Feature film offers students real world experience

RTV students are being offered the opportunity to earn Internet Movie Database credit for working on a movie being shot in the area.

The movie, which is called "The Merchant," is a western horror film set in 1895.  The movie will be doing shoots in Gilmer, TX on Oct. 15-23, and Nov. 2-10, and in Sulphur Springs, TX on Oct. 24 and Nov. 1. 

Kari Kramer, who is the Second Assistant Director for The Merchant, is a graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce and is looking to help out some RTV students from her alma mater. 

"In order for students to earn IMDb credit we're looking for them to do 2 things.  We need people to help set the crew, help with lighting and sound etc. and we are looking for students to work at least 2 days on the movie."

Students at the university are excited for the opportunity to get to work on the set of a feature film.

"I would love to work on a movie like that. I make short videos for class, and I'd really love to be a professional videographer one day," says Cooper Welch, an RTV major at A&M Commerce.

While working on a movie sounds exciting, students also understand that the chance they are being given to earn IMDB credit is important to helping them advance their knowledge in the field and to get themselves some real world experience. 

"IMDB credit would be amazing because it's a great way to get yourself out there," says Welch.

Some additional duties the students may be asked to perform are gophering, where the students will be asked to get another roll of tape, and gripping, which is grabbing cords and keeping them and other things out of the way.

Some of the shoots are day shoots, and some of the shoots are night shoots.  Most of the shoots will last around 6 hours.