film and video department – The Columbia Chronicle

‘Spider-Man 2’ swings short of legacy

May 12, 2014

Marvel’s monopoly on spinning superhero stories continues to grow with every new release, and these films have to go big or go home. Director Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is the first ...

How-to: Be Funny

March 3, 2014

Ask anyone what they look for in a significant other and they'll probably say a sense of humor. But how does one develop comedic chops? Sophomore theater major Sarah Perry shared six key steps to being ...

Recession takes toll on Metra

February 17, 2014

More commuters than ever are turning to public transit, although Metra was left out in the cold during the Great Recession as commuters heavily relied on the Chicago Transit Authority, according to a Fe...

Maryland Hands Northwestern Rare November Loss

By Nader Ihmoud

November 27, 2012

The Northwestern University Wildcats' first loss of the season came at the hands of the University of Maryland Terrapins 77-57 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.After winning four straight ACC/Big Ten Challenge games, the team's failure to secure rebounds and execute on scoring opportunities ultimately doomed the Wildcats."[It was] a horrible effort on the boards by the whole squad," said Wildcats' sophomore guard Dave Sobolewski.The T...

Neo-’60s heartbreak artist

By Emily Ornberg

November 19, 2012

Kirby Kaiser’s vintage style of music transports listeners to a time of sugary pop melodies seasoned with retro, doo-wop harmonies. Her music may even be mistaken for that of ’60s girl groups like The Supremes and The Shangri-Las. Kaiser, however, is a 19-year-old Boystown resident.Inspired by heartbreak, Kaiser started writing music in high school after Fiona Apple’s songs helped her through boy troubles. She issued her...

Columbia’s non-fiction film program opens door to all departments

By Ivana Hester

November 5, 2012

Renewed, refreshed and revamped, the Film & Video Department’s documentary concentration will soon allow students from all majors to learn more about this genre of filmmaking.As interest in nonfiction filmmaking continues to grow, the department has made documentary classes available to all students to expand the curriculum and encourage more collaboration withother departments.Dan Rybicky, an associate film & vide...

Boxing welcomes first openly gay fighter

By Lindsey Woods

October 14, 2012

I am not a huge fan of boxing. If I wanted to see a couple of muscled dudes punch each other, I’d just go to a bar in Wrigleyville and order some bros too many Jager bombs. But my dislike of the sport was recently challenged when No. 4-ranked featherweight boxer Orlando Cruz declared on Oct. 3 that he is “a proud gay man.”This proclamation makes Cruz the first openly gay boxer, a feat he and the sport should be incredibly...

While you were out

By Ivana Hester

September 9, 2012

Columbia College doesn’t stop getting recognized while students are away on summer vacation. Here’s what you missed while you were out.Hair TriggerHair Trigger, the Fiction Writing Department’s literary magazine, received a gold medal for its 34th issue from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Since its third issue in 1979, which also received first prize from the CSPA, the magazine has received a total of 30 a...

Columbia’s radical history fondly revisited

By Alexandra Kukulka

March 5, 2012

“F--k it, I’m going to be a writer.” That’s what Shawn Shiflett, associate professor in the Fiction Writing Department, recalls telling himself while eating a Big Mac, two large fries and a soda at a McDonalds in the early 1970s after losing the chance to follow his other passion, baseball.Shiflett, who shared this memory on Feb. 28 with Columbia students, alumni and faculty, described himself as an average student w...

Faculty fear cuts; tiers to come

By Lisa Schulz

February 27, 2012

Columbia President Warrick L. Carter has requested the Faculty Senate weigh in on the prioritization process and upcoming searches for the president, provost and vice president of Institutional Advancement positions.Other discussion at the Feb. 24 Senate meeting held in the Alexandroff Campus Center, 600 S. Michigan Ave., revolved around possible budget cuts, the transparency of prioritization to students and raises for facul...

Four alumni recognized at Sundance

By Alexandra Kukulka

February 6, 2012

Lights, camera, action! Each February, thousands of people rush to Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, to experience the film festival of the year. Those who attend discover the newest talent in documentary, dramatic and short films, while sitting in on panel discussions according to the festival website.This year, four Columbia alumni were recognized at Sundance. Zak Zeman, 2008 film and video graduate, was t...

College Council votes to dissolve

By Lisa Schulz

November 7, 2011

Only one attendee objected to the discontinuation of the College Council that will take effect on Dec. 1—its self-proclaimed oldest member, Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs. A torrent of laughter followed a quick, baffled moment of silence before he announced that he was kidding.The College Council began dissolving the minute the meeting started on Nov. 4 in the Hokin Lecture Hall in the Wabash Campus Building...