Project Bluelight Drinks P.T. Anderson's Milkshake

“So if you do the math, numerically, we’re better than There Will Be Blood,” said Executive Producer Jeff Schwartz, CC ’10.

Last Thursday, Project Bluelight screened their first short film, Setup, as the opener for Ferris Reel’s showing of There Will Be Blood. It was a great success—the theater was packed with eager movie-goers, a mix of people who either came to see the feature film or Project Bluelight’s seven-minute movie.

Despite the producers’ slight case of nerves at presenting their “baby” to the world, Setup was well received by the audience. In fact, it would seem that most people came to see the short film rather than the Oscar-winning feature for which it opened. There was a mass exodus of over half the crowd in the cinema after the credits ended for Setup. The debut represented a very promising start for Project Bluelight’s first year as an organization.

And how do producers Jesse Horwitz, CC ’10, and Charlotte Kaufman, CC ’10, and Schwartz reflect on their first year? They are proud of the opportunity to make a great film and work with talented fellow students. More importantly, they are proud of the window of opportunity Project Bluelight has opened for undergraduate filmmakers at the University.

“It’s an opportunity to train with others, but it also doesn’t preclude you from making your own films on your own,” said Horwitz. Kaufman also stressed the point that anyone with a vision can make films. “If you have an idea, go out and do it,” said Kaufman. “You don’t need a big budget, don’t be intimidated by the thought that you do.” Not even a digital camcorder is too humble for someone who has the inspiration to make a film.

The team at Project Bluelight is excited for what the next year will bring. They are hoping to increase the number of members of their group and apply the knowledge gained from their first year. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like if we were an established group where they would have been, ‘Here, here is your equipment,’” said Horwitz about his experience working with an untested club. “It’s a good thing we’ve had to learn things for ourselves.”

Though the end of the school year is upon us, the producers seem to be taking their love of film beyond the semester’s close. Horwitz, Schwartz, and Kaufman will all be working on separate projects over the summer.