Prof. Bowman, Film Students to Show Work at Cinestudio

ANDREW HATCH ’17
BUSINESS MANAGER
Last year, the Film Department introduced a new course aimed at providing students with a window into the world of Hollywood music video production. With great success under the instruction of Professor Justin Francis and coordination by Professor Madeleine Spezialetti, the Film Studies Department welcomed Professor Benjamin Bowman this year to teach a similar hands-on course offering students the opportunity to work alongside a Hollywood movie director. This year, students worked with Bowman to capture a dramatic scene.
An accomplished and award-winning film director, with a full-length Hollywood movie under his belt, Bowman brought a different skill-set to the department. A graduate of the New York University Tisch Graduate Film Program where he studied directing under Spike Lee, Bowman has directed specials for Comedy Central, VH1, ESPN, and NBC.
This year, the course focused on capturing a dramatic dialogue. Students attended a film workshop lead by Bowman at the beginning of the term and a few weeks later they found themselves off-campus filming at a home in West Hartford. Over the course of a nearly 12-hour day, students experienced just what it takes to bring a vision to life. Once students got some hands-on experience, they set off to capture a dramatic dialogue of their own. Equipped with the knowledge they gained from the shoot and guidance from the professors, those in the class had to develop skills at a fast pace to keep up with their own shoot schedule.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1:30 p.m. in Cinestudio, Bowman will screen the student’s films as well as his movie “Knucklehead,” which follows a young man’s struggle with his domineering mother as he seeks a new treatment for his mental disorder. The inspiration for the screenplay came from the changes in prescription drug marketing that occurred in the late 1990s. New laws now permitted pharmaceutical companies to market directly to consumers—a practice still illegal in many countries. Following the screening, Bowman will lead a discussion and take questions from the audience about the film.