Belton, Texas – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students will hold a Readers' Theater of Original Screenplays, on Wednesday, December 8, at 4:00 p.m. in Brindley Auditorium, York Science Center on campus. This event is free and open to the public.
Screenwriters and their cast members will expressively read their original, redemptive, short screenplays. These students have completed the screenwriting course at UMHB taught by Dr. Diane Howard. This course is part of the curriculum in UMHB Film program. Presenting their screenplays in a broad range of genres (dramatic, comedic, fantasy, suspense, and action adventure), the screen writers include: Kayla Ross, Matt Pinkerton, Stephen Webster, Sarah McDaniel, Kim Jones, Justin French, Ara Kellough, Sarah Nunez, Sadie Meador and Keilani Middleton.
The Cru Film program is in its seventh year at UMHB. Dr. Diane Howard, director of performance studies in the Department of Communication and Media Studies in the College of Humanities, and Ms. Donna Teel, director of computer graphics design in the Department of Business Information Technology and Systems, have designed, produced and supervised this program. Dr. Howard teaches film performance and pre-production in film courses, such as Screenwriting and Acting for the Camera. Professor Teel teaches film production and post-production in film courses. The Cru Film program is both academic and practical. Students write original screenplays in fall semesters and some of these are produced as short films in the spring semester.
“For the past six years we have brought in technical film supervisors, who are Christian leaders involved in the Film Industry, to supervise our film students as they produce original student screenplays for professional distribution, film festivals and film competitions. More and more of our film and graphic design students have been hired by strong organizations and by national figures,” said Dr. Howard.
The UMHB film program is guided by a redemptive filmmaking philosophy that rests in Christian principles. Producing films to enlighten, serve, and to entertain, UMHB Film students have been producing original short films, documentaries, and public service commercials on campus. They have worked together with area businesses and organizations to produce training videos. Regional independent filmmakers and UMHB film alumni have assisted UMHB film faculty and students with production of redemptive film projects at UMHB and in Central Texas. UMHB film students have provided on-camera and voice-over talent for UMHB commercials and other projects.
Cru Film students have been cast in feature movies and have performed alongside stars who have been Academy Award Nominees and Award-Winners in such films as Temple Grandin, Secondhand Lions, and others. Many UMHB film students have performed in ongoing television series such as Friday Night Lights, My Generation, Chase and others.
Some UMHB film students and alumni have regional agents, who have sent them auditions from which they have been cast as talent in national television programs, advertisements, commercials and movies. Some UMHB film alumni have worked as casting directors and talent agents. Cru Film projects have received recognition regionally and nationally.
