Stories With No Words in MFA Edward Loupe's Class

Nick Jackson, an MFA in Film candidate, interviewed Edward Loupe, another MFA in Film candidate and instructor. Their conversation follows: 

What is your role with the BFA undergrad film program?

 I'm the instructor for Film 2050, "Technical Toolbox". It's the basic film production course that all incoming BFA students take at the film school.

How many students are in your class and is the instruction remote? Does Phase 2 have an effect on this program?

Phase 2 has had a huge effect. Since phase 2, the class is divided into two sections - remote & socially distant in-person. There are currently 8 remote students, and 17 in-person. Before phase 2, all 25 students were remote learning.

How has the pandemic impacted this semester's curriculum and how has the program adjusted to it?

The pandemic has fundamentally altered the semester's curriculum, and the film school as a whole. Filmmaking is a thoroughly collaborative, in-person thing, so we've had to revamp our teaching style to make sure students learn while in isolation. This means re-imagining projects, equipment, screenings, and working together.

What type of projects are your students developing?

Each student will be completing four projects this semester. Four short films, each one with a specific prompt and set of requirements. The projects have been designed to be workable in isolation, and with the limited resources the students have. So far, they've completed one of their projects, which (I think) turned out amazing. In their first project, sounds & words were both forbidden, so they had to find ways of crafting stories visually. Soon we'll be watching their second projects, which I call the 'Selfless Self Portrait', in which they make a movie about themselves, but without ever showing themself on-screen. I'm super excited to see them.

What types of filmmaking skills do these projects work to strengthen?

All filmmaking, made in a pandemic or not, means working inside your limitations. For the students in my class, their projects are about getting comfortable with the process of creating & screening work - this is fundamental to being a filmmaker. And they'll be learning this while working inside incredible limitations. In a certain way, the pandemic will strengthen them as artists. If they can make movies right now, then nothing can stop them.