On Thursday, March 5th and Friday, March 6th, 2020 we spent the evening with Auctus Productions, a New York Film Production company founded in 2014 by students. The events, presented by UCI Illuminations and at UCLA, respectively, consisted of watching short documentaries and having illuminating discussions about film production, the inspiration behind each film, starting a business, and the lessons that the young entrepreneurs of Auctus learned along the way.
Here, we will do a short recap of our takeaways. All four films were screened at UCI and only the last two were shown at UCLA.
Jack Harrison | Road to City — You appear more credible than you are
Though it was its first major film-making experience, Auctus learned that with confidence and effort, you appear more credible than you are. Of course, they stressed the importance of preparation and even “phone rehearsals” but in the end, they did not let their limited portfolio hold them back from having conversations with big companies.
Punch — A good story is an investment
The struggles of creating a documentary were shared along with the lessons they learned during the process. They realized capturing a good story requires an investment of time and patience to create the best final product.
Nations United — Be opportunistic
The members shared their intriguing stories and memories from the 2018 World Cup in Russia and how they seized every opportunity presented to them. With no script and all improvised, they captured moments in this historic event, which led to the creation of a documentary that tells the story of human connection.
Inspired | The story of NIMANY — Zoom in, zoom out, then zoom in again
A film in a completely different genre than the previous four, this was the premiere of Auctus’ first film in the arts. In a film that took over 2 years to make because of a mid-way change in direction, Auctus realized that sometimes, you have to take a step back and look in with a new perspective to effectively reach the goal.
The night ended in a lively Q&A with the audience. Auctus discussed how they started their business, their future plans, and the exciting documentaries they are filming this year!
We cannot wait to watch all the informative, educational, and inspirational documentaries they create this year! Follow along to keep up to date with all their news and releases.
IG: @auctuspro