Film Making for Fun with Instructor Mark Weber


Seated person being filmed speaking

Have you ever heard a compelling story and thought someone should turn it into a film? Or thought an important issue should be highlighted through a short documentary? Film is an incredibly powerful way to tell a story. But there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of a captivating film.

Instructor Mark Weber was fascinated by film making from the very beginning. But in a story that many of us can relate to, life got busy. “Making films has been something I’ve wanted to do all my life,” Weber says. “But jobs, marriage, four kids, and ten grandkids were always more important and I kept putting it off.”

Weber retired from his first career at age 55 but quickly found himself in a new role: care-giver to his best friend of 30 years, diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the next six months they had many conversations and his friend refocused Weber on what he was going to do with the rest of his life. “He claimed, though I never remembered saying it, that I had stated several times, ‘I wish I had been a teacher.’”

The idea took hold and Weber spent the next two years getting his Master’s Degree in Education. Building on his experience as a residential designer, Weber began his teaching career with HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) courses at North Seattle College. “I loved teaching. And because my program was a hybrid model, both online and in person, I found video was a great way to communicate information to my students.”

Complementing his teaching with video had the unanticipated side effect of reigniting his love for visual storytelling. “One thing led to another and I made my first documentary film, ‘Larry and Lynnette,’ two years ago,” says Weber. “Since then, I have completed five short subject documentaries.”  

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Weber now brings his expertise in film making and his enthusiasm for teaching together for Continuing Ed. His class, “Film Making for Fun,” breaks down the steps that can seem daunting: identifying a great subject, defining vision, choosing equipment, shooting footage, writing a compelling pitch, and creating a trailer to gain funding and support. But Weber simplifies the process so students can begin to create films and fulfill their artistic vision.

What story are you ready to bring to life in film?

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Photo credit: Rodrigo Souza