CSUN Students Capture The Perfect Shot

by Savannah Rapallo

The sun beamed on the team as exhaustion filled the air. An actress runs towards the cameraman as he runs backwards struggling to carry 50 pounds of equipment while keeping an eye on the view of the camera.

“It’s too difficult of a shot,” a team member says.

Take after take, with the smallest drop of hope left, the team of students let out a sigh of relief, astonished that they got a beautiful shot.

The world of film production takes a team of passionate individuals, all working together, to get the job done. Driven by their love of creating films, students in the CSUN Cinema Club worked during their spring break to shoot a 15-minute short film on a budget of $400, most of which went to food during filming. 

Anabelle Corneau, a freshman student who grew up in Encino Valley, moved to Moorpark with her family. During her first year at CSUN, she became an active member of the Cinema Club.

“I have always loved going to the movies,” Corneau said. “My uncle is in the industry. He’s like a huge inspiration for everything. I just found what I love, and I love doing it.”

Through the club, Corneau was chosen to be the director of the short film “If I Could Choose,” written by Sara Fierros. Using her experience of directing from high school, Corneau’s role was to bring the script to life.

Corneau and Fierros worked closely together to convey a dark story through the language of visuals and emotions, about a young girl who leaves her troubled home and abusive father to cross state lines with her best friend to obtain a legal abortion. 

Fierros, a junior transfer student from Allan Hancock Community College, had been writing scripts since she was eight years old. 

“My friends and I wanted to star in our own little show, so I would write the scripts for it and I just loved it,” Fierros said, sharing her experience as a screenwriter.

Her love for writing always kept herself busy with a project of her own. Since this was her first real project where she shared her work with anyone, she was hesitant that her script would be chosen by the club.

When CSUN Cinema Club script submissions rolled around, she submitted a story inspired by real life experiences that women all over America go through.

“I want people to watch my films and just be like, ‘Wow. Something needs to change,’” Fierros said. 

A few days before the crew began filming, three of the previously secured locations fell through. The whole project was at stake, but at the last minute, the assistant director stepped up to secure three new locations. 

“It was like a miracle that it happened,” Corneau said. “We were really lucky with that.”

Tensions were high on the early morning set in Eagle Rock. The team had only three days to get the footage necessary.

After two months of pre-production and deliberation over Zoom calls, most of the crew were meeting each other for the first time. 

Corneau was in charge of everything and ensured the cameramen, audio crew, actors and production assistants were all ready before giving the go-ahead.

“Action!”

Silence covered the set.

The soft whispers of the actors flowed out of the car doors. The audio crew listened carefully, ensuring the birds chirping from the trees and cars passing on the streets didn’t overpower the actors voices.

Fierros sat listening for any lines that strayed away from the script.

The gaffer and a personal assistant held a duvetyne across the windshield of the car, blocking the natural light from entering the scene. 

The director of photography used a sheet to cover his head and the camera for a clear view of the footage being filmed.  

“We really had to think quick on our feet this entire time,” Corneau said, “but I think working like that, it almost motivates you more to come up with creative decisions.”

As filming came to an end, the process became easier as the crew grew more comfortable with one another. Everyone knew the role necessary to play in order to get the job done.

“I felt like everyone was more or less on equal playing fields because we're all students, and we were all still learning,” Fierros said, “We know that some of these people had zero experience coming in, but they were willing to show up and help out.”

Both Corneau and Fierros successfully finished their first short film in college and led a group of students to the final show. They plan to continue creating short films until they grow into larger productions. 

The film will go through a few different cuts and edits before being submitted to the Cinefest Short Film Festival in May.