Cinema Entertainment Immersion

The work that results in the CEI showcase films begins the previous spring semester in English 410: Advanced Screenwriting. Student writers learn the ins and outs of cinematic storytelling and develop original, short scripts suitable for production. Fifteen to twenty scripts are selected for consideration, and of these, five to six are chosen for development.

In the fall semester, these finalist scripts go into production. The Department of Theatre and Dance auditions and casts student actors to play the principal roles, and Telecommunications students work in teams to direct and produce the films, often working with the student screenwriters on story revisions.

The finished films, which are entirely the product of Ball State students from concept through production, are then screened at the annual CEI Showcase each fall.

Through the CEI, student screenwriters get to see their work go from brain to page to screen; student actors gain valuable experience acting for the camera; and student filmmakers get to learn the processes of directing and production as they hone their cinematic vision.