When I came to Glassboro State College in the fall of 1975 to teach film production for the Communications Department, the film production area had only three Super-8mm cameras for students to use, and one 16mm Bolex. There was no television production program, and only radio had a presence on campus as WGLS. In the fall semester of 1976, I thought it might be a good idea to have a cinema club on campus to provide students the experience of filmmaking outside the classroom. I met with a few of my film students and suggested that they go to the Student Government and apply for funding for this new club. SGA agreed to fund the club, and in the spring semester of 1977 Cinema Workshop was born. SGA awarded the group about $200 to purchase Super-8 film stock and make a few short films. The first few years of the club were marked by trial and error, but by the early 1980s the club began to flourish. The first color 16mm film to be made was “Trax ‘84” by Dave Williams. In 1988, Joe Bierman was hired as the RTF film production coordinator, and shortly thereafter he relieved me and became the Cinema Workshop advisor. In 1990 Joe put together a student film crew and produced and directed the short 16mm black and white adaptation of Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” The early 1990s saw an upswing in production. With the cooperation of the Communications Department, Cinema Workshop shot Rowan football games in the manner of NFL Films, producing films of the team’s seasons in 1992 and 1993. Other notable productions in the early ‘90s included Sean O’Leary’s documentary, “The Last Drive-In in New Jersey,” and Laura Carney’s “Trees” and “The OF Trilogy.” A few years later Joe Bierman moved from staff to a faculty position, and in 1998 Sean O’Leary was hired to take over the film production coordinator position, and a few years later he was appointed advisor to Cinema Workshop. Under his guidance Cinema Workshop has grown in membership and has produced numerous films. Today, Cinema Workshop is a thriving organization that provides hands-on experience to aspiring filmmakers.

 It will celebrate its 50th anniversary in Spring 2027.