Every semester, Beloit College holds its semesterly Beloit and Beyond Symposium. During this day, classes are cancelled, and buildings on campus turn into mini-conventions, led by the student body. Students prepare and present the various projects, research, and experiences they’ve been working on (or, oftentimes, slaving over) for the course of the current semester. Each symposium contains new experiences, student work, and opportunities to learn. This year, among many others, students Sky Pomeranz, Cora Atkin, and Dan Stolaz showcased their work on a feature film: “Cult College”.
In an interview with Pomeranz, Cult College was described as “a found-footage feature-length fictional film, exploring what it’s like to be youth…the pains of being [college]-aged”. While some students took the summer course offered with Joe Bookman, the Department Chair of Media Studies at Beloit College, through the college, others volunteered when they had time free, and yet others contributed through an internship. “The class just felt like it had twenty people instead of the five it actually had,” Pomeranz said. Accordingly, students facilitated the filmmaking process, including scouting for locations, editing, manning cameras and sound, costuming, set dressing, and creating props, including a pillory. “Cult College” features several locations around campus, as well as filming in nearby locations such as Tacos Neno.
Pomeranz described several stories about the film: running around scouting for locations, as well as their extensive work on the set for the dorm that features in the film. “The ludicrous amount of research I did for this is crazy…I just researched endlessly for days.” During their presentation, Stolaz also mentioned the challenges of keeping a straight face while looming over actors with a boom mic. As anyone who has committed to a long-term creative project knows, there will always be stories and setbacks. “Joe [Joe Bookman] looked at me with fire in his eyes and SUDDENLY I’d committed to BUILDING A PILLORY,” Pomeranz recounted of their work on props.
Pomeranz also says that while the film is attempting to be published as an independent film with co-directors, there’s still work to be done and the possibility for financial contribution. “[If anyone] wants to help us finish this film with a higher budget…that would give us the opportunity to do so much more.” However, even if this does not come to fruition, the film still has enough scenes and budgeting allowance to be produced.
“Cult College” is not yet out- the timeline is predicted for another few years, considering the editing and possible secondary filming that’s still required for a finished product. Still, while the project isn’t over, that doesn’t seem to have diminished the passion of any of the creatives involved in its making. “Of all the different kinds of things we have from this film, we’re still going. It’s pretty cool,” Pomeranz said.
Featured image: Betty Cavicchia’28
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