Department of Film & Media Arts
2023-24 Awarded Amount: $11,920
Title: Bridging the Gap Between the Learning and the Doing: A New Interdisciplinary Filmmaking Learning Experience for College of Fine Arts Students
This initiative immersed students from different disciplines within the College of Fine Arts (CFA) in one of the most interdisciplinary and collaborative art forms: moviemaking.
Project Description
This project created a work-based learning experience where CFA students served as department heads or crew members in a faculty-led, live-action, feature-length film, titled THE STAIRWELL.
What is THE STAIRWELL?
THE STAIRWELL is the second feature-length film by assistant professors Sonia Albert-Sobrino and Miriam Albert-Sobrino, professionally known as the ALSO Sisters.
Rather than producing the film exclusively using external resources, the ALSO Sisters integrated the project into their current courses, FILM 4545 and FILM 4555, giving University of Utah students a hands-on, industry-caliber learning experience. Revamping the course where film students previously led and produced a short film, ALSO Sisters led students from different CFA units in producing a professional, feature-length film.
Advancing the Aims of the Dee Grant
THE STAIRWELL film project advanced the aims of the Dee Grant Program in three key ways:
I. Innovative Interdisciplinary Experience
ALSO Sisters brought together the expertise of students from three CFA units: Theatre, Art, and Film. Theatre students headed the costume department, Art students documented the making-of process, and Film students were involved in day-to-day operations, particularly principal photography.
II. Bridging Learning and Doing
Fostering community engagement, the film required the hiring of two lead actors and extensive special effects (SFX). Grant funds were used to compensate part of the cast and a SFX artist who worked on set during principal photography.
They collaborated with national and local film agencies, such as Breakdown Services, TMG Talent Agency, and the Utah Film Commission, working closely with Derek Mellus, to identify local talent and services.
By hiring locally, they created a professional work environment and built connections within the industry to open up resources for students by way of referrals and/or future job opportunities.
III. Promoting Diversity
The film stars an African American female and explores other intersectional characters. Students attended a table read as part of the course, and held an additional table read with Hollywood writer, Melody Cooper. This event was preceded by a lecture on the subject of intersectionality, supported in part by an Intersectional Signature Initiative from the School for Cultural and Social Transformation.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
At the end of the experience, our students were able to:
- Perform integral roles in feature-length film production.
- Comprehend the roles and responsibilities required for film production.
- Create a record of film credits, along with a reel and/or portfolio.
- Apply techniques learned in class to future film production(s).
- Evaluate the quality of their contributions to the group's overall production.
Additional benefits to students
Course integration
Students enrolled in Digital Cinematography (Spring 2024) and Grip and Lighting (Spring 2024) courses served as behind-the-scenes videographers, grips, and electricians. While students, they were given the opportunity to work on a professional film set, a rare opportunity even for recent film studies graduates.
Shadowing Local Professionals
Local professionals handled SFX and set-building. Students were exposed to professionals beyond their instructors (ALSO Sisters served as directors, writers, producers, and cinematographers).
Industry professionals included owner and operator of The Realms of Raine in Salt Lake City (also, makeup artist at Nightmare on 13th) and local set-builders, Andrew Holman and Lucas Jones.
Learning to Direct Professional Talent
The talent consisted of locally established national actors known for their dedication to the craft including: Ava Kostia, Latoya Cameron, Tanner Gillman, Lukas Smith, David Van Frankenhuijsen, and Robert Scott Smith. Students worked closely with these actors, particularly those in directing, producing, costume, and camera departments.
Extensive Student Involvement
At least thirty-seven (37) students participated in the film's production, taking on roles such as First and Second Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Script Supervisor, Gaffer, Key Grip, Camera Operator, First and Second Assistant Camera, DIT, Costume Designer, Set Dressers, Sound Recordists, Storyboard Artists, and Previz Artists.
State of the Art Filmmaking Practices
The film was shot using an ARRI Alexa Mini LF (Open Gate) and anamorphic lenses.
Industry-standard Professional Working Shifts
Production spanned twenty-one (21) days, with nineteen (19) night shifts on location, totaling 253 hours of work for the core team of twenty (20) students. Seventy-two (72) rolls and 1,115 takes were captured during filming. Industry standards were rigorously followed throughout the production process.
Pedagogical Afterlife
The documentation material produced during the making of this film will be available to faculty and students for pedagogical purposes. This endeavor, supported by a University Teaching Grant, is ongoing.
Public Event
Once the film is completed, edited, and distributed, ALSO Sisters will host a public screening event. This event will bring together the cast and crew involved in the making of the film, as well as students interested in witnessing the culmination of their peers' work. This event is not funded by the Dee Grant.
Funding Partners
THE STAIRWELL film secured a total of $50,519 exclusively from University of Utah intramural grants from the following sources:
- $10,000 from the Transformative Intersectional Collective (TRIC) to support the writing process and intersectional research. These funds facilitated public screenplay workshops with expert screenwriters and the hiring of a script consultant Melody Cooper.
- $6,599.98 from the University of Utah Teaching Committee to enhance the documentation process of THE STAIRWELL, benefiting students interested in learning about the documentation process required for professional feature filmmaking.
- $6,000 from the Faculty Research Grant in 2022 at the College of Fine Arts to fund additional special effects creation for the film that were not possible to be paid with fund from the Dee grant.
- $10,000 from the Fund for Excellence Award to ensure safety (insurance) and comfort (meals) during film production.
- An additional $6,000 from the College of Fine Arts Faculty Research Grant in 2024 was awarded to fund the safeguarding and storage of the footage gathered during production.
- And finally, the funds reported here from the Dee Grant in the College of Humanities were allocated for hiring professional actors and special effects artists, providing student training and exposure to the local industry. Awarded $11,920. Expended $11,718.23.
Dee Grant funds were crucial in taking this story from page to screen, fostering student participation in a university environment rather than external production with minimal student involvement.
WATCH: ALSO Sisters on KSL 5