YSU’s Club for Future Filmmakers

By Jambar Contributor

Brent Bigelow

This is not a club for the average film buff. This is a club for those who want to create films.

The President of the YSU Film Club, Aaron Harris, said, “It’s the way artists like me can transfer the way we see things and allow others to see our vision.”

Harris said people in the YSU community have the wrong image of the YSU Film Club.

“The thing I want people to realize is that we don’t just grab cameras and say we are filmmakers. It is a long and tedious process. We juggle with perfection and script changes,” Harris said, “We want to make great content, but to achieve that we need everybody to be on board. This is an opportunity for all students to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

Miles Garrett, vice president of the YSU Film Club, said the club is more hands-on and focuses on the filmmaking process compared to appreciating classic films that are already highly praised.

“Most classes that are offered in the film area are directed more toward film appreciation and book knowledge on how to make film,” Miles said. “We are here to compensate for what students don’t quite get in their classes. We set out to give students the opportunity to get hands-on experience creating and crafting their own short films.”

The YSU Film Club watches YouTube videos about the filmmaking process by such creators as FilmRiot and D4Darious. Miles said FilmRiot gets into the “nitty-gritty” of filmmaking.

Club secretary Ann Marie Lowerre said watching these videos helps the club understand the behind-the-scene of filmmaking, such as how to compose a shot, how to work cameras and how to set up lights and audio equipment.

Lowerre said she enjoys watching students from the club grow.

“Everyone learns more and more each week. Their end products of production are what I’m looking forward to the most,” Lowerre said.

“I am really interested in acting in front of the camera,” Lowerre said. “We get a lot of practice acting onstage, and I wanted to try somewhere else. I also want to see how film crews work for future jobs.”

The YSU Film Club made a short film last year that took about three weeks to make. Harris said he had a lot of people joining the club and then dropping it because it wasn’t what they thought it was. Students joined thinking it was a movie-watching club and didn’t come back.

Only three members remained in the club, Harris said, from the last movie they made. The majority of the meetings lately have been for teaching new members the hands-on aspect of filmmaking.

“Starting off with a new membership team and a new student group, so once everyone is on the same page, the movies will be made,” Harris said.

The YSU Film Club meets Wednesdays at 4 p.m. in the Bliss Hall audio lab, room 2022.