Love, Cam

Jamie Mann, School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Collaborators: Chloe Pfeifer, LSA, Ross, Austin Mital-Skiff, LSA; Cameron Mann, SMTD; Oz Feldman, SMTD

Faculty Advisor: David Marek, FTVM Professor, and Associate Chair

Love, Cam is a short film project, designed to explore the balance between intentional, yet reactive filmmaking. Love, Cam will be experimental and abstract in concept, lacking traditional scripted dialogue and a linear storyline. The premise follows two brothers embarking on a cross country roadtrip. The backbone of the film is voice-over narration of a letter the younger brother, Cam, writes to the older brother, James. While the letter is read, the audience sees the visual reconstruction of a James’ memory of the trip, and for that reason, this film is justified in its fleeting, intertwining, and experimental style.

Each scene we shoot will be entirely improved, which will then be reconstructed in the edit to fulfill the arc of the film. For this film our team will embark on a cross-country road trip, traveling in 5 days from Ann Arbor to Sundance, Wyoming to shoot.

While the final product of any film is always interdisciplinary, generally, each creative is confined to their specific role. For example, as an actor, I am always the last creative to be brought onto a project, and I generally have no say in what I bring to life. Love, Cam, however, is unique in the fact that this film’s shooting and production process plays a role different from any other film I have ever worked on. As we drive out west to shoot Love, Cam, the entire cast and crew will simultaneously experience the road trip our characters are taking, connecting our creative team to our story to an unprecedented degree.

Everyone will play a role in constructing the story, sharing ideas, and reacting to moments as they happen. For this project, we are drawing inspiration from aspects of devised theater, a collaborative and experimental process that involves creating a performance without a preexisting script. While we have a story and script to base on, our project will be similar to devised theater in that we will be working to create scenes and moments organically, through reaction, collaboration, and improvisation.

This free and experimental method of shooting takes away the pressure to give a “perfect” performance– and anxiety that I find often holds me back in my acting. The pure creative nature of the project allows us all to open up and fall freely into our art, not worrying about continuity or logistics that are often limiting factors in film production.

Because this film is a reconstruction of a memory, we will be using mixed media to illustrate the ways certain memories decay, while others stay clear. Our primary medium is 16 mm film. In addition, we will be utilizing footage also shot on an 8mm film camera, as well as a digital camera. Shooting on film requires advanced and specific technical knowledge, and is a hurdle that many filmmakers of today don’t care to jump. We are incredibly excited and compelled by the tradition of shooting on film, and the DP of the project had been studying and practicing the workings of the film camera to effectively execute. One of the main reasons we are applying for funding through ArtsEngine, is to allow us the opportunity to shoot and develop our film, which unfortunately poses heightened cost barriers.

One significant reason this film is deeply interdisciplinary is because of its contingency on improvisation. That, however, poses certain challenges. The team must strike a balance between allowing creative freedom and ensuring that the film stays on course. To handle this challenge, the directors will provide us actors with strong backstories and emotional contexts before each scene, ensuring that improvisations remain focused. The cinematographer will also remain flexible, prepared to react to our choices while keeping an eye on visual continuity and overall narrative coherence.

To hedge the challenges that come with uncertainty, we will have multiple immersive rehearsals involving improvisation with the use of the camera. This will allow myself, my co-lead, and the co-directors/DP to perfect our dynamic and workflow. When it comes time to shoot on the trip, we know exactly how to operate in order to produce a cohesive scene effectively and efficiently.

The co-directors of the project are FTVM students Chloe Pfeifer and Austin Mital-Skiff, who I have worked with closely before. Chloe, Austin, and I set out to create this project with an interdisciplinary and collaborative nature in mind. In addition to acting as co-director, Chloe is also the lead writer and producer of the film. In addition to directing, Austin is also the film’s director of photography. As co-director and cinematographer, Austin actively chooses what to capture in each moment as my co-lead and I improvise the scene, using the story to motivate the camera’s gaze.

This film will create an impact on student life and learning at U of M because its ambitious nature, which challenges us to live our work while creating, is entirely different from art forms I have seen explored at U of M. I believe this project illustrates the level of commitment Michigan students have for their art and creating, from conception to execution. I hope this project inspires other students to execute their out-of-the-box ideas and illustrates the power of working with collaborators they truly trust, and who share the same vision.

Furthermore, thanks to Austin’s work with U-M Social, the behind-the-scenes of this project will be shown on the Official University of Michigan social media accounts in order to gain a wide audience for showcasing our work and process.

Ultimately, it is our excitement to collaborate, experience working in interdisciplinary mediums, and an openness to exploring possibilities that will make this film a success. We have a deep love for our art and the creation process, which is what compelled us to work toward and execute this ambitious and unique film.

Plan to show video at Lightworks Film Festival, U-M student film festival.