The Camera Department Hosts Professional Equipment Workshop for Point Park University Cinema Arts Majors Wednesday, March 27, 2024
"Opportunities like this workshop are rewarding for young filmmakers due to the access to dialogues with local industry experts and hands-on experience with professional cinema equipment."
The Camera Department's Alex Andres and Benedict Baldauff led a Professional Camera Workshop for the Intermediate and Advanced Cinematography classes during the spring semester.
Andres, operations manager at The Camera Department, is known for his work on "Out of the Furnace," "Adventureland," and "Dogma," among many other films. Baldauff, a 2011 cinema arts alumnus, has worked on "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Drive Away Dolls," "The Killing of A Sacred Deer" and more.
"Opportunities like this workshop are rewarding for young filmmakers due to the access to dialogues with local industry experts and hands-on experience with professional cinema equipment," said Michael Bagnato, part-time instructor. "For me, the goal of immersive workshops is to provide students with the necessary truths of working in a fast-paced environment, and to ensure that students gain perspective into the next steps of their career."
Held in the Soundstage in Point Park University's Pittsburgh Playhouse, students had access to use professional equipment provided by The Camera Department, including:
Camera Systems
- Arri Alexa Super 35
- Arricam LT
- Sony FX6
- Sony FX3
- Kowa Anamorphics
- Cooke S4/i
- Arri WCU-4 Wireless Focus
- DJI RS3 Pro
"This workshop was a great opportunity to work with equipment we normally would not have access to," said Maggie Frey '25, a cinema production major and screenwriting minor from Selinsgrove Area High School in Selinsgrove, Pa. "It was really helpful to hear first-hand experiences and get advice from people who know their way around a set."
For Bagnato, he hopes students took away one key piece of advice from this workshop.
"Film is an art form, not simply an industry, and it is a space for expression in all of its modalities. One can work in the union, independently, commercially, through the lens of experimentation and exploration of the medium," said Bagnato. "The tools and techniques we use are only one part of the equation, and what is more important is the perspective each of us gain from collaboration, exploration and the joy of creation."