By KARRI LIN
karri@newsroom.byu.edu
Lights are ready. The camera is rolling. Actors are in place. Everyone dreams of directing a film, but directing a film requires much more than just yelling into the bullhorn.
'The film industry is a noble craft. If filmmakers have patience, faith, and they work hard, eventually they will have opportunities to succeed,' said Jorge Ramirez, 26, a senior directing a film titled 'Blind.'
Ramirez, who is from Mexico City, Mexico, said it took three months just to form the film's concepts. 'Blind' is a fictional/surreal film about a judge having a conversation with the grim reaper concerning a murder case.
Ramirez said shooting for a small film usually takes no longer than three days to complete.
Small films cost from $500-800. Ramirez said filmmakers are always looking for grants and scholarship to help fund their projects.
'I'll be happy and feel purposeful if one day I can receive an Academy Award to show that Latinos have something to say and hopefully God can help us get there,' Ramirez said.
A few years ago, he entered 'The Fiancee' in 'Rough Cut,' an exclusive program designed for film students to share their small films with other film students.
The film is about a BYU student who is engaged to a guy she hardly knows, who turns out to be a vampire.
'Many students liked it so much that they kept on asking me to do a second one. So over the next few years, I shot The Fiancee II and III,' Ramirez said. Ramirez said he did not expect 'The Fiancee' to create a cult audience at BYU.
'You make things that get everyone's attention. And then you question yourself, now that you have everyone's attention. Are you saying something meaningful?' Ramirez said.
Laura Johnson, who directs and edits films, echos Ramirez's words that every film needs to convey a message. Johnson, 21, a senior from Salt Lake City, said she received a grant of $275, making a total investment of $1,000 into her current film project, 'My Lords and Ladies.'
'Last year, the film department's program, 'Final Cut,' received a $4,000 donation, and we turn it into grants to help film students with their projects,' said Elizabeth Crowe, administration assistant in Media Arts Department.
'My Lords and Ladies' is a documentary film capturing 300-400 members of The Society for Creative Anachronism in early June as they created and celebrated the essence of medieval culture.
'I love the humanistic side of documentary. I think documentary is almost philosophical in a way because I can use film to ponder and explore the world,' Johnson said. Johnson said she feels a certain responsibility as a filmmaker to produce good films.
'Now people tend to think of media in a negative light. It's my job to be ethical yet make creative films that reflect my personal theories and values,' Johnson said.