The annual senior cinema screening is coming to a theater—the Berry Performing Arts Center—near you. On May 1, seniors will showcase the films they have been working on for the past year.
Kyle Stuck is producing a film called “Give Me To The Waves.” He said that the film shows a combination of both fi ctional ideas and personal experiences. Stuck explained that during his sophomore year he thought he had cancer, and this led him to give up on things.
“The story is about a man who is kind of giving up on life and he doesn’t know if he wants to live or not,” Stuck said.
Stuck emphasized that the film is emotionally powerful because it touches on existentialism. Despite the story’s serious tone, Stuck said he tried to integrate comedy to create a balance.
“I try to express a real problem and actually show a spiritual journey for this man while at the same time entertain people,” Stuck said.
Walter Medrano, who is working with Stuck on the film, said that this project has given him the opportunity to share unique experiences with the people he is working with.
“You get to work with so many people,” Medrano said. “You see these people as part of your family because you go through so many things, some hard moments, some moments of stress, but also very pleasant and joyful moments when you get to laugh.”
He said that some of the challenges of this project were funds and finding the right people to work with.
“You don’t have a budget set for you so we have to do fundraising so we can fund our project,” Medrano said. “You also need to find people who are going to be willing to give their time to help you.”
Stuck also added that the weather and location was a big problem during the production phase.
“Being out in the forest is hard. Sometimes it’s cold, it’s windy and our locations are really far away,” Stuck said.
Another student presenting his senior film is Kenny Cable. Cable decided to work by himself on the project. He said that his film focuses on a college student who is trying to pass college with a good GPA.
“It’s something that happens every semester,” Cable said. “There is always that one person who needs to get his act together, buckle down and do work in order to pass classes and graduate.”
Cable said that the best part of working on his film is working with his roommates.
“They’re all wonderful people, they’re fun, easy to talk to and they’re a very understanding group,” Cable said.
He also explained that this experience has been preparing him for a real job in cinema. Because of his experience, he advises other cinema students to be adaptable.
“If you are planning on making a film, do not expect it to go according to plan. Have backup locations, have backup ideas and just make sure that you improvise and always be productive,” Cable said.
The screening will take place at 7 p.m. on May 1 in the BPAC.