Remember last fall when “Lincoln” was the buzz around Richmond? Well, this November the film debuted nationwide and we’re reminded how many of our VCUarts family had a hand on set. More than 20 former and current students in the VCUarts Film BA (Cinema) program served as interns, production assistants and paid crew members during the pre-production and principal photography stages of the Richmond leg of the filming, while a host of students and alumni of the Department of Theatre were in the cast and on the crew.
Nick Skliris, a student in Theatre VCU, worked as an extra in multiple capacities and as a stand-in for actors Jared Harris (Ulysses S. Grant), Joseph Gordon-Leavitt (Robert Lincoln) and James Spader (W.N. Bilbo). Skliris says: “You have to be incredibly patient and courteous and selfless. As with any art, it’s an idea that transcends yourself. Lots of people have to collaborate on it. It’s exciting seeing it at work – the diligence and the dedication. It was impressive.”
Josh Jones, who is majoring in English and minoring in world cinema, served as an extra, playing the part of a union soldier in a number of scenes during six days on the set. Jones says: “The biggest thing I got out of it is the level of professionalism in the industry. The people on a movie set like this one have a pure understanding of exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. The professionalism of the people with even the smallest jobs was obvious. There were a lot of people doing their jobs exceptionally well.”