STJ Student film Reaches Top 10 in Prestigious Film Festival

Three St. John’s students earned early cinematic success last December by placing in the Top Ten at the 2011 New York Federal Reserve Film Festival with their 30-second public service announcement, entitled, “The Cost of Bad Credit.”

The film was created by Simon Wolf ‘12CPS (director) Jaime Medrano ‘12CPS (director of photography) and Abe Sater ‘12CPS (lighting, audio), all Television and Film majors. They produced it for the Senior Project course taught by Susan Weber, Associate Professor, Communications, Journalism and Media Studies in the College of Professional Studies.

“It is a credit to these students that through harmonious collaboration they achieved success with their film,” Professor Weber noted. “They have every reason to be proud of their work, and St. John’s has every reason to be proud of them.”

Their piece details the consequences of bad credit by showcasing a young couple who, unable to pay for dinner at a restaurant, are forced to wash dishes as a result. The video can be viewed here.

 “The idea was that the man was irresponsible with his credit card,” and is humiliated as a result, Simon explained.

The trio was pleased to see their film crack the Festival’s Top Ten, and credited Professor Weber for encouraging them to participate. After meeting with a representative from the Federal Reserve they enjoyed the freedom to develop and execute their vision for the piece.

The students had high praise for the University’s renowned Television and Film program, from which many industry professionals have graduated. “All the production and communications classes have been very helpful,” Simon observed. “All the professors are accessible and personable. Professor Weber was very encouraging about this project and did everything she could to help us.”

“It’s definitely a great program,” Jaime noted. “You learn by doing. My first day here I touched a camera and worked on a crew. We’re allowed to make mistakes… but in the end we know how to handle those situations and we’re better for it.”

Jaime added that professors have helped him greatly as he narrowed down his options for a specialization. “They take you under their wing and point you in the right direction.”

The University’s Television Center is equipped with some of the most modern equipment found on a college campus, and has been keeping pace with technology for over 40 years. “All the resources are there,” Abe said. “Like everything else, you get out of it what you put into it. You can’t slack off.”