Eventually, everyone gets old, but at least as we grow old memories remain—memories that enable us to reminisce about the good old days. Do you want to capture those memories on film? To have a time capsule testament to the best years of your life? If not, maybe you aren’t smart enough for college. If yes, the University Filmmakers Organization is for you.
The UFO does not spend its hours searching the skies for signs of foreign life, but instead creating memorable films, networking like-minded and cinematically interested students and still managing to have fun along the way.
The list of requirements to join the UFO is not a long one; all that is necessary is an interest in any aspect of filmmaking. From the total newbie to the veteran director, all are welcome, as experience is not a requisite to join.
The UFO prides itself on the sense of community and unification that flows through its members. This bond materializes from a common goal: a semester long project of creating a film short.
The semester breaks down into pre-production, followed by filming dates that utilize a full film crew culled from the club’s members, and post-production that culminates in a wrap party. This process has the tendency to build a strong community within the members of UFO.
“We work so hard together all semester for one common goal: to create a great final product,” said UFO president Luke Livermore, a junior studying theater and film & television. “Once the semester comes to an end and we’re finally finished, there’s this warm feeling of wholeness and consolidation among us, and it’s an invigorating sensation. By the end of last semester, I gained so much experience from working on the film, but I also came out of UFO with a whole new group of friends.”
For those who hope to break into the film industry post-graduation, making friends in the club also provides a secondary benefit: the process of networking. Rather than setting up a LinkedIn profile and attending conventions and lectures, why not make connections in an organic and fun way?
“Filmmaking and the film industry is largely based on who you know and what connections you have,” Livermore said. “Being able to not only work with these people but to also befriend them is very special, especially in this industry, where networking is everything.”
Livermore noted that, though the club takes its work seriously, there is room for fun along the way.
“People work best in a comforting and relaxed environment, so that’s what we aim to achieve,” he said. “We joke around, we laugh a lot, and we make sure to have a good time.”
UFO provides a great opportunity on campus to hone and increase the skills involved in the creation of a film. The club makes use of top-notch equipment the average student could not afford, and the production process, from beginning to end, spurs growth in filmmaking skills of all sorts. Every member can serve on the film crew and is able to run for their desired position. There are enough positions for everyone, as film crews encompass positions such as director, assistant director, director of photography, costume designer, make-up designer, production assistants and many more.
All the hard work pays off in the satisfaction of a quality film. UFO often screens their semester-long project as part of The Loft Cinema’s First Friday Shorts, and this semester they will submit their film to Campus MovieFest. If you are interested in the process of filmmaking, want to make new friends, or just want to have recorded proof of the best years of the your life, check out the University Filmmakers Organization.
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