We've all played around with camcorders at some point, and we've all had delusions of Hollywood excess. If you're really cool, maybe you even made it as an extra on Dawson's Creek at some point. But somewhere between the little spark and the big dream lies that notion of filmmaking as art; as a means of creative expression in which the yardstick of success is the clarity of your vision rather than the size of your budget.
Film is a unique convergence of artistic media: Imagery, combined with elements of sound, narrative and movement, provides a way to capture and manipulate a powerful reality. The multidimensional nature of film is what makes it so versatile, and unfortunately so intimidating.
This is especially true for young women, notes Niku Arbabi, the leader behind this weekend's Ms. Films Festival, which is being held Saturday at the Durham Arts Council downtown.
"Film is a male-dominated field," she explains. "Things are changing now, but women still find the technology of filmmaking forbidding." Sometimes this is a generational difference. Other times the creative essence of filmmaking just gets bogged down in practical concerns of technology, equipment and funding.
Saturday afternoon will offer a series of workshops in animation, sound, screenwriting and other specific components of film technique; Saturday night is a showcase of short films directed by women from across the country. However, the real heart of the festival lies in what you take home. Expect to have a good time, and better still, leave with the know-how and resources to get started.
Arbabi has compiled a comprehensive take-home guide for aspiring regional filmmakers, which will be available to all participants. She recognizes that some of the most obvious dilemmas - where to get Super 8 film, where to show your movies, where to see other people's films - are easily solved with access to the right information.
"This resource guide was created for not just for women, but for anyone who's starting out," she says. "It covers anything you want to know about moviemaking in the area."
This Saturday's festival was created "by women, but for everyone", with the intention of providing both hands-on filmmaking experience and an introduction to the local arts community. The Triangle's arts communities overlap, she said, as a function of both size and mutual interest.
"If you want to venture out there, [the Arts Council] is a good place to start.... Something like this is sort of a doorway to a scene," Arbabi explains. "Unless you have a way in, it's difficult, and for that reason, I'm trying to make this a resource as much as a one-day event."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.