Oxford: A Place for Art (and Film)

What started as a typical assignment in a Cinematography I course turned into so much more for film production students Than Clayton and Jackson Strickland, as their short documentary film, Oxford: A Place for Art, centered on the arts community and the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council in Oxford, was selected for four film festivals.

This project started with a vote on the film’s composition and subject matter along with each student’s role in the production. The class came to the unanimous decision to focus the film on the arts council building the community it has created by giving people the resources they need to create and to express their talents. Students interviewed Wayne Andrews, executive director of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, along with local filmmakers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and artists who have all benefitted from the art council’s involvement and willingness to help people launch their passion projects and businesses.

“The assignment was framed around doing this production professionally, but the artistic direction of the project was absolutely in our hands,” says Strickland, who was elected director of the short film. 

Clayton, the film’s producer, acknowledges the obstacles in place in making this film, but explains that the Department of Theatre and Film helped the students in solving these problems and allowed them new opportunities in film production. “One of the bigger boundaries that we experienced while filming was the time we had to complete it,” says Clayton, but round-the-clock access to equipment and the faculty members’ flexible schedule allowed the students to succeed.

“The department purchased a set of Aperture 300x lights that we had the privilege of using,” said Clayton, “and I was able to have 24-hour access to the state-of-the-art editing suite to make any additional changes that were needed after the class had ended in May.”

Strickland also recognizes the support from the department, especially from Jaye Davidson, assistant professor of film production, and from Jonathan Smith, equipment manager. “Jonathan helped us figure out lighting, troubleshoot sound problems, and efficient methods of taking care of the gear in a professional setting.”

With the support of faculty and staff, the film students completed the film in less than a month, dedicating class time to filming interviews and B-roll, at times traveling 40 minutes from Oxford to meet with two farm owners and subjects of the documentary.

The documentary made waves in the Oxford community, but it didn’t stop there; Oxford: A Place for Art was selected for the Oxford Film Festival, the Black Warrior Film Festival, the South Georgia Film Festival, where it won Best Poster, and the Auburn Indie Film Festival, where it won Best Editing.

“Working on this documentary has taught me more about how difficult it can be in the industry,” said Clayton. “It moves fast and it is not easy to create anything good, but if you are willing to put in the work and have people around you who can help you achieve your vision, you can do anything.”