Soon, film fans in Hillsdale might not have to travel far to attend an indie film festival, thanks to the Film and Production Club.
The new club, approved by Student Federation on Feb. 2, is offering a creative environment for student filmmakers to perfect and showcase their work on campus. Club President senior Kayla Stetzel said the organization’s purpose is to “inform, inspire, encourage, and create.”
“This club is really for anyone interested in filmmaking, regardless of prior experience,” Vice President sophomore Jordyn Pair said in an email. “And we need all sorts of people with all sorts of interests. There are so many skills that go into making a movie, and we need people for all of them.”
After taking a film production course during the summer, Stetzel decided to bring what she learned back to Hillsdale College, she said. Pair said she had also become interested in starting a film club, so the two joined forces.
“I knew we had a lot of students on campus interested in filmmaking and had a real passion for doing it, but we didn’t have anything like the club,” Stetzel said.
The club will hold meetings twice a month, which will be partially informational but largely a chance for students to work on their films together.
“Each meeting is going to be focused on particular areas of filmmaking,” Stetzel said. “Like how to compose good shots or how to edit effectively.”
Meetings will begin with a short lecture from Stetzel or a guest speaker in the future. Then, students will work on projects, offering critiques or sharing resources.
Pair said she is looking forward to opportunities the club will provide to display student work such as a film festival that will occur at least once a year.
“It’d be a great way for students to get feedback on their films and have people see them,” Pair said.
Student Federation Freshman Rep. Lukas Swenson said he voted to approve the club because it will create a place for students to work together to produce films, providing a service that did not previously exist on campus.
“It will allow students to focus on major skill sets involved in production and film and to pool resources and offer a support system as they develop their talents and grow as filmmakers,” Swenson said.
Campus clubs normally enter a probationary period for their first semester, which allows them to remain unofficial while Student Federation observes how they operate. However, the federation voted by a two-thirds majority to forgo the wait with the Film and Production Club.
“We saw they were in good standing and had a good set of leadership,” Swenson said. “They demonstrated that they could operate as a successful club right away.”
Interested students may attend an informational meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Kendall 235, where pizza will be provided.
“If you’re interested in writing, shooting, lighting, editing, directing, producing, or anything else remotely related to filmmaking, we would love to have you,” Pair said.
