Drexel University, while generally well-known for its robust business and engineering programs — with funding definitely supporting that — is also home to a tight-knit and hard-working film community. The Film and Television program’s seniors and juniors have been working around the clock all year to put together short films that showcase their talents and what they have learned in their years here. To get a closer look into how these movies were made, several film students discussed their experience along the complicated journey that is the filmmaking process.

Projects directed by members of the junior class started the event. The scripts of the films directed by the juniors were selected from a pool of scripts written by screenwriting majors. Of the many options available, “The Story of Calloway,” written by screenwriting student Anakin Moyle, was the script that FMTV junior Tom Morrison got the chance to direct. He was very happy with this because it “spoke to him the most,” he says, describing it as a little reminiscent of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” in terms of the way it feels.

“Can a nerdy gym employee stop the script of his life from being changed and control his own destiny?” is how he described the film after wrapping, ultimately happy with the surprisingly deep film with slapstick elements that came from this early directing experience.

While fun, filmmaking would not be filmmaking without its regular dose of hiccups, and “Calloway” had its fair share. One weekend shoot saw a blizzard hit the area, but neither Tom nor his technically gifted team let that interrupt things, and he even incorporated the event into the movie. Tom said the struggle became a “point of pride” for the team by the end of the process.

Another junior project that stood out was “Master of the Kazoo,” written by screenwriting student Jack Thompson. FMTV Junior Caleb Argueta saw the potential in this loose “Whiplash” parody, with the film displaying the rough tension between a father who is hellbent on his kid playing the kazoo. Wanting to lean into the absurdity of the concept, Caleb saw a chance to take a comedy “as serious as a heart attack.”

Ultimately, having not had much experience on a film set before the class, he took a lot away from the project. He enjoyed the process of getting to effectively delegate between department heads, as well as discovering new gear and finding his own voice as a director. It also gave him the chance to work with some of Drexel’s other creatives, like Music Industry student Mattias Walker, who made music for the movie’s opening sequence.

“Scoop’d” is another project this year, written by screenwriting student Kevin Brown and directed by FMTV third year Alice Purinson. The film is a commentary on cancel culture and the strongly reinforced “diva” culture that exists amongst celebrities, as Alice explained. The film follows an A-lister, Emma, as she goes through an increasingly personal interview. “It was a really fun script to work with,” Alice remarked.

Despite her status as a junior, Alice is graduating this year, and ambitiously took on a senior project at the same time as “Scoop’d.” “Mojitos” is a futuristic romance film with strong ties to the jazz scene here in Philadelphia that Alice felt especially connected to. The movie follows a character named Adele as she navigates what will come of her love life in a world where bracelets can help people find their soulmates.

Even though she was not legally able to drink yet, visiting and meeting all kinds of people in jazz bars has been an exciting pastime for Alice since the start of her sophomore year. The film was set in Smokey Joe’s near the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, which she was able to film in for free after networking with the owner.

Next up is “Faker,” a senior film written and directed by screenwriting senior Matthew J Lacy. It is a short horror film about a man named Gabe who confronts a doppelganger that is trying to replace him. Matthew said that he was heavily inspired by the growing fear of AI, initially having gotten the idea when things still felt hazy about the new technology and fears were at their height.

A big takeaway Matthew had from this project was that “direction is not about controlling everyone,” and that if “you’re going to be a director because you want to control people, I think you’re in it for the wrong reason.” He deeply enjoyed the collaborative nature of the process, and had the chance to create a much more trusting environment than he has experienced on sets in the past.

Finally, there is “Pray for Nate” written and directed by senior Charlie Newswanger. During his time in Drexel’s Los Angeles immersion program, he took a class on storytelling that forced him to dig deep into his upbringing, resulting in a strong story of self-acceptance and rebellion. The film follows the character Nate on his personal journey of exploring his queer identity as it contrasts with his Catholic upbringing, and it even ends with a musical number.

That’s a wrap! Drexel University is home to many talented people who are able to combine passion, grit and consistent savvy. Innovation is at the center of this school’s identity, so it was no surprise that these stories reflect that. All of the senior projects will be able to be viewed on June 14, at 1 p.m. in the Mandell Theater at the FMTV Senior Showcase.