Name: Ryan Aguiar
Class standing: Senior
Hometown: Tampa
Major(s): Psychology and Sociology
Her Campus (HC): How long have you been with the Film Club?
Ryan Aguiar (RA): A year and a half.
HC: What made you decide to join?
RA: I’m really into film. I actually almost didn’t join, because Brandi [his girlfriend] was already in the club, and I didn’t want to interfere with her thing.
HC: So what made you change your mind?
RA: Well I told Brandi I was jealous because the club sounded great, and she told me I was ridiculous and should totally join.
Courtesy: Ryan Aguiar
HC: And obviously you’re happy you made that decision because you’re now the president!
RA: Yeah, I really love the sort of characters we get in Film Club. Lots of great people.
HC: What made you want to take on a leadership position?
RA: I just really wanted to contribute to the club, and I thought this would be a great way to do that.
HC: What is the most difficult aspect of leading the club?
RA: Probably a combination of keeping people focused and motivated. It’s not like a classroom where you have students who are being evaluated. You have to get people to want to participate.
HC: What do you do in order to prompt participation?
RA: I just try and keep the club as inclusive to people’s interests as possible. But even then some people don’t know what they want out of the club.
Courtesy: The Film Club at FSU
HC: So what exactly does Film Club do?
RA: We make films. We handle the entire production process from the inception of an idea to executing said idea to editing and distributing. Other than that, we cover topics of interest during club meetings and engage in social activities.
HC: How many productions have you been a part of with the club?
RA: Five, and a couple others still in pre-production. I don’t get to do as much this year being president though.
HC: What is your favorite set position?
RA: Does writer count? It’s not really on set but is involved with production.
HC: Yeah, definitely!
RA: Then definitely that. I love the process of constructing a story and characters. Thinking about how they would interact, what lesson there is to learn from a story.
HC: What other extracurriculars are you a part of, be it clubs, jobs, honor societies?
RA: Well I work full-time for the state in the Medicaid division, and I’m a part of the Psi Chi Honor Society. I used to be a part of Coping Through College, but I didn’t have enough time to continue with it.
HC: Do you find it hard to balance leading a club with the rest of your workload?
RA: Absolutely. Full-time work and full-time school are enough to fill my schedule. There were times last semester when I got seriously burnt out trying to give enough time to all the things in my life.
HC: I hope this semester is easier!
RA: Haha, thanks. It should be. I think.
HC: Do you think you’d like to continue with film in the future, or is this just a fun hobby for now?
RA: It’s definitely an extracurricular thing for me. I learned the hard way what happens when you take a creative interest and make it into work.
HC: It turns into work and not fun.
RA: Exactly.
HC: What advice can you give to any hopeful filmmakers?
RA: Start. The hardest thing about filmmaking is just making it happen. It takes ambition, initiative, and indomitable spirit.