OurMission
Emergent Films is a statewide initiative designed to help foster job growth by laying the foundation of an indigenous film industry in South Carolina. To motivate and mentor students and aspiring filmmakers through hands-on training during the production of an annual feature film project. The educational/job training program is being spearheaded by Genesis Studios in Cayce, SC.
Our Objectives
- Develop an efficient filmmaking model while providing educational and practical opportunities for students and new filmmakers.
- Provide recurring opportunities for state production crew to help develop a qualified crew base to staffSouth Carolina’s indigenous film industry and to support film projects coming into the state.
- Develop and produce annually 1-3 short genre films and one or more family-friendly, feature-length profitable motion pictures.
- Establish production camps to introduce youth and high-school students to the world of filmmaking.
- Host a one-week filmmaking boot camp for the top college students to prepare them to function as crew support on the annual project and the industry in general.
- Seek grants, donations, investment funds to finance the organization and each individual feature film project
One of the critical oversights of the past 20 years is that every growth spurt or goal for filmmaking has been short-term and/or short-lived. Emergent Films is intended as a long-range solution that will make incremental but steady progress toward a more firmly established, ongoing, indigenous industry.
Genesis Studios owner and Emergent Films founder CliffS pringsputs it like this: “Essentially, for twenty-some years, we’ve stood on our own 5 yard line and talked about how much we’d love to score a touchdown. And we’ve talked, and we’ve talked. We threw a couple of Hail Marys toward the end zone with talks of studios that were too much too soon and ultimately never materialized. All the while, had we just handed the ball off to the running back a few times, we might have found ourselves standing at the 50 yard line by now—instead of still standing at the 5, dreaming of a touchdown. That’s also the reason for our slogan: ‘Action, Y’all!’ We’re tired of talking. It’s time for action.”
Why is this significant?
In these difficult economic times, all job development is important—especially when it has the opportunity to be driven by the private sector. Furthermore, as we believe that the economy will eventually recover, it is critical that we use this time to focus on building a stable foundation for the future. Genesis began laying this foundation with the construction of Genesis Studios and continues its efforts with Emergent Films. We are committed to the belief that the industry cannot grow solely from the top down—home-grown projects are an essential part of the equation, perhaps the most essential.
What are the components?
Each year, Emergent Films will produce 2-3 short genre films as part of an ongoing psychological thriller series entitled “The Trunk.” Each summer, Emergent will produce a feature-length, family-friendly film as the signature project. Prior to the summer feature, Genesis Studios will host a one-week camp for local high school students to engage in and learn about the movie-making process. Immediately prior to the feature film, Genesis will host a one-week production boot camp for the college students/graduates to train directly under their experienced department head mentors in preparation for active participation in the production of the feature film.
Who will benefit?
The program is designed to provide employment opportunities for experienced professionals while allowing them to serve as mentors to students and recent graduates. Students will gain on-set experience and production credits that will help them to establish and grow their resumes in a real-world filmmaking environment.
