Article by Erin Clossey
Photos courtesy of Claire Folger

Emerson Partners with Mass. Production Coalition on Summer Film Camp

Associate Professor Harlan Bosmajian, right, and Summer Film Camp participant Rauliz Paez Tamarez of Lynn, Mass., check the monitor on a camera during one of three Film Camp workshops held at the Paramount Soundstage in July. Photo/Claire Folger

Sixteen aspiring young filmmakers from around Greater Boston converged on the Paramount Soundstage for three Fridays in July to get hands-on experience in cinematography and lighting from Emerson College faculty in a first-time partnership with the Massachusetts Production Coalition (MPC).

This kind of engagement benefits Emerson, students, and the local filmmaking industry, said Shaun Clarke, interim dean of the newly created School of Film, Television & Media Arts (SOF), and a member of the MPC Board of Directors.

“MPC’s vital work supports Massachusetts’ film, television, and media production industry, cultivating in-state career opportunities for our students,” Clarke said. “In return, Emerson can contribute by opening our professional facilities and leveraging our experienced faculty and staff to expand the regional workforce and attract more productions to film here in Massachusetts.”

The students, who were between the ages of 19 and 24, had a wide range of filmmaking experience to their credit, according to Associate Professor Harlan Bosmajian, a cinematographer who led workshops for the Summer Film Camp along with Travis Trudell, Paramount Soundstage manager and a professional Best Electric.

The participants were paired up and trained on Canon C70s, of which Emerson has an abundance, according to Associate Professor Harlan Bosmajian, a cinematographer who led workshops for the Summer Film Camp along with Travis Trudell, Paramount Soundstage manager and a professional Best Electric. The camera package included professional level accessories, including a follow focus, matte box, and on-board monitor.

Summer Film Camp participants experimented with different lighting styles while shooting a scene. Photo/Claire Folger

During the first workshop, students learned how to use the camera equipment. For the lighting workshop, the second of three sessions, Trudell taught students to operate a variety of units, from classic tungsten Fresnel lights to cutting-edge Astera Leo LED/RGB lights, Bosmajian said.

The final unit culminated with teams of students shooting the same basic scene (a woman looking out a window, putting on a record, and sitting at a desk) lit for various genres: comedy, noir, drama, etc., he said. Bosmajian echoed Clarke’s support for cultivating more direct connections to the Boston film production community. “MPC is the perfect local organization to help students transition from college to the professional film production world of Boston,” he said. “I have gone to many MPC meetings over the years, and always meet new potential collaborators and connections. The key to freelance film production is meeting people, and MPC helps provide that opportunity.”

MPC Executive Director David Hartman said the Summer Film Camp collaboration with Emerson was a “true highlight of the season,” in which young filmmakers who may not otherwise have access to professional equipment and mentorship were given the opportunity to get hands-on training.

“From MPC’s perspective, the most rewarding part was seeing how engaged and eager to learn they were,” Hartman said. “We’re excited to build on this pilot and continue opening doors in the film and media industry for the next generation. We’re deeply grateful for the Emerson community’s embrace of this special program.”