Chapman students reinvigorate interest in documentary with new club
Photos Courtesy of Magdalena Aparicio
Anyone would be forgiven for, at a first glance, thinking that the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts community’s interest in documentary is small in comparison to its interest in narrative. One new club, however, is looking to change that.
Launched this semester, DOCU is a club run for students by students. For co-founder and co-president Rhyley Pruitt, a sophomore broadcast journalism and documentary major, it’s an opportunity to bolster the community around unscripted content at Chapman.
“I personally believe that the documentary program at Chapman doesn’t receive as much recognition as it deserves, which is why our club is dedicated to creating a space that celebrates and acknowledges the art of documentary filmmaking,” Pruitt told The Panther. “I also hope this club provides a space for students to go outside of their comfort zones and try new things without the pressure of grades.”
Notably, DOCU is not a club restricted to just broadcast journalism and documentary majors. Instead, the club is made up of a plethora of students from all walks of life, both within Dodge and across Chapman. According to Pruitt, it’s a way of maximizing how much DOCU can teach students.
“Our members represent a variety of majors, including computer engineering and political science, each bringing their own unique set of skills and assets to the club,” said Pruitt. “No level of experience is too much or too little for DOCU — we guarantee you'll have something to learn!”
According to club co-founder and co-president Maddie Wang, DOCU offers both experience in documentary spaces and an ability to network with professionals in the field.
Many of the club’s activities are educational in nature, from teaching traditional documentary cinematography styles to lessons on coordinating and conducting interviews. Wang, a sophomore broadcast journalism and documentary major, hopes that popularizing knowledge in documentary filmmaking could expand the unscripted opportunities available to students at Dodge.
“Having a club allows for more interest and a shared knowledge about the people in the doc space and the documentary genre itself,” Wang told The Panther. “In the future, if Dodge sees the interest and love for documentary, it could allow more funding for our programs like Community Voices and even thesis.”
DOCU’s activities aren’t just limited to basic education. The club also arranges a variety of events for members to both get hands-on experience and mingle with industry professionals.
“I try to arrange events for the club, such as workshops, Q&As with established people within the field (and) plan mixers… We’re working towards actually planning a once-a-semester field trip to cool locations such as production studios, or places that we’d be able to shoot documentaries about,” said events coordinator David Jensen, a junior writing for film and television major.
Like his peers, Jensen is dedicated to building a community for fellow students interested in documentary. In his interview with The Panther, he was especially careful to emphasize fostering connections among club members as a goal of the club? Expand this sentence just a bit; what was he saying that in relation to?
“We’re finally creating a space for students to build connections with one another, network with people in the industry and create films without worrying about the pressure of grades, yet still having a team to work with,” said Jensen.
Across the board, there’s a strong sense of confidence about the club’s future and its potential impact not just on its members, but on Chapman as a whole.
“As president, I oversee all plans and operations while striving to make DOCU a welcoming place for all members,” said Pruitt. “The most important part of my role is recognizing that I have just as much to learn from the club’s members as they have to learn from me.”
DOCU will continue at Chapman next semester. To stay up to date with DOCU, follow them at @chapmandocu on Instagram.