Tom Luse on Rejuvenation: Bridging Education and Industry in Georgia State University’s Groundbreaking Student Film

PH: As Executive Producer of Rejuvenation, a film written and produced by students at Georgia State University, what initially drew you to this project, and how did you envision your role as both a mentor and industry leader in guiding students through their first feature film?

Tom Luse: Brennen Dicker, executive director of Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) and I were speaking about a possible master class that I would teach. I said that I would make a movie, rather than teach.  I wanted to explore ways to simplify filmmaking.  Make it more transparent, more flexible, and CMII is dedicated to exploring emerging technologies.

We got rid of things like dollies and cranes, boom poles, and used autofocus lenses.   We virtually eliminated  light stands, replacing them with practical  fixtures with remote controlled LED lighting. We also put the boom on our camera rig. 

This allowed us to reduce our set presence to a crew of one person, for most scenes. It also really reduced the time for setup between shots, so we could focus more time on blocking and rehearsing, and less time on moving nightstands, dollies and people on the set.

We moved our two editors into our video village area, and used FrameIO to generate dailies for us in near real time, so that our creative team could access cuts and shots instantly.   

Because we were shooting in a new way, we were able to train our student crew to use this approach.  We had two wonderful professors that were producers on the film, Heath Franklin and Susan Reid.   Heath, who initially contacted the Canon team, is a talented independent filmmaker, and was instrumental in designing and thinking through the technical challenges and making sure the students understood their roles.  While Susan worked with the actors and prepared them for the rigors of their craft.  The script was specifically written to take advantage of Georgia State locations and to eliminate stunts, physical effects, wardrobe challenges, logistical challenges etc.  In short, we did all we could to set an entirely student crew up for success.

By the way, these were not just any students.  We went through hundreds upon hundreds of applications to get down to the 30 best actors and crew members.  All but three of the students were undergraduates.

PH: The partnership between Georgia State University, Canon, Fox Television, and AMC played a key role in bringing Rejuvenation to life. How did this collaboration come together, and what impact do you believe this kind of industry-education partnership has on shaping the next generation of filmmakers?

Tom Luse: When we set out to shoot Rejuvenation, we knew that much of the equipment that GSU owned was purchased for traditional filmmaking.  Generous grants from Fox and AMC allowed GSU to purchase the specialized camera gear, lighting gear, sound gear etc that was needed for this new way of shooting.  We wanted to use autofocus lenses and we wanted a camera that was friendly to our workflow.  The Canon EOS C70 was perfect for this.  When we took test  footage to our friends at Moonshine Post, we saw that the dynamic range of  the C70 was ideal for the look we were trying to establish.   Lastly, the C70 was light enough for us to use on our lightweight EZ Rig Stabilo, which we used in conjunction with a DJI gimbal below the camera. This allowed for a lightweight, easy to use camera system with smooth and dynamic movement. Canon’s support throughout the testing of all of this was critical to our success.

PH: The film was shot using Canon’s EOS C70 and professional lenses loaned to GSU. How did this collaboration with Canon elevate the production value of Rejuvenation, and what did you hope the students would learn from working with such high-end equipment?

Tom Luse: Our student crew, led by DP Shawna-Marie Walker and Co-Director/Operator Krew Keth, fully tested the C70’s capabilities before we started filming.  The professionals at Moonshine Poset, where we did final color, were thrilled with the look we were able to maintain.  Although we took full advantage of the autofocus capabilities of the C70, Chief Camera Technician Kamal McAllister could both check and adjust focus using an iPad in conjunction with Canon's software.

PH: As an Artist in Residence at Georgia State, how did you balance providing students with creative freedom while ensuring that the production maintained a professional standard?

Tom Luse: As I mentioned, our crew was entirely composed of students. Heath, Susan and I acted as producers.  Also, I co-wrote the film with a brilliant pair of student writers, Sydney Norman and Malik Jones, both of whom graduated before filming. So I ended up working with the creative team on what the intent was in each scene, and could adapt on the fly as needed.  

Finding the camera blocking that supported the emotional tone of the scene was most challenging for our young filmmakers.  Because we greatly reduced the time needed for new setups by eliminating the dolly, light stands, etc., we had more time to explore creative solutions so that we could find the right look and tone that we felt would resonate with our audience.

PH: Rejuvenation recently premiered on Tubi, and the team is awaiting its premiere date on Amazon. What does this milestone mean for the students involved, and how do you think this distribution experience will shape their future careers in the film industry?

Tom Luse: We made Rejuvenation as an experiment and a proof of concept that movies could be made more simply and creatively.  That Rejuvenation is now available on Tubi and Amazon VOD is a wonderful compliment to our talented filmmakers.  It’s now a title competing for people’s time, against other titles that had far more resources at their disposal, and it’s an honor to be thought of so highly. Unlike the typical student film, our students all played a vital role in the creation of a film that has streaming distribution.   They have a great start on their resume, as the film business is a referential business where credits are king!

PH: Your extensive experience as an Executive Producer on The Walking Dead clearly provided you with unique insights into high-stakes television. How did your experience on such a successful series inform your approach to mentoring the students on Rejuvenation? 

Tom Luse: The Walking Dead was an incredible experience. We had some of the most amazing talent in the world on that show, both in front of and behind the camera.  And, especially for the first few years, we had a very limited budget.  Despite this, we were able to build a ‘dead world’, a horrifying post-apocalyptic vision.      

On Rejuvenation, we had no money. The great majority of our setting was a  clinic, and to create this, we combined a few conference rooms, halls and offices at GSU into a believable world, using many of the tricks we employed on TWD... In so many ways, our tiny art department was the unsung hero of  Rejuvenation.   They were all amazing!!   

PH: Mentorship plays a crucial role in developing new talent. What were some of the key lessons or insights you wanted the students to take away from their experience on Rejuvenation, both creatively and professionally?

Tom Luse: Decades ago, I was a location manager on a movie called Murder in Coweta County, starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith.  The producer asked me what the first rule of production was, and I gave an earnest, long-winded answer. “Nope," he said when he mercifully stopped me. “Survival is the first rule.”    

These talented young people have to experience the daily pressure of delivering, as they are all in incredibly demanding jobs.  And they came through it, and now know that they can survive that pressure cooker.

PH: What challenges did the students face during production, and how did you guide them through those obstacles while still allowing them to make their own decisions as emerging filmmakers?

Tom Luse: I think that for a certain kind of film, mainly dramas and comedies that are not laden with special effects and stunts, using and improving the techniques we used on Rejuvenation will allow young filmmakers to work more creatively and more efficiently. Technology will continue to improve and make the tools of filmmaking more accessible. This can allow more focus on performance, shotmaking, and blocking. It can be an exciting time.

PH: Given the industry’s rapid evolution, how do you see projects like Rejuvenation preparing students for the future of filmmaking, particularly in terms of adapting to new technologies and distribution platforms?

Tom Luse: The creation of Rejuvenation required intense cooperation from across departments at GSU, something that is unusual. It shows what can be done. Georgia State can use the lessons learned from Rejuvenation to do other creative projects….we hope that it will lead to new and exciting collaborations with others!