Students work on production at a Film Club meeting. Photo by Julie Casper Roth
By Athena Lagaros
Much of college life has been irrevocably altered by the pandemic, and clubs are no exception. There was a time when students couldn’t even set foot on campus to participate, and even now that NCC has been back in business for a while many haven’t been able to fully recover. The Film Club, however, is determined not to let COVID hold them back. Returning this semester to campus in room E110 after a long stretch meeting over Zoom, they are determinedly seeking an identity as they get back into creating.
Film Club, according to director Julie Casper Roth, is a place for students to prove their chops as both producers and manning the controls in the production studio for faculty members. However, she says, don’t be intimidated by the fact that you may not know a lot about this kind of thing. “Film Club is for everyone. You don’t need to be interested in watching films or even doing film production. Instead, Film Club can be a place where you get help to create a broadcast, podcast, etc.” As they continue to regain ground lost during the pandemic, the Film Club is also looking into hosting things like training sessions and film screenings.
When asked what made her decide to run the Film Club, Casper Roth said, “As the only faculty member currently teaching digital media production, I wanted to make sure that the Film Club survived the pandemic and faculty changes. This is actually only my second academic year at NCC, and there was a lot to accomplish when I arrived. Continuing to have a Film Club is so important. It pulls in other students who might not have the time to take video classes, and it allows film students to work on projects outside of academic work.” It is an indispensable opportunity for many students, and its tenacity through COVID-19 has proven it an invaluable part of the NCC community.
This semester, the Film Club is hoping to dip its toes into joint film production and start a web program highlighting students and faculty at the college. Its members are excited to move forward after scheduling issues and weather-related cancellations, yet another testament to the club’s perseverance. Hats off to the Film Club.
Athena Lagaros is a Voice writer.