Last Wednesday, students filed into the auditorium to watch Marshall?s first student film festival. The event showcased short films produced by Marshall students and was arranged by Film Studies teacher Pierce Bello.
Other schools with film studies and production classes have held similar film festivals to screen their students? work and Bello wanted to offer the same opportunity to his Film Studies students. However, Bello decided to allow any Marshall student to submit pieces because he believes ?all students who make films deserve to showcase their talent to peers. So, this film festival allows students to share their artistic merits in film with others.?
The festival featured five short films, each lasting under six minutes. One group of students produced the film ?Cast and Crew,? a ?mockumentary? about producing a film. Freshman Jessica Frye, who helped act in the video, said, ?The filming took only about two days after school but, to produce the entire film, it took about a month including coming up with the idea and script, filming, and then editing.?
Despite the many hours spent producing the video, many groups actually enjoyed the process and found it both a learning experience as well as a great time with friends. Frye commented, ?It was a blast, we had problems with cameras and had to run around the school in tutus and other costumes asking teachers for batteries!?
For many groups, the videos they showed at the festival were not the first they had produced.
Sophomore Nathaniel Chen submitted his video ?Drift? to the Video Fairfax competition last year and won second place.
Other students such as junior Christine Brown started producing even earlier.
?Back in sixth grade … I got a camera for graduation and just started filming ever since,? Brown said.
Junior Caroline Goh also started producing at a young age.
?I started at age five when my parents unfortunately gave me a video camera and I filmed so many little shows with my sister using our stuffed animals,? Goh said.
For the festival, Brown and Goh produced a stop motion of pictures put to the music ?I sing and I swim.?
To produce the short film, the pair spent about two days for shooting the photos they needed.
They spent another two weeks editing the movie before it was ready to go to the big screen.
?I?m a big film buff and spend 2 to 3 hours a day working on movies,? Brown said. ?It?s pretty bad.?
Goh and Brown wish to carry their hobbies into professional jobs when they grow up.
?I definitively want to go into film editing when I grow up, it?s one of my goals in life,? Brown said.
?I always wanted to be a screenwriter, I just don?t know if I?m good enough,? Goh said.
Based on the success of this year?s event, Bello wishes to make the film festival an annual event. ?In time, I?d like to offer prizes and have judges come and award our most talented films.”
? Whatever their dream may be, both film students and teacher hope to continue producing great films and festivals.
In reference to the festival, Bello said, ?with time?the turnout will be greater and more people will see all the great things about films.?