Introduction to Video Production is the kind of course that attracts students from every corner of the campus community. Up to four sections of the course fill up every semester, bringing together aspiring producers, business majors keen to learn a bit about film making, and everyone in between.
“The class really broadened my thinking in terms of film production, and the time and effort that goes into it,” says Liberal Studies and Marketing major Dimitry Marcelin, a sophomore who began producing videos in high school. “It’s a great course if you want to fully appreciate what goes into films.”
The course debuted a few years back as one of several developed for the Media and Culture major and the Media Arts and Society concentration in the Liberal Studies major – two fast-growing academic programs at Bentley. The architects were Senior Lecturer in English Elizabeth LeDoux and Assistant Professor of English Heide Solbrig. The course is a springboard for students planning advanced study in film production, and an overview for those with other career plans.
“Media is tied to everything now,” observes Lecturer in English Jeffery Stern, who has taught the course for six semesters. “Video and multimedia presentation is critical to business, so it’s important to understand how it all works. Beyond the technological aspect, being able to tell a story or communicate an idea is important for anyone in business.”
Tools of the Trade
Stern starts the course with a survey of the filmmaker’s tools: screenwriting, camera work, lighting, sound, editing, and more. For the first big assignment, students pair up to create a one-minute video short that involves scripting, lighting and editing – but no sound. The final project is a full-blown, four- to seven-minute video, which students create in teams of four or five.
“The course definitely pulled our creativity beyond what I expected,” says sophomore Maria Raspa. “Every single product of the class was shaped by where the students wanted to take it. The assignments were open and general.”
The teams develop ideas for their final films, pitch them to the full class, and refine the projects based on feedback. About three-quarters of student groups opt for a fictional piece, according to Stern; the rest choose documentaries or public service pieces.
“That’s the Hollywood influence. It’s where the inspiration comes from for a lot of students,” says Stern, whose own credits include a short film about the 2008 election called The Thrilla in Wasilla, now being shopped to film festivals; and The Romantic Possibilities, a feature film that received a production grant from the LEF Foundation. Stern also hosts and co-produces a monthly showcase for independent and underground film presented at the Brookline’s Coolidge Corner Theatre.
Pulling it All Together
To bring their ideas to the screen, students use the campus-based Media and Culture Labs and Studio, where they have access to state-of-the-art digital cameras, audio accessories, and lighting. The facility also has post-production suites with the latest software and editing tools.
“Making a film is a big undertaking,” says Keith Dugas ’11, who majors in Marketing and Media Arts and Society. “We all learned to multitask to make it work.”
Dugas’s group, which included Marcelin and Raspa as well as sophomores Rebecca Langweber and Alexa Graff-Radford, engaged an exceptionally wide range of talents. Dugas and Marcelin are musicians with recording experience; Marcelin wrote and produced the song featured in the video. Three members belong to the Bentley Dance Team.
An art-related theme was a natural fit for the group. Their script, Open Your Eyes, tells the story of an aspiring rapper who falls for his attractive new manager just as he’s about to get his big break. Original music, choreography and narrative made it an ambitious undertaking.
“Everyone brought in a lot of talent,” says Langweber, an Information Design and Corporate Communication and Liberal Studies major. “It was great to take what other people had to offer and combine it with what you know.”
Beyond the talent visible on screen, the team learned a host of new skills: drawing storyboards, working a camera, and using editing and sound equipment. With 75 distinct shots, the project had a level of complexity that challenged its young producers.
“The editing process was new to me,” Dugas says. “Capturing sound is an interesting thing. Some of it is using what the actor says, some is editing sound in. It took a long time.”
Collaboration was another key learning objective. “One lesson I learned was how important picking the right team is,” says Langweber. “I’ve been in other teams that have struggled, but this one really worked.”
“The ability to work in a group, to count on other people and be counted on, is a basic business skill,” observes Stern. “The successful groups learn to work together and compromise.”
Going Public
The highlight of each semester is a screening at the West Newton Cinema. Final projects created for Intro to Video and four other video production courses – involving some 100 students – get a big-screen debut for classmates, family and friends.
Open Your Eyes did its creators proud. “It turned out really well,” says Langweber. “There were funny parts and more serious parts, and the whole thing tied into pop culture.”
While most of the students in Stern’s course are a few years from making a final decision on career direction, seeing their work in public and getting feedback from others helps to shape their thinking on professional goals.
Raspa, who pairs her Liberal Studies program with the Economics–Finance major, had early aspirations as a movie director or producer. “It’s so important to have a creative outlet,” she says. “But I really love economics too. It will be really exciting to see how I can combine them.”