Film-television-digital media students have a new way of honing their skills for their professional lives. TCU’s Student Filmmakers Association offers students new ways to enhance their skills through filmmaking.

SFA has been active for 5 or 6 years, Chelsea Hicks , a junior film-television-digital media major and president of SFA, said. The organized extra-curricular club offers students the opportunity to get hands-on experience making films with other students. The students involved in SFA do not have to be experienced, but the process through which they go is a thorough one.

SFA usually produces three short films a semester, Hicks said. To produce these films, they look for student writers inside of their organization. The students then send their scripts in to the SFA  council where they are reviewed and edited to fit parameters.

Next, writers pitch their ideas to the SFA council, which votes on the script it likes most, Hicks

The council e-mails the members of the club and let them know which film is going to be produced, Hicks said. SFA holds auditons for director, producer, and cast members, and finds a location to shoot and make the film.

Nathan Pesina , a senior film-television-digital media and writing double major, said the best aspect of SFA is the opportunity to work with different people.

“Most people don’t want to collaborate on art, but all film majors really do,” Pesina said. “The department makes you go through a lot of [prerequisites] and you don’t have a lot of access to a lot of production learning experiences.”

While SFA is aimed at film-television-digital media majors, it is also open to students of other majors. SFA tries to appeal to fashion majors for costume designing, theatre majors for acting, and writing majors for creating the scripts, Hicks said.

SFA meets from week-to-week and the council educates club members on how to produce films.

Hicks said she makes powerpoints every week to educate members of the club on different subjects in filmmaking such as freelance working and call sheets. SFA provides a way for students to grow and prepares them for their field, which is the organization’s ultimate goal, Hicks said.

“This is the way you’re going to get experience,” she said. “This is the way you’re going to gain projects for your portfolio. This is a simple way to get involved with other people, get funding for your films, be involved with other students and make a project.”

This year, SFA is focusing on shorter films that film festivals look for, Hicks said. They have a short-short and long-short category from which students can choose this semester.
To become a part of SFA, e-mail SFA Secretary Paige Perry or a attend a Thursday meeting.

Student Film Association
Meetings: Thursdays at 5 p.m.
Dues: $30 per semester