Editor, Daily Nexus,

So far the biggest criticism of Reel Loud this year was that there wasn’t a single stand out film. Do we only want one or two great films out of 16 to be re-watchable? I don’t think so.

Although there wasn’t as much diversity as last year, this year’s films had something way more special: community. Everyone helped out on everyone else’s films, and I got the sense that everyone was there to help each other achieve their respective visions. Everyone was so excited about doing what they loved most, and that their friends were there and willing to support whatever needed to get done to bring the films to life.

We should be proud of this achievement more than anything else. This year was an example of a truly progressive film community, where it wasn’t about awards or personal glory. Every film school should follow our example. Film Studies professor Jennifer Holt did nothing but praise Reel Loud for how well organized, fun and creative these films were – and this is from a former UCLA and USC professor. This was refreshing, and made me even more proud of the films this year.

I’m glad there were no standouts this year, because then we would start becoming way too serious like other major film schools. Filmmaking then becomes an incredibly selfish and competitive process. I don’t want the fun to die out of creating films. I’m all for the auteur theory and I do have my own personal vision, but we shouldn’t step on others to get there. Only when we’ve created a sharing and open-minded community can truly great works emerge, not just for money. You might as well go to Hollywoodland and become Michael Bay or Uwe Boll. This year we fostered an amazing community, and I hope it continues for years to come.