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For three consecutive weeks in June, students from Southern Adventist University’s School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) participated in the principal photography of a feature film in collaboration with alumni and friends of the university. The film is produced and primarily funded by Southern in association with Hope Studios, which is providing promotion and distribution support.

Slick “is a story about grace versus greed,” shares Stanley Pomianowski, ’05, writer and director of the film. Exploring the parable in Matthew 13:44, the film follows a paroled convict who, while trying to cheat a church out of its land, finds God’s grace and mercy.

Slick is part of SVAD’s film production initiative to give every film student the opportunity to work on a full-length feature film before they graduate. Previously produced titles include All the Wrong Ingredients, Belly of the Whale, and Secret of the Cave. These opportunities allow students to delve into the professional world of film production through an immersive, hands-on experience.

Despite being brand new to a project of this scale, current film majors demonstrated exceptional abilities for working with professionals. “The students were able to get through the work in a high-quality way on time, every time,” Pomianowski highlights. “They did a great job, and I am very proud of how Southern’s film program has advanced over the years.”

Guided by professionals in the industry, the students took on a wide variety of film crew roles, ranging from operating cameras to handling lighting while working on Slick. Coupled with the application of what they had learned in the classroom, each gained a real-world introduction to developing a quality film.

Jhared Tula, junior film production major, hopes to pursue a film career as an editor, a role he took on with Slick. “This was a great preparation for my future career,” he emphasizes. “The experience helped me understand how a movie comes together from the first scene to the last. It also helped me improve my editing skills and gave me a better understanding of how the whole process works.”

Another skill emphasized during the project was teamwork, describes Sophia Schwartzrock, senior film production major. “Now I have a lot more perspective on what it takes to be a good team rather than just individual players. That’s something I learned: You can’t take it all on yourself,” she says. For Schwartzrock, filming was exhausting at times, but working with an invested crew for a common goal made all the difference.

“The hope is that tackling a major project means everybody levels up, both the students involved and the broader film student community,” says Nick Livanos, associate professor in SVAD and executive producer of Slick. “It’s a different kind of education to work on something that has a professional standard, having folks with lots of experience leading and mentoring up-and-coming filmmakers,” he adds.

Hope Studios, a branch of Hope Channel International, is a supporting partner, joining the producers to help distribute Slick to different channels. “Southern has been doing really good work with Slick, and we want to take this opportunity to bless and impact other people,” describes Kevin Christenson, studio executive for Hope Studios.

Students and faculty from SVAD are finishing production and working on the final touches for Slick, which is expected to come out next year.