Sara Hussain has serious experience as a world traveler. “I was born in New Delhi, India and I lived in Lucknow, India ‘til I was 9 years old,” she says. “On January 17, 2002, I moved to the US and I’ve lived in 6 states and 7 cities since my time here.” Inspired by her position as the International Affairs Student Assistant, Hussain filmed Study Abroad to & from Chatham University. Focusing on the experiences of two students, the movie is her first YouTube release. Be sure to subscribe: Hussain has projects in the work you’ll definitely want to watch for. Check out the movie, then read on for her thoughts on studying film at Chatham, her work with International Affairs and the countries on her travel bucket list.
HC Chatham: How did you choose Chatham?
Sara Hussain: To be completely honest, I don’t remember my thought process at all at that time. I had many options to choose from and Chatham was one of those options. All I knew then was that I wanted to go someplace new and be on my own. I wanted to go somewhere where I wouldn’t know anyone and they wouldn’t know me. So, I figuratively threw a dart on the US map and came up with Pittsburgh, PA ergo Chatham University. I liked Pittsburgh’s history and I liked whatever I’d found out about Chatham online, since I hadn’t been able to visit the campus. I lived in California at the time, on the other side of the country.
What are you studying at Chatham? Why did you choose your area(s) of study?
I’m studying broadcast journalism and I’m doing a minor in political science. I want to be a journalist that covers politics around the world.
How did you start working for International Affairs? What is your favorite part of the job, and why is your work important to you?
During the summer before my junior year at Chatham, I noticed the posting for the position on Nace-Link (which is an excellent resource for any students who want not only campus job but a job anywhere). So, I applied, went in for an interview and got the job. I really did want to work there because I have an interest in international relations, cultures and politics. There’s also a growing number of international students on this campus, and I’ve always been someone who was always friends with the international students. That does not just apply to experience at Chatham but even when I was a kid in school, I found people who were like me but were also different than me. That group of people and that group of friends has always consisted of people from all over the world. And that is my favorite part of the job: I make new friends and they make my world a little bigger. I also get to do cool stuff online with social media, and the communications geek in me lives for those moments.
Since I happen to work on their social media platforms, I thought about the awesome class I took with Dr. Cruger at Chatham. It was called Media and Society and so much of it was about getting messages across to your audience. Something about those techniques and theorists stuck with me. And it’s one thing to learn about it in class, but it’s quite another to apply those same techniques in real life. I got the opportunity to actually do that for International Affairs and everyone in the department is so encouraging that they let me run with it. I realized that there are so many opportunities on this campus for students to go abroad, that I should apply those course techniques I had learned about and get that message out. So, that’s what I do. I just come up with communication strategies to market the department’s open vault of opportunities for students at this university and prospective students looking into Chatham both in the US and abroad.
What course did you make your movie for? What was your favorite part of the course?
I made the movie, Study Abroad to & from Chatham University, for my final film project in my Intermediate Digital Video Production class with Kristen Shaeffer. It is part of my major, but just because a class is required doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. I liked being able to create. No one forced me to pick this topic. I chose it myself and now I’ve released onto YouTube for everyone to see. I liked being able to learn about shooting, audio recording, lighting, and editing. I want to be a journalist someday, and I want my work to be excellent.
How did you decide on a topic?
I’m a senior now, and it’s my second year working for International Affairs. I wanted to make this for Karin Chipman, Vivian Yamoah and Ida Mansourian because then they could use this film whenever they want. I’m not going to be on this campus after graduation, but they can use my work as a resource should they need it in the future. The idea of of it being about study abroad just seemed natural since they are either interacting with students who are doing study abroad in the US or helping students do study abroad outside of the US. I wanted to capture the perspectives on both ends of that spectrum with informational commentary about the study abroad process from Karin Chipman, Study Abroad Coordinator at International Affairs.
How did you choose your interview subjects?
I wanted two students to interview for the film. One had to be an American student from Chatham that did study abroad outside of the country and another had to be a student who was currently doing study abroad in the US at Chatham. Karin Chipman had told me about Ashley Fersch who had done study abroad in India focusing on Biology during her spring semester last year. I already knew Karina Cunha, a journalism student from Brazil, because she was in my video production class with Dr. Shaeffer last semester. I spoke to both of them about my idea, they agreed to be a part of it.
How long did it take to put the movie together?
A LONG time. So, our film for class was due on Friday the 13th of December. It’s an ironic date but a great tool for motivation! I can’t be sure now how long it took to make it. One week, I shot Ashley’s interview and another I shot Karina. Then on one of the reading days of last semester, I shot all of the remaining b-roll shots needed for the film. I also edited the film during then and turned it in. There was a mistake in the film because some aspects did not render properly. When winter break began, I went back to the computer lab and finally cleaned everything up. I made some few last edits on Thursday, Jan. 23. So, I don’t many hours that is, but I know it’s about over a month’s worth of work. But it was totally worth it.
What was your favorite part of working on the film?
Editing. Editing was my favorite. I loved doing the interviews. That’s actually when I’m in my own element and most comfortable when working. But there’s something about piecing together everything that I had shot of the campus and the people in the snow and the bitter cold wind made it all worthwhile. Even though editing can be frustrating loads of times, it’s something I can work with and I truly enjoy.
What was the most challenging part of working on the film, and how did you work past it?
The hardest part was managing my own schedule with everyone else’s. I had to get this film done in time to submit for class, which meant that I had to shoot the interviews with Ashley, Karina and Karin. I also needed to shoot all of the necessary b-roll for the film and edit it all together. This was all quite stressful, since it requires a lot of planning and planning around hurdles in schedules. Thankfully, Ashley, Karina and Karin are very organized people and they were so helpful throughout the whole process. Mainly, I had to work around my own schedule. They were absolutely brilliant throughout the whole thing.
Now that the project is complete, do you hope to make more movies into the future?
Yes, absolutely. I want to do backpack journalism. I want to be a foreign correspondent and especially a war correspondent. I want to use my skills with writing stories and filming stories to provide a platform for people. I will be releasing another movie very soon about a dear friend of mine on campus, Evalyn Grey, about her transitional experiences and her life as a transgendered individual. I’ve already made most of it, so it’s only a matter of time before I release it on YouTube. I’m also currently working on my tutorial video which is about Sarah Pesi and her efforts to propel her wonderful legislation, Sarah’s Bill. I will be shooting and releasing that soon as well. Other than those very current projects, yes, I will always be making something because I’ve learned how to create.
Do you have any future travel plans? What countries are on your travel “bucket list” and why?
I haven’t been out of the country since I was 9 and I came to the US. I would like to travel soon. My greatest ambition in life is to travel, so I know I will travel and document stories throughout my life and career. I would like to go back to India because I’ve haven’t been home since I was kid, and I miss home. I want to go to Japan, Mongolia, Cambodia, Korea, Pakistan, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Russia, Palestine, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Belgium, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Mali, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Brazil and many more! I can’t give you a reason for each of these countries, so I’ll just say that I either have a friend(s) there that I want to visit and/or I’ve just been dying to go there for years!
What advice do you have for other student filmmakers at Chatham University?
Take a class with Kristen Shaeffer. She’s brilliant and knows everything. And, even if you don’t have the space in your schedule, I’m sure you can ask her about filmmaking and she’ll answer whatever question you may have. She’ll guide to the nearest helpful resource that you may need for a project you’re thinking of. Also, you can shoot on whatever camera you have. You don’t need to go and buy a DSLR to shoot. Yes, those are great for shooting but if you don’t have one, you don’t need one. I’m sure you can still shoot on any other camera you may have. Your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy 50,000 can actually shoot HD footage that could rival the best DSLR on the market. My best friend is a photographer and she told me this: “Its not what you have but what you how to do with what you have.” Ain’t that the truth?!
What do you love most about being at Chatham?
I’m a senior now, so I’ve started realizing how we’re all going to go our separate ways soon. As cheesy as this sounds, I love spending time with my friends here for as long as we’re here.