As a pre-teen, I discovered the wonders of iMovie. I used a mixture of bribery and coercion to rope my siblings and friends into my short film-making endeavours. My father’s trusty Sanyo camcorder in hand, I was a ruthless director who usually lost my actors by the second day of filming — not everyone can cope with the whimsies and instabilities of an artistic temperament.
Though my own forays into the film production world were short-lived, I was curious as to what those more talented were up to. I had a chat with fourth-year cognitive systems student Tibet Karayazgan to learn about IndieVision, a recently formed UBC-based independent film production team.
After shooting the short film Kill Your Darlings, Karayazgan was inspired to create a more organized space for independent filmmakers at UBC; this past January, IndieVision was born. He is currently serving as its president.
Karayazgan’s guiding vision for the group is to help other students step into “the unexplored realm of cinematic filmmaking, in terms of the more independent side of it… I really am digging the whole unconventional, raw, authentic form of ideas. Anything that might challenge the status quo.”
Going beyond the mainstream is a high priority for IndieVision, and Karayazgan has big goals to make this happen. IndieVision is more than just a group of people making films — it is a community for people interested in the film world to connect and socialize.
“I think what I'm trying to do is create a space where we can nurture each other's overall personal growth, perhaps inspire one another, and build a tight knit community which can be self-sustained,” said Karayazgan.
In working to cultivate an inclusive space, Karayazgan has been inspired by other groups he has been involved in, such as UBC Improv. Accessibility is a high priority for IndieVision, and no filmmaking experience is needed to get involved.
“IndieVision is a space where, even if you have no knowledge about films at all, you can still tag along and maybe learn something along the way,” he said.
Since it started, IndieVision has already recruited around 30 students and shot its first film, Ghosts by the Pond, which is now in post-production.
They have run into their fair share of obstacles along the way. IndieVision initially aimed to shoot two films last semester, but one had to be called off. However, Karayazgan believes that setbacks can be just as valuable as successes.
“I kind of like getting rejected, because it gives me a reason to make [an] even better film. It provides the reason for me to improve myself.”
As a relatively new production team, IndieVision's main goal for their films is to draw attention to the group’s existence. Karayazgan explained how “creating content that can resonate with students is the best way for us to actually spread the word around… being known from our actions, rather than our words.”
Though the group is based at UBC, Karayazgan hopes that the messaging of the films will “transcend boundaries.” As a long-term project, Karayazgan hopes to turn IndieVision into a production house post-graduation, while maintaining the university group as an academy for aspiring independent filmmakers.
Given that it is not currently an official AMS club, IndieVision has mostly been relying on word of mouth and social media to recruit its members. Students can keep an eye on the group's Instagram (@indievisionubc) for news about upcoming films, and can message the page for further information on how to get involved.
After my conversation with Karayazgan, I, for one, was certainly inspired to pick up the old camcorder once again.