Bloomington Leader

Graduate student Ruby Berin directed the short film “I Feel,” with music composed by fellow graduate student Nehemiah Robertson. The two collaborated as part of Indiana University's annual Double Exposure program, which aims to leverage the university's strengths in the arts to foster collaboration in filmmaking.

Each spring, Indiana University Cinema hosts Double Exposure, showcasing student-created short films on the big screen. The program aims to reflect real-world filmmaking, providing students with personalized instruction from experienced professors and professionals in the film and music industry.

Established in 2012, Double Exposure is a partnership between The Media School, Jacobs School of Music, IU Cinema, and the IU Student Composers Association. This year's premiere event on April 5 featured 12 short films resulting from two semesters of effort. Film students developed their projects during the fall by pitching story ideas, filming, and editing, then partnered with music students in the spring who scored the short films.

"What makes Double Exposure so special is that it actually gives students the ability to engage in the full scope of the collaborative film process," said Alicia Kozma, director of IU Cinema. "It not only helps develop creative voices on the production side as well as on the composition side; it also allows those students to work together in a collaborative team environment, which is how the industry works every single day."

Ruby Berin, a second-year graduate student in The Media School, produced “I Feel,” an experimental film that combines dance and poetry to express her grief. The film features dancer Maddie Wells, a sophomore studying contemporary dance, who choreographed movements representing the five stages of grief against the lush backdrops of IU’s campus.

"I was inspired to make this film as a way to open myself up to people and share my story of grief, and the love and loss that come with it," Berin explained. With a background in documentary and nonfiction production, Berin sought to tell a deeply personal story, motivated by memories of her late father and her upbringing in the film industry.

Berin described fond memories of her father who was actively involved in her life, inspiring her artistic pursuits. "My dad was my movie buddy," she said. She shared details of their shared experiences and the creative environments that surrounded her upbringing.

During the fall semester, Berin led a team of student filmmakers. In the spring, she was matched with Nehemiah Robertson, a first-year graduate student specializing in music scoring for visual media. Robertson approached the project with a personal connection, inspired by his own experiences of loss.

"I love working with Ruby so much," Robertson said. His emotive musical score complements Wells' choreography and Berin’s storytelling, guiding the audience through the stages of grief.

Both Berin and Robertson appreciated the insights provided by their instructors, including Susanne Schwibs and Larry Groupé, both respected figures in their fields. Groupé is recognized for his work as a film composer, while Schwibs has earned acclaim for her documentary films.

The Double Exposure program offers significant opportunities for student collaboration, which is strongly emphasized by instructors like Schwibs. "One of the things that’s special about Indiana University is that there are so many really, really good, top-notch programs," she said. "So it’s a terrific opportunity for our film students to work with Jacobs School students."

Reflecting on his educational journey at IU, Robertson said, "I remember when I got my acceptance letter to IU, I laid down on the floor and literally cried for 10 minutes. A couple years ago, I never thought I would have made it this far."

The music for “I Feel” evolves with the narrative, adapting to each stage of grief. It transitions from sorrowful to hopeful, aligning with the visual storytelling. The film concludes with a hopeful acceptance, punctuated by Robertson’s music and Berin’s poetic lines portraying art as a journey through grief.

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