Fade In: France.
When Dyson Professor Maria Luskay, EdD, first met an enthusiastic group of budding filmmakers this past spring who were taking the popular course, Producing the Documentary, she set an expectation that everyone had to meet.
“When you have a documentary that has to be completed in 14 weeks, you cannot fade out,” she cautioned students. “We have a lot of work to do.”
The sage advice stuck. In fact, not fading out became an axiom for these students who traveled to France, worked long hours, and made an impactful film, For the Love of Food: Pour l’amour de la Cuisine. In May, it made its worldwide premiere in France and to a packed theater at Jacob Burns Film Center.
The film focus is about the slow food movement, which has a long history in Europe and sprouted up around the world in the 1980s as a sustainable means of providing healthy locally sourced food.
During the semester of production, which included filming across France and New York, PaceDocs filmmakers spoke with farmers, chefs, and restaurateurs who have dedicated their lives to making slow food a reality in a fast-paced world.
Beyond learning the essentials of filmmaking, students also explored how generations of families in France prepared their meals (fresh, local, and affordable) while also being exposed to cultures far different from their own.
The hands-on experiences were priceless, and reflect Pace’s commitment to experiential learning, says Luskay.
“Our classes provide real-world experience,” she says. “They are taking what they learn in class and using it, so that when they graduate, they are ready to compete and succeed in their respective professions.”
Making this film was as hard as it gets, but it was a real confidence booster.
The class is part of the Dyson College’s highly regarded film program that requires students complete a full-length environmentally themed documentary within a semester. During the process, they learn teamwork, problem-solving, research, and organization, along with technical skills such as lighting, sound, camera work, interviewing, and other essential skills necessary to complete a film.
The 2023 documentary continues Pace University’s distinguished tradition of producing award-winning documentaries that shine a light on important environmental issues.
For Brittany Walkingstick, a 23-year-old graduate student from Kansas City, Missouri, the course proved to be “one-of-a-kind.”
“It was a chance to experience a different culture and a way to step out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Making this film was as hard as it gets, but it was a real confidence booster. I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely do it again.”
Wesley Brown, a 21-year-old junior majoring in digital cinema and filmmaking from Seattle, Washington, noted that the class taught him the intricacies of lighting, sound, voice-over, film production, and problem-solving.
“I loved being on the ground in France,” Brown said, citing a number of examples where the crew had to adapt to circumstances in the moment. “There were times we just had to figure it out. We learned how to improvise and had to find a solution. I’m grateful that I took this class.”
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Pace is emerging as a leader in the undergraduate research community as evidenced by the ever-expanding opportunities spearheaded by the Center of Undergraduate Research Experiences.