To all you would-be filmmakers out there: It’s true that Portland State doesn’t have a film production major for you.
But don’t be deceived by the combined title of the newly christened department of theatre and film: Rather than simply analyzing these mediums, you may be filming a music video next term or having your very own documentary broadcast on TV.
To all you would-be filmmakers out there: It’s true that Portland State doesn’t have a film production major for you.
But don’t be deceived by the combined title of the newly christened department of theatre and film: Rather than simply analyzing these mediums, you may be filming a music video next term or having your very own documentary broadcast on TV.
And the PSU Film Crew is here to support you in these endeavors.
The crew was formed by Sasha Orme, a senior double majoring in English and film studies, and Clarke Leland, a junior film major. The pair acted as president and event and workshop coordinator, respectively. Orme was instrumental in the founding of the PDX Film Collective, a group that began specifically for PSU students to network and share ideas and then grew into a citywide collaboration.
The PSU Film Crew aims for the same collaboration and development of community, but “this group is all about you,” Orme said.
Their message is a wholesome one, but it may leave some students wondering about the university’s film curriculum.
“As students, we want to try to foster and facilitate a way for us to get experience and to get an education on how to make films,” Leland said. “I’ve found that there are people here that want to make films, but there’s not an avenue for them to do that.”
If a club is attempting to fill the void of a missing major like film production—and a pretty significant void at that, considering the creative hub we live in—how exactly does combining the theater arts department and the film department foster production?
“There are lots of skills that overlap—how you learn to light a space, how you learn to create a location in sets,” Karin Magaldi, chairwoman of the department of theatre and film said. “There’s a lot of crossover.”
This is the typical setup at most colleges around the country, according to Mark Berrettini, assistant professor of theater arts. And let’s face it: This sort of symbiotic relationship makes sense. If you’re a film major looking to cast for a class project, there are plenty of theater majors that need roles.
The department of theatre and film is emphasizing production more in its curriculum, hiring Dustin Morrow to teach five new production courses this year. Among these courses is a music video class, which will incorporate both majors working together. Steve Amen, who also works for Oregon Public Broadcasting, has had students shoot documentaries that have aired on TV. A new lab is also being built for film majors for editing purposes.
So despite the crew’s formation, the means for production are out there.
“It still doesn’t feel like it’s enough yet. We understand that the program is very young but we want to encourage them,” Orme said. “We want to give them the strong base that will make those classes successful once they’re offered.”
Until then, the PSU Film Crew offers a more vocational approach to film production. Not reserved for film majors, the crew is open to all budding directors, producers, actors, set designers, lighting technicians, make-up artists and more, but there are no rigid roles.
Feel free to try the lighting workshop coming up in winter term. And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, mix it up with the screenwriting session or just learning how to maneuver a camera.
By using equipment from the PDX Film Collective, the crew plans to finish two entirely student-made films this year, from idea to finished product, and they encourage avid film enthusiasts to come watch their work.
“This is a great resource for students, especially since every project that they might want to develop cannot be done in courses because of time limits,” Berrettini said.
For now, the department of theatre and film and the PSU Film Crew seem to be the picture-perfect vision of collaboration.
The PSU Film Crew meets every first Tuesday and every third Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. in Smith Memorial Student Center, room 258.
