As the Georgia film industry booms in metro Atlanta, Kennesaw State University students in the For Film’s Sake organization have taken independent filmmaking to a whole new level.
The KSU student-led club has garnered a considerable membership over the last semester, fueling its Youtube account with short films across a wide array of genres. Each film is written, directed, filmed and produced by the students with their own funding and means of acquiring equipment.
The organization now boasts close to 300 members. Many of their film locations have been based in the Marietta and Kennesaw area for both proximity and adherence to the director’s visions. Executive board members carry responsibilities that mimic those of the professional industry fairly on the nose: public relations, social media management, location scouting, organization of funds and more.
For board members like Brooke Baird and Cason Harrison, project manager and secretary, movies have been an influential part of their lives since their childhood. For Haley Farrell-Kissun and Eva Oni-Enakhifo, vice president and fund manager, the club was a creative outlet that helped them build meaningful relationships and gather hands-on industry experience before graduation.
All of them agreed that the film industry piqued their interest in post-graduation plans, but Georgia still isn’t the hub of the industry that they wish it was. Oni-Enakhifo said that Los Angeles and New York are still the go-to cities for anyone looking to make it big in the field. However, they also agreed that Georgia has made an impact on how film students can gain entry to a position on the big screen.
“Atlanta is really popping off right now with their extras and their PA positions and kinda networking in that aspect,” Farrell-Kissun said. “I do think compared to Hollywood it’s going to be harder to advance, but I feel like it’s starting to get a good reputation for being almost equal to Hollywood.”
Though the peach state gained popularity in 2010 as the filming location of the hit series The Walking Dead, recent years have shown that more directors are reaping the fruits of the state’s lower taxes, diverse film locations and booming technology. According to Forbes, Georgia gave out $1.2 billion in credit for film and television productions in 2022, a record-breaking number that supported the $4.4 billion in production costs that same year.
Following Georgia’s new election laws and stricter abortion laws in 2021, many filmmakers are boycotting the state until a political change is made, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting news. The hashtag #NoMoreFilmingInGeorgia has trended among notable industry figures like Mark Hamill and James Mangold.
On a smaller scale, FFS members have a budget of close to $250 for each short film. With this, the students on set are able to create and deconstruct entire worlds with what they have at hand. Even with comical hiccups like treasurer Jacob Bray’s car breaking down on the set of a film about a car breaking down, someone is always calling out ‘action!’
“A lot of people have commented that they feel like a lot of our sets prepare them for the real world,” Harrison said. “I think we do a great job at such a low budget and short time frames to create something that really feels professional but also fun at the same time. I think we have something really unique with this club.”
Oni-Enakhifo also recommended that students interested in film can take advantage of club membership and Youtube simply to expand their knowledge. Multimedia director Julia Walsh shared plans for a behind-the-scenes feature video that will provide insightful information to curious viewers on what working on set looks like and all the different roles that collaborate to make their projects possible. No experience is necessary for club membership other than an interest in any aspect of the industry.
The organization’s next short film debut is scheduled for Nov. 29 and is open to all KSU students. The Foscars, an event hosted to debut last semester’s films in March, was a major hit for the organization to recruit more members. A play on the Oscars, student filmmakers rolled out the red carpet and celebrated five short films with awards and interviews.
