When the Lights Go Down

   This year, I taught a semester filmmaking class during the first and second semesters.  (An earlier post on January 22, 2013 highlights some of the student work that came out of that class.) For the Unit, our two week program in late May, I again found myself involved with film. Teaching with Gina Wendell and Fred Corona, our class of 15 students examined film from a variety of perspectives. The class was titled "When the Lights Go Down," but in truth the course delved into areas of filmmaking that occur well before a final screening. We looked at script development, story boarding, shot-making, lighting and sound. We also looked at post-production processes including the editing of scenes, sound and color correction.
    It's fair to say the class went well. I know that because through an assessment survey, our students uniformly told us they enjoyed the class and learned plenty.  A key reason for our success? Adam Aresty.

Adam Aresty, on site in Hockenbury 201, working with a couple of students.

     Adam, GSB Class of 2003, is in the film business.  Leaving GSB as an enthusiastic film hobbyist, he enrolled in USC's film program.  Perhaps his filmmaking Unit in 2002 offered him a head start to the success he found at USC.  Coming out of college, he settled in southern California determined to make a living in the ultra-competitive film industry.   He felt his strength was in writing and so he began working on scripts while extending his professional network.  Finally, this year, he sold a script to a production company. The film, Stung, is currently in production.  It will be shot in Germany on location in the fall.  (It's what I would call a fairly graphic, somewhat grotesque horror film. More on that later.) Not surprisingly, it is occupying much of Adam's time and attention through this year.
     And yet, when, earlier this year, I emailed with Adam and asked if he'd like to visit this Unit class if he was going to be in NJ, he jumped at the chance to be involved. "Involved" doesn't begin to describe his immersion in the teaching process.  I thought we'd be lucky to have Adam in class for a day. He committed to four days. I hoped he might walk students through the transition from script to shoot.  He did that, and plenty more. He provided the class with scripts, storyboards and films to illustrate key concepts.  He provided guides to viewing films, designed to help students get beyond plot lines. He steered students into script writing. And though relatively young, he is accumulating the anecdotes only available to insiders.  For students and resident teachers, Adam's stories were fascinating.  
    Most importantly, Adam was able to convey to our students what it means to work in a field you love. His enthusiasm for films as wide-ranging as Jaws, Groundhog Day and Psycho was contagious.  Simply put, he was a real key to the success of our class.
     What are the lessons to be learned? It's as simple as 1-2-3. 
     1) Great teaching - and the learning that invariably follows - begins with an enthusiasm for the subject.    
     2) At GSB, we should think more often about our ever growing body of alumni as a source of expertise. Alumni generally won't think to help out unless asked. When asked, however, the response is almost always "How can I help?"
     3) Our students learned that the people who work on horror films can be personable and intelligent.  It would be hard to find two more apt words to describe Adam.