Meet Albert P. Weisman Award Recipient Dalila Droege

Creative projects are a given during a student’s time at Columbia. Getting paid to complete these projects? Not so much. The Albert P. Weisman Award makes this type of funding a reality. The Weisman Award provides up to $4,000 to a limited number of students in a variety of media who need financial assistance to finish a significant project. In the coming weeks, The Loop will profile select recipients of the 2008 Albert P. Weisman Award. Students, feel free to celebrate your peers, get a little jealous, and take a fresh look at your own body of work. After that, apply.

A love for the collaborative side of art moved MFA Film & Video student Dalila Droege from the solo world of classical piano to filmmaking. The desire to honor this collaborative spirit led her to apply for the Albert P. Weisman award, which has culminated in a Best of Show co-win for her film The Girls of Alden.

Droege received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at Indiana University South Bend, but after realizing this career involved “huge amounts of time in a room by yourself,” explored film for her graduate studies.“I had learned that working with other people is what is most exciting and generative for me,” Droege said.“To make art collaboratively means that communication is part of the process as well as the product. I am constantly expanding my understanding based on my interactions with others.”Soon, Droege found her way to Columbia’s Graduate Film & Video program, which she felt “emphasized developing a personal voice and growing as an artist.”

The Girls of Alden follows Emily Alden, an eleven-year-old girl home schooled and sheltered from the outside world by her fanatically religious mother.The appearance of a mysterious girl near her home forces Emily to decide whether to stay with her family or escape into an unknown world. Droege had similar experiences in her childhood.“Growing up in Indiana I was exposed to Christian fundamentalism. I was also homeschooled for a couple of years, and a lot of the other homeschoolers I met were homeschooled for religious reasons. These experiences inspired the story for The Girls of Alden. Droege returned to Indiana for filming, at the Old Republic, a historic mansion in the town of New Carlisle.
"Trailer for the Girls of Alden" by Dalila Droege from Columbia College Chicago on Vimeo.

Droege applied for The Weisman Award to accomplish her goal of a high quality, but expensive, post-production process. “The fact that I had a post-production budget from the Weisman meant that I could pay for professional color-correction, which I consider absolutely necessary, as well as the title creation, HD online, and finishing formats. Without professional assistance at these final stages, I don't know how it would have been finished,” she said. Technical needs aside; Droege’s chief concern was providing a fitting exhibition for her cast and crew.“My actors, cinematographer, and art designers had all done such a beautiful job. The Weisman award ensured that all our work would be seen in the best form,” she said.

The completion of The Girls of Alden also included a full circle moment for Droege, as the music world became significant to the film.Through the film scoring program, The Girls of Alden was selected to be scored in Los Angeles with a professional film orchestra.“The score was recorded and mixed at Capitol records in LA. I had to delay the film's finish date by months for this score, but it was well worth it,” Droege said.

Droege’s efforts were not lost on the Weisman committee and paid off with the co-win for the Weisman Award Best of Show. Weisman Film Advisor and Film & Video adjunct faculty member Dirk Matthews stated, “Beautiful production design and cinematography, strong performances, and an impressive, atmospheric score sum up the strengths of her film. Dalila is a talented filmmaker, and the Weisman Committee is proud to support her work.”

Droege had this to say about the win, “Being awarded Best of Show was a wonderful surprise. The support of the Weisman and enthusiasm the film has received has shown me that the universal themes I was trying to communicate do come across. People respond to the film, and that's the most important thing.”

Next up for Droege is teaching film classes at Columbia, as well as work on her thesis film, which goes into production next summer.Outside of that, Droege will continue her successful run with The Girls of Alden. To assist with festival submissions and other promotional means, Droege made use of another resource, The Portfolio Center. Droege has her own website through Web Agent and has also utilized Portfolio Production for her press kit needs. “The Portfolio Center was a huge support,” Droege said. “They designed the packaging for the film, the press kit, posters, and DVD menu. I worked closely with a dedicated and talented designer, who watched The Girls of Alden and came up with a design concept that complimented the film. Everyone at the center was so supportive. It really made a difference to me, as I pushed through all the various stages of finishing the film.”

Droege has this to say to students considering the Weisman, “I would advise students applying for the Weisman to be very clear about the artistic intentions of their project, and to be completely dedicated to fully realizing their vision. I think the Weisman recognizes passion and dedication in a student's work. This is one of the most important gifts a student can receive as part of their education- the encouragement to be ambitious, and the support to succeed in finishing an ambitious project.”

- Keesha Johnson