Well-known for bringing popular, affordable movies to campus every weekend, Film Board has been an important part of campus culture since it first got started in the 1970s as the Student Film Co-op. Morgan Davis, the organization’s president of 1.5 years and a fourth-year majoring in anthropology and psychology, shared her story about working with the organization in an interview with the Lode on Monday evening.
“I first got involved with Film Board in my O-week group,” she revealed. “I had a gentleman named Emmett in my O-week group, and he and his brother were in Film Board. He invited us to do this little private screening during the summer… That’s how I met Eli Forbush, who is now my fiance, and how I became involved in Film Board.”
Davis has been involved in Film Board for all four years of her time studying at Michigan Tech. Davis served as vice president starting in her second semester at Michigan Tech and held the position through her second year. She has served as president for the last year and a half. Though the organization has come a long way in the last few years, Davis gives credit to many others who have also helped to shape the organization.
“Former president Wes McGowan did a lot…[Previously] Film Board had a well-earned reputation for being a kind of bratty organization, like ‘I’m going to do it my way.’ They’d never gotten USG funding, and they kind of dug themselves a hole. We were in a lot of debt in Fall of ‘14. Luckily, USG was kind enough to forgive that debt,” Davis said, laughing. “[Getting out of debt] was one of the things that Wes really did for us. He brought [Film Board] to the point that he could hand it off to us as a successful organization.”
Partnerships with other student organizations have also been critical to strengthening Film Board’s reputation and organizational integrity. According to Davis, former president McGowan worked hard at forming partnerships with organizations, frequently co-sponsoring events with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as Public Safety, ROTC, Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Government, International Programs and Services and Keweenaw Pride. Film Board has even done screenings for Engineering Week. “We’ve worked with a lot of people. That’s really become a thing with Film Board. We’re willing to work with a lot of people. We’re very open,” Davis said.
In addition to its recent organizational improvements, Film Board has also upgraded its technology. “In ‘76, we had 16mm [film],” Davis revealed. “In 1999 we had 35mm, and then in 2009 we went digital.” This past summer, Film Board upgraded to 7.1 surround sound.
Film Board, like many student organizations, works hard through January and early February on their ice sculpture, which in accordance with a “pseudo-tradition,” is a snow screen on which to project movies during the annual Winter Carnival overnighter. This year’s movie was the original Ice Age, “the best of the Ice Ages,” in Davis’s opinion. The film was shown on a loop from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
“Usually,” Davis says, “we build an 8×10 ft screen…and project [the films] out of a car.” Sound and Lighting Services helps with the sound, lending speakers to Film Board for outdoor screenings during Winter Carnival and at other events throughout the year.
In addition to doing ice screening during the Winter Carnival overnighter this week, Film Board is still doing their usual weekend movie showing. This week’s movie is Thor: Ragnarok, of which there will be nine showings between Friday and Sunday. Tickets are $3, and concessions are $1 apiece. To get in touch with Film Board, visit their contact page at http://filmboard.mtu.edu/contact-us.
