Westminster student earns Drinko grant for production of short film

Westminster College student Bethany Edwards earned an individual Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research grant to produce a short film “Another World.”

Edwards,  a senior double majoring in creative media production and strategic communication and social media from Carnegie, Pa., used the grant to fund on-set production, character costumes and set design pieces for the film.

“‘Another World’ is about the importance of storytelling and how it affects people’s lives,” said Edwards. During high school Edwards decided she wanted to explore a career in film and had the idea for a script about a woman meeting her favorite fictional characters. Through the Drinko grant, her idea was brought to life and produced at Moraine State Park, Buhl Mansion in Sharon, Pa., and other Pittsburgh area locations.

“Film production is something I have been passionate about for a long time. There are so many different aspects to it, such as set design, lighting, etc., and these pieces all work cohesively to amplify a story,” said Edwards. “Filmmaking is such a good way to share ideas because pictures are universal.”

Guiding Edwards through the process of the grant was her research mentor, Kandice Hartner, a lecturer in Westminster’s School of Communication.

Westminster’s Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research financially supports undergraduate research through various grants aimed at either the undertaking of research and creative projects at Westminster College or the external presentation and dissemination of research and creative works at conferences.

For more information on the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research, contact director Dr. Patrick Lackey at ugresearch@westminster.edu.

For more information about the School of Communication, visit www.westminster.edu/communication.

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