November 23rd, 2015
edition no. i volume no. VIII
NEWSLETTER
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Interested in Making Your Mark the Date for the Script Reality? next Big Meeting!
Check out KSUIF’s script- And don’t forget your writing competition. ugly sweater...
What Is The Bechdel Test in Film?
Hailey Knisley gives us the run-down.
A Note From Our KSUIF President by Buddy Candela
by Buddy Candela
Dear KSUIF Member! First off, I wanted to thank all of you who have been sticking with us this semester! We’ve had a huge turnout at our Unlucky prescreening and our workshops and I am truly thankful for each and every one of you! Our Unlucky prescreening went extremely well! We are working hard to get the film at picture lock so we
can begin working on audio next semester. We are still looking for people to help us out with postproduction! This past weekend, we shot a brand new video that will be released later this week just in time for Thanksgiving! Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel to check it out as soon as its released. Our next big meeting is on December 7th. We will be showing off our brand new poster, as well as giving you guys a glimpse of what is going to happen next semester. Don’t forget! We are currently accepting submissions for projects, as well as scripts for our next full length feature film that we will be working on starting next fall! The genre is Neo-Noir. Please look in our newsletter for more information. Thanks everyone! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!
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November 23, 2015
KSU INDEPENDENT FILMS events & updates December’s Big Meeting
Pull out your ugly sweaters and join us for KSUIF’s December Big Meeting!
WHEN: December 7th @ 8:30 PM
WHERE: Franklin Hall Room 340
Our Voices:
a student documentary
Every year, KSUIF creates a short documentary entitled “Our Voices” honoring the tremendous social impacts of Martin Luther King Jr. We have had the absolute pleasure of receiving the McGruder Award for Excellence in Advancing Diversity the past two years. We are looking for students who are interested in getting involved with this year’s project, especially in covering social activism on campus. Please contact Buddy Candela (acandel3kent.edu) if interested.
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November 23, 2015
Movie Flop of the Week: Chinatown (1974)
By Buddy Candela
Chinatown is a dreadful neo-noir that is more repulsive than your squelchy leftover takeout. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a sleazy private detective caught in a whirlwind of corruption, murder, and deceit. Ironically, Nicholson’s performance is as lackluster as his character’s tarnished detective badge. The real mystery of Chinatown is why Nicholson’s character falls flat. It’s disgraceful that such a remarkable actor fails to captivate his audience. On top of this, the plot is staler than prehistoric wontons. While Nicholson is looking for clues in his case, you will be looking at the inside of your eyelids. The most sinful crime Chinatown commits is the repugnant final payoff. It is unquestionable the most unsatisfying climax to a film ever. Film noirs aren’t known for happy endings, but the conclusion to Chinatown makes you feel like you’ve wasted your time. Roman Polanski’s direction is only positive quality. He builds phenomenal atmosphere, but it isn’t enough to cover up the blemishes. Do yourself a favor, and never visit Chinatown.
A Briefing on The Bechdel Test in Film
Alison Bechdel with her feminist comics.
By Hailey Knisley
Developed in 1985 by cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the test was incipiently written into her comic Dykes to Watch Out For. Though it’s named after her, she credits the theory to her friend, Liz Wallace, and the inspirational writings of Virginia Woolf. Originally, “passing the test” required a work of fiction to include at least two women talking about something other than men. That was it. Something that happens everyday. A common occurrence for half of the population. But unsurprisingly, only about half of all American-made films pass this test. This is a test that should not have to exist, a test that would not exist if it were men being expected to talk about something other than women. And in reference to fellow KSUIF member Ashley Newton’s article in the last issue of the newsletter, we can observe that there is a serious wage gap between males and females in most industries, but especially in film. Perhaps there is a correlation between the amount of films worked on primarily by males and the percentage of films which actually pass this simple test? CONT. on pg 4
“2/10 probably”
- Buddy Candela, on rating Chinatown
CONTACT US!
Want to pitch a movie idea? Attend a KSUIF event? Write for the KSUIF newsletter? Email us: kentstatefilms@gmail.com The comic which inspired the Bechdel Test.
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November 23, 2015
Bechdel Test cont.
Many of America’s favorites do not pass the test: Billy Madison (big surprise), Forrest Gump, The Original Star Wars Trilogy, the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, and even The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (you would think they’d get it right by the third). This test began as a half-hearted joke, something a cartoonist from the 80’s cooked up with her friend, but its simple request cannot be met by 42% of the films made in this country. That’s something we need to change.
REAL LATE REELS RATED: PG Dec. 2 I 8PM @ Ballroom RT Rating: 55%
@ the KIVA RATED: R Dec. 4 I RT Rating: 59%
because film majors love free films...
* RT stands for Rotten Tomatoes; all ratings taken from rottentomatoes.com
classic movie night: Redemption Night
Join us for a double feature of The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and an exclusive documentary entitled The Making of Shawshank.
WHEN: december 3rd @ 7 PM WHERE: The Green Room (2nd floor), Oscar Ritchie HALL food and Refreshments will be provided!
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November 23, 2015
Interested in writing a script for a real film company? Submit to KSUIF’s Script Competition! CRITERIA:
THings to remember: DUE DATE:
80-100 pages
while we encourage all september the creativity in the world, 2016 please keep in mind that we are a student production company with the budget to match.
matches the neo noir genre Must use final draft
what is
NEO FILM NOIR ? KSUIF is looking for scripts written in the Neo Film Noir genre. Neo Film Noir films are narratives of nitty-gritty and serious themes. Typically, they are dramas which incorporate crime, action, mystery, or thrill.
Examples of neo film noir: (from above to lower right) The Dark Knight, Sin City, and Gone Girl.