A little bit edgy

MSU filmmakers profile an ’American Terrorist’

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On a warm and sunny Wednesday afternoon, 16 students and two professors gathered in a classroom in the Oyer Building on Michigan State University campus to talk about marketing and post-production work on their film "American Terrorist," which finished shooting several weeks ago.

The 32-minute movie centers on a middle-aged botanist and professor named Gary Stevens, who has created a biological weapon. Once a supporter of the civil rights movement who believed he could help bring down a system he saw as unjust, Stevens has since become a part of what he once fought against. 

“We want to express the idea that your perception of what’s right and wrong is different from others," said Ben Sherman, one of the two screenwriters. "We also deal with a lot of things like consumerism. For example, different things are pushing at Gary, making him feel overwhelmed.”

Students started working on the movie last August. Everybody was asked to produce an idea and to vote for their favorite. Then, the script was written.

“It’s a challenging script, and it’s got interesting characters that develop over time," said Robert Albers, a senior video specialist in the MSU Department of Telecommunication and one of the two instructors of this class. "It looks inside someone who is disturbed, and it does it in a very clever and interesting way."

This movie was a collaboration of the departments of English and telecommunication. One-third of the students are English majors; about half are from telecommunication; the rest double major in both.

The two departments began collaborating five years ago when Albers and English Professor Jeff Wray realized there was a tremendous amount of interest in filmmaking. They brought together the previously separate studies of  history/theory of criticism and film production into one class. 

Of the five movies produced so far, four have won awards. The 2009 film "Fare Chance" won the People’s Choice Award in the Lake Michigan Film Competition at the East Lansing Film Festival.  It was also screened at the Saginaw Film Festival. 

“The class teaches film process," said Cirtis Matzke, the co-screenwriter of "American Terrorist,"

"No matter what your role is, you are learning about the process and the entire film. So if you want to be a director, but that’s not your position, you learn to be better at what you want to do by doing this position.”

For example, the art department, which is responsible for all of the props and costuming, “did a terrific job,” Albers said. “They found things they wouldn’t have expected and made things believable and realistic.”

Students meet twice every week in class and shoot footage every weekend. “It’s a huge undertaking," said Greg Capoccia, one of the two directors. "It’s hard to juggle that with other classes, exams, work and everything. So we really cherish the time we spend in class and with people to work things out.”

Teamwork is, of course, crucial.

“We work with a big group of people," said Maris Herrington, the other director of the movie.  "Some people knew each other, some people didn’t. Whether people agree or disagree with a certain thing, you have to set side your different things and work it through,” 

The "American Terrorist" premiere will be May 5 at MSU; a specific location is still being set (check for updates at americanterroristthemovie.blogspot.com). The movie is scheduled to be submitted to East Lansing Film Festival, Detroit Independent Film Festival, Traverse City Film Festival, and Port Huron’s Blue Water Film Festival. 

“We have high hopes for it," Capoccia said. 

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