In this episode, Jessie and Chris met with Associate Professor Jeffrey Palmer and Lecturer Doorim Kim to discuss the upcoming Student Film Screening. This event will include student projects from Film and Video Production, Documentary Film Making, Cinematography and Visual Storytelling, as well as Media Production Laboratory.
The screening will take place on Friday, December 13, at 5:00 p.m., in the Kiplinger Theatre, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. This event is free and open to the public. First-come, first-served. (Tickets are not required).
Click HERE to see more episodes.
Transcript
00:00 Music
Chris Christensen 00:10
Hello, I'm Christopher Christensen. Welcome to Episode 64 of the PMA podcast. In this episode, Jesse and I met with Associate Professor Jeffrey Palmer and Lecturer Doorim Kim to discuss the upcoming student film screening. This event will include student projects from film and video production, documentary filmmaking, cinematography and visual storytelling, as well as media production laboratory. Oh, my goodness. Well, Jeff, welcome back to the podcast studio. Is this second or third? Fourth? How many times have we had?
Jeffrey Palmer 00:44
I think this is the Third.
Chris Christensen 00:46
Third time, yeah, yeah, and, and Doorim.
Doorim Kim 00:49
First time, yeah.
Chris Christensen 00:51
Well, welcome into the podcast studio.
Doorim Kim 00:53
Nice room.
Chris Christensen 00:54
Thanks. So we're getting ready for the student film screening, which is coming up next Friday, which is hard to believe. Here we are almost we're at the beginning of December, but it feels like we're at the end of December already. Jeff, we know a little bit about you, but you know, for those who haven't listened to the other podcasts or the other episodes, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Jeffrey Palmer 01:16
Yeah. So I'm an associate professor here at PMA. I teach film and film one, film two, also documentary. And next semester, we're doing sort of the inaugural opening of PMA Studios, which is going to be an awesome course. And then I'm also a filmmaker too, obviously, in my professional life, I do documentaries and and also fiction films, and I've been doing that for quite a while.
Chris Christensen 01:49
Okay, thank you, Doorim. I realize I don't know your backstory.
Doorim Kim 01:55
Oh,
Chris Christensen 01:56
Tell me all about it.
Doorim Kim 01:57
Okay, yeah, I'm also a filmmaker. I do make experimental film, animation, but also fiction film. And I teach here, I mean as a lecturer, and I teach 1410, media lab class and PMA, yeah, 3580, photography class, I confuse the number in there. Yes,
Chris Christensen 02:21
You've been with us for just over two years. Now we're going on two years. Yeah,
Doorim Kim 02:26
Yeah, almost three years.
Chris Christensen 02:27
Wow. Okay, time's flying by. Yeah, really fast.
Doorim Kim 02:31
I cannot believe I was here for three years.
Chris Christensen 02:34
Yeah, I've been here 25 and I still keep wondering how that's possible. Jesse, welcome back to the podcast.
Jessie Jia 02:43
Yeah, I'm excited to be here.
Chris Christensen 02:44
Yeah, you've you've got a pile of questions for these folks as well.
Jessie Jia 02:48
Yeah, yeah, definitely. The first question I kind of wanted to ask is, can you give us an overview of the upcoming screening? I know I'm part of the cinematography class, but what are the other courses participating in this screening?
Jeffrey Palmer 03:03
Yeah. So Jesse, he's also a former student of mine. Documentary. It's going, this is a, this is an awesome lineup. So we have documentary that's going to be a part of it. I usually teach documentary every fall, so we have six non fiction films on various topics that are going to be a part of the screening. Then we also have film one which this semester, is a collaboration between cinematography and advanced acting. And that's the first time we have ever done that process of bringing so many students together. And then we also have PMA 1410 which is our lab that Doorim was just talking about, which is also they submitted some micro shorts that were going to place. I call them interstitials, just sort of like palette cleansers between blocks of films that we have set up for the audience. So yeah, it's going to be a wonderful, I think, experience
Chris Christensen 04:20
Doorim. Did you want to add anything there?
Doorim Kim 04:25
So cinematography class, I only teach on fall and that class, we make collaboration with the film one. So film one, direct to class. I mean direct to film and cinematography, we shoot the film so we take care about all the images and the lightings and stuff, and 1410, who have been last screening. You may see that there was a lot of fish mask film screening in there. Was curious. But this year, I mean, this semester, who took my class, they noticed that, like, Oh, that was that this film, you know, you know. So, I mean, it's really short film and it's fiction, but can say it's experimental film. So maybe you may feel confused. What's going on there is the one story, or is it a lot of short story, or is it serious? But I want to make it curious and it comes from our screening, and then check,
Chris Christensen 05:29
Okay.
Jeffrey Palmer 05:31
So multiple genres, so non fiction, fiction and experimental. I think that that's really cool.
Chris Christensen 05:37
Okay, can we talk a little bit about some of the content at all, like some of the stories that people can expect,
Jeffrey Palmer 05:44
Yeah, sure.
Chris Christensen 05:45
Sure. And I mean, Jesse, you're involved directly, yeah. Is there anything you want to comment?
Jessie Jia 05:53
Can I promote my film here? So I really love being enduring cinematography class this semester, and I helped with the shooting of 'The Interrogation.' And we shot in PMA, SB 20 or SB 12. And then it's really interesting. Just we had this weekend blocked for the screening set, and then we were able to control all the lightings and shootings. It was really fun to be part of that. And I have also taken documentary with Jeff last year, so I vaguely remember my experience. Just it's like an entirely different experience. You shoot everything and edit everything together yourself. So it's really interesting to just see these different type of working
Chris Christensen 06:39
Nice. What are some of the documentaries that we're we might be seeing.
Jeffrey Palmer 06:46
So we've got, we have some amazing documentaries, actually, you know, they range from, you know, essay films about time, to films that profile students on campus that have done like, these amazing things as leaders on the campus, failing healthcare systems and rural areas of Central New York and Michigan. There's a film that's dealing with the ornithology lab and like these, like, yeah, these, like special recorders that they use underwater that are really highly sensitive, sea turtles. What am I missing here? Oh, and this really, really amazing film that is one of our students is in the architecture department, AAP. And they went to, I want to say, Nepal, and did a film, sort of a collaboration, back and forth over zoom and like working with cinematographers there to to create a work on this woman, who her name is Lady, and she does these organizations for women in this particular community. And it's a, it's a really, really spectacular lineup, I think, overall, with all of the non fiction work. So I'm excited about all of it.
Chris Christensen 08:28
Nice. Do the students get to actually play with the hydrophones? Is that? Is that what they are? That was for the latter, though,
Jeffrey Palmer 08:33
I think so, yeah, the people. So it's a team of engineers that are working over there on these things, and that's really what she's focusing on, is the engineers and the grad students that are actually making these microphones.
Chris Christensen 08:45
Oh, wow.
Jeffrey Palmer 08:46
I get to get in there and, like, see the details that they're doing with, like the electronics. And it was really interesting, that film is interesting because a lot of them came from, like, military and defense backgrounds, and wanted to stop doing that. And like, one of the claims that one of them made was that, you know, they wanted to stop making things that destroy the Earth and start making things that help the earth. And I thought that that was, like a beautiful statement in the film.
Chris Christensen 09:15
So nice. Yeah, Doorim. Did you want to comment at all on what some of the content that we'll be seeing during the film screening?
Doorim Kim 09:23
Cinematography class. I think film ones, the genre is really diverse. I mean, like, There's horror film and also there's, like, a sci fi film style, is there. And do we have mellow? We don't have love in there.
Jeffrey Palmer 09:46
I don't know yours film kind of is, I think about
Doorim Kim 09:50
oh yeah, friendship, yes, and yeah and crime, crime scenes, investigating scene. Yes, it's more about a little bit dark story or bloody story things there.
Chris Christensen 10:08
This seems to be a common theme with the students. We had what 'Remembering Colin Stall' and 'Doomscroll' last year, and a little bit on the horror or not a little bit completely on the horror side of things. Did the students, what do we know about in terms of set design and that sort of thing, they have sets, or was it more just filmed on location?
Jeffrey Palmer 10:32
Most of them were filmed on location. Yeah, we still haven't, you know, although, as Jesse was saying, they filmed in SB 23 so that was set designed for the film 'Interrogation,' and
Doorim Kim 10:47
One group shoot it in the TCAT bus. Oh, yeah. So they wanted the garage, and yeah.
Jeffrey Palmer 10:54
So there was a fair, there was a fair amount of dressing going on. But we're still finding locations and finding that that's easier for them than, you know, creating things in the studio and doing like, full sets.
Chris Christensen 11:08
Gotcha,
Jessie Jia 11:10
Yeah, this is actually a question I really wanted to ask. I think by taking both of your classes, I can remember you as like, teachers and professors, but I know you guys are both filmmakers outside of the class. So what was your experience on working with these student filmmakers?
Jeffrey Palmer 11:28
Um, I think it's an amazing process, like I, you know, being a film, I have lots of friends that are filmmakers, right? And they don't teach. They just do filmmaking. And the experience of like taking a student from really not knowing how to turn a camera on, all the way through a process of like making their own film and having their vision come to life is like one of the most rewarding experiences, you know, for me, and it's a hard process. I think Doorim and I both, you know, agree that this, you know, teaching film is not an easy process at all, and there's a lot of work involved in it, but the outcomes from those stories, I think are really what generate the types of students that we continue to foster through our program. And it seems like the students here at on campus really have stories to tell, and they keep wanting to come and tell those stories, and film is the medium that they're choosing to do that through. So we're happy to have them and, you know, and it's been a positive experience for for me, for sure.
Doorim Kim 12:50
Yeah. And also, since I've been a filmmaker for a long time, I know kind of just some rules which I can do it, or I know the reality, so I don't try. But students, especially like a freshman or sophomore who never touched the camera before. Or I know, I mean, of course, they touch the camera because everybody has the iPhone in their pockets, which means they can be the filmmaker. So they think they know everything. Then, I mean, I agree with them. And then everybody have their unique stories. But from my vision, like, oh, it's gonna be hard to make that things, but somehow they make it in their unique and creative ways. So that makes me really excited. And then also I got some creativity from them, so, which is nice. And also I pretty sure that, if I remember my undergrad years, yeah, I think my best film is the thing I made in my freshman, which makes, doesn't sense. It's terrible quality. But I think the content and all the thing was really great.
Chris Christensen 14:03
So what is it that makes you feel like that's your best?
Doorim Kim 14:05
Because I break all the rules, like 180 and 180 rules, or the lighting was great, it was not great. And then actors, I mean, it doesn't make sense. And then continuity doesn't make sense. And also the storyline was really, it's really strange. So at the time, I remember, like, my professor, they said, like, what's this about it? And then what it is. But from now, after like, whole years past, I think it makes sense right now. So maybe, okay, yeah, the time, yeah, I don't know, okay, but yeah.
Chris Christensen 14:44
Are there when you're talking about students being on location, being like, in a TCAT bus, those sort of things, are there aha moments that the students experience when they're out on location where they realize, Wow, this totally worked, or this, this was so challenging. I don't want to do this again. Are there any where they've reflected that back to you during this process?
Jeffrey Palmer 15:06
Yeah. I mean, I think it happens all the time. I mean, it's it, it we. We only can give them, you know, guidance on things that have, you know, worked for us, either in our own experiences, in our professional work, or in what we've experienced with other students and doing doing those things. But the amazing thing about it is, as Doorim says, the students really do find a way to make these things happen. So the TCAT thing that's interesting is the bus is stationary. And so they had PAs running around the bus with flashlights
Chris Christensen 15:50
To make it look like it was moving?
Jeffrey Palmer 15:53
And when she told me that, I was like, Yeah, I don't know about this, but then when I saw it, it worked. So they, they found ingenious ways to, like problem solve, you know, some of the things, and I think that those are the aha moments for them, like, okay, I get why we need continuity here, or why lighting is important in this particular aspect, like all of these light bulbs are going off, you know, in pre production, production, and then, of course, in post production is when I think really a lot of lights go off when they have to put the films together. So, Doorim Kim 16:31 Because I also agree that because making film, making movie is about also how much you can solve the problem and how you can fix it. So
Chris Christensen 16:44
What are the challenges they face when it comes to obtaining access to a TCAT bus, like, how do they think along those lines in advance? Do you do you facilitate that process? Are they completely on their own in terms of reaching out to wherever it might be on?
Jeffrey Palmer 16:59
We've facilitated. But they have to go through the process of like securing the location release so, you know, I'm not there giving the contract to the person who needs to sign it. And Cornell, you know, recently created their own release forms for media projects on campus, so that's streamlined, like what that exact document is. But when you go outside of campus, we have documents that we provide them that are general documents that they can get access and release to. But we kind of push them into being producers, you know, as well as directors, because that's really the work that they're going to be doing in the beginning of their careers, is kind they're going to do everything. So that's what we're trying to teach them, is every, you know, bit of the process, so that they get a taste of each part. And when they get out there and they begin making films on their own professionally, you know, they'll know, you know, that they have to go through this process in order to get things done and solve problems.
Doorim Kim 18:12
How about Jesse? Did you have any challenge when you make the film this time?
Jessie Jia 18:19
Yeah, I think the most creative part to our film is probably we need to, it's like a crime, crime movie. So we had to make head in the jars. Initially. We're trying to buy off of Amazon, but it's really expensive. And then, so what we did was we printed out the papers, the waterproof papers, and then we use food coloring to like, color the jars in color of red or green, and then put it in the on paper, and then it looks, I think, Okay,
Jeffrey Palmer 18:51
It looks like heads submerged in jars, which is crazy.
Jessie Jia 18:55
It's really funny. We put almost everyone on the crew into a jar. Take the pictures. Yeah. And one really interesting thing that I noticed is there are, like, a lot of CS majors or physics majors that are outside of the PMA program that are taking these film classes. So how did you guide these students in finding their artistic voice while balancing technical skills.
Jeffrey Palmer 19:20
I mean, Doorim and I were just talking about this. I mean, we do. We have a lot of, I mean, most of our students, you know, are coming from other areas of campus, right? And we have recently seen an influx of CS students, and I think they have some really interesting ideas, you know, whether they're grad students or undergrads, of how this articulates to the work that they're doing. So they see storytelling as a way to reinforce. On the technical sides of, you know, computer science and how it can be beneficial, you know, whether it's creating a program or an app or even cameras. You know, we have one student that's interested in actually building like, 3d modeling cameras and things like that. So the all of those things have been transferring over in interesting ways to computer science and also engineering is another one. But there's other areas of campus, you know, in the liberal arts or or even in CALS, where storytelling is just becoming a part of everything, and to tell good stories, you know, a lot of students feel like they get the most out of that making films. And so we just have a variety of students doing that, but, but yes, CS students have been sort of the influx of late.
Doorim Kim 21:03
Yeah, so my cinematograph class, definitely, a lot of CS PhD people are there, but also anthropology, or, I mean, the physics so, because it's more about the technical things, so they talk about robots, AI, VR, or the camera lenses, those things. So it's, I mean, when I talk about the lights and the lens mechanism and the thought, then the things, I little bit worried, because they might know a little bit more than me, because I'm not a physics and know the number and you know the science things, but they more understand better. I mean, because it's their area, so it's great. But also, when I talk about the artistic things like story or theme, they really want to, like talk more, and then things about those things. And also, 1410s it's on, I mean, it's 1000 level class. So they're more like a people who from really different majors like astronomy or even music, hotel business of course and engineer, of course, and government.
Jeffrey Palmer 22:25
Or ILR
Chris Christensen 22:25
ILR
Jeffrey Palmer 22:26
ILR students,
Doorim Kim 22:29
And I'd like to ask them, what's their beauty and also, what's their problem? Is, because I believe that all the stories from the problem and the solution. I mean, how they can figure out the problem is from their beauty. So collecting the answers from, like, different majors students, it's really unique. And also, PMA students love to talk with them and then make a really good relationship and be friendship, and then making film community. So, community? So, yeah, so I think it's great that all over the majors came to PMA building and then make those stories together.
Chris Christensen 23:08
Are there ways in which these students experiences and your experience working with them, that that's influencing your work, having you, I'm just thinking about you reflecting back to your first project. Are there ways that you find yourself rethinking some of the ways that you approach film, as a result.
Jeffrey Palmer 23:28
From teaching or from the students?
Chris Christensen 23:30
From teaching, but also from the students themselves, the experience you're having as you're mentoring them, thinking some of your approaches.
Jeffrey Palmer 23:38
I think so definitely, like i everything that the students are doing now is pushing things forward, not only in storytelling, but like the technology behind it, the way that they're thinking about things, is always like, influential to the work that I'm trying to do and the stories that I want to tell. And, you know, I'm, I'm a Gen X or so, it's, it's, there's a lot that I have to learn, you know, in terms of, like, what I can say and what I can't say, what's, what's proper. Because I came from an era that, you know, a lot of things would be considered not, not proper to talk about, right? And, and so I've learned from my students a lot about, you know, how to sort of change my perspectives and and ideas and how those go into the art that I'm making now. So, so, yeah, it's been really influential for me.
Chris Christensen 24:41
How about you? Doorim?
Doorim Kim 24:45
Yeah, yeah, it's a lot. And, of course, my story and then things, but also, like, I don't know anything about computer like coding and then, like, making web page and stuff, but. How do they make the props, or how do they prepare the film? Things for the pre production, things they're using different programs or different ways. So it's really good to, I mean, it's also nice to stay in, I mean, in university, and then see the new is it Gen Z or MZ, or what's now, new generations? I don't know if
Jeffrey Palmer 25:25
It's Gen it's probably Gen Z, right.
Chris Christensen 25:27
But you know what's sad is I just don't know. I mean, I should.
Jeffrey Palmer 25:34
Do you consider yourself Gen Z, Jesse?
Jessie Jia 25:36
I think so. I think I am Gen Z, but there's a newer one now.
Doorim Kim 25:41
Yeah, yeah, but it's good to see that, like, what's their new topic, and what's their story nowadays, and what's their problems nowadays? If I just stay with my age people, I will never know what's going to happen in that area, but it's good to know, and then it's good to hear from that.
Chris Christensen 25:57
Yeah, it's it's a real challenge to keep up. It really is. I mean, even in my line of work, just maintaining the what the word is I'm looking for here, it's not, I guess it is enthusiasm that you have to have. You have to constantly kind of keep that motive, that sort of motivation for yourself, as you mentioned AI earlier. I'm curious like, how are students leveraging AI to work in film. What are some of the things that they're using AI for? Is it, in terms of script is building? Is it approaches to how they're going to be filming, solving problems through AI?
Jeffrey Palmer 26:35
I mean, eventually it will be that way, right? Eventually we're going to get into a situation where, you know how films are being created, AI will have a significant role, like in that process. The way that we're teaching students right now is, like, it's not analog, like we've kind of moved away from film, although Doorim does still teach in 16 mm, and I occasionally do so the move to digital is firmly like in place right now. So that's where we're at in terms of how we teach our students. So I don't see AI seeping in right now, but I know that in the future it will, whether its screenwriting, whether it's the images that are getting pulled especially in documentary, where you're using a lot of archival images, you know, what are those things? What? How are, how is AI sort of like creating content and then it being utilized. I don't know if we're quite there yet, but I do know it's like, literally on the horizon. Yeah,
Doorim Kim 27:51
Yeah. I many people ask me about the question about AI and an AI film. And like, Do you worry about it? And, you know, but the reason why I'm a filmmaker, and I like to teach the film, is because film is the language I can talk with people the best, as like image and sound. So I think, yes, AI can write the script, or they can edit in the future, not right now. But I also have my voice. I also have my story, which I want to say and I want to make it so I think it doesn't really it will not I mean, we're not talking about AI and the arts things, but I think it will not matter. And also, that's why I teach and talk with students. They're like, if you have your voice, you can make your film, and then doesn't matter. Of course, the editing and technology AI will help, because, like Premier or DaVinci, or all the programs getting better and better, like tracking and all the AI stuff, it's really nice, saves the time, but making the story, your film. Those are just one part. So I think it'll not really affect their work.
Chris Christensen 29:06
To your point, I think definitely, in terms of editing, I know for myself, when I edit a podcast, I actually like to take the time and sit down and really do all that manual work. And as you're saying about that, their voice, their vision, some of that comes through so differently when you're doing all of that manually. I know that I've listened to some podcasts that have been fully AI generated, and there's no breath, there's no moment in between thought. It just keeps on going, and it just doesn't have a real, natural human sort of pace to it. So I hope that, I hope that whatever editing does come into play in film doesn't lose that that really, that ingenious way that somebody approaches something and they're editing.
Jessie Jia 29:53
Yeah, definitely. I think the only place I use AI was like sound when I think I was the my documentary, I think the microphone was really there was a loud electricity, and I was able to use AI to remove a lot of that in though, like, the result is not as good as, like, a well shot or well recorded audio, yeah. But this is certainly, like, a big obstacle that I encountered. So just in general, in your classes, what are the obstacles that students encounter making the film?
Jeffrey Palmer 30:27
I, yeah, I mean, I think sound is definitely one, as you mentioned, like i It seems like sound always becomes for even on a gigantic, you know, Hollywood set, there's typically one person that's doing sound, you know, and that person has been doing sound for like, 20 or 30 years, you know, and so the process of doing that, I think has been challenging. One of the things, one of the tools that we acquired recently were recording systems that have huge dynamic range, which is called 32 bit float and so now, so the what Jesse experienced in documentary was like really trying to ride, you know, the recording levels and all those different things while filming at the same time, which is a difficult thing to do, for anybody to do. And with this new generation of recorders, you can just hit record, and it can record at any level, and then, boom, you can move it once you get into post. And I think this semester, that helped a lot of our students get optimal sound, not because we don't teach sound, but because to do that as an auteur, independent filmmaker on your own without a dedicated sound person who's been doing it for several years, you know, it becomes problematic. So I think that that's one of that that's a huge obstacle, locations, getting talent, all of those things are obstacles I think, you know, students have. But collaborating like we did, between cinematography and advanced acting sort of gave students a new area now to kind of, you know, not have to worry about all of those things, and they're producing. We kind of just have it built in. And I think the films were better for that, you know, without having some of those obstacles. But there's plenty of obstacles, you know, they don't for a student film with no budget and limited amount of time and limited amounts of equipment and people like, there's always going to be things that they run into constantly. But that's you learn from your mistakes in filmmaking. You know, every filmmaker has made a film that they may consider bad because of all the mistakes, but then the next film is better because they don't make those mistakes anymore. So the process of filmmaking is this like learning experience of trial and error. Yeah, right.
Chris Christensen 33:15
Jeff, could you say what 32 bit float is in more layman's terms? Because I love what you just shared, what I realized, if people are listening and they don't know the the ins and outs of audio, what what is actually taking place there to simplify things.
Jeffrey Palmer 33:31
I think we need Warren in here to explain.
Chris Christensen 33:32
Yeah, right. Um, what is what it accomplishes?
Jeffrey Palmer 33:36
Well, what it accomplishes is that you don't so, like when you are recording sound, you have to level your microphones so that they're picking up sound at a certain level so that it's audible. Sometimes you can pick up too much. You can go too loud. Sometimes you can go too low with 32 bit float. You don't have to do any of those level changes. You just, you just hit record, and the dynamic range is so big, which means things that are in the low end and in the high end get recorded, so that when you place it into your editing system, all you have to do is lift the volume from there if it's too low, or bring the volume down if it's too high, and so that it's it's almost, again, it's like this question about AI. It almost functions like AI, in a way. It's like doing the work for you, and how sound folks feel about this. I don't know. I think, as a director and a filmmaker, an independent filmmaker, I love it because it takes away one of those, you know, areas that is going to be a red flag for me, because I'm dealing with the cinematography, and I'm also directing and also producing, and so sounds like the last thing that I'm like messing around with.
Chris Christensen 35:00
Yeah. So are you finding that it's saving the students a lot of time in post when it's going through the like, not having to go back out into the field or do ADR?
Jeffrey Palmer 35:09
I think so. Because one of the things that we just did a rough, rough cut screening doorim's class, in my class, and none of the sound was was bad, like it was all good, like everything and documentary, same thing, it was, like all the interviews were leveled out. Everything sounded good. And that, that's a huge difference from what we have seen in the past with with sort of the up and down levels of sound that that we've had to work with and post a lot more. We don't have to do that. So yes, it does save time.
Chris Christensen 35:45
Okay, one more question for you along those lines. So for both of you in seeing this now with all of these new tools that are out there, how does that make you feel about your past work and some of the frustrations that you had that came to producing a film?
Doorim Kim 36:00
But the thing is, nowadays, I love to work with 16 mm film or film photo stuff. So even though AI and then all the process is really nice, but I love to touch the real thing. So and also the cinematography class, we start from the photo, and then 16 millimeter film, and then move to the digital is because, if they know the basic stuff, because all the technology is from the basic, I mean, like a, not a history, but, you know, all the thing is from film, real film camera, like, add to The nowadays digital cameras. So it's better they understand just lenses, just camera or just the lights. So yeah,
Chris Christensen 36:50
Do you feel like there will come a time where these sort of skill sets are going to be lost with time?
Jeffrey Palmer 36:56
I hope not. I mean, Doorim is right. Like even though we do have 32 bit flow, we certainly make the students go through the process of, like, actually listening in their headphones and, like doing all of the knob turning, because that's just part of being that's part of the process of becoming a good filmmaker. Yeah, so will there be a day where everything is automated, maybe, but I think that film students themselves, they really do want to harness like everything from the ground up and so bringing out a Bolex, you know, from the 1950s and putting 16 millimeter film in, it is like an exciting adventure for a student, versus just, you know, flipping on whatever said new digital camera we have that does everything well. For example, our phones, like our iPhones, do everything for us, right? They don't mess with exposure, they don't mess with depth of field, they don't do all those things. You know, when you're you just point the phone and you shoot, and it kind of does it for you. Students turning those knobs and those levers and putting film in and doing all of those different things, that's really what being a filmmaker is. I think they believe that, and I think both of us believe that. So that's why we like teaching the way that we do in terms of process, regardless of the tools and the technology that's coming up. But it is helpful.
Doorim Kim 38:30
Yeah, like the through the digital editing, they can see, they can just play, and then they understand, yeah, it looks like moving images, but through the film, they can see frame by frame. And then they knew that, like, Oh, so that's why, like, one second there's, like, 24 frames in there. Oh, and my image is slowly in there, so it's nice. And also talk about the collaborations, like a 16 millimeter film camera, Bolex only the DP can see the screen because there's no any extra monitors, so director have to believe DP and dp have to believe the gaffer, because, you know, like they cannot check all the things, yeah, so which is nice, so make some Jeffrey Palmer 39:15 Trust. Yeah, trust, yeah.
Chris Christensen 39:18
Strong communication, yeah,
Jessie Jia 39:22
Yeah. I remember just when we were loading the films for Bolex and then shooting, I think we just tagged every second precisely because it's like, so precious. You have to do the lighting first, and then I think it's like we shot, like my group, there was four people, and it was our first time just shooting it, and everyone just felt so like it's like such a precious thing that we need to accomplish, yeah, but, um, yeah, I'm really excited for the screening next Friday, and so just because we're at the end of the episode, what message would you like to share with the audience?
Jeffrey Palmer 39:55
Um. Yeah, they're going to be blown away. It's going to be explosive genre filmmaking and and just excited. It's always exciting. I think every semester that we do this, you know, it is the last program you know of this semester, on the very last day. Right that we can do that? And I think it showcases the strengths for the film department and PMA and they are student made, student organized, student run stories. And I think students right now need a voice. They need an outlet in order to tell stories, and these stories connect with them, and I think that's what makes our screening special, you know, for the student population on campus, but it's also fun, you know, for faculty and staff that participated and even the public to come and see you know these cutting edge stories. And as Doorim said, you know some of the best stories that may be made by a future filmmaker that does you know an amazing work in the future, an Oscar winning work or whatever. You know, we don't know what will come of all these students, but you know, perhaps you can catch one of their early films before they do hit that stage, picking up their Oscars. So that's what we always see with this. So it's exciting.
Doorim Kim 41:42
I think Jeff told almost the thing. So, yeah, so it's your friend's film, so which means films about maybe your problem or your concerns or your story. So you can come and then you can talk with them, and then you can be touched. And also it's cold outside, and here is warm. So Friday night.
Chris Christensen 42:09
the more people, the warmer. Yes. And you know, come with your friends and enjoy that your I mean, your friends film who made it in here, Cornell and this hill. So yes, All right, thank you both so much for joining us on the podcast today.
Jeffrey Palmer 42:25
Thank you.
Doorim Kim 42:26
Thank you.
Jessie Jia 42:26
Thank you.
