Ryan ChartrandWhen Internet2 was born and people said it would revolutionize research and the way universities connect with each other, I don’t think they thought they’d actually be right.
While Internet2, a consortium that connects universities and other institutions at speeds 10,000 times faster than the commercial Internet, has been known for its scientific achievements, it has had a growing presence in the art community.
This past weekend marked the beginning of a new use for Internet2: student film festivals.
Open Student Television Network (OSTN), a television station that broadcasts entirely over Internet2 to 4,500 universities in 36 countries, hosted a student film festival at Cleveland State University using films submitted over Internet2.
But simply having students submit their films over Internet2 wasn’t enough. OSTN decided to invite the directors of the films to talk with audience members at CSU through high-speed videoconferences hosted by Internet2.
The festival featured a variety of short films, documentaries and television shows. Below are some of the highlights from the short films category:
“The Guided Storm,” directed by South Korean director Tascha Eipe, was one of the more impressive films shown. It delved into the endless relationship cycle people go through when trying to find “the one.” With a Woody Allen directing style and a soft, delicate piano soundtrack, “The Guided Storm” had all the right traits for a great short film.
“Crispy Bacon,” directed by French director Olivier Farmachi, merged black and white photography with video in an upbeat short that took an ingenious approach to a simple chase scene. At first it didn’t look like the idea would work very well as a slideshow of images, but as it picked up and started utilizing the soundtrack and the frame rate of the images, Farmachi was able to create visually pleasing cinematic sequences.
“Attack of the Cephalopods,” a conventionally drawn and inked cartoon from Duke University blended “The Simpsons” with “SpongeBob SquarePants” in a slightly drawn out film with a few good laughs.
“Cataract,” a short film from Oberlin College used a creative style to explore the first-person perspective of someone suffering from a cataract. The main issue with “Cataract” was its nauseating voiceover by the main character that, if actually good, could have made it one of the standout films of the festival.
The one film that was by far the most professional production and most powerful in its artistic sense was “Roskosmos,” directed by Rom Alejandro from the University of Virginia (it had already received praise at past festivals as well). The film showed the last minutes of the lives of two astronauts whose ship fails to make reentry to Earth in the late 1960s. The film was beautifully shot in such a small environment, yet it is able to set a tone and mood that are terribly hard to establish in a mere 20 minutes.
The videoconference interviews appeared awkward on the first day of the festival since there were so few attendees left in attendance, but as they progressed all that mattered was what those on the other end had to say. Getting to hear from directors, instructors and student leaders from USC’s television station Trojan Vision were all great insights for any students pursuing careers in the film industry.
General manager for Trojan Vision Bryan Fischer, for example, brought up the fact that even as technology improves the way that people receive entertainment, whether through cell phones or Internet2, people are still going to mostly care about getting quality content. It’s nice to know that the future of the industry cares most about content over flashy new technology.
“We really support the idea of providing more innovative venues for student filmmakers to share their work,” Internet2 public relations manager Lauren Rotman said.
As Duke University film instructor Josh Gibson noted during one of the videoconferences, student festivals are usually small events, while now students can share experiences with other universities and start a dialogue with the world.
The use of Internet2 in the arts has become increasingly popular over the past decade. USC assistant professor Brian Shepard, for example, has been involved with fusing Internet2 and music since 1999 by setting up master classes over the network for students across the country to attend.
“I think we’re just seeing more proliferation of Internet2 in the arts and humanities community because now people are gaining more experience with it and becoming more successful with it,” Rotman said.
While many of the films shown over the weekend can be found online rather than watching them at a festival, having this worldwide festival broadcast allowed great exposure for directors and a great way for film lovers to find the best in creativity from around the globe.
OSTN is also starting a national collegiate news show for students in journalism schools who want their stories broadcast to the world. Students submit their clips to OSTN through Internet2 and then the member institutions are sent the packages.
“Because many colleges and universities are connected to Internet2 and other research education networks, it saves OSTN money in transportation of OSTN to the colleges and universities,” said Prashant Chopra, president and CEO of OSTN. “And because many colleges and universities are connected to Internet2 and other research education networks, it also saves the colleges and universities money in receiving OSTN.”