Yale students explore film from every angle

The immense vitality of undergraduate theater at Yale, not to mention the Yale Drama School's excellent reputation, often overshadows undergraduate involvement with film. Recently, however, student initiative has heightened interest in both filmmaking and film-watching on campus. As a result, there has been a growing emphasis on cinema in both the academic and extracurricular domains.

COURTESY BEAU BAUMAN Stills from Beau Bauman's, SM '99, 1998 independent film project 'Across the Hall.'

UPix, a Yale undergraduate organization, helps alleviate some of the problems associated with film production. In addition to lending equipment, film crews, and expertise to aspiring filmmakers, UPix annually sponsors a spring showing of Yale films. Founded by Jon Andrews, SM '96, winner of a 1996 Student Academy Award for his film Short Change, the organization continues to expand its operations. It offers training workshops for freshmen and assists senior film studies majors with the logistics of their senior projects. "Things are looking good for the future," UPix board member Rene Brar, ES '99, said. "We're expecting to upgrade all our technology, and it looks like we'll have the resources to do it."

SpiderGraph Films, operating out of Jonathan Edwards College, represents another undergraduate venture into film. Founded by Rob Ronan, JE '99, the group aims to make a 15-minute, 16-millimeter color film each year. Its first effort, Maggie and Jonesy, premiered in the spring of 1997 to a large, enthusiastic crowd. The film took four weeks of actual shooting after an entire semester of planning and scripting. Although none of the participants had filmmaking experience, they received help from both UPix and the film studies department. "We figured it out on our own, step by step," SpiderGraph head Andre Thomas, JE '99, said.

Paralleling the growing interest in filmmaking is the resurrection of the Yale Film Society (YFS). Emerging from the ashes of previous undergraduate film organizations, the renovated YFS surpasses the offerings of now-defunct societies such as Bob's and Spectrum, as well as its own earlier incarnations. In addition to showing high-profile movies such as L.A. Confidential and Malcolm X, the YFS procures eminent industry figures to speak in conjunction with screenings. Headlining last year's schedule were Oliver Stone (coupled with a showing of Natural Born Killers) and Kenneth Branagh (with Much Ado About Nothing).

Brar, Edward McGurn, ES '00, and Paulina Hatoupis, SY '00, revived the Yale Film Society not only to remedy the lack of a first-run movie theater near campus, but also to foster connections with Yale graduates working in entertainment. Part of their mission was to create a Board of Sponsors composed of alumni working in the film and television industries. According to Hatoupis, these board members offer their expertise to students and help build networks to create internship opportunities within the industry. With the help of the film studies department and a few key figures, the YFS has blossomed into a solid presence on campus and will continue to draw attention to the art of film.

The YFS, UPix, and SpiderGraph all attest to strong interest in film at Yale, spanning both the making and the viewing aspects. So if you want to become the next Woody Allen or simply come within spitting distance of a movie idol, the Yale film scene will give you the way to do it.

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