This week, the Bowdoin Film Society (BFS) and Bowdoin Cable Network (BCN) leadership announced their upcoming merger to club members. While the two organizations will remain separate entities, they will begin pooling their resources, headquartered in the current BCN News Studio. The studio, located on the first floor of Coles Tower, will be renamed the BCN-BFS Studio.
The move will satisfy BFS by giving them a space to edit their films and store equipment, and allowing them to expand student film production.
"It will help us go in a new direction," said BFS President Sarah Siwak '13. "We will still continue to sponsor film screenings to students on campus, but we also wanted to promote student filmmaking to a greater extent."
"There are certainly students making film here at Bowdoin," said Siwak. "But a lot of filmmakers lack a venue where they can edit and store their films. Now that we have this space, it will make things a lot easier."
The merger will help BCN expand their content on channel 41 to include BFS productions.
BCN General Manager Zac Skipp '11 said, "It will give our viewers a greater variety of things to watch and at the same time give BFS a space to work and show their films."
Skipp added that the merger "will certainly give a new side to BCN and at the same time allow those filmmakers in BFS to get involved with BCN if they are interested. It really gives a new side to both clubs."
While both BFS and BCN will retain their respective missions, leadership structures and organization, Skipp added that future club leadership will have to work to ensure that the two groups cooperate and share the studio.
"The clear overall goal for the merger is to foster a fiercer film culture," Siwak said. "It will give people who want to become more involved in video production more resources when it comes to help in writing, acting and editing."
Skipp affirmed that even though the clubs are going to remain separate, the merger will recreate the studio as a more collaborative environment.
"The shared space will help everyone, even though the organizations are different and have their own goals," he said.