GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Now celebrating 15 years - and 15 films - the Grand Valley State University Summer Film Program will premiere the locally produced short film "The Darkroom."
Thanks to the generosity of Loeks Theatres, the film will be
screened on Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m., at Celebration Cinemas
North, located at Knapp St. and East Beltline, in Grand Rapids. The
public is welcome with a suggested $5 donation for admission to the
film and reception to follow.
The film, about an aging photographer fighting for his craft and
his livelihood, was produced through a unique program in Grand
Valley's School of Communications. The Summer Film Project provides
film and video production students the opportunity to work alongside
industry professionals on every aspect of a short film, from start to
finish. More than 25 students have actively worked on the production
of this film. It was written and directed by Z. Eric Yang, a narrative
filmmaker who teaches 16mm film production and scriptwriting at Grand Valley.
The plot focuses on the character John, a divorced, old-school
photographer, who has spent his life dedicated to the discipline of
his darkroom and the art of photography. He suddenly finds himself
fighting for his craft, and ultimately his livelihood, when his young
manager gives him an ultimatum. He is faced with a decision that will
define him not only as an artist, but also as a father.
More than 100 still photos and slides were needed in the film as
props used by the actors in many scenes. All of them were shot and
hand-printed by Grand Valley photography students Amy Stubblefield and
Mark Andrus.
"We needed to create both film-based and digital
photographs for scenes where the actors compared their quality,"
said Stubblefield. "Another scene required photographic slides
being projected by the main character."
Stubblefield also created photographs used throughout the main
character's home, and Andrus helped create the darkroom used on the
film set and made sure all the equipment positions were accurate.
"While I've done work as a wedding photographer, working on
this project opened the door to new possibilities for me," said
Stubblefield. "My career path includes working in the film
industry and the current boom of it in Michigan."
For more information about "The Darkroom," contact Z.
Eric Yang at (616) 331-8169, and watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XXmICmkdpo.
For more details about Grand Valley's Film and Video Production
program, contact coordinator Kim Roberts, or visit http://www.gvsu.edu/filmvideo/.
