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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Seven Thursday, June 4, 1992 Feature The bngtotesft of U. student films to be shown Sean McBride ChTonicle Feature Writer By M. Before the summer movie season really takes off in malls throughout America, it might be wise to pause first and enjoy some alternative cinematic visions other than that which Hollywood typically offers. Which is why cinephiles will be pleased to note that the University of Utah Film Department will be offering its latest installment of the Student Film Show this Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium. The show will feature 18 short films and videos by U. students who have spent the last year(s) working on their projects. Most of the films were produced as part of the 16mm film production class. Which means that in addition to commanding the student filmmaker's attentions and passions, the films also have taken a healthy chunk out of their wallets. Brian Patrick, the instructor-mento- r for the 16mm film production class, said the films that will be shown on Saturday range anywhere from $300 to $4,000 with the average cost running around $1,500. "No one said that this was going to be cheap," Patrick said. "I look at it like spending that extra money for your films is part of your education. If this is what you want to get into, then you have to spend that money. g that "It's part of a dues-payin- U. one goes through in terms of learning this very complex, extensive and very technical art form," Patrick continued. "Even if you don't want to make r films, you still million-dolla- have to go through this process." Patrick, along with the student filmmakers, is very pleased with the results of this year's "dues process" and they all promise that those attending Saturday's show will have a great time watching a totally unique take on the world. "The people who have the most unusual ideas and are able to execute them come up with the best explained. films," Patrick "They may not be always right on technically, but if the idea is unusual and unique and different, then people are going to watch and be rivetted to the screen. If they don't come up with the unique idea, they will fall by the wayside and won't go on." . John Castleton, whose film Kenology (the study of Ken) will be shown Saturday, agrees with Patrick's belief. He tells how after getting to know Ken Getz through his work, he realized that it would be fascinating to make a documentary film about Getz. "A lot of people think you have to go out into the world to find interesting people, but I think that some of the most interesting people are right here at home. They're your next-doneighbors," Castleton said. or Brian Zeuthan, the only videomaker in the show, came up with a similar notion when he decided to make a documentary about an Easy Rent to Own accounts collector. "I wanted to look at something from the other point of view. People are always worried about paying their bills, but they never take the time to look at it from the bill collector's point of view. I wanted to show a different side to the story, sort of like what they do in Cops." In addition to coming up with the ideas, the students still must learn how to effectively transfer their visions to film. f. Kimberly Harwood, whose film Doing It runs the longest in the show at "16 fabulous, fun-fille- d, d technicolor minutes," said she can now sync-soun- understand the difficulty of making a film after spending the last two years on this one. "It took me longer than I imagined because everything became a lot more complicated than I thought it would be." "This is the biggest magnitude film I've made so far," she continued. "It's like most of the stuff I was doing, I didn't know how to do until I had already done it. I was learning it as I was doing it." Jeff Jonsson, whose film Neighbors deals with "urban squalor and decay" and "doing shit to others and then not having the decency to give a shit about it in the end," also claims that being in the class has taught him "the nuts and bolts of more But filmmaking." importantly, Jonsson said he has learned many of the crucial see "film" on page eight So "GO O G Chandra Graham Chronicle Feature Writer The scuds, soldiers and sands of the Gulf War placed Operation Desert Storm on the pages of history as a tremendous military success for the United States of America and its forces. The controversial media coverage of the war and its operations was also memorable. However, the public at large was only able to view and attempt to fathom one facet of the story. First Lt. Jay Mumford would like to change that. Since returning home from Desert Storm and back to civilian life, he has chronicled his and others' Middle Eastern experiences in a "history of soldiers." "Missions to execute, uniforms to wear, and equipment to fight with do not make a combat unit effective, and the simple y movements do not make reproduction of the facts of the stories and emotions when found a history true. The truth is movements of his unit. the with linked are of a fighting soldier and thoughts of the the stories assemble to has been My goal infantrymen, tankers, cooks, clerks, mechanics, medics and more that were Task Force Ranger, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry day-to-da- 1 o 1 ckI CP 1 CHR0MIU1 PtIOTOScan Mctnde and kids oh scene from Robin Merrill's "When I was 8," one of several student films screening this Saturday. Celluloid, Regiment from 10 November 1990 to 15 May 1991," he writes in the introduction of the book Rangers In Iraq. The book consists of 10 chapters which range from "First Call" on November 10 to "Like Sands through the Hourglass" on April 28, 1991, as the troops were being deployed home. Each chapter and section includes a descriptive narrative by Mumford which describes the duties, operations and experiences of his battalion. Technical terms and acronyms deemed necessary by Mumford are used often and can be confusing. However, each is explained and described when first used and the terms lend a definite air of authenticity to his work. y to King Khalid "How did we get the 150 miles Military City? Dead reckoning and a $3 wrist compass. It was a great boost to my morale when we managed to get there and back without getting lost. It's just ironic that the guys with the Magellans never went more than five miles from the assembly area and were able to use a $3,000 navigation system every inch y and back in a Humvee and I of the way. 150 miles was forced to use a $3 wrist compass and a map for a 747 pilot," First Sgt. Stephen Hillyear relates in Chapter 3. Many other sections are written by soldiers, other than Mumford himself. He has skillfully included the writings of many others to add interest and experience to the book. cross-countr- cross-countr- my! A bear-costume- s, student writes book about experiences By 'S ... Desert Storm in Photographs and pertinent illustrations are included. Maps, pictures of soldiers and their equipment, and even a photocopy of a psychological warfare leaflet appear on the pages of Rangers in Iraq. A section in the back of the book titled "A Few Serious Questions" relates a few questions posed by the soldiers of Desert Storm. "Why did 701st have soda and other luxuries and we didn't? Why didn't we have accurate information about how weak the Iraqi defenses really were," it asks. A list of military ranks and abbreviations also appears, to help the layman reader decode the many formal terms used. Another section asks some not-so-serio- us questions. According to Mumford, they are are related to "inside jokes." "Ask for 'Fat Girl,' 'Planethead,' 'Break break,' 'Horsehead,' 'Satellite Sam,' the 'Michelin Man,' it asks mysteriously. Rumors heard around camp are even included in the book. Rangers in Iraq was a refreshing look at history through an alternative viewpoint, that of the soldiers, and not through a textbook or newspaper article. It was realistic, interesting and diverse. Those familiar with military lingo and other such terms will find the reading more lucid and enjoyable. and it is rumored that a copy resides at the Marriott Library. Otherwise, those interested can come to the Daily Utah Chronicle office and borrow our copy. The book is spiral-boun- d Red tape defeated through perserverance, hard labor Senior Michael Jensen is about to By Allan Rubensteem Chronicle Feature Writer that everyone on this their fill of dealing has had campus with University of Utah red tape. This crimson roll of sticky paper extends to every school, department, office, classroom and It is certain -- "1 w ' service on this campus. The students get hit with it when they register, wnen they change a class, apply for financial aid, protest a parking ticket. But most of all, students will find out that trying to graduate will be the biggest test of their red tape cutting skiffs. Jfr Ironically, cutting through red tape to graduate is not a bad idea. It ' .1. teum '' urifm CHROHItLt PHOTOStotl Sin Michael Jensen, a student graduating from the School of Business and a casualty of university "red tape," said students don't always have to accept "it is just university policy" for an answer. is probably a good skill to have once you leave this institution. This is the story of one U. student who ran into particular problems with graduation and U. red tape. graduate from the School of Business. However, he needs to finish one class over the summer quarter. Furthermore, Jensen was told he would be allowed to go to the upcoming graduation, but he received notification that his name had been pulled and would not be on the graduation list or posted in the graduation program. Jensen said it didn't make a lot of difference to him, but he thought it was an unnecessary policy to let students go through commencement and not list their names. "It is actually more important to my family and friends to see my name on the graduation list," Jensen said. Jensen went to the graduation office at the Student Services Building and took up the issue see "tape" on page eight |