As a response to a lack of resources for student filmmakers, students at Oakland University created the OU Film Makers’ Guild.

After noting that the university’s and Student Video Production’s equipment had explicit guidelines about equipment use, students formed the Film Makers’ Guild as a means  for students to make their own films.

“The main purpose of the Film Maker’s Guild is to effectively network people and resources together for the production of a film,” Greg Bastien, current president of the organization, said. “Our main goal is to create the largest amount of films at the highest level of professionalism possible.”

When Ryan D’Silva inquired into the Film Makers’ Guild last year, he found that the club was no longer active. Seeing a need for the club on campus, he gathered the previous members and reactivated the organization. After a year of serving as the club’s president, D’Silva turned over the organization to Bastien.

“The organization of the group was lackluster for me as I started to look for it, but I found officers that were ready to graduate and had bigger things to focus on,” Bastien said. “I was looking to join as a member into their club, but what I found was a dangling pair of reins.”

As a group, the guild holds both film screenings and film festivals. The guild has created 12 films so far, two of which are from this year so far.

Currently, they have a contact list of over 100 students who have expressed an interest in the organization. Although they do not know for sure how many members they will have, they expect a good turn-out.

“Almost everyone I talk to about the Guild shows some interest, if not for themselves then for someone they know,” Bastien said. “Making movies and being a part of the collaborative art is a wonderful experience.”

Bastien also said he thinks the interest in the film guild has increased as more and more people have gotten involved wit h film, whether through class projects, with friends or something as simple as using a camera on a cell phone.

D’Silva said he is optimistic that not only will the club remain active now that it has been revived, but also that it will continue to help students outside of the film studies major.

“My hope for the club in the future is for it to remain as the production end to the film studies program at Oakland, as well as continue to serve students with majors across the board who share a love for film by uniting them and allowing them to make their film ambitions come to fruition,” D’Silva said.

Bastien shares D’Silva’s hopes for the coming year, expressing that the club means a lot to both him and other students.

“I believe strongly in film,” Bastien said. “I want to be a part of film, I want it to support me and my lifestyle, and I believe I have a message to say.”