Watch out for that artsy English major scribbling away in his sketchbook - he may just be plotting your death. Such is the premise of "Snafu," a mordantly comic short film currently in production by seniors Brett Weiner, George Rausch and Noah Yuan-Vogel.
To be fair, Greg, the protagonist of the twenty-minute black comedy, isn't really motivated by homicidal mania; all he wants is some well-deserved admiration. So he devises elaborate hazards to befall his peers, planning to rescue them from imminent death and assure himself some heroic glory. Things, of course, don't go quite as planned.
"Snafu" represents one of 18 distinct senior film projects undertaken this year, ranging in form from music videos and short experimental works to full-length comedic features and documentaries. All participating students have a background in film, be it from coursework at Tufts, classes at the Museum School, or experience with TUTV. Often, they arrive at their senior project from diverse routes.
The "Snafu" team is no different; writer/director Weiner is a film studies minor, producer Rausch is a communications and media Studies minor, and cinematographer Yuan-Vogel has experience as a videographer, making a music video for Spirit of Color, as well as projects for other classes.
But the "Snafu" team is distinguished by its commitment to a "near-professional production process," as documented on its Web site. The filmmakers hope to bring an unprecedented air of professionalism to the Tufts film tradition. By advertising on NewEnglandFilms.com, a site for local talent, the group demonstrated that they took the audition process seriously.
The three seniors also trace their adventures and misadventures on a blog at http://cms194.blogspot.com. The blog not only fulfils the advanced filmmaking course's journal requirement, but also serves as a means to attract interested people to the project.
"All sorts of people come out the woodwork to help you. It's really amazing all the interest it has sparked, especially since it's unpaid. People are waiting for the next low-budget blockbuster, the next 'Blair Witch' or 'Napoleon Dynamite,'" Weiner said.
The blog will be particularly helpful in creating the film's all-original soundtrack. The team has already received samples from musicians across the country, though they want to make use of on-campus talent as well.
Rausch feels that their film will particularly resonate with college students, as it deals with the ways it is possible to be surrounded by people and still feel alone. He explained that the characters' running use of cell phones, instant messenger, and the infamous Facebook intentionally play with modern student relationships.
The film is about "the way people think they know each other, or try to find out about people through electronic media," Rausch said, "and the way that technology meant to enhance communication can leave people feeling even more isolated."
The filmmaking course represents a new paradigm introduced this year, in which interested students pitch their film ideas to Howard Woolf, the associate director of the Experimental College and Director of Media Technology. If approved, they then sign up for the advanced filmmaking course, which affords students the resources of the Tufts Media Lab, including the Ex College's digital cameras, associated equipment, and the editing lab in Halligan Hall.
The increase in the number of student projects over the past few years was made possible in part by the advent of digital video, which Woolf acclaims as "a revolution." He estimates that the new technology makes it possible to shoot a movie at 1/50th of the cost of conventional film. "It's truly bringing about the democratization of filmmaking," Woolf said.
Digital technology has its faults though, including some difficulties with depth of field. The innovative Yuan-Vogel has created a 35 mm adaptor to fit the Ex College's digital cameras, which allows for manual focus and a greater level of control that he thinks will translate to a more finished final product.
Challenged by limited equipment, a cast of unpaid actors, and a budget of approximately $1,000, the team is under pressure to have a rough cut finished by the April 15th deadline. As full-time college students, there is a lot of frantic weekend work going on, from scheduling casting sessions to staging shots at Cambridge's Mt. Auburn Cemetery (after all, there's an awful lot of dying in this dark comedy).
The three filmmakers have predecessors to inspire them. Tufts alums have made their mark in the field by editing for MTV News, shooting documentaries in Africa for the United Nations, directing major Hollywood releases (Niels Mueller, director of "The Assassination of Richard Nixon"). The cohesive "Snafu" team's commitment to this level of professionalism will surely help them slay whatever challenges they encounter.
