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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2002)
HE B ATTAlii it 1 from paje| llre co minj io 11(1 and not b s Aggielife The Battalion Page 3 • Wednesday, November 13, J said she be] caus e visiidij - aware w“- olve d in W ^ aware of & low it affecis'i field said. 1 he thinks kb lle nge visitors, t will give lf magnitudeo[| >t. II,” eall to actiot ake good cow Aggie-SWAMP project Students direct and produce videos that receive local and state-wide recognition By Nishat Fatima THE BATTALION it was mry from the Library in (h where the the Fordlibnf he exhibit will in the Fild kpril 13 ccording to Vishwanand Shetti, a senior ;e! *iputer science major, when creativity and iration come together, a vision is created. He a great outlet for that vision is the Aggie lAMPClub, which stands for Screen Writers, orsand Movie Production. SWAMP Club gives me the chance to do [have always wanted to do, which is make Ivies,” said Shetti, vice president of SWAMP band a senior computer science major. “At a [oollike (Texas) A&M, it is hard to find ways innovative with movies. The club is a place re people can get their ideas and make some- gof them. It is a great resource to get a foot - i s m «pt lllie door to film and other creative media.” iners thivi;;’j$\VAMP Club is a University recognized ;anization with a variety of 50 members who directors, producers, screenwriters, actors and etimes a combination of all of these ele cts. SWAMP Club President Casey Pinkston, nior environmental design major, said the his open to anybody who is interested in its us, which is to create unconventional short Ins to express their artistic visualizations. “We are a collection of people who basically jjie ideas and want to put them to life by making pit films, whether it is for a hobby, or if they pit to make a career out of it,” Pinkston said. Ifeall try to combine our resources to make a reatend product. Once I started making these pies I realized how much fun they were. Its I illy easy to enjoy the process of making the sary oftkktwvies and devote all of your time to it. But, in the Pentay. the end, it’s a great feeling to see the resulting ■duct after all of the hard work you put in to it.” ■>e of theirrsBCory Calhoun, director of Ag TV and a sen- Zawahn,ratjournalism major, said SWAMP Club movies tan be seen on Ag TV, which is Channel 88 on Associated telanipus. Channel 20 in Bryan broadcasts some ui Iraq.attjoitheshows as well. Calhoun said SWAMP rid on bera fib is a vital part of Ag TV. In 2000, Ag TV ran in—and KJi out of money. She said it was saved by becoming affiliated with SWAMP club, a rerntJ/K rrri ■ ■ . epubSq^S" •aq, I ie money adicate breasi iisea.se by fiei ig educatii orogramsiurj 1. >vith this i om having em thr - e a differentia we can findsa tlker. n the Kod nen.ore PHOTO COURTESY OF SWAMP CLUB • THE BATTALION Vishwanand Shetti, a senior computer science major, films Nick Davis, a junior political science major, and Haley Jasper, a junior psychology major, for the SWAMP production of Perfect Recollection. “We had always used the help and expertise of “The marriage of the clubs was a great move because Ag TV started to show their pieces on the air and it resulted in some great programs,” she said. “The purpose of Ag TV as it stands now is to be a spring board for SWAMP Club produc tions and other programs created by Aggies by incorporating them into a television show and creating unique entertainment.” Calhoun said SWAMP Club keeps its viewers in mind when detennining the length of the movies. “We have to keep our movies short and to the point because most audiences don’t want to sit there and screen something that is half an hour that long,” Calhoun said. “We usually have short films that are 10 minutes in duration. They usual ly have an idea or point behind them that they want to get across.” Calhoun said SWAMP movies have been used by other organizations, such as Percussion Studio, for enhanced visual purposes or if they want a recording of their event. Calhoun said the movies have been shown at the Texas Film Festival for the past few years, and SWAMP club received the Viewer’s Choice Award in 2000 for its short film. The Eagle. “Its a fantastic experience when you have the chance to share your art with an audience and get to see their response,” Pinkston said. “If they can laugh at a comedy or react to a drama, then it all seems worth it because you got the right response.” Shetti said SWAMP Club and the ability of its members has been undergoing continuous improvement. He said the club began with a group of students who were in the film society, but they became more interested in production and directoral aspects of filmmaking rather than viewing the films. “We have come a long way from just mak ing movies,” Shetti said. “We all have devel oped our own styles, we realize how important it is to talk to people and get our actors in to their roles and creating the right kind of envi ronment to appeal to the audience. We know all the technical ropes now as well.” Omkar Dave, an actor in SWAMP club and a sophomore biochemistry major, said the attitude of the other members is very encouraging. “When I first joined the club, I wanted to act, and I was able to do so after going to only two meetings,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling to see yourself in a movie because you can see for yourself what you are doing wrong and right. There are so many talented people in the club that also help you learn.” Shetti said he is inspired by being able to create a new world through movies. “When we show one of our movies on the big screen, it takes on a life of its own,” Shetti said. “My inspiration is to create stories with innate characters and make a world around them. There has to be a sense of detachment from the rest of the world, and its more than just reading lines or pretending.” Shetti said producing SWAMP Club films has intangible benefits. “It’s all about being somewhere you haven’t seen and living somebody else’s life in the moment that is created,” he said. “It is a magical new way to experience different aspects of life.” ~ -cr^xrmrmnm uth Asian nf 11 player^ osoft cha funnel tW into societ) ompany be years to. gy and lewurri^ laoONLV) ’0U WANT 313 S. COLLEGE 846-3343 LIVE Friday, November 15 ROGER CREAGER :hief editor 5 Editoi tucer laydunns 1 "’ inier sess»" Univeisity 1,1 w/special guest DANNI LEIGI Doors open at 8:00pm $ 1.50 Mixed Drinks $ 1.50 Longnecks j 8-10pm office 5 are 111 647; W >i: For clas 51 ' identic P 1 ^ ubscnpt^ liner or 10 Advanced tickets available at Cavenders Boot City & Rothers Bookstores Check out our website at www.bcsclubs.com
