Experience is the name of the game when it comes to making headway in the real-world job market where experience trumps all.
Although interning is an integral part of college life students aren’t often given the opportunity to get their hands dirty. But the students of TC 470 and FILM 480 were presented with an opportunity to step into real-life film production roles take what they’ve learned and put it to use.
This semester six teams and a senior thesis group were let loose to put their knowledge and skills to the test by creating short films from the ground up. With no input from their instructor Professor Susan Salas it was up to the seven crews to develop a short for their final project of the semester.
Each member of the team played a crucial part in every stage of production of the short. From pitching potential ideas for the script to helping with scheduling and casting students were able to see their projects go from the stages of pre-production to principal filming and finally to post-production in the editing room. Team members filled the most important roles that are seen in big-budget projects. Each team had a director screenwriter producer director of photography and editor which allowed students the opportunity to delve deep into their positions and see what it’s all about.
Apart from getting the chance to take on real production roles students had to come together to collaborate and learn how to work closely with other people.
“It’s all student projects senior Lacey Gibson said, director of her team’s short. What happens is we come with our ideas and each individual pitches an idea and as a group we select someone else’s idea and then we write our own screenplays. We have a director of photography a producer an editor and a director.
“And in addition to that we hold casting calls and we have to do our own scheduling. It’s really been a team effort to make sure that everything has continuity that we’re not jump cutting.”
Students gain priceless experience by leading their short through the various stages of production.
“A textbook can only go so far Gibson said. And you can only read so much. The hands on experience is where you really get the knowledge and your basics from. And it’s so much fun to work with your peers and see what you can do and what you can create.”
And it’s the class’ hands on experience that’s really made the process so worthwhile.
“It puts a real life context into what we want to do for a living said senior Sean Carroll, producer of his group’s short. It’s kind of like a good push out the door for us if you will. We basically have to do everything from the ground up. [Professor] Salas has us do everything from location scouting to casting calls so it’s really like a real life process.
“Being a producer I’ve learned how much work goes into that. It’s nice working with a team where people are all doing different elements so instead of cutting yourself thin by doing different things at the same time you’re more narrowly focused on what you got to do.”
Aside from their production roles the students also got to experience the position of other aspects of filming. Groups had the choice to limit their crew online to those in the class or to get fellow peers to volunteer with the process.
“I’m the screenwriter [but for today] I held the boom senior Lexie Sebring said. Sean Carroll is the producer but he slated for every scene. So you kind of learn a little bit about everything which is really great so then when you’re on set in the real world you know ‘hey! I know that person is the grip’ or whatever.”
Far past their filming and into editing the senior thesis group brought in a student composer to create a track for the short.
“It’s been amazing junior said Houston Fry, who is also an intern for Hans Zimmer’s production company. It was kind of nerve-wracking when I showed it [the track] to them because they either love it or they hate it.”
On why the opportunity to compose for the short was important Fry said “It’s the idea of getting to practice what I want to do in the future.”
And for most of the TC 470 and FILM 480 students being a part of a large-scale production crew is where they hope to eventually land when they graduate.
“When each one of us is solely responsible for editing producing and DP-ing [director of photography] you really find out whether or not you really like doing that said senior Maeve Majali, producer of her team’s short. You’re actually doing this all by yourself for the first time, so you have to figure out if you enjoy it.
With the real-world setting of the classes and the stress of staying on schedule and sticking with their mock budgets students are getting the chance to really make sure going into film or television production is where they want to be.
Since the majority of the students are seniors the shorts also provide students with material for the real world.
“It’s their project not mine said Professor Susan Salas, who runs both classes.
Salas stresses the importance of classroom knowledge and firsthand experience by ensuring that students get the opportunity to explore film production by doing more than just sitting in class, especially for those considering entering the film and television world.
[In class] they learn how to do everyone’s job. By the time they go out [and film] the whole plan for me is that they are all confident and prepared. The outcome is an original short Salas said.
And the freedom of producing something wholly original with a team is what senior Nick Foiles, producer of his team’s short, enjoyed most.
It was the full creative license that I appreciated Foiles said. There wasn’t a whole lot that we couldn’t do. Having that free reign no one felt that they could procrastinate but then on top of that everyone was just so enthused to start the project from the green light. I can’t imagine working with a better group of people.”