A smooth ride
Student crew films 'Turbulence' on Hollywood jet
By Jayne Gest
Athens to LA can mean quite a transition for an aspiring filmmaker. Luckily, dozens of graduates stand ready to help newcomers survive the Hollywood shark pool.
The West Coast crew really outdid itself this past spring when 16 students in Telecommunications 419, aka Narrative Production, traveled to Los Angeles to film their final project, "Turbulence," aboard a rented airplane mockup.
Alumni were only too happy to help. They scouted the set and took pictures in the weeks before the students' trip, housed the crew and even provided equipment when a camera failed.
"I couldn't help but smile and think that both friendships and careers were being forged," says Frederick Lewis, an associate professor of telecommunications who has taught 419 for the past six years.
"Turbulence" Director Patrick Norman, a third-year video production major on his first trip to California, says the graduates' support made the experience a little less daunting.
"Seeing the strength of the network helped reassure me," he says. "I learned how things work in LA, and it alleviated a lot of apprehension."
It's easy to see why Norman might have been nervous. He and the others working on "Turbulence" -- which depicts a man's experience on an airplane when he refuses to switch seats with another passenger -- decided to film their project in North Hollywood in a mockup that replicates the inside of a full-size jet.
Within 24 hours of selecting the project, crew members ditched the idea of building their own set and pushed to film it in the mockup. It would have cost $17,000 to have the "plane" shipped to Athens, so the students decided to fly to the West Coast instead.
Through benefit concerts, loans from parents and Thursday-night bake sales on Court Street, they raised the $5,500 they needed to rent the mock-up for 30 hours. They cut additional costs with a group flight discount and by staying at the homes of former 419ers.
The two-quarter Narrative Production course is made up of 20 students, mostly juniors and seniors, who are assigned to specific positions in one of the five projects based on an application process. Each team recruits additional members, typically younger students, to fill the remaining roles. In all, more than 100 students contribute to the projects.
During winter quarter, they select scripts, form small production companies, hold auditions and recruit additional crew members. The production and post-production phases take place spring quarter.
Giving students a realistic look at how movies are made is the main goal, Lewis says. "It's very intense and hands-on, as close as we can get to the real deal," he adds.
Jordan Blum, BSC '05, a director's assistant who moved to LA a year ago, was among those pitching in to help the "Turbulence" crew. He says he still uses the experience -- and film reels -- he gained in 419 in job searches.
"We always want to help," Blum says, "because 419 is what got us all here."
Jayne Gest, BSJ '05, was a student writer for University Communications and Marketing in 2005-06.
Posted 09-12-06 |
