2008 Woodie Awards
Public Safety says 'no' to water guns
Rebecca Henely
Issue date: 4/7/05 Section: News
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Even though Public Safety could soon be carrying guns on the job, Rowan
students aren't allowed to carry their counterfeits. On March 25, a group of students from Joe Bierman's Film Theory and Technique I class asked Public Safety if they could use a water gun in a student film and were turned down.
"I think the entire decision is preposterous," said junior Andrea Witting, the producer of the film. "It's a neon orange gun. I don't see how a gun that looks like a water gun could possibly cause a commotion."
For the assignment, Bierman asked his class to write a short scenario that would be shot on campus March 30 to March 31. Witting's group planned to do a comedic spy movie where a spy chases after a criminal with a briefcase, which in the end turns out to contain the spy's lunch. For an establishing shot, the group wanted to film the actor carrying the toy in front of Bunce Hall.
According to Bierman, students have had trouble with fake firearms in the past, so he asked the group to use a counterfeit gun that was obviously not real and ask Public Safety in advance. The film students asked Public Safety to use the toy gun, suggesting a scene change to the back of the engineering building (a less conspicuous area) and emphasized that the gun would not look real.
They were still refused.
"I can understand because of the school shooting recently ... but we're all adults here," said Kevin Jacobson, the film's director. "They're treating us like we're younger than we are. Nobody's going to be threatened by a toy."
However, Bierman said he was "totally in support of Public Safety" for just that reason. He remarked on how times have changed since he was a college student.
"Twenty years ago, there was a popular game across college campuses called Assassins where [students] would shoot each other with water pistols," Bierman said
He also decried Hollywood's reliance on guns. "I think you can make movies about a lot of interesting things without guns. This is the only film [in the class] that uses a gun ... I think they can basically still make the film they want to make."
students aren't allowed to carry their counterfeits. On March 25, a group of students from Joe Bierman's Film Theory and Technique I class asked Public Safety if they could use a water gun in a student film and were turned down.
"I think the entire decision is preposterous," said junior Andrea Witting, the producer of the film. "It's a neon orange gun. I don't see how a gun that looks like a water gun could possibly cause a commotion."
For the assignment, Bierman asked his class to write a short scenario that would be shot on campus March 30 to March 31. Witting's group planned to do a comedic spy movie where a spy chases after a criminal with a briefcase, which in the end turns out to contain the spy's lunch. For an establishing shot, the group wanted to film the actor carrying the toy in front of Bunce Hall.
According to Bierman, students have had trouble with fake firearms in the past, so he asked the group to use a counterfeit gun that was obviously not real and ask Public Safety in advance. The film students asked Public Safety to use the toy gun, suggesting a scene change to the back of the engineering building (a less conspicuous area) and emphasized that the gun would not look real.
They were still refused.
"I can understand because of the school shooting recently ... but we're all adults here," said Kevin Jacobson, the film's director. "They're treating us like we're younger than we are. Nobody's going to be threatened by a toy."
However, Bierman said he was "totally in support of Public Safety" for just that reason. He remarked on how times have changed since he was a college student.
"Twenty years ago, there was a popular game across college campuses called Assassins where [students] would shoot each other with water pistols," Bierman said
He also decried Hollywood's reliance on guns. "I think you can make movies about a lot of interesting things without guns. This is the only film [in the class] that uses a gun ... I think they can basically still make the film they want to make."