The WKU Film program will be hosting thesis test screenings of senior capstone film projects on Jan. 22, Jan. 23 and Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in Jody Richards Hall.  

The test screenings will be open to the public and will allow the students to receive critiques before their final showing in April.

The audience will be able to provide feedback to the students through the form of a questionnaire at each screening before the students finalize the editing of their films. 

Wil Jackson, senior film production major, spoke about his action film “Safe House,” which will be presented to audiences at the test screenings. He said the experience of creating his film was unlike anything he had ever done before. 

Jackson worked closely with friend Kyle Hodes, fellow senior film production major, on the film. They began last April and finished their final writing draft in August. They began their filming in October and are now ready for the film to be on the big screen. 

Jackson spoke on the hardships that came with filming and the stress that he felt maintaining a film he had put a significant amount of time into.

“All-in-all, there was no part of this process [that] was easy, but I knew one thing for sure: I was not going to let it get the better of me,” he said. 

Jackson is eager to hear thoughts and opinions on his polished film at the test screenings. 

“To have fresh eyes on this film is both scary and exciting. It’s scary because I have been so close to this film from its conception, but also exciting because I want to know what people think,” Jackson said.

Boston Enderle, senior film major, went a different route with his film and created a short horror film titled “Disciple.” 

Enderle decided to focus on directing to see if it would prove to be the career he would later follow post-graduation. 

Enderle spoke on developing his film with the idea of “Southern Gothic fiction” in mind. It follows a preacher’s son in the 1970s deep South dealing with his father’s extremist- cult behavior. 

“Going into it, there was a lot of anxieties on my end as I worked through the story, doing my best to implement important themes of religious extremism, taking into account my own fears growing up in Christian fundamentalist ideas,” Enderle said. 

Enderle hopes that his film will invoke thought from viewers along with pondering the themes that are introduced. 

“I really hope that my audience will not only be invested in this dark world that me and my team have created, but also be delightfully frightened and take the time to really ponder and understand the themes,” Enderle said. 

News reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at [email protected].