When San Diego State sophomore Christian Walsh discovered Film Society SDSU one year ago, he had no prior film experience. Like many incoming freshman, he was unsure of his major. But in just a year, he got accepted to the SDSU film program and worked on a feature film in Los Angeles and at Comedy Central.
He credits the program with giving him the skills and confidence to accomplish so much so quickly.
“Film Society got me on my first film set, and before that I had never touched a script before — I had never done anything,” Walsh said. “It was that first film set that gave me the confidence to get on bigger projects. And then, by the end of my freshman year, I was leading senior thesis films.”
Film Society SDSU aims to connect creative individuals with opportunities to create. With the motto “where film meets family,” the club dedicates itself to linking film-lovers campus wide.
Members meet 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the bottom level of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. They hold workshops, meetings and speeches from guest speakers.
Film Society isn’t just for film students. The program welcomes everyone to learn about production, screenwriting, lighting and anything else members express interest in learning.
One of Film Society SDSU’s prominent goals is to build the necessary skills that pre-majors need in their portfolios for their application to the film major. About half of student applicants are admitted each semester.
Walsh was accepted during his second semester.
“Most, if not all, of our members who applied last semester got in,” Walsh said. “We had 13 get in and about 30 to 40 are accepted every semester total. It’s definitely a big part of Film Society.”
Dues, which are $50, from all members pay for speakers and workshops. After the annual film festival, all members who participated in meetings and workshops throughout the year get the $50 handed back to them.
“We always want it to be free,” Walsh said. “We don’t want anybody to be excluded from the benefits of Film Society.”
Ultimately, Walsh, a Christopher Nolan fan, wants to write and direct feature films, especially dramas.
“I want to have an impact on the whole industry,” he said. “I understand that’s a really grandiose dream, but if I end up in smaller roles, I’d still be really happy about that. I love this industry, and the more I work on it, the more I realize I don’t want to do anything else.”
This year, Walsh took on more of a leadership role in Film Society SDSU. He looks forward to help new students build skills and confidence in the industry.
“That’s really what the leaders last year did for me,” he said. “We’re giving back to younger classes, and that’s really how we’re going to better our school year after year.”
