Since it opened in the 1930s, Roanoke’s historic Grandin Theatre has offered both entertaining and educational moviegoing experiences. Now the theater is giving budding filmmakers a shot at a more active role.
You probably remember your college Cinema 101 class: watch a movie, write a paper, repeat. Starting this September, the Grandin Theatre Film Lab will give young film buffs a much richer experience much earlier.
“We are going to be pushing hands-on, but because of the fact that we want to do the entire spectrum, it’s going to be a mixture of the two. But I would say it’s going to lean toward the more practical side of things.”
That’s Tyler Lyon, program coordinator for the Film Lab. He’ll be heading up instruction and day-to-day processes for the high school-age attendees. Lyon is also the liaison to guest instructors for the program.
“We also want to be a resource to professionals in the area, who want to pass on their knowledge to eager, young minds who want to find new ways to express themselves visually.”
Those professionals, from local schools, universities and other businesses, will be just some of the resources available to students. Equipment, filming locations and editing rooms are all at the students’ fingertips as they enroll for the fall semester, maybe for longer.
“We’ll also be having a year-long production process where we’re hoping to help students take their production skills to the next level by guiding them through the entire process from script to finished product.”
Cost of admission is $145 per semester, but scholarships are available for those needing financial assistance. Applications are now open to students regardless of experience.
