BATON ROUGE, La. — A program for student filmmakers at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux is the latest recipient of an award from Louisiana’s Entertainment Development Fund. Nicholls will receive $47,171 to set up a Film Studies Suite equipped with new production tools that will enhance training in a range of filmmaking techniques.
Film classes at Nicholls provide opportunities for students to shoot and edit their own short narrative films and documentaries. The EDF award will support the university’s development of a designated film studies area with funding for editing, camera and projection equipment to improve the production quality of students’ assignments and projects.
“In its first year, our Entertainment Development Fund has extended its reach all across Louisiana, from Shreveport and Natchitoches to Baton Rouge and the New Orleans area, and now into the Bayou Region,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson said. “This unique program gets a big return on targeted investments that help our institutions of higher learning and other organizations provide meaningful workforce training experiences for careers in Louisiana’s film industry. This latest award will help to furnish Nicholls’ new Film Studies Suite with the latest technology to give students a more professional filmmaking experience.”
The Film Studies Suite will be developed in Peltier Hall on the Lafourche Parish campus.
“The Louisiana film and television industry is booming, and this includes the bayou and coastal regions of the state,” Assistant Professor of Film Studies Melissa Remark said. “Film students at Nicholls recognize this opportunity and strive to become a part of the rich history of storytelling that is celebrated in this culture and area. Our students have been looking forward to new resources to make their stories and dream projects a reality. The Film Studies Suite equipment and space will foster their creative ideas and provide a foundation for the filmmaking skills they’ll need to embark on entertainment industry careers.”
“There is much talk these days in higher education about the need for what are called ‘high-impact’ practices – that is, activities that engage students in learning outside the walls of the classroom,” said Dr. Robert Alexander, head of the university’s Department of English, Modern Languages and Cultural Studies. “This new film production lab will serve as a vehicle and a catalyst for high-impact practices that will resonate with students across our campus.”
This is the seventh Entertainment Development Fund award announced by LED since the program was launched earlier this year.