He sits on the edge of his seat, his olive green Ray-Bansclipped to his t-shirt and his eyes smiling with passion as he speaks. Joshua Lewkowicz isthe cinematographer behind the award winning film, Focus.
Several weeks ago, TCNJ’s most talented filmmakers put their passioninto full gear for Campus MovieFest at TCNJ. In just seven days, Lewkowicz and his team created the film, Focus, incorporating technologically integrated cinematography and thought provoking story telling to convey the effects of ADHD medication abuse among college students.
Focus depicts the life of a college student that loses its color when creativityescapes him after he takes ADHD medication. “You don’t need other people or other things to defer what your goal is. Art is what kept his heart beating. You have to follow your bliss,” Lewkowicz says.
The sophomoreInteractive Multimedia major has followed his bliss throughout his entire life. He began filming when he was very young, borrowing his parents’ camcorder and filming Hess trucks. “I’m a visual person,”Lewkowicz says. “I think images often convey something the best. I think there’s something about movies people connect to.”
Today, Lewkowicz is especially thankful for the support of his parents, friends, and his loved ones.
For Lewkowicz, some of the greatest inspiration comes from an unexpected place. “Instead of watching the film, I watch the reactions of people. You pour your emotion into your work in hopes that someone else receives that emotion. There’s something really gratifying about that.”
At the festival, Lewkowicz’s film took home three titles, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Visual Effects. Winning Best Picture qualifies Lewkowicz and members of his crew including visual effects designer, Andrew Kuserk, to attend the Campus MovieFest convention in Hollywood. While there, him and hundreds of other student filmmakers will have the ability to screen student films and meet professionals in the industry.
This summer, Lewkowicz will be participating in the MUSE program assisting a professor creating a documentary about the importance of the arts for inner city youth.
His dreams for the future stretch further than Mercer County. Lewkowicz hopes to work on big budget films and continuing to do what he loves.“Passion is art and you should stick with it.”
Please view Focus here. (http://www.campusmoviefest.com…)