From the actors to the crew, to the director in the chair, film production has long captivated the world, both for its final products and the methods by which they are reached. This past summer, Clemson University began its first program to bring that world to Tigertown.
Clemson introduced a new film production course within the world cinema major, aiming to provide students with hands-on experience on a movie set and practical skills that will further their careers in the film industry.
According to a press release from the world cinema program, “the centerpiece of the course is a collaborative micro-budget, original digital new media project that will culminate in the production of a feature-length film titled STUDENT FILM: THE MOVIE, which is based on an innovative screenplay written by Gaffney, SC native Julia Fowler (Netflix’s Country Comfort, YouTube’s Southern Women Channel) that the project acquired.”
The press release also detailed how “throughout the course, students will work directly under the mentorship of acclaimed education consultants and industry professionals, gaining practical experience in every facet of film production.”
This strategy aimed to ensure that, through this experience, students learned practical skills to bring their creative visions to life as the world of film production evolves.
Sam Sokolow, a two-time Emmy-nominated producer and professor of practice at the University, spearheaded the course. The Tiger spoke with Sokolow about the process before and during the program’s three-week schedule:
“The production, itself, was the result of an education grant into the Clemson World Cinema program from the South Carolina Film Commission,” Sokolow said. The course was designed in line with the University’s desire to provide more experiential learning opportunities for students.
“Almost every successful person that I’ve worked with in the industry has said to me at one point or another that they wish they could have actually worked on a live set when they were in college, so we created a live set on the Clemson campus for the students to have that experience.”
The first step of the process was preproduction, and Sokolow highlighted the true-to-industry procedure that the team followed for “Student Film: The Movie.”
“There is specific process to every pre-production, and that was part of the educational experience. We mapped out the production plan, made a budget and asset list, wrangled folks who have worked on movies like The Hunger Games, Forrest Gump and The Fast & Furious franchise to teach the students, and worked very closely with different facets of the University, from food services to administrative staff to maintenance,” Sokolow told The Tiger
The production was headquartered in the University’s Brooks Center, where Sokolow and his crew established their production office and dispatched the crew to filming locations each day.
Clemson students were involved in every step of the process. Sharbel Feghali, a senior world cinema major and associate director of the film, spoke about his experience on set and in the class.
“We had a sixteen-day shoot spread out across three weeks. We shot for about twelve hours a day, six days a week. This schedule was pretty intense, but independent filmmaking tends to be,” Feghali told The Tiger. Feghali said that his role as an associate director was less physically intense than members of other departments, but that there were still challenges.
“Beating the heat was definitely a challenge throughout the shoot — which culminated in our final day at the Water Treatment Plant,” Feghali said. That final day was one of the hottest of the summer, but the crew pushed through and finished up the film.
However, the experience was not limited to students in the world cinema program. Keith Adams Jr., a junior communications major and running back for the Clemson football team, acted in the film and told The Tiger all about his experience on set.
“I’ve always wanted to be an actor, but obviously football came before that, and I thought, you know, let me not limit myself to just doing a sport or just one thing,” Adams said. “I want to be a pioneer and show people that it’s possible to do multiple things. So I plan on going to the NFL, being an actor and being a big song artist. I want to be that example.”
Lilly Judd, a senior world cinema major and actress in the production, also spoke about her experience during filming: “It was a really cool experience, something I’ve never experienced before. With film studies, we can learn about what movies are like, the outcomes of movies, what it’s like to be in a movie, but you don’t get it until you’re immersed in it,” she told The Tiger. “There’s no way to describe it. It’s chaotic, but every film set is chaotic.”
Judd said the production was both fun and educational, specifically emphasizing the opportunity to work with Hollywood-caliber professionals in each department.
In terms of chaos, Sokolow also elaborated on the challenges faced by the students during their production.
“There are always challenges and obstacles when you film something, and the whole point is learning together how to start executing the plan and then solve the problems and overcome the obstacles that happen to achieve the collective goals,” he said.
“It was incredibly rewarding to see the students and the team solve every problem, make every adjustment, and always achieve the goals we set. These Clemson students each took a big step to better prepare themselves to work professionally in the industry. I am as proud as I have ever been in my life.”
Emma Hamrick, a junior world cinema major, also acted a lead role in the film and spoke about her experience on the set and the relationships she formed as a result.
“I went into rehearsals knowing maybe about half the cast, and then through rehearsals, we got to know each other a whole lot better, and then once we were shooting, we were besties. I love this cast so much. Everyone is such a gem. Everyone was so kind and respectful. They knew their stuff and wanted to be there,” she told The Tiger. “It was a really great group of people, and I think that having that made the job so much easier to do.”
Clemson alumnus Tyler Herrman, who stars alongside Hamrick, was effusive about his experience. “It was unbelievable,” Herrman said. “It’s such a bonding experience, going through this hectic but also super rewarding experience with everyone.”
Herrman recalled one moment in particular, when assistant director Tim Driscoll had to sprint across the Clemson football practice field to stop a lawnmower from driving through the background of a shot: “I’ve never seen a man sprint so fast.”
Finally, the crew members commented on their overall participation on set and the lessons they took away from the experience.
“Working with industry professionals was an illuminating experience for all of us. Since we haven’t worked on a production of this scale, we learned so much about the importance of effective communication and clear organization when there are so many moving parts at play,” Feghali explained.
Feghali also mentioned that over the last couple of months on set, he learned that the film industry is a “people industry,” meaning that filmmaking depends on maintaining an atmosphere of camaraderie amongst the entire crew.
“Every single individual on set is integral in making these movies happen.”
Sokolow agreed that “the goal is to teach the students what it’s really like to work on a professional production. Like when the football team plays a big game on national TV – it’s all about preparation, execution, and learning what it may be like at the next level if you get there. Film and TV production is a “learn by doing” experience in many ways, and the Clemson College of Arts & Humanities now offers this experience to our film production students on campus.”
Ultimately, the project was touted as a success, and a step toward achieving Clemson University’s goal of “building a world class film program” and “supporting South Carolina’s growing film industry.” Students finished the production with both a class credit and a wealth of invaluable hands-on experience and industry connections.
