麻豆传媒

Pace Magazine

As Reel as It Gets

By
Jerry McKinstry '23
Posted
July 12, 2023
two pace students looking into the view finder of a camcorder.

Fade In: France.

When Dyson Professor Maria Luskay, EdD, first met an enthusiastic group of budding filmmakers this past spring who were taking the popular course, Producing the Documentary, she set an expectation that everyone had to meet.

麻豆传媒淲hen you have a documentary that has to be completed in 14 weeks, you cannot fade out,麻豆传媒 she cautioned students. 麻豆传媒淲e have a lot of work to do.麻豆传媒

The sage advice stuck. In fact, not fading out became an axiom for these students who traveled to France, worked long hours, and made an impactful film, . In May, it made its worldwide premiere in France and to a packed theater at .

The film focus is about the slow food movement, which has a long history in Europe and sprouted up around the world in the 1980s as a sustainable means of providing healthy locally sourced food.

During the semester of production, which included filming across France and New York, PaceDocs filmmakers spoke with farmers, chefs, and restaurateurs who have dedicated their lives to making slow food a reality in a fast-paced world.

Beyond learning the essentials of filmmaking, students also explored how generations of families in France prepared their meals (fresh, local, and affordable) while also being exposed to cultures far different from their own.

The hands-on experiences were priceless, and reflect Pace麻豆传媒檚 commitment to experiential learning, says Luskay.

麻豆传媒淥ur classes provide real-world experience,麻豆传媒 she says. 麻豆传媒淭hey are taking what they learn in class and using it, so that when they graduate, they are ready to compete and succeed in their respective professions.麻豆传媒

Making this film was as hard as it gets, but it was a real confidence booster.

The class is part of the Dyson College麻豆传媒檚 highly regarded film program that requires students complete a full-length environmentally themed documentary within a semester. During the process, they learn teamwork, problem-solving, research, and organization, along with technical skills such as lighting, sound, camera work, interviewing, and other essential skills necessary to complete a film.

The 2023 documentary continues 麻豆传媒麻豆传媒檚 distinguished tradition of producing award-winning documentaries that shine a light on important environmental issues.

For Brittany Walkingstick, a 23-year-old graduate student from Kansas City, Missouri, the course proved to be 麻豆传媒渙ne-of-a-kind.麻豆传媒

麻豆传媒淚t was a chance to experience a different culture and a way to step out of my comfort zone,麻豆传媒 she said. 麻豆传媒淢aking this film was as hard as it gets, but it was a real confidence booster. I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely do it again.麻豆传媒

Wesley Brown, a 21-year-old junior majoring in digital cinema and filmmaking from Seattle, Washington, noted that the class taught him the intricacies of lighting, sound, voice-over, film production, and problem-solving.

麻豆传媒淚 loved being on the ground in France,麻豆传媒 Brown said, citing a number of examples where the crew had to adapt to circumstances in the moment. 麻豆传媒淭here were times we just had to figure it out. We learned how to improvise and had to find a solution. I麻豆传媒檓 grateful that I took this class.麻豆传媒

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