Freshman theater major Kyle Gaines laughed as Alexander Helland, a senior English major, read a comedic role in one of the club’s student-wrote screenplays on May 16.
By Richard Garibay
Staff Writer
Do you want to act, know your way around a camera, or have ideas for films that you’d like to see produced? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these, you should consider looking into California State University, Bakersfield’s very own Film Club.
The newly established club sprung about not only to help develop an appreciation for films themselves, but also the work that goes into creating them by giving students the opportunity to take part in the creative process. It is a place where students gather to make films whether they be written by students or previously published.
“I wanted to start the club to give students the chance to act, direct, and film. Also, because we only have Theatre here, I wanted to expand the Arts department, give it another field,” said club President and founder, Senior theater/business double major, Chad Alame.
The club doesn’t just benefit the institution itself either; individuals will find many opportunities by taking part.
The Film Club “creates a whole new experience for people that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to, if a club like this wasn’t in existence,” according to Joaquin Calderon, a junior theater major.
At the club meeting, members discussed student written works, ideas for campus screenings, current filming projects and script readings. The underlying factors throughout the meeting, however, were a sense of camaraderie and passion for what they were doing.
When asked why he joined, freshman theater major Kyle Gaines said, “It’s always been a passion of mine. I’ve been acting since I was four and filming things since I was ten. It’s been something I’ve loved, “he went on to say, “If you want to be involved in a club, one that really respects people and is all inclusive with an energetic atmosphere, then this would be a good club for you.”
Although the club is in its infancy, it continues to grow. The members are ambitious and have high standards set for the future, as they plan to have quarterly film festivals that show student work alongside feature films.
Alame said, “In the future, I want to see this as a growing and popular club on campus that is doing events every quarter. Hopefully, we stop doing scripts that we find online and focus on student written, student directed and student acted work.”
For more information on the Film Club or joining, their meetings are held every Friday at 10:00 P.M. in the Arena theater.
