Ian Granzow

How would you describe your time as an English or Film Studies major at MSU?

My time at MSU has been interesting. I came in, majoring in Media and Information, specifically 3D animation. And I did that for about 3 years. Right up until I took a Journalism class that had a video assignment. That assignment made me realize that my true passion did not lie in animation, but in filmmaking. So I added the Digital Storytelling, filmmaking major. And ever since then, it’s been a dream. I have loved every second of class, of film projects, of film based clubs. When I found my true passion, everything else just seemed to click. I met some of the most amazing people I have ever met and I have loved working with them and learning from them. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Which classes, instructors, or experiences particularly stand out for you and why? How did they prepare you for the next phase of your life?

This one is going to be a long answer. I’ll go chronologically. I want to give a massive shout out to a man that probably doesn’t even remember teaching me (which is fine, it was a big class). Professor David Ewoldsen Ph.D.. I had his Intro to Media and Information MI 101 class, back in 2019. His class was the first college class I ever experienced. But that’s not what’s special about Professor Ewoldsen. Somehow, in a class of probably 300 people, Professor Ewoldsen made each and every one of us know that we, as individuals, had the power to make a difference, to make a change, and to do something important. That message has stuck with me through my five years here at MSU, and I have never forgotten that man. The next professor I’d like to shout out is Jeremy Steele. In my junior year, I took his JRN 206 class. In that class we had a photography assignment. And when telling us about the assignment, Professor Steele told us something that has honestly changed my entire life. He told us that when we went out to take these pictures, we ought not to be embarrassed or uncomfortable, even if we looked like weirdos, lying on the ground, to get the photos. He told us, nobody cares what the photographer looked like when they got the shot, they just see the final image. So no matter what, you can look like the biggest nut job ever, hanging off of flag poles, crawling under a bridge, whatever it may be, but the shot is what matters. No one will ever know how weird you looked, no one will even care when they see the final product. This advice has informed the way I carry myself daily, it has imparted so much confidence into me that I never once thought possible. It has emboldened me to work on my films and other art projects, without fear and without being self conscious, and I cannot thank him enough. Next I want to acknowledge Professor Peter Johnston. I first had Pete in his FLM 260, intro to film production, class. This class was the first class that I took that showed me I was on the right track after adding the filmmaking major. This class is also the first time I met a lot of people that would, over the next few years, become my closest friends and collaborators. I want to say that Pete Johnston, as a professor, has an unmatched level of care for his students and their ability to learn and improve. Pete builds such a safe and supportive class environment that really encourages growth and experimentation. Pete comes to his classes ready and excited to get into the work and the energy he brings is infectious. I truly don’t know how I could even describe the impact that Pete has had on me as a student, as a person, and as a filmmaker. Pete truly understands the heart of being a filmmaker and he helps to instill that in all of his students, emphasizing hard work and intention over deadlines. The films that I have made in his classes have been some of my favorites because I felt I was truly free to make what I wanted, rather than just a formulaic curriculum based project, and I think that those experiences have been invaluable to me as a filmmaker. Next I wanted to shout out Professor Justice Nieland. In the summer of 2022 I went on the MSU Film in Britain study abroad for 5 weeks in London. The two faculty members that came with us were Pete Johnston and Justice Nieland. Over the course of those 5 weeks in London, I learned so much from the both of them. Justice’s classes were nothing like any I had had before. I had yet to delve into the film theory classes prior to that trip, mostly focusing on the production side. I never knew the depth that films had to them. Justice’s classes, both in London, and when I returned home and took his contemporary film theory class, were incredibly eye opening. I learned so many different things, did in depth readings about topics I had never heard of before, and even applied new lenses to films I had seen a million times before. Not only were the classes he taught great, but Justice himself is as well. I mentioned before that Pete Johnston’s care for his students is unmatched, but if there were anyone who could match it, it would be Justice. He is such a caring man and just an incredible person to be around. I was in Justice’s contemporary film theory class during the spring semester of 2023 and the compassion and understanding that Justice showed each and every one of us throughout that difficult time made me feel safe and comfortable to go to class and to continue to do my work. Justice was incredibly understanding of the hardships we were going through and was very receptive to our problems. I couldn’t have asked for a better professor to help us through that time. Next I want to shout out Jeff Wray. I have had Jeff Wray as my professor only three times. Once, as a freshman, in film collective, once, as a senior, in his directing class, and once, as a co-executive producer alongside Pete Johnston, for the fiction filmmaking capstone. What I have to say about Jeff is that he is an inspiring person. He is always excited to hear what you’re working on and is more than willing to help in any way that he can. One thing he told us in his directing class that has stuck with me till this day is that if you aren’t nervous about your film, you probably aren’t taking enough risks. This is something I always think about when writing and directing my films. If I feel comfortable and everything seems like it’ll go off without a hitch and nothing could possibly go wrong, then that movie is probably gonna be boring. Because of Jeff, I now have the confidence and ability to push the envelope just that much further when I make projects. Because of Jeff, I don’t fear that uncertainty and that discomfort, I crave it. That is what it means to be a filmmaker, to put it all out there, to take the risks, to push beyond what you thought possible. Jeff is a massive inspiration to me, and I truly appreciate everything he’s done for me. Lastly, I wanted to mention Professor Bill Vincent. I took Bill’s intro to screenwriting class in Fall of 2022. The thing that truly blows my mind about this one is just that I was very very close to taking a different session of this course, which would’ve saddled me with a different professor. At the point that I am at now I cannot imagine having learned from anyone else. I took screenwriting that semester because I was in a sort of transitional period with my degrees. I knew I wanted to do film, but I didn’t know what aspect of film I wanted to do, so I took a class of each. Writing, editing, directing, acting, etc. I didn’t expect it then, but screenwriting would soon become one of my biggest passions, all thanks to Bill. I had never done screenwriting before his class, but within the first few classes I was hooked. Since that class, I’ve taken Bill’s advanced screenwriting and even set my own independent study with him to write another script under his supervision. Bill has fostered my creativity and helped me to be a better storyteller through every step of the process. He has helped me to understand story structure and how to build to a payoff and just so many things. Bill has helped my screenwriting abilities not just technically, but also by inspiring confidence in myself. Bill is very honest and he will tell you if your script is bad, so hearing that I’m a good writer from him means a lot. I feel incredibly fortunate to have gotten to study under Bill and also to have formed somewhat of a mentor relationship with him. I put a lot of weight into the things that Bill says and I highly respect his opinions. I think that Bill has made me into the writer that I am today and helped me find one of my all time passions, and I am forever grateful. I said this one would be long. The only other thing I wanted to say was that the Study Abroad trip to London in 2022 is one of the most important experiences I have ever had in my life. It has informed the way I live now and will continue to live in the future. The people I met, the experiences I had, and the lessons I learned will never leave me.

What advice would you give future English or Film Studies majors, based on your experiences in the department?

The biggest pieces of advice I’d give are to join clubs, make friends, and collaborate. I joined the filmmaking major a little late into my college career, but I’m so thankful that I joined when I did. The group of people I ended up having my classes with has been the absolute best part of my experiences here at MSU. I didn’t really talk to many people in my classes beforehand but, with group Filmmaking projects, it necessitated talking to each other and getting to know a lot of new people. At first it was terrifying, but the more people I knew, the wider my circle grew, the better everything became. I had people who had shared interests and passions, around me at all times and being able to watch them experiment and learn helped me do the same with my films. I truly think that in that type of environment, one where everyone is so passionate about what they’re doing, that it’s hard not to succeed. We all pushed each other to be better, to make something cooler, more unique. And it was such a nice feeling. One of the best decisions I ever made was joining the MSU Telecasters club. I had heard of it years prior, but only in passing. But after having been a part of the club for a year I can say, JOIN IT!! I met some of my absolute favorite people in this club. People that I hope I never lose contact with. Beyond just the interpersonal connections, the club afforded me the opportunity to make more of my own films, but this time, with a cast and crew, and delegated jobs. Until being in Telecasters, I had been mostly a one man band on the films I created. Writing, directing, filming, acting, editing, etc. all myself, but in Telecasters I was able to step back, and really focus on my role as director, and work with actors to help them bring my vision to the screen. That experience has been invaluable.

What coursework-related projects were/are you working on this year, and what interests or excites you about them? (capstone courses, honors thesis, independent studies, etc.)

I was a part of the fiction filmmaking Capstone class, FLM435. I was the prop master and special effects makeup artist. I had an amazing time working with everyone in that class to create our final film and I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to work with. My favorite part of that class was collaborating with so many incredibly talented people. I also took part in two independent studies this semester. I took one with Professor Pete Johnston in which I would create my own short films. I loved this class because it gave me a chance to really get back into making my own films after not having done so for a little while. In the end I have created a film that I think is one of the best I’ve made yet and I’m very proud of it. My second independent study was with Bill Vincent. In this independent study I tasked myself with writing a feature length original script, all while getting input and advice from Bill throughout the process. The story I wrote for that class was one I’ve been wanting to tell for years, but I just couldn’t find the structure. However, after working with Bill, I believe it’s turned into something special and I’m very proud of it.

What are your hopes and aspirations, post-graduation?

I plan to write and direct films one day. And after working on the fiction filmmaking capstone film, Feast Your Eyes, I’ve also found a new interest in special effects and prop work. For now, I’ll settle for finding a way into the industry, but I have every intention of pursuing my goals to the fullest extent possible. I will write and direct a feature length studio film one day.