UMBC’s skylight lounge hosted a night for the arts on Wednesday, Nov. 15, . Adan Rodriguez was invited to speak about guerrilla filmmaking, a form of independent filmmaking utilizing low budget, skeleton crews and simple props. Guerrilla filmmaking is all about using whatever is available to make art in the form of cinematics.

Rodriguez is a graduate student here at UMBC. He studies in the Intermedia and Arts graduate school where he is encouraged to pursue his cinematic dreams. Rodriguez has been making films for about seven years, but confirmed that he has watched and loved movies all his life. That’s all one needs to start a career in film: passion, persistence and some strategy to pursue the art.

Rodriguez explained there are five very broad stages of filmmaking: idea, planning, filming, post production and distribution. When pursuing an idea, he suggests to consider what’s familiar. In other words, draw inspiration from stories and surroundings. Always think about what is feasible and aim to bring to life ideas which you can film in accessible locations that don’t require you to obtain a permit which can be costly and time-consuming.

Rodriguez’s number one tip for a new filmmaker is to keep an idea book. He recommends jotting down any ideas your mind develops in a document on google drive, an app on your phone or simply in a notebook. This gives your mind creative freedom to draw inspiration from daily life without forgetting what you came up with.

Every idea should have some type of purpose. Rodriguez reassures aspiring filmmakers that purpose doesn’t always have to be deep or symbolic. Sometimes a film’s purpose could simply be to entertain an audience. Rodriguez reminds filmmakers, “Not every film has to have a story, but it has to have some kind of meaning.” It’s important to keep that in mind when deciding what idea to transfer to production.

When it comes to the act of actually filming, it’s important to first visualize the entire movie, and then aim to recreate that idea. Using a storyboard, a template that assists filmmakers create a visual to do list for their productions, could help you organize your ideas before filming. Even award-winning films such as Lord of the Rings started out as drawings on a storyboard.

As for filming locations, Rodriguez heavily recommended that filmmakers consider what’s accessible. Scout locations before filming and make sure you are legally allowed to hold production there. You could even film in your average living space and “dress it up,” as Rodriguez stated, to fit your vision. There are plenty of options.

The most important part of film is the camera, so you need an expensive, high-tech camera, right? Not necessarily. Rodriguez said, “The best camera is the one you own.” It’s best to use a camera you are already familiar with. For filming in public locations, smaller cameras are perfect for keeping your production discrete. Even your phone is a perfectly equipped candidate for filming.

Anyone who wants to be a filmmaker can be. Everyone has the simple necessities to create an entertaining motion picture. All you need is your phone, a location, perhaps a few people and a bit of creativity to transfer the movies in your mind to reality.

It is with much sadness that we inform you that Elizabeth Ann Walton LeBlanc, Associate Professor Emerita in the UMBC Department of Dance, passed away on November 17, 2017.

Liz was a founding member of the Dance Department from 1972-2016. She chaired the department for 20 years, from 1977-1997.  A member of the renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company (now called Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance) from 1959 - 1966, Liz originated roles in many of Taylor's seminal works including Aureole, Junction, Insects and Heroes, and Scudorama, and toured Europe, South America and the United States with the company. In 1981, she performed Taylor's choreography with Rudolph Nureyev and Friends in Honolulu. Liz's research remained focused on Paul Taylor's choreography and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. She taught his works to student and professional companies across the United States, in Germany, China and South Africa. She produced three documentaries on Taylor and his work:  Conversation with Paul Taylor (1986), Understanding the Choreography of Paul Taylor (1996),and Paul Taylor: The Man Behind the Dance (2013).

Liz was featured in the film Aureole, by Matthew Diamond, shown during the 2012 season of the company.  In 2014, she reprised her role in Taylor's From Sea to Shining Sea at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. In 2015, she wrote three articles describing her experiences performing Taylor's dances, for Paul Taylor Dance Company: The Diamond Anniversary," published by Delphinium Books.

Liz founded UMBC's Phoenix Repertory Dance Company (now called Baltimore Dance Project) in 1983, for which she created several works. She succeeded in obtaining numerous grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Sciences to support the work of the company.  Phoenix performed at many venues in Baltimore, the DC Metro area, and in New York City.

Liz is survived by her sister, Adrienne Price, her children, Michael and Rosalynde LeBlanc, and three grandchildren. A funeral will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, CA. on December 1 at 1:00 pm. Plans are under way for a memorial on the East Coast.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the UMBC Foundation (please include "Dance Department" in the memo line) Gifts may be made online at giving.umbc.edu. Please designate the Dance Department and note that your gift is in memory of Elizabeth Walton Leblanc. These funds will support awards to students for studies in dance."

Mandatory Freshmen Advising Meeting

Freshmen Mandatory PreHealth Advising meeting

MANDATORY attendance is required at this group advising meeting for any current UMBC freshman or freshman-transfer student who is interested in attending medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, or veterinary school after graduating from UMBC.

From a pre-health advising perspective, you should attend the Freshmen Mandatory Advising Meeting if:

This is your first or second semester in college.
or
You are currently enrolled in CHEM 101 or CHEM 102 or BIOL 141 or BIOL 142.

This meeting will address pre-professional specific advising issues for freshmen such as professional school prerequisite courses, grades, standardized exams, gaining research, clinical, and leadership experience. Between now and the meeting, freshmen should acquire a working knowledge of the information on the office’s website. All freshmen students interested in attending medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, or veterinary school after they graduate from UMBC, are required to attend.

Pre-professional students have TWO advisors–an Assigned Academic/Declared Major Advisor and a supplemental, pre-health advisor. Please read about the differences between your TWO advisors here. It is strongly suggested that each student meet with their Assigned Academic/Declared Major Advisor prior to attending the pre-health group advising session. Only your Assigned Academic Advisor in your declared major can lift your registration block.

This session will be conducted two times. The same content will be covered in both sessions. There is no need to RSVP. Please save one of these dates on your calendar.

Mandatory FRESHMEN Advising Meeting for pre-medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, veterinary students
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
UC 312 (University Center, Room 312)
3:00-4:00pm
No need to RSVP.

Remember to join the myUMBC “PreMedical and PreDental Interest Group” under the myUMBC Group directory.

or

Mandatory FRESHMEN Advising Meeting for pre-medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, veterinary students
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
UC 312 (University Center, Room 312)
Noon-12:50pm
No need to RSVP.

Remember to join the myUMBC “PreMedical and PreDental Interest Group” under the myUMBC Group directory.

Spring 2018 Registration Advising Appointment Information

http://advising.coeit.umbc.edu/registration/

What about Winter Classes?

http://www.umbc.edu/winter/

What If I'm a New Student for the upcoming Spring semester?

Newly admitted students for the spring semester may not register for courses until Orientation. Please sign up for winter Orientation.

http://orientation.umbc.edu/

What If I Still Have Questions?

Association of Old Crows APG-Susquehanna Chapter

Student Scholarship 2017-2018

$1,000 scholarship from the Association of Old Crows (AOC) APG-Susquehanna Chapter and a one year AOC membership from the National AOC. Winners will be recognized and awarded scholarships at the Chapter Distinguished Speaker and Scholarship Awards Luncheon scheduled for March 2018.

Requirements: Students must be undergraduate degree-seeking in the areas of engineering or computer sciences and be able to articulate a career interest related to the AOC professional mission in the fields of military communications, electronic warfare, electromagnetic spectrum management operations, cyber electromagnetic activities, and/or information operations. For example, a future career on a team that: develops systems that protect pilots from enemy anti-aircraft weapons and ground troops and civilians from IEDs or develops tools and programs to counter enemy cyber-attacks.

Apply: Please complete the attached application and return your completed application and application documents to Josh Abrams (josh.abrams@umbc.edu) either via email or in person to ITE 202. Please note that an essay and 2 letters of recommendation are required as part of the application.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10,13-16 – “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

We are the jars of clay – fragile, breakable and disposable – containing the treasure because the power of the gospel is what matters. If otherwise, the jars may regard themselves as more important.  It must be clear that the great and all surpassing power we need to endure all things is from God and not ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, help us to embrace our weaknesses so that your power is manifested through us. May we go from weakness to weakness, to remain as vessels of your power, so that we are ever weak and ever strong in Christ.

– JK