Many clubs at Diamond Bar High School come and go, starting off strong but fail to last. Brahma Cinematics, however, is a film club that hopes to break the streak.

The club was founded in early 2014 when Brahma Cinematics president senior Howard Park was disappointed by the lack of film clubs when he was a freshman.

“Brahma Cinematics’ job is to basically be a place for students to have fun making films with their school peers,” Park said.

One thing that makes the club stand out from previous counterparts is that club members submit their work to film competitions and local film festivals.

“We are not only combining our strengths and weaknesses as one team to create the best videos ever but also spending that time and energy showing the school that Diamond Bar has some creative potential,” Park stated.

Currently, the club is participating in “Directing Change,” a California student film contest that advocates reducing the stigma of mental illness and promotes suicide prevention. They also plan on uploading videos onto the club’s Youtube channel, which currently has the short film “New Guy.” The club submitted the film to the DBHS film festival last year and vice president of the club, Jun Park, won an award for best actor.

“We want to gather students who had passion and interest for the cinematography field, whether it be acting, directing, or screenwriting, and put their skills and idea[s] into fruition by producing short films and other forms of cinema art,” Park said.

When the club is not shooting videos or writing scripts, they also focus on other aspects to the world of cinema. Members interested in acting develop their skills by participating in improv. They also hold movie screenings to observe films notable for cinematography and their artistic influence, such as “Children of Men,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “The Matrix.”

Typically, club meetings are devoted to having club members and their casting teams devise production plans to produce ideas that best translate onto the big screen.
“We want to do nothing more but entertain people, so a bulk of our efforts are put into brainstorming and producing films we deem entertaining and engaging for our audiences,” Jun said.

Park feels that students who enjoy directing, making videos, and filmmaking should consider joining Brahma Cinematics.

“To be a part of this club is to be a part of a team. You won’t go through it alone, and if you are interested, we will readily take you with open arms,” Howard said.
Although he has only been the club advisor starting last year, video teacher Mario Enriquez says that as he is becoming more involved with the club.

“They’re incredibly enthusiastic about film and the videos they want to make on their own. I hope this is the start of what I want to take the club for future use,” Enriquez said.