I had never stepped foot inside and airport, let alone an airplane, but on that cold January morning I found myself breaking that 21 year record. That was an experience in itself but I had a much bigger opportunity waiting for me and my classmates in Park City, Utah. Ever since I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker I found myself drawn to independent cinema and at the heart of indie film is the Sundance film festival.

In awe of the giant snow covered mountains and the busy sidewalks of main street I was excited to get started in everything Sundance had to offer. Before rushing out into the theatres, careful planning took place in room 281. Papers scratched up with scribbling of theatre locations and movie times over lapped the Sundance catalogs on the beds. We were ready to take on Sundance, with a goal to see as many movies as possible and get the most out of this experience. Whiplash was my first film; 9am in the chilly Utah morning I experienced my first park city bus ride full of other festival goers all excited just like me. I was blown away. This was a film that changed my perception of what Indie cinema can do. It set the bar high for the rest of the time I was there.

Cheap pizza at the Red Banjo was where I spent many of my post film meals, rationing out my money, in hopes of saving it for more tickets. It was an addiction, as it should be for any film major ( the tickets, not the pizza). A short walk from there was the Slamdance film festival where is saw a few great films that I would have otherwise missed and waited in line to catch a glimpse of Christopher Nolan, with no luck. The hard chairs and shaky projector made the Slamdance experience a little subpar to Sundance but the idea behind it made me want to support and become a part of this community of passionate filmmakers that will stop at nothing to get their imagination on screen.

The nights turned into mornings with every midnight film, quickly messing up my internal clock and causing me to ration out my energy, like my money. In a way Sundance became a trip of film survival.  My days were all but nonexistent as I repeatedly ask my friends and classmates what films they have seen and whether or not they were good. When I hear a positive review, it was back to my tentative film schedule, in which I wrote “subject to change” on top of the page. Sleep was a precious commodity that was quickly evaporating like the water in “Young Ones”, naps were gold and energy drinks were my drug of choice to fuel me from film to film and panel to panel.

The experience I had in ever film, every Q&A and in every restaurant was an experience I will never forget and one I would not change for the world. Every word the filmmakers said planted a seed in my brain and grew into a forest of information that will only benefit my career in filmmaking. I have learned a lot from my teachers and from my classes and am proud to be a part of WKU’s growing film program and this trip to Sundance gave me the opportunity to experience firsthand what filmmaking is all about, and how to express yourself and great something greater than yourself. I can only hope that Sundance can become a WKU film tradition because it was the best and most rewarding experience of my life.

Now I’m going to sleep…

I knew Sundance was going to be a once in a lifetime experience, but I didn’t realize I’d love it as much as I did. Going in, I was so excited to watch new films and see celebrities, but one of my favorite parts of the festival turned out to be the question-and-answer sessions following each film.

 While those sessions were most interesting when one of my favorite actors was involved, I loved them every time, even when no one I recognized from a previous film was there. It gave the audience a very unique chance to pick the filmmaker’s brain right after watching their film for the first time. Usually, when you have a big question after watching a movie, the best you can do is discuss it with your friends, or Google it and hope the director has discussed it before. There’s never a guarantee you’ll find the answer.

 But not at Sundance. At Sundance, when you had that burning question, it could be answered right away. We got to know how decisions were made in the film, and that really added to the interactive experience. I think that’s what I’ll miss most when I go back to my local theaters to watch movies.

As soon as I heard that WKU was putting together a Sundance study away course, I signed up as soon as possible. Being at Sundance is an incredible experience for any aspiring film makers because it not only fills you with excitement, but proves that mall indie film making can be accomplished.

The indie film which blew me away the most so far was a Japanese/Indonesian film called Killers which was directed by Timothy Tjahjanto and Kimo Stromboel. After the screening the directors did a Q & A in which they revealed that the whole film was shot with about a one million dollar budget, which sounds like quite a lot, but in the world of film, it’s not much at all. This film looked incredible. It looked like any two hundred million dollar Hollywood film. It’s amazing that two guys have slowly worked their way into the industry, and made a film that encompasses so much with so small of a budget.

Overall, Sundance has excited me in many ways about the film industry and studying film. Everything from the panels, films, and Q & As after each screening have been awesome to experience, and Sundance really is an amazing experience for everyone.

When planning for this trip, I was more stressed than excited. Never having flown before or been to a film festival, let alone one as famous as this one, I was worried about everything.  But after the first couple days I got used to the new environment.  I started seeing films that were incredibly interesting and inspiring, and feeling a freedom to make my own experience.

Every trip I’ve ever taken has been mainly mandated by the people that I was traveling with, but with this study away course, the instructors let me know that they were there if I needed them, but that I could make my own memory of this experience at a place where I felt really privileged to be.

Professors Hovet and Hall made it clear that they were interested in how I was doing, whether it had been checking up on me if I was sick, or asking me what I was seeing and my opinion was of the festival and the films. I really appreciated this freedom and enjoyed being responsible for myself and being able to do what I thought would make for a good memory of a fantastic festival.  I really thank my professors for that opportunity.

I saw a lot of films over the course of our ten day stay in Park City.  I was pleasantly surprised that every film I set out to watch I not only got into, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing. After every screening someone associated with the film, whether it be actors, directors, or producers would have a question and answer portion where I got to hear some really interesting and inspiring ideals behind the making of a film such as what it’s like for these people to be a part of Sundance. I got a lot out of this experience and I appreciate every moment.  All the memories I made really solidified my choice of a film major and made me enthusiastic about learning more about this art form that I grew up loving and will continue loving for the rest of my life.

Senioritis hit me and in a BIG way. Last semester I lost motivation to go above and beyond, but rather, I chose to just scrape by. This film festival has invigorated me more than I could have anticipated.

While at Sundance, I had the opportunity to see one of my idols in person. I’ve loved Joseph Gordon Levitt since I was a small child, watching Third Rock From the Sun with my parents. The last few years have seen him create a new way to collaborate with artists, incorporating all media into a new piece of art. It all goes up on his website, which he has called HitRECord. At Sundance, he previewed the next step in HitRECord, and that’s a TV show for the new channel Pivot.

Lessons Learned Panel with Joe-Gordon Levitt

Hearing him speak of his passion for HitRECord, and seeing the ferocity on his face reminded me of why I chose to study production in the first place. What’s more, he spoke about his brother, Dan, who he started HitRECord with and who died in 2012. Teary eyed, he told us that Dan cared deeply about the process of bringing ideas to life and that regardless of the final cut, what matters is that someone has put a piece of themselves out to be seen.

I have always struggled with nerves and fear of rejection in this business, but when one of your greatest inspirations says to disregard all that, you kind of want to. HitRECord is a supportive community of artists and I can’t wait to get home so I can lend my talents to it in any way I can. Without this eye-opening and mind-clearing experience, I don’t know if I would be as sure as I am about my aspirations. The fire is burning brighter than ever, and I have this class and the opportunity to see JGL to thank for that. 

My first Banksy.

The story goes rival graffiti artists tried to destroy the original Banksy. The city stepped in, but then drunk guys tried to destroy the original Banksy.

So they put up protective glass.  I’m not sure Banksy would approve. My first Bansky. In Park City.  At the Sundance Film Festival.

Here are two dogs that were the real stars of the festival.  Ralphie & Obvi.

My first e-waitlist line on opening night.

Before this year you had three levels of hierarchy: pass holders, ticket holders and waitlisters. Pass holders were industry, press and rich people. Ticket holders were like the middle class. Waitlisters were like the lower class having to show up 6 hours in advance before a screening to secure a spot.

They changed its policy by introducing an e-waitlist. 2 hours before every showing you signed up for a number.

If you didn’t sign up in 30 seconds, all the e-waitlist spots were gone. The server crashed. Many people hated the e-waitlist. I got into everything except one showing. Some weren’t so lucky.

Here’s a fan of “Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead” dressed as a nazi zombie at the midnight premiere.

“Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead”

He snuck up on this girl and scared the daylights out of her. She ended up falling asleep during the screening. I politely told her to stop snoring because some of the cast were sitting behind us.

Because I had the adrenaline pass, which got me into movies before 11am and after 10pm, I was getting 4 hours of sleep every night. On this early morning, the buses were slow.

After waiting 30 minutes, I decided to run. It was only a mile, I thought, but the mountain air almost destroyed me. I caught my breath at a stoplight and looked at my phone. I had 10 minutes to get to the theater. No way. Then I heard a woman say, “Do you need a ride?”

I turned and saw a Sundance volunteer leaning out of her driver’s side window. Cars were backed up. She didn’t care. She drove me to the theater. I got there with 5 minutes to spare.

The Sundance Film Festival is the old cliche: a life changing experience.

It’s 8:30 a.m. and I’m sitting in a theatre about to watch my first film of the day. A Q&A with cast and crew will follow. Later, I’ll stroll Main Street and attend Panels at the Filmmaker Lodge. I’ll visit the box office to hopefully buy more tickets, look at the New Frontier venue, and go to a midnight show at the Egyptian later on.

This is a daily agenda. This is Sundance.

There is nothing like sitting in the premiere screenings of films and learning about the filmmaking process from the Q&A’s that follow. There’s nothing like walking down Main Street and being in a city that is bustling with filmgoers and talking with filmmakers on a day to day basis. I’ve learned so much just from being here and I hate to see the festival coming to an end. I love attending panels every day and waking up with a movie on my priority list. I don’t know how I’m supposed to go back home to Kentucky and watch movies without the filmmakers present. It just won’t be the same.

Sundance has given me a great first-hand experience at how the industry operates, an opportunity that is essential to a student looking to go into producing. This is a market place, plain and simple. I have seen a total of 19 films so far and several have been picked up by distributors. Sunday morning I saw I Origins, the new spectacular original film by Mike Cahill, and Monday it was purchased by Fox Searchlight Pictures. This happened right after the panel I attended on producing and the fact that I saw this in action was incredible.

Being at Sundance has been extremely more satisfying than learning in a classroom. Where else can I watch these amazing independent films and talk with filmmakers afterwards, then see the industry act on a purchase? The whole atmosphere of being here is exhilarating and surreal.

I still have one last film to see in the morning before heading out and I might take another stroll down Main Street afterwards just to appreciate where I am. I know that I will continue to be inspired by this whole experience for years to come. Sundance has left me thinking of an endless amount of projects I want to begin. I’m incredibly thankful to have had this opportunity to come and attend as part of a winter term class. I look forward to coming back to Sundance next year and hope to someday return as the filmmaker.

I think I can say with absolute certainty that I never expected to attend the Sundance Film Festival before I graduated from college. As a Pop Culture Studies major, Sundance has always been a dream, but one I saw in the distant future. So when I found out last February that WKU was working on organizing a study away program to Sundance, I decided immediately to do all that I could to be a part of it.

These past ten days I’ve spent in the snowy mountains of Park City, Utah have been nothing short of magical, exceeding every expectation I ever had about this experience. During my time here so far, I’ve attended twelve films, five of which were world premieres. It’s been amazing to see such inspiring, creative projects from filmmakers of various levels of experience, and having the opportunity to attend some of the first screenings of these films has just been the icing on the cake.

I fully expect that, upon returning to Kentucky, I’ll have to suffer through some type of detox period to acclimate to real life again. I will no longer be spending my days wandering from one movie theater to the next, running into celebrities on the street. It might be a bit disappointing to return to a normal semester when my time here is finished, but I also know that this experience has reinvigorated my desire to do big things with my life. After I graduate in May, I plan to attend grad school on my journey to becoming an English professor, and this experience has recharged my passion for exploring the world of pop culture with academic eyes. I fully plan to return to Sundance in the future, and I would love to have the opportunity to bring my own students here one day. All I can say is thank you to WKU for the opportunity of a lifetime.

I certainly didn’t expect to attend Sundance during college. In fact, when I told my parents that WKU was offering a study away course to the festival, I was only mentioning it in passing, (trying not to focus on how badly I wanted to go.) I didn’t expect that they would encourage me to attend. Luckily, they did.

I have learned so much here at Sundance, and I have experienced more than I could have imagined. For me, the aspirations of being a filmmaker began at fourteen–staying up late watching indie films on our circa ’84 television set. Less than a decade later, I’m here at Sundance, watching phenomenal new films and incredibly talented filmmakers.

Watching William H. Macy’s panel was inspiring, as he is so very talented and yet so humble. Seeing one of my favorite actors exude such modesty and truthfulness in terms of failure made me feel like I might have a future in this industry. In short, Sundance 2014 has been surreal and wonderful.