As my second semester at Iowa really starts getting underway, I thought I’d share a bit of what it’s like to be a film major here. It’s not a very common major at most schools (including Iowa), so I figured I’d give a bit of perspective for those who are wondering what it’s like, especially at the University of Iowa.
I was unsure about whether or not I wanted to be a film major, but I figured I would try it out for my first semester to see if I liked it – and it turned out I did. A LOT. The first class for my major I took was Introduction to Film Analysis, a class that teaches the basics of understanding, analyzing, and critiquing film. It completely changed the way I watch and understand not just movies and TV, but art as a whole – I find myself making interpretations on what the artist’s message is in the books I read and the music I listen to as well. And that is really, really cool. I feel like I can appreciate art now in a way I was never able to before.
The film class I’m taking this semester – Modes of Video and Film Production – is very focused on actually making a film instead of just interpreting it. I’m only a few weeks in, but I’ve been loving it so far. My TA (Teaching Assistant) is Hao Zhou, a grad student who recently won a Student Academy Award for his short film, Frozen Out. It is really cool to be learning from someone who has literally earned an Academy Award for his work, and to actually get to use proper film equipment – real cameras, tripods, audio recorders, and lighting tools as opposed to just my iPhone – is so neat and makes me excited to actually film.
My biggest problem is figuring out what I want to film about – luckily, there is a strong film community in Iowa City to help with that. Just today, I went to a film festival at one of the local theatres to see a handful of short films made by people in the Iowa City area. It was really beneficial to see what kind of work people have done around Iowa City and it made some of the ideas I have for films feel more possible to create while I’m here.
Overall, Iowa is the alma mater of plenty of successful directors and screenwriters, such as Joe Russo of the legendary Russo Brothers. It’s cool to be at a place where I feel like I can learn about and work on film in an environment that promotes so much cinema. If you have any questions pertaining to being a film major or going to UIowa, feel free to reach out to me! 🙂
