While Johnston Hall 005 may appear to some as just another computer lab, to the Marquette Filmmakers Association, it’s a place where creativity thrives, ideas are shared and valuable experience in the film industry is gained.
The Marquette Filmmakers Association, more commonly known as Marquette Filmmakers, is a student-run organization that helps pave the way for students by providing opportunities to practice pitching, directing, acting, scriptwriting, lighting, editing and sound design. Students write, produce and share their own films with other members of the group, and there is no prior experience required to join.
Originally called “Film Club,” the Marquette Filmmakers Association of today is the result of a major rebrand. In addition to the name change, the atmosphere, aspirations and goals changed as well. Joining in 2016, Kris Holodak, Marquette Filmmakers’ faculty advisor, noticed that the original film club was lacking a spark.
“It didn’t have a lot of energy, it didn’t have a lot of momentum,” Holodak said. “It was mostly a thing the faculty wanted. So, like, some years it would be active and some years not.”
However, the group finally got the inspiration it needed between 2021 and 2022, thanks to the ambition of the aspiring student filmmaker, Julia Jarman. Because of the work of dedicated students, Marquette Filmmakers was given the legs it needed to draw people in and generate excitement about being creative.
And the organization is continuing to better itself. The group currently sits at around 40 members, with students coming in and out, but a goal of President Kathryn Lazich, a junior in the College of Communication, is to further emphasize that the group’s doors are open to anyone who wants a creative outlet.
“There are so many creative students here throughout Marquette’s campus, not just within communications,” Lazich said. “They should know that they can be welcomed in this space too.”
Marquette Filmmakers mainly focuses on the projects that its members are able to share and assist with throughout the semester. “Pitch Night,” one of the organization’s events, occurs once a semester and allows club members to pitch ideas for their films and gain assistance from other members on projects. Then, at the end of the year, the group hosts a showcase to present the student films that members have been working on.
In addition to “Pitch Night,” one of Filmmakers’ most popular events is its 24-hour Film Race, where groups are instructed to write, record and edit a short film in 24 hours.
These opportunities to create, practice and share these films are a great way to push students further in the direction of career success, as she has too experienced this benefit, Holodak said.
“I was able to become a legitimate real filmmaker because I spent years making short films and practicing it, and so I know that that works,” Holodak said.
While these events help build students’ technical and creative skills in film, they also improve team building and management skills. They help students practice the skills they will need when working in the field, including the capability to convince people to work with them and work in a way that makes people want to come back.
“Those kinds of soft skills are every bit as if not more important than, the technical things,” Holodak said.
Attendance for Marquette Filmmakers is not required to be a member, which allows for flexibility in membership. While this flexibility could be seen as a weak spot as it doesn’t instill an incentive or necessity to come back, Marquette Filmmakers still has its committed members.
Lazich said the organization’s environment attracts people, as the continuous creative energy at meetings draws people in, forming friendships.
“The energy of the people and the community that we built is just something you want to be around,” Lazich said. “[Students] come back because they want to continue fostering those relationships and be there for their community and their friends.”
Additionally, those growing relationships are not only beneficial emotionally but also assist in that passion to keep being creative and building a portfolio.
“If you have your people, you’re way more likely to keep being creative and keep practicing and getting better at what you do,” Holodak said.
Even though Marquette Filmmakers has grown to be a strong student community, that foundation cannot sustain itself without members continually pushing for success as time passes and members graduate.
Because of this, Holodak sees the value in “feeding the pipeline” by incentivizing the newer classes to be engaged and excited about filmmaking. If new members continue to share that passion that Marquette Filmmakers has established, the organization will only further push students to accomplish their dreams.
To learn more about the Marquette Filmmakers Association, follow its Instagram, @marquettefilmmakers.
This article was written by Elise Emery. She can be reached at [email protected].
