WACO, Texas (KXXV) β Baylor University students have broken new ground by producing their institution's first student-led feature film entirely through grassroots effort and resourcefulness. Despite having no financial backing, filmmaker Aaron Rivera and his team managed to create "The Celebration of Everlasting Color" using makeshift equipment and a three-week production schedule.
- Baylor University students created the school's first-ever student-led and produced feature film with zero budget using only personal equipment.
- "The Celebration of Everlasting Color" was filmed in just three weeks around the Baylor campus and Waco, with a focus on finding light within darkness
- Filmmaker Aaron Rivera and his crew used duct tape and cardboard boxes to prove that anyone with determination can achieve their creative goals.
- The film will debut on Amazon Prime Video in May and is expected to be featured in upcoming film festivals.
You can watch the full story here:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Baylor University students have accomplished something unprecedented on campus β creating the university's first-ever student-led and produced feature film using their own equipment and working with virtually no budget.
"The Celebration of Everlasting Color" represents what happens when students come together with a shared vision and determination to make something extraordinary happen.
"So the movie was literally from scratch. We started from zero. We had no funding. We had nothing," Alan Koroluk said.
Aaron Rivera, the filmmaker behind the camera who made this groundbreaking project possible, faced significant challenges from the start.
"We had a time crunch, we had a money crunch, we said let's focus on the story, the most important parts," Rivera said.
The film's central message focuses on finding light within darkness β a theme Rivera believes is essential for meaningful cinema.
"There's no point in creating movies, in my opinion, if you don't change somebody's life or they don't learn a lesson about life itself that they can use," Rivera said.
The entire production required only a script, a few actors, and three weeks of filming around the Baylor campus and across Waco to bring the vision to life.
"Our students' involvement in this, they give up their weekends, to give up their time, and when students come together and they focus on one thing as one, amazing things happen," Koroluk said.
Rivera hopes the film serves as more than entertainment β he wants it to inspire others to pursue their creative dreams regardless of their circumstances.
"We did this with duct tape and cardboard boxes, and this is just insane. So it goes to show that anybody, anybody that has the will to do something can achieve it regardless of the circumstances," Rivera said.
"The Celebration of Everlasting Color" will be available on Amazon Prime Video in May and is expected to be featured in upcoming film festivals.
The film premiered at Baylor University Friday, Nov. 7 during the school's "A Night Under the Stars" showcase. It was an event put together by several students, one being Brandon Clarke who helped make funding for the showcase at the university possible.
"Aaron is a dear friend of mine. I am so happy about what he's been able to put together and I am 100% positive that it's going to be a big hit," said Clarke.
Take Action Volunteer is the organization behind the big night, "A Night Under the Stars " showcased performances by students during a student talent show before the movie premiere.
You can watch the full trailer to The Celebration of Everlasting Color on Youtube.
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