With nearly 600 campus organizations to choose from, Ohio University students are bound to find a group to connect with. Luckily for those interested in filmmaking and writing, Rough Cut Collective provides students with hands-on creative opportunities.
Every semester, Rough Cut members create up to four university-funded films and hold weekly meetings. At the end of the semester, the club hosts a premiere event. Rough Cut encourages Bobcats of any major and skill level to join.
Chase Strebel, a junior studying media arts production, serves as co-president for the organization. This semester, Strebel said he is doing the editing and lighting for some of the Rough Cut productions.
Strebel said Rough Cut is always evolving and he enjoys the atmosphere. He said creative organizations on campus are important for all students, regardless of their educational pursuits.
“You’re only a student for so long, and I think the chance to work on a student film is really, really lucky and one you’re not going to get in the future,” Strebel said.
The filmmaking process begins when members of the club write movies, which are then voted on by the rest of the organization.
“We’ll take the top three or four highly voted scripts, and the writers have a choice if they want to direct it as well, which they usually do,” Strebel said.
Kendal Akers, a junior studying media arts production, is directing Rough Cut’s final film this semester.
“I just think the creative culture is really great...we want people to learn and get better,” she said.
Akers’ film, which she wrote, is called “D1ck.”
“(The movie is) about women’s anger, and it gets more abstract with that,” Akers said. “Our main character takes a pill from a strange doctor. and she kind of goes on this rampage of anger she has to release.”
Directors and other members are given a weekend to film an entire production. The executive board divides crew members between each movie to balance work among the entire organization.
Anna Schneider, a junior studying media arts production, is the other co-president of Rough Cut. Schnieder said that once a weekend is picked to film, the director and other key members of the production team prepare for their filming days.
During pre-production, members in “above-the-line” roles such as the director and director of photography, will plan how the movie should look and prepare for filming. Following pre-production, over their scheduled days, the movie’s crew films the entirety of their story.
“Production is the middle part, and honestly, the shortest part of it, but that’s what everyone focuses on,” Schneider said.
The first movie of the three Rough Cut plans to produce will be filmed this weekend. Additional films will wrap up by the end of November.
Rough Cut executive members said movies and any behind-the-scenes footage must be completely edited and turned in by the club’s deadline, which is usually a few days before the premiere.
Rough Cut hosts their premiere on the Saturday before finals every semester. Schneider said students dress up and gather to watch their hard work on the big screen, while also enjoying the movies they did not contribute to.
“It’s an excuse to dress up...(and) take photos of everybody,” Schneider said.
Schneider said she owes Rough Cut for creating her best college memories thus far. She also said the organization prepares students for their future careers, in and out of filmmaking.
“It’s early professionalism ... you learn about being able to work with people,“ Schneider said. “It’s not just set experience, it’s people skills."
Rough Cut meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Central Classroom Building, room 310. In these meetings, the general body is invited to talk about information and participate in hands-on weekly film exercises.
“Hear the music, come in,“ Schneider said. "We’re there early and chit-chatting."
