Glenn (center) and his Reel Studios Team.
Question: Name three people you might have seen at the Cannes Film Festival in May. If you don’t recognize the name Glenn McManus now, wait a few years. This budding filmmaker and B-W senior from Bowling Green, was a participant at the world famous event in May. He was chosen as a member of a five-person, international, student team, sponsored by Reel Ideas Studios, that went to Cannes and, while there, created a film.
Talking about the experience before he left campus, McManus said, “There are nine or ten teams of five people. “We will create documentary shorts on an aspect of the festival or the town itself. The completed films will be shown as a part of the Short Film corner, along with other short films that have been entered into the festival."
“That’s where feature filmmakers go to scout talent,” McManus said. “I have to submit something I’ve done here at B-W.” The students also will have access to all of the events including screenings and premieres. “They told us to bring a tux,” he added.
Appropriate to his generation, McManus found this opportunity on Facebook. He applied, sending along a sampling of his media projects, from film to TV episodes created for B-W’s Buzz TV, to three dimensional film animations done in a class. His interview with executives of Reel Ideas Studios, whose sponsors include Sony, Adobe and Intel, was a conference call. Once accepted, funding assistance from several B-W organizations enabled McManus to participate in the program.
McManus was the cinematographer for his team, which included a student from California, one from Toronto, one from Portugal and one from Mexico. To participate in the project, participants had to be associated with a college or university.
McManus was most excited about the top-notch equipment the teams would be using and eager for the opportunity to meet and work with expert mentors who would be available for the students.
With his film and French majors, McManus was really in his element in Cannes. Film is something he is passionate about. In addition to required classes, he intensified his major through independent studies with adjunct professor Mitchell Fields. He has been involved in every campus media organization and is a co-founder of the B-W Film Society. He also volunteered for the Cleveland International Film Festival for three years.
On the red carpet wth Canadian
friend Jenna Pietrantonio
And in the film tradition of a "ta da" climax, McManus reported that, of the nine Reel Studios Teams, his won first place at the festival.
You can read more about their experiences at www.reelideasstudio.com. Click on “On the Ground” and select “Team Odyssey."
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