Student films take over the big screen

The Majestic Theatre, in downtown Wayne, came alive Tuesday night as Wayne State College students premiered their latest short films on the big screen.

The lineup featured four projects, Artificially Artificial by David Little, The Interrogation by Caleb Huet, Ret-Con by Jesse Brewer and The Ballad of Rudy Callahan by Brant “Gilly” Gillham. Each film brought a unique vision, voice and passion to the stage, showcasing the growing creativity and ambition within WSC’s film program.

David Little’s Artificially Artificial took inspiration from the 2023 Writers Guild strike. He explored the rising tension between human creativity and artificial intelligence.

“The idea came from watching how AI was starting to replace people in creative jobs,” Little said. “It’s kind of a warning to young people about how difficult it’s going to be to get jobs in creative industries going forward.”

The film centers on a woman who pretends to be an AI expert to land her dream job as a screenwriter, only to find herself trapped in the very system she’s rebelling against. Little said much of the film was shot in his small apartment, creating challenges when it came to keeping each scene visually interesting.

“Our cinematographer, Caleb, really helped,” Little said. “ He was able to get a bunch of dynamic tracking shots that gave each scene its own energy.”

Huet, who directed The Interrogation , said his goal was to play with narrative structure while keeping the audience guessing.

“It’s a comedy and a parody,” Huet said. “There’s a conversation happening in the present, but we keep cutting back to flashbacks that may or may not be true. The whole thing is told by an unreliable narrator.”

The film is described as a neo-noir parody about a man interrogated for a mysterious pineapple-related crime. It had the crowd laughing and puzzled in equal measure.

When asked about the experience of working as both a director and cinematographer on multiple projects, Huet said the hands-on experience was invaluable.

Jesse Brewer’s Ret-Con leaned into psychological horror. It tells the story of a cheerful young man whose life spirals after he and his friends discover a mysterious journal.

“I wrote it thinking about what would happen if a monster could erase people from existence,” Brewer said. “It’s creepy, but it’s also sad. I wanted to show that even when things get really bad, there’s still life left to live after that.”

Rounding out the night was The Ballad of Rudy Callahan , a Western written and directed by Brant “Gilly” Gillham. The film follows a fugitive on the run in 1894 after killing a man who attacked his wife.

Gillham said one of his goals was to prove that student filmmakers at WSC could pull off a period piece.

“A lot of student films here are modern stories, which is great,” Gillham said, “but I wanted to show that we can make something like a Western too… and make it look good.”

From satire and suspense to western grit, the student film showcase proved that WSC’s filmmakers aren’t just learning the basics but creating something special.

Student films take over the big screen

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