While many students are starting their semester with new classes, film capstone students are continuing work on the largest project of their undergraduate careers.
“It’s pretty unique because it’s the only film production class in our curriculum that lasts an entire year,” Clinical Associate Professor of Film Ted White said.
According to White, capstone students spend the fall semester developing scripts and completing logistical tasks for their projects. During the spring semester, students officially begin production, and later the editing process.
“It’s a long, in-depth project, which is meant to replicate how it works in the real world,” White said. “We’re trying to give the students a taste of how that works.”
White said that his favorite part of teaching capstone students is the skill level.
“Working with people who have reached a level of maturity emotionally and a level of competence technically and artistically,” he said. “But they’re still really excited to grow and challenge themselves…it’s just a joy to work with students who are in that place.”
“It’s your last chance to really support and encourage them before they graduate, and it feels like a privilege and an honor to work with them at that transition point of finishing up being a college student and then going up into the world,” he added.
Film Professor Jo Dery said that capstone projects cover a lot of genres.
“Everything from an independent animation project to a sprawling sci-fi comedy type film to a more intimate personal documentary about grief and love and art,” she said. “There’s a big variety of things.”
Dery said her favorite part of teaching capstone was the community her students find within the class.
“These were students who had a really tough high school experience, and they got here to college and they’ve just flourished in the most beautiful way,” she said. “I think in this particular senior class, there’s also a lot of kindred spirits.”
“It’s truly magical that they all found each other here at Keene State,” she added.
Senior Hayley Townsend is working on her capstone with fellow capstone senior Mariah Rodriguez-Costa. Their film, “Moon River,” tells the story of an inter-generational friendship between high school senior Margot and her elderly neighbor Celeste.
The biggest challenge Townsend and her crew faced was showcasing the story the way that they wanted to.
“Making a story that people could connect to and understand, and [to] really make it human, not make it too theatrical or feel like you’re watching a movie rather than just observing these two people in the space,” she said.
Townsend and Rodriguez-Costa also chose to film “Moon River” on 16mm film, which presented its own unique challenges to the process.
“16mm is just such a time-consuming process because you can’t see the film once it’s done because it has to be processed,” Townsend said. “We were just hoping and praying that we got a picture once it was all processed, and thankfully we did.”
Townsend’s biggest piece of advice for future film capstone students is to “be patient.” She also advises them to be kind to their crew.
“If you are the director, you are leading the pack, but don’t forget to appreciate the work that the other people are dealing with, because without them, there is no you,” she said.
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
