SFA is looking for new members to help in film and videoproductions. Looking for something new and different to do thisyear? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work on afilm production? Students who answered yes may be interested tohear that SMU’s Student Filmmaker’s Association isbeginning its new year and is looking for creative and ambitiousstudent members.
The Student Filmmaker’s Association, or SFA, is astudent-run organization that works on both film and videoproduction projects. Each year SFA produces several short filmprojects including two digital video projects and one 16mmproject.
Carolyn Macartney, a professor in the Cinema-Televisiondepartment, works as the faculty advisor to the organization byproviding guidance from her years of production experience.Macartney is beginning her second year with SFA and is excited forwhat’s in the future for this organization. “SFA is agreat opportunity for those eager students who want to becomeinvolved in making films.” SFA was started on campus”to provide a filmmaking community outside the classroom, tobe run by and for students,” said Macartney.
SFA is not just open to Cinema-Television majors, but to allstudents. “Qualifications that are important are enthusiasm,energy, endurance, responsibility, creativity and reliability. Anyknowledge of film, technical as well as aesthetic, is a bigbonus,” Professor Macartney said.
SFA held its second meeting last Tuesday to discuss ideas forthe upcoming year. One important topic discussed was the need forscripts for upcoming film and video projects. SFA members will bedeciding which short scripts to put into production after allscripts are submitted in two weeks. Scripts can be submitted by allstudents and must be under 10 pages in length. After the scriptsfor the projects are decided on, SFA members vote on the differentpositions for the production including director, lighting designand director of photography for each production. The rest of themembers work as the production crew, which assist the director andinsure the production goes smoothly. Each member is encouraged tolet the producer know what position he or she is most interestedin. Having several productions ensures each member will get anequal opportunity to work in different positions.
Along with the three production projects, SFA also puts on anannual film festival in the spring at either the Magnolia orAngelika Theater. The festival accepts film and video entries fromall students whether or not they are SFA members. The film festivalgives students the opportunity to showcase their filmmaking talentsby showing their work on the big screen.
SFA members will also be competing in a 24-hour video race inthe coming weeks. In the 24-hour video race, teams are givenseveral lines of dialogue, props, a specific location and 24 hoursto shoot and edit a short video project containing all providedelements. All projects are later screened at the next SFA meetingand the most creative and well-produced entry is designated thewinner.
Students looking for a way to get involved with film and videoproduction or who are just looking to try something new this year,may be interested in getting more information about SFA. VicePresident Jay Mandyam not only enjoys SFA for the valuableproduction experiences it provides, but also the relationships thatcan be developed with other like-minded students. “It’sa good place to get advice that pertains to films and film as amajor. It’s a good source of information,” saysMayndam.
There is still time to join this organization. SFA meets everyTuesday at 5:30 p.m. in room 117 in the Umphrey-Lee Center. Formore information e-mail Jay Mandyam at [email protected] and SFApresident Kyle Hiemenz at [email protected] or check out SFA on theweb at http://people.smu.edu/sfa.
