Big Screen, Small Budget: Students Films Premiere

Student films premiered on the big screen at Foothill Cinema in Azusa on April 29 with ten projects by APU students. The films and videos ranged from three to five minutes, 10-minute shorts, and 10-15 minute films. Three films, the Cinema and Broadcast Arts Greenlighted Projects, were sponsored by the school on the premise that the amount raised—up to $2,500—would be matched by the school. The other projects were funded independently. Filming, directing, editing, photography, producing, acting, and writing were all handled by students with help from professors and Hollywood professionals. While the stereotypical student films are black and white with random sequences titled “J’ai Faim” and end with the word “Fin,” APU films were intentionally chosen with a clear beginning, middle, and end. “The student films reflected the importance of story through cinematic narrative, and the result translated into a packed house," said Thom Parham, Ph.D., associate professor of communications studies. The stories were pitched last spring and have been worked on throughout the entire year. “Film is what I came to APU to study,” said Stewart Redwine ’05, who did camera work for two projects. “I was able to utilize APU's high-quality equipment, and it showed in the project ‘Room and Board.’” Redwine did cinematography for “Room and Board,” the only film created without faculty involvement by the Azusa Film Society—a group of APU film majors. Redwine also did camera work for a documentary titled, “Aloha Hoahanau”—meaning “brotherhood.” The documentary featured five friends who followed their sixth friend to the Olympic Games. This sixth friend was silver medalist Bryan Clay ’03. The projects featured a variety of topics from stealing toilet paper to a submarine saga. For more information on upcoming film projects, contact the Cinema and Broadcast Arts Program at (626) 812-3044.

Posted: May 10, 2005