See the student filmmakers of Writers House in action in this short film, The Doc on Doc.
The Filmmakers of Writers House
From a remote village in Thailand to dance studios on the Douglass Campus, the documentary filmmakers of Writers House are telling riveting stories about Rutgers researchers and students.
These students do it all, from conceiving stories to writing scripts to editing their films—all part of a groundbreaking program led by award-winning filmmaker Dena Seidel, director of digital storytelling at Writers House at Rutgers–New Brunswick.
Dena has been an amazing professor, mentor, leader, and inspiration for me to pursue my goals.
Senior Lauren Choinski, speaking of Dena Seidel, director of digital storytelling at Writers House
Collaborating with Superstars
Collaboration is at the heart of filmmaking, and it’s also a hallmark of Writers House.
“Rutgers is an incredible university with superstars from all over the world, and Writers House has had the privilege of collaborating with departments across the university,” says Dena Seidel.
Writers House partnerships have resulted in films of astonishing quality and scope, such as Atlantic Crossing: A Robot’s Daring Mission, which follows the researchers and students of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences as they prepare for the launch and voyage of the first robotic glider to cross the Atlantic. Atlantic Crossing has won 10 film festival awards and will be airing on PBS stations this spring and summer. It will appear on WNET (New York) on June 25 at 4 p.m.
View Writers House student films, and learn more about Writers House collaborations.
Meet the Filmmakers
These students didn’t come to Rutgers as documentary filmmakers, but now they have worked as camera operators, editors, and producers on an eclectic mix of films.
Courses at Writers House are open to students from all majors. Learn about the documentary filmmaking courses at Writers House.
Stephen Beeston
Stephen traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of the filming of Atlantic Crossing, a documentary about the first robotic glider to cross the Atlantic.
Lauren Choinski
Lauren and other Writers House students collaborated with dancers at the Mason Gross School of the Arts on a series of films.
Chantal Eyong
Chantal, a Rutgers alumnus now working at Writers House, traveled to Thailand to film Rutgers students from Engineers Without Borders helping to bring fresh water to a remote Thai village.
Lizette Gesuden
Lizette’s experience with Writers House helped her land a job creating video for a consulting company in Brooklyn.
Steve Holloway
By traveling to Thailand for a collaboration with Engineers Without Borders, Steve learned not just about filmmaking, but also about Thai culture—and the science behind a water project.
Scott Lazes
Scott’s films include Out to Play (about a sports competition for LGBT athletes) and Creationism (about a Rutgers student who studies and collects bugs).
Mimi Zander
As part of a collaboration with the Institute for Women's Leadership, Mimi traveled to Vermont to interview artist and writer Alison Bechdel.
