With the start of 2021, a new BG club has recently emerged, the film club. Run by juniors Ben Shlau and Daniel Tereshko and freshman Ethan Shlau and sponsored by English teacher Matthew Branham, the club’s main goal is to immerse members into the world of movies and television, teaching them how to make short films and TV episodes of their own.

“The club was inspired by a few students and their friends,” Branham said, “Their goal is to share their love of film and the filmmaking process.”

According to E. Shlau, with days spent at home over quarantine and many films watched with his brother, the two got curious about the process of filmmaking. Eventually, they thought it would be a great idea to not only teach themselves the mechanisms but also teach others who would like to put their own original ideas into a product that they could be proud of. 

“Ben and I watched a bunch of movies and TV shows over quarantine,” E. Shalu said, “He quickly got interested in how they were made, produced, edited and most of the aspects in between.”

 Tereshko had the same experience over quarantine, although movies have always been a part of his life. He believes this club is a great start for anyone getting into the many different parts and behind-the-scenes initiatives of producing a film, as they are all learning. 

“The club is great for students who are interested in the background work of how movies are made, but not necessarily trying to consume their schedule since it is aiming to be very laid back,” Tereshko said. 

According to Branham, this is a wonderful opportunity and space to share the love of not only films in general, but the creation of them.

“We’ll be watching some movie scenes and TV episodes to inspire ideas and demonstrate what professional-level cinema looks like,” E. Shlau said, “We’ll also be teaching members film techniques and editing software.”

During their meetings, they will be allowing a member to play a TV episode of their choice and thereafter try to recreate a couple of the episode’s scenes. 

“It’s very chill, everyone is free to do their own projects and discussions and even without these restraints, so many things are learned,” Tereshko said. 

As of now, the club is running fully digital on Zoom. Their first meeting was on Feb 23 and will continue to meet every other Tuesday afterwards. More information can be found on their Instagram page @bghsfilmclub.

“There are no requirements to join the club and we encourage anyone who has an interest in film or the film-making process to join,” Branham said.