Since I was in middle school, I have enjoyed making and working with videos, which sparked my interest in film and later encouraged me to be a film major.

Around that time I decided to make a YouTube channel and posted these small, terrible videos I made with my Coolpix camera and Windows Movie Maker. To my dismay, no attention was brought to those videos, and they now are among the millions that reside in what I call “the black hole of YouTube.”

I knew writing stories and making them happen was always something I wanted to do, though. There are very limited options for film schools in Alabama, but I was lucky enough to discover UNA.

Entering college, I did not know anyone, and I knew that usually obtaining a successful career in film (or a career in essentially anything) requires connections and effective communication skills. If students are missing that, then they better have good luck. Whether it be a horseshoe, lucky underwear or a zip-close bag full of four leaf clovers — they better damn well have something.

I am fortunate enough to have terrible, absolutely God-awful luck, and because of who I am as a person, I am not keen on the “talking” thing. Last semester, I began transitioning into my film classes, where I did meet other film majors. One class in particular had all of the current executives of the film club here at UNA.

Luckily enough, within these past two semesters, film club has been in full swing. I enjoy film club because I see it as a group of passionate individuals who desire learning, improvement and are willing to work together to achieve that.

Whether it be filming for others outside of class or working on fellow film students’ projects, members of the club are gaining experience. The current project the club is working on is “Say Something,” a film discussing the uncomfortability when speaking on racism (See Page 1B) and “Stay,” written by UNA junior Bri Palmer.

Film club is a great way for film majors to make connections, especially if they are unsure of how to meet fellow film majors (outside of class, of course). A good way to get involved would be to attend meetings, which are held in the Communications building room 124 Fridays at 4 p.m.

In the unpleasant words of UNA film club president Java Moody, “Thaaaaaaaaat’s Film.”