off-Off Broadway (1987 – 1990)

  • Backstage Bistro AWARD to Katha Cato for BEST DIRECTOR
  • Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) WINNER for BEST COMEDY GROUP
  • Producer, Set & Lighting Designer
  • Executive Producer: Hal Blake & HBTV NYC

Champollion, The Egyption (1988)

  • Treatment adapted from Christian Jacq’s Historical Novel
  • Waguih Takla, Producer
  • Scarab Odysseys Productions, Inc.

Murder She Wrote (1985)

  • Episodic Television, Episode “A Lady in the Lake” Starring Angela Landsbury
  • Eugene, Oregon – Local Casting Associate
  • Universal Television

Bartles & Jaymes Wine Cooler (1985)

  • TV Commercials
  • Northwest Casting Associate
  • Gallo Wine Corp, Napa, Ca
  • Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, San Francisco

Freelance Photographer (1986-1993)

  • Promotional Stills for NYC theatre artists as seen in New York Times, New York Magazine, BackStage Magazine & NY Post

Dixie Lanes (1986 – 1988)

  • Narrative Feature (92:00 min)
  • Starring Karen Black, Hoyt Axton, Moses Gunn, Ruth Buzzi
  • Director, Co-Writer, Original Story
  • Panavison 35mm Agfa color negative
  • Miramax Theatrical Worldwide release in 40 countries (1988)
  • CBS Movie of the Week (1989
  • S.C. Entertainment, David H. Brady Productions, Toronto, Canada

The Water Machine (1985)

  • Corporate Production Demonstration & Sales Film
  • Instrumental in closing large corporate sale of the company (7:00 min)
  • 16mm Color Reversal
  • Writer, Director
  • AquaFitness Inc. Eugene Oregon

Garbagio’s (1976 – 1985)

  • Independent Business First US consumer owned recycling & garbage co-op company
  • Co-Founder – Board Member
  • Michael Gravino, Co-Founder – President

The Sun Shop (1981)

  • Cell Animated Commercial (00:30 sec)
  • 16mm – 35mm Agfa Color Blow up
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • Paul Ollswang Animator – Artist
  • The Sun Shop, Inc, Eugene, Oregon

The Double Hung Window (1981)

  • Independent Art Installation
  • 10 Foot Tall Free Standing Double Hung Window
  • Winner Monumental Sculpture Competition
  • Public Art Installation
  • City of Eugene Cultural Services

How To Beat The High Cost of Living (1980)

  • Narrative Feature, starring Jessica Lange, Jane Curtin, Richard Benjamin
  • Day Player, Local Extra Casting Assistant.
  • Filmways Productions – Now MGM

The Floating Museum (1980)

  • Multi-Media Participatory Art Installation at Eugene Hotel
  • Installed and supplied 16mm Film Elements, Lighting Design & Casting
  • Concept by San Francisco Artist Lynn Hershman-Leesan

Eugene Filmmakers Cinematheque (1978 -1980)

  • Director & Programmer
  • Distributor Chinese Films (1979-1980)

Recycle This (1979)

  • Short Environmental Documentary (7:00 min)
  • 16mm Agfa color reversal
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • Oregon Public Interest Research Group

China Dawning – Behind Silk Curtains (1978)

  • Observational Documentary People’s Republic of China (28:02 min)
  • Fourth Westerner allowed to film in China.
  • Super 8mm Sound Sync Ektachrome
  • Director, Cinematographer, Co-Editor with David Joyce
  • Eatable City Productions, Richard Britz Producer

The Mystery Event (1978)

  • Interactive Art Installation & Live Performance “Round”
  • Swings, Songs, Santa & The Kitchen Sink
  • Winner Open Gallery Performance Competition
  • Creator, Producer & Directed
  • Open Gallery, Eugene, Oregon

National Network Broadcast (1978)

  • Stop Motion Animated Segments
  • Director, Cinematographer, Editor & Animator
  • 16mm Ektachrome
  • National Television Bureau of Advertising – TVB

The Music Bar, KLCC Radio (1978)

  • Live Action TV Commercial (00:30)
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • 16mm Agfa color negative
  • NPR Public Radio, Lane Community College

A Worm’s Tale (1978)

  • A “Pseudo” Documentary (15:00)
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • 16mm Ektachrome
  • This 5K “Pseudo” Doc sales film grossed $750,000 in worm farm sales.
  • Longs Longlife Wormery, Eugene, Oregon

Burger Express – Drive Through Burgers (1978)

  • Regional TV Spots (3 x 00:30 min)
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • 16mm Ektachrome
  • Burger Express, Inc. Medford, OR

Stand By Me (1977)

  • Narrative Feature, starring River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connel, Keifer Southerland
  • Local Extra Casting Associate
  • Columbia Pictures

Skinner’s Beaut (1977)

  • City of Eugene Bicentennial Film Documentary (26:27 min)
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • 16mm Ektachrome
  • World Futures Society selection: Tribute to Anthropologist Margaret Mead
  • Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY
  • City of Eugene Planning Department, Oregon

McClusky Canal Master Plan, South Dakota (1976)

  • US Army Corp of Engineers
  • Construction Design & Cost Estimate
  • William Wenk Landscape Architect, Project Director

Visual Resource Manager (1976)

  • Willamette National Forest
  • Master Planning for Forest Access Roads
  • National Forest Service, Eugene, Oregon

Mill Right (1976)

  • Short Documentary about first computer operated Lumber Mill (8:00 min)
  • Super 8mm Sync Sound Ektachrome
  • Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • Tomco Inc, Amos Horner, Owner, Marcola, Oregon

KLCC Radio Branding TV Commercial (1976 )

  • Stop Motion TV Commercial (00:30 )
  • Created RADIOMAN CHARACTER which became the Station Mascot
  • 16mm Ektachrome
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • NPR Public Radio, Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon

Jim Weaver for US Congress, District 4, Oregon (1975)

  • Political TV Advertisements
  • Mr. Weaver won and served 94th-99th Congress (1975-1987)
  • 16mm Sound Sync Ektachrome
  • Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor

The Attempt to Canoe Down the Mackenzie River (1975)

  • Short Documentary (25:00 min)
  • Super 8mm Sync Sound Color
  • Director, Cinematographer, Editor
  • Jason Colson, Australian Master of Canoe & Kayak
  • To date, no one has successfully canoed down the Mackenzi River

Grand Prize Winner Photography (1975)

  • Photographs
  • Refocus International Photography Competition
  • Ames, Iowa

Bicycle Transit, Its Planning and Design (1975)

  • 164 page book focused on bicycle transit, planning and design
  • Book Design and Project Producer
  • Bruce L. Balshone, Author
  • Praeger Publishers, Inc

Moriece & Gary, Landscape Architects – Cambridge Massachusetts (1970-1972)

  • Lead Designer/Project Manager for the firm’s following clients
  • Harvard Square For People Improvement Plan, Harvard Square For People
  • Gloucester Middle School, Gloucester, MA, E. J. Tedesco, Architects
  • Arverne Housing Authority – Arverne Housing, Far Rockaway, NY, NYCHA Architects
  • Massasoit Community College Massasoit, MA

Sasaki Associates, Landscape Architects, Watertown, Mass (1972-1973)

  • Senior Staff/Designer for the firm’s following projects
  • Baxter Corporate Headquarters, Deerfield, IL Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Architects
  • Deere & Company – Administrative Center, Moline, IL, Eero Saarinen Associates Architects
  • Consortio Costa Smeralda – Hotel & Resort, Sardinia, Italy
  • Norfolk-Ghent Redevelopment – Waterfront Historical Redevelopment, Norfolk, VA
  • Quail Ridge Resort & Golf Course, Boynton Beach, Florida
  • First Church of Christ Science – Christian Science Center, Boston, MA, with I.M. Pei, Architect
  • John Hancock Life Insurance – John Hancock Tower, Boston, MA with I.M. Pei, Architect
  • Kodak Industrial Park, Detroit, MI

Boston Society of Landscape Architects Newsletter (1971)

  • Editor, Writer, Publisher
  • Expanded readership from under 100 to over 500

City of Lansing Parks & Recreation, Lansing, Michigan (1968-1970)

  • Public Park Designer
  • Lansing Zoo Renovation Plan with New Prairie Dog Exhibit
  • Multiple Ball Field Parks
  • Trail & Picnic Areas
  • North Lansing Drop-In Center, Repurpose a dilapidated warehouse space into a Youth Drop-In Center “safe space”.