UI freshmen follows cinematic dreams

By Deanna Truman-Cook / IOWA CITY PRESS-CITIZEN / January 12, 2004

A University of Iowa freshman has high hopes of becoming a filmmaker. And the 19-year-old isn't wasting any time getting started.

Having already directed and produced a dozen short films, Scott Beck is now on his 13th, titled "University Heights."

The Quad City native is shooting it primarily in Iowa City with friend Bryan Woods, 19.

If all goes well, Beck will premiere the film in May. He plans to begin the heavy part of the shooting late this month. He finished the script in November and has since recruited a cast of more than 60 who will work for free.

"Even though it is a low-budget film, I feel it is a piece of art that should really be made," he said.

The film that Beck describes as "a suspense thriller" is set in modern day at a Midwest campus similar in size to the University of Iowa.

It tells the tale of four lives on a college campus - an instructor consumed by guilt, a teacher angered by love, a troubled teen and a student unsure of his future.

"It is about human emotions," Beck said. "It is really more a study of characters more than anything."

Woods agreed.

"It just kind of explores real people and what they are about," he said.

Beck has been making films of some sort ever since he can remember. He just picked up his father's video camera and shot everything he could.

He got serious about filmmaking when he entered high school. He and Woods took as many film classes as they could all the while learning just as much outside the classroom.

They worked on films every chance they got and read everything they could get their hands on about the filmmaking process.

The pair has several awards underneath their belts. Most recently they won the Award of Achievement for "Remembering November" and the Award of Excellence for "Prism" at the 2003 Iowa Motion Picture Association.

They formed their own film company two years ago - Bluebox Limited - as a way to further their films.

While in college, they plan to make several films in Iowa City and the Quad Cities. Woods attends Scott Community College in Bettendorf.

Together they have close to $10,000 in film equipment. They have been dipping in to their savings and getting help from family members to make their films

The pair isn't planning on staying in Iowa for long. After they have all their general education requirements in, they are heading to California.

They plan to get internships and see what happens from there. If they will finish college is up in the air.

"We will see what happens," Beck said.