This week, SCAN speaks to Lancaster University Film Production Society – a society which describes itself to be “one of the few university societies in the country that works on films from conception to completion.” The thriving society has gone from strength to strength since its humble beginnings, as became obvious during the 2017 Showcase and Awards Ceremony, which displayed 7 incredibly high quality, student produced short films made within the society this year. It’s easy to see why Bernie is proud to be the president of LUFP, and to be displaying just how exciting the future is for the society.
S: So, why did you choose the role of president?
B: I chose the role of president because it lets me to work closely with all of our projects, and because LUFP has presented such an amazing opportunity for me, I wanted to give as much back as I could. As president, my principal aim is to ensure all projects we undertake this year are completed on time and to the highest quality possible. I fell in love with LUFP the moment I heard about it; I have wanted to enter the film industry since I was 12 years old and LUFP enabled me to make films even though I had absolutely no experience!
S: Where do you see the society going this year, and what are you excited for?
B: We’ve got the best equipment we’ve ever had, we have the best training sessions we’ve ever had, and have experiences of the last 4 years to guide us! So, this year, I see LUFP creating some of the best, highest quality films we’ve ever done. We are working on a lot more external projects this coming year and I am so excited for the variety of work we will produce. Also, as last year’s residential trip to the Lake District was such a huge success, we are sure to see more trips this year including one to a film studio hopefully!
S: What’s your favourite thing about the society, and why should others join it?
My absolute favourite thing is the number of people that come together for the sole purpose of creating a film. The passion our members have for filmmaking is incredible, and it amazes me the how much everyone cares about the film/s they work on. You don’t need any beforehand experience, and LUFP give you everything you need to make a short film!
Favourite film: The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
Favourite director: Steven Spielberg – he made me want to pursue a career in film!
Favourite production: A Pointless Fraud- this was a tough challenge! I wrote and directed it, so it almost felt like if something went wrong, it would be my fault. There were a lot of ups and downs but my cast and crew were fab, so it made everything worthwhile! I’m very proud of it because I think everyone learnt so much, and it was so much fun to produce as well.
Favourite role to take in productions: I have usually taken the role of director. I am a very practical and hands on person, and love working with a variety of people, so directing gives me this opportunity! Every aspect of filmmaking fascinates me and directing enables you to overlook it all, so I love how involved I can be in the process of producing the film.
The LUFP can be contacted through their website at: www.lufilmproduction.com, Facebook and YouTube.
