Making a film at the University of Illinois may not be as difficult as students think. Illini Film and Video is an organization on campus that facilitates students striving to make their own productions.

The group has cameras, editing software, a microphone and other filming equipment which it lends to members for their own projects.

“We mainly network our equipment with actors, actresses, sound people, lighting people and anyone who’s interested in learning any aspect of student film making,” said Chris Lukeman, junior in communications and president of Illini Film and Video.

The organization requires anyone who wishes to use their equipment to go through a basic training process to ensure familiarity with the equipment.

The organization’s “flagship project,” said Lukeman, is University of Illinois Versus a Mummy. The film is a yearlong seminar for students to get hands-on film experience. Although Lukeman wrote and is currently directing the movie, it is an overall cumulative effort of many students in the seminar.

Lukeman is targeting the film for release at the group’s spring film festival, which has been running for the past five years and is a showcase of student films.

Editing is a process that varies in length and difficulty for every film. Raw footage must be lined up perfectly and unnecessary scenes need to be cut to create the perfect version of the film.

“The end product was thirteen minutes long and I don’t even know how many hours we had,” said Timothy Yankama, director and senior in LAS. “A ridiculous amount was cut.”

Of the fourteen months it took to make the film, shooting took two weeks for Yankama’s project.

While filming and editing are time-consuming processes, there are other worries when making a movie. Casting can be a delicate process. Illini Film and Video helps to network writers and directors with actors looking for projects on campus.

“You have to get the right blend of people and you also have to get people who are very dedicated,” said Kevin Taylor, junior in LAS.

To sign up for the club’s email list, go to www.uiuc-ifv.org. Meetings are held every other Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on the second floor of Espresso Royale, 1117 W. Oregon St.