WHAT WE DO
Cardinal Pictures was founded on a simple premise: to reduce the barriers to filmmaking for students of any background or level of experience. We provide support, resources, and guidance for all aspects of the filmmaking process.
MAKE A FILM
No prior experience is necessary to direct, and students of all class years can apply. Projects of all kinds are welcome, ranging from short, fun experiments to more ambitious narrative pieces.
For first-time filmmakers, we recommend shorter films that can be filmed in 1 weekend or a single day with runtimes below 5 minutes. Your first film does not need to be an epic!
Script submissions are now OPEN for Fall 2024! Submissions will be open until a early February 2025 where it will close for potential green lighting. The script submission deadline will be communicated via our Instagram. If you are interested in pitching a script please view the Greenlighting Process and fill out our new Script Submission Form! If you need help writing your script, come to the Cardinal Pictures hosted Screenwriter's Lounge to speak with a Script Advisor.
BORROW EQUIPMENT
Want some quality gear to spice up your production? Unsure what you need? Sure of what you need? Either way, visit our Gear page to find out how you can get access to professional film equipment at no cost!
OUR VISION
Cardinal Pictures is always striving to better serve the Wesleyan community. In the wake of the pandemic, we’ve been hard at work reviving our infrastructure, upgrading equipment, and streamlining internal processes. Wesleyan has struggled with its institutional memory since the pandemic, and we’re eager to break that trend. We hope to become the primary resource for student filmmaking on campus, fostering a culture of inclusivity, collaborative experimentation, and open conversations about the difficult nature of our industry.
No-cost Filmmaking Equipment Rentals
We’re upgrading our gear fleet to reflect advances in the prevailing technology on independent sets. We hope these changes will better prepare students that crew Cardinal Pictures productions for the rigor of contemporary physical production. And with our new Gear Request Form, borrowing equipment through CPIX has never been easier!
Institutional Memory
Cardinal Pictures is working with alumni to create new outreach programs and events. We hope that curating a space for students to engage with the breadth of work that this community produces can inspire them to find new creative potential in their day-to-day lives. For as long as a creative community has existed here, students have told stories, reimagining what can seem like a mundane, suburban landscape into something far more sinister or absurd or critical or romantic or what have you! We feel obligated to nurture this fighting spirit and see documenting the work students create as the best path to doing so.