Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1996)
t 2^1, Vednesday • February 21, 1996 Aggielife Page 5 • The Battalion Aspiring Aggie Filmmakers \&M students work together to produce short film Vector We Score More! |y Libe Goad [he Battalion e year is 2016. r. Catherine St. James discovers a computer virus that has been knocking ut banks. St. James’ agency sends her back the past with their time traveling device, here she meets computer hacker Christo- iher McCoy. Together, the two travel through e to find the source of the virus and learn a devious plan by Tsvalik, a mysterious fig- who implemented the virus, to take over e world’s banking system. Add a little romance and a few action- tacked scenes, and the 16-minute film Vector, ated by two Texas A&M students, sounds uch like a futuristic cyberpunk world that uthor William Gibson would create. Jay Biederman, a senior economics major d a lead actor in the film, said Vector com- lines elements from different popular films. “This film has some Back to the Future, ything with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Pulp Fiction flashback and flash forward ef fect,” Biederman said. First-time film makers James Atkinson, a ® senior computer science major, and Chris Long, a senior journalism major, have pro- < U P ka jjiieed Vector from start to finish, an idea bom last November over e-mail. Via computer, the two high school friends wrote and rewrote a script last year, and after the eighth draft they found a running script for their filming endeavor. Filming hasn’t been an easy task for the ambitious pair, though. After searching across campus to borrow filming equipment, Atkin son and Long found many doors closing in their faces. “Our main gripe is that the school wouldn’t help us,” Atkinson said. “People told us to come back when we were in grad school.” Most of their opposition came from the Vi sualization Sciences department, an A&M graduate program that specializes in visual arts, whose professors said they could not lend them any filming equipment. “People are pretty protective of their equip ment,” Atkinson said. Instead of waiting around for filming mate rials to magically appear, Atkinson and Long invested in their own. After saving money from summer jobs, they differ bought two lights, a hand-held camera and film. There’s something nice about owning your own equipment,” Atkinson said. Buying the equipment will eventually help the two aspiring filmmakers keep down costs '.m, TufBrJ ‘en nore mall : to seeii ight be found eneficial ■ like It® than si they ie i withic y relate! ig.” j dents? mg involi i Campi ', the bos i 'ish Canj ;w is an? to inten yone inlf ■ the trai Id consiii r. ou can t the fre;! ■ traditia ” he sail h Camp ggie spt ‘arninga Average Final GRE Score 1800 r 1750 1700 1650 1600 1550 1769 ML National Kaplan Average TPR The average final score for Princeton Review GRE students is over 180 points HIGHER than the national average. Kaplan scores are based on a 1994 Price Waterhouse study. Princeton Review scores are based on a 1994 Deloitte Touche study. National average provided by ETS. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University or ETS. Small Classes • Personal Attention Thorough Review • Effective Test-Taking Strategies Four Full-Length Practice GRE's • Free Extra Thtoring THE PRINCETON REVIEW December GRE courses start October 21st. Call today! (800) 2-REVIEW http:Wwww.review.com The Bottom Line Is Higher Scores! Photo courtesy of James Atkinson Members of the cast and crew of Vector, a short film produced by A&M students. ether, non goal nsition iooI seni* ! said. i as me | with other* movies, Long said. l 3.S tn>.) An estimated $7,000 will go into this movie, including blank-shooting guns and packets of “fake blood.” In this case, the blood costs little and can be found in most refrigerators. A combina tion of teriyaki sauce and ketchup ooze from bloody wounds. “It’s not like the blood used in the movies,” Atkins said. “We’re not that advanced.” Time creates other problems with filming Vector. Instead of having the. Hollywood ad vantage of filming anytime during the day, Atkinson and Long used any spare moment to assemble the cast and crew. Last weekend, the group met at 8:00 p.m. Saturday and worked until the wee hours of the morning. Four Corps members also arrived at the set (the Hydromechanics Lab next to Zachary En gineering Center) in their camouflage uni forms, acting as Tsvalik’s henchmen. Freshmen Corps members Jason White, a political science major, Sean McGarity, a civil engineering major, Jonathon Tomberlain, a journalism major, and Nathan Buschow, a general studies major, volunteered to appear in the film project. “It’s fun,” Tomberlain said. “It’s a good way to help out your fellow Aggies.” The principal actors also volunteered their spare time to the film project. Haven Powers, a senior theater arts major, and Biederman latched onto the project after Atkinson and Long saw them perform last se mester in TTie Crucible. “I got a phone call after the show and they asked me if I wanted to be in the film,” Bieder man said. “I said, ‘sure, why not?”’ Powers also got a phone call, and the two actors began working together as Dr. Cather ine St. James and Christopher McCoy, part ners in time travel, mixed with the element that made shows like Three’s Company suc cessful — sexual tension. “Actually, it’s pretty out in the open,” Bie derman said. “We even have a kissing scene.” Acting in front of the camera has taught the two actors the difference between working on stage and in the movies. Instead of being a character for an extend ed period of time, Powers said, playing a part tests her ability to shift in and out of her role of St. James. “Sometimes we’ll be here all night,” she said. “Ill be acting my part for a few seconds and they say ‘cut,’ and I have to return to be ing Haven.” With new film equipment and free actors, Vector will be ready to enter the film festival world this summer. Long said they hope to have it ready for the annual South by South west film festival in Austin. now forming * Academic Survival Qroup Group 1: Thurs. 3-4:30 p.m.,- Mar. 28 - Apr. 18 Group 2: lues. 5:15 - 6:45 p.m.,- Apr. 9-30 This four week undergraduate support group focuses on helping students make it through midterms or finals. * African American Student Group Tues. 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. This group provides support for African-American students and explores issues related to gender-based expectations of performance, sexuality, and self-discovery. * Career Exploration Qroup Mon. 3-4:30 p.m. This six session group will aid in answering questions about choosing a career and how to make it a reality. * Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Support Qroup Wed. 3-4 p.m. This group will discuss topics such as relationship issues, self-esteem, and coming out to family and friends. * Hispanic Student Qroup Mon. 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. This group is a safe, supportive and confidential place to discuss issues relevant to Hispanic/Latino(a) students at Texas A&M. * Men's Qroup Mon. 3-4:30 p.m. This group will discuss relationships, masculinity, sexuality, gender expectations and challenges of being male in the 90's. * Stress Management Tues. 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. This four session structured group will focus on understanding causes of stress and techniques for managing and reducing stress. Call the Student Counseling Service at 845-4427for more info. esearclt en. ele this sut peration 3HTBS /ey THE TEXAS FILM FESTIVAL Wednesday, February 21 - Sunday, February 25 A presentation of the MSC Film Society of Texas A&M MlOg )US cW) lay, itions' NS: Ider Tonight at the Texas Film Festival... An Evening of Short Films 7:00 PM Th« Harldy Boya In Hardly Gold In this spoof, the director, famous photographer: William Wegman, uses his favorite canines (weimaraner dogs) dressed as humans to solve the zany mystery that surrounds their summer vacation. Tribaa Set in the deep south after WWI. A black soldier returns home from the war to continue a secret inter-racial relationship with the daughter of a local fanner. Together, the couple flees through the local swamp to their freedom, but when the girl's father discovers the truth, the hunt down begins. The CTanky' a Chrla turns v§§ Sam i i ltd. y A claymation fable narrated by William S. Burroughs about a drug addict trying to get a fix on Christmas Day. Bluabarry Hill ♦♦♦World Festival Premiere*** A look at the life of two friends in Indiana who want to escape their "small town life" and move to better things in college. TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for John Landis' program are $5. Tickets for the remaining programs are $3. A Festival Pass is available for $15. The Festival Pass allows entry to all the Texas Film Festival events. Ticket purchases can be made at the MSC Box Office (845-1234) . - Parsons with disabilities please call All presentations are in Rudder Theatre Complex. Sponsored in part by the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley and The Texas Commission on the Arts 6- 845-1414 to inform us of your special needs. We request notification three(3) working days prior to the event to enable us to assist you to the best of our ability. Thursday, February 22, 1996 7:00PM Five (5 minutes) A man talks about his five off-the-wall friends. 9:30PM Jackllght ***a World Premiere*** Filmed in Brenham. Six high school friends graduate at the top of their class. The future was theirs. Then, in a single night, in a sudden moment, a life is taken, and the future becomes dark. Now, two years later, the remaining friends come together once again in hopes to find answers. As they rediscover each other, themselves, and the bond of friendship that exist between them, the past becomes clear and their future becomes possible. Friday, February 23, 1996 7:00PM Pharaoh'a Army This story takes place on a southern farm during the Civil War. A group of Union soldiers arrive at the home of a Confederate soldier whose wife and son live in the house alone. The soldiers, who are in need of supplies, are caught off guard when the unex pected happens and are forced to change their plans. 9:30PM An Evening with the Original Blues Brothers John Landis Saturday, February 24, 1996 3:00PM Seminar- Filmmaking In Texas Free Seminar covering the unique aspects of filmmaking in Texas. Rudder Tower Room 301. 7:00PM Voice Mall (12 minutes) A man struggles with a voice mail system while trying to order a chess set on the phone. Unconditional Love Directed by the American Painter, Arthur Egeli. This film is the story of a young painter in Cape Cod who is struggling with his impending greatness as an artist and as a lover. 9:30PM Plgl (2 minutes) ***Honorable Mention Sundance Film Festival*** Based on an urban myth. A biker's confrontation with a woman in a car is not quite kosher. Farley Mowat Ate My Brother(10 minutes) In this farce, a man tells the story of how famous Canadian writer, Farley Mowat, ate his brother and how he learned not to "Cry Wolf" . Seeking the Cafe Bob Filmed in Austin, Texas. Three old college roommates move back in together after one of them get divorced. Together, they try to find some direction for their lives and their lovelives. 12 AM II Postlno ***Nominated for 5 Academy Awards*** This film tells the story of an exiled Chilean poet who warms to the uneducated innocence of a fisherman's son who dreams of wider, more exciting horizons. In Italian with English sub titles. Sunday, February 25, 1996 3:00PM II Postlno ***Nominated for 5 Academy Awards***
