A movie is nothing without good equipment, and #CreateLouisiana, in partnership with Tulane University School of Liberal Arts, has created the Film Gear Access Grant to make professional production equipment from Tulane University available to local filmmakers at no cost, helping reduce production expenses while connecting students with working professionals.
By making equipment available to the community over the summer months, the partnership extends the value of that investment beyond campus, supporting Louisiana’s creative community while creating job opportunities for students to work on professional sets.
#CreateLouisiana Executive Director Julie Bordelon said the partnership supports both Louisiana’s creative talent and the state’s film industry.
“Championing Louisiana’s creative talent through grants, mentorship, professional development and partnerships helps artists bring their stories to life and share them with the world. Our partnership with Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts on the Film Gear Access Grant gives emerging and established filmmakers access to professional production equipment, easing the financial burden of independent filmmaking while investing in Louisiana’s creative workforce,” Bordelon said.
For Casey Beck, a professor of practice in the Digital Media Practices (DMP) program within the School of Liberal Arts, the grant also puts the university’s new industry-standard equipment to use during periods when students aren’t using it. The equipment includes cameras, lenses, lighting equipment and sound recording devices.
“We are thrilled to have created such a unique and meaningful opportunity to get industry-grade cinema gear into the hands of regional filmmakers,” Beck said. “In the summer, our equipment typically just sits on the shelves; under this program, filmmakers get to use it when it otherwise would be sitting idle. And the fact that our students can work on these sets makes it a real win-win.”
For Tulane students, the grant’s value extends beyond the equipment itself. Working on professional productions offers firsthand insight into the film industry and helps students build connections with industry professionals.
Oliver Scheier, a DMP student who worked as a production assistant on the movie “Rainbow Collar” this past summer, described how free equipment access can make independent filmmaking more feasible.
“Having access to professional equipment is almost an invaluable luxury, because equipment is one of the most expensive costs on a film set. Access to [equipment] for free … makes it a lot more possible to spend money on other aspects like food, actors, paying crew … it just opens up the world a lot more to creative and technical capabilities,” Scheier said.
His experience also reinforced the value of learning alongside industry professionals.
“I think it’s very important for students to know exactly what industry they’re going into and develop great connections along the way. I know I have, and I’m deeply grateful for it,” he said.
Learn More about the Digital Media Practices Program