BELL JAR filmmaker Joshua Pausanos

KQED describes RTVF major Joshua Pausanos‘s film Bell Jar in its feature piece “Film School Shorts” (here’s a link to the full interview with Joshua which is well worth reading).

Bell Jar is a mysterious character piece that manages to tell its story without dialogue, reminding viewers that, above all, film is a visual medium. Directed by Josh Pausanos of San Jose State University, the film is inspired by Slyvia Plath’s seminal novel The Bell Jar.

In his interview with KQED, Pausanao observed,

At first when I started going to SJSU, I was worried that because I wasn’t going to a “film school,” I wasn’t going to become a successful filmmaker or get into the industry, but as graduation approaches I find myself thinking, “What exactly makes a ‘film school’ a ‘film school’?” Since starting at State, I’ve helped out on dozens of shorts, directed many shorts, made money working on professional productions,and have already made the transition into working on larger indie feature films. My teachers and classmates are all avid filmmakers with their own accomplishments and many projects on the way. All of this makes me question, “What would I have missed if I went to somewhere like USC or NYU?” To me, it doesn’t matter which school or how much money is involved; it matters what kind of community you surround yourself in and how much drive you have. That’s what I learned going to San Jose State.

Keep reading here for an insightful and interesting look at this budding filmmaker’s process and work.

Thank you, Josh Pausoanos, on behalf of SJSU and its RTVF program. We’re proud of you!