Date of Award

2011

Type

Thesis

Major

English Language and Literature - Literature Concentration

Degree Type

Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature

Department

English

First Advisor

Becky Becker

Abstract

Since this is a thesis project about film, I thought it appropriate to acknowledge wellknown films about film in my chapter titles. In their own way, each of these films enhance audiences' understanding of the film industry and the creative and technical skills required in filmmaking. Writing about making my own film has had a similar effect on me because it has made me more aware of my choices and expectations about the film, as well as the collaboration that made it all possible. My thesis project began with a desire to experience every stage of the independent filmmaking process: using an original story idea, working with student actors, and filming it with resources already available to me. Working with limited resources and a small budget was an appropriate challenge for someone who plans to work as an independent filmmaker. By taking a single film through each production stage, I have acquired invaluable lessons about my chosen profession. The film Pomp and Circumstances is the outcome of this undertaking.

Now that I am at the end of this year-long process, I intend to reflect on my experiences and revisit the progression of this project from an idea to a finished film. As a filmmaker I have been able to add new skills to my toolbox as well as learn from my mistakes. Most of all, I have gained a sharper foresight and a clearer sense of the director's role, both of which I will take into my future projects. The best way to narrate the experience is to examine each stage of production chronologically and highlight the particular moments that contributed to my overall growth as a filmmaker. Fused into the narrative are passages in italics, which are selected entries from the journal I kept during the year; these help to show my thought process, questions, and goals for the film while it was still a work in progress. Throughout the narrative, I also make reference to items that are in the appendices; these are schedules, spreadsheets, and other documents that I constructed to help me plan and organize the production of the film. I know that this film has benefited my own education, but my hope is that it may also stand as an example of the kind of artistic work students can pursue at Columbus State University and will encourage others to undertake similar ventures in the future.

Comments

Honors Thesis

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