Graduating senior’s short film shows inspirational, career-building journey at BGSU

Nick Polace used his skill as a film major at BGSU to document his transformation as an undergraduate student

As graduation day approached, Nick Polace envisioned an engaging short-form story idea.

A senior at Bowling Green State University who is graduating with a degree in film, Polace thought about all the transformations he saw at the University – freshmen turning into seniors, novices gaining expertise in their degree programs and students who started as strangers leaving as close friends – and thought of turning the concept into a short film.

During an on-campus internship with the BGSU Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Polace pitched the idea to tell a cinematic, stylized version of a BGSU story. His supervisor said he knew of a great feature subject: Polace himself.

In making the film, Polace began compiling a narrative of his time at Bowling Green, during which he developed a full skill set, completed three internships, became president of a student film club, played in the Falcon Marching Band, made lifelong friends and found multiple possible directions for a career.

For Polace, the BGSU film program proved to be even more than he hoped after first seeing the University on a visit from his hometown of Macedonia, Ohio, near Cleveland.

“I think a lot of people have hesitancy to go to film school, but I made so many connections, and I learned so much about myself and the film industry while I was at BG,” Polace said. “We have a huge alumni network in film here, which allowed me to connect with people all around the country who helped me find my footing in the industry.

“I think this last semester and the experience of putting the film together really gave me the perspective of seeing how much I grew and how many opportunities I had here.”

While at BGSU, Polace used co-curricular activities to build experience and prototype his interests within the world of film. He served as a production assistant on a Discovery Channel reality show, became the president of BG On Screen, completed internships with two advertising firms and crafted short-form video through his on-campus internship.

Through the experiences, Polace found a passion for the art of shaping light and making an image look vivid – a role called a “grip” in film productions – and applying his skills in several different areas to tell a story.

“In marketing, we use so many elements of filmmaking and storytelling that you would use just like a movie set,” Polace said. “We apply it to marketing, making content and social media, but what’s cool is that you can still be creative. You can apply an artistic vision in almost any field.”

Within his program and internships, Polace went from being a student who was interested in making films to an active part of teams that made visual content ideas a reality.

Justin Camuso-Stall, the assistant director of visual content at BGSU with whom Polace works closely, said his abilities were apparent from the start.

“When Nick first started working for us, I knew he had something in him: an undeniable talent and work ethic,” Camuso-Stall said. “Over the last three years, he has grown into not just a hardworking, talented individual but a natural leader, teacher and artist. Nick has been more than just a student worker; he's been a key member of this team who has helped raise the standard of what's possible. We are all going to miss him after he graduates.”

By making a short film about his time in Bowling Green, Polace said he saw the ways in which visual storytellers can use their skills in a range of industries.

While many film graduates naturally gravitate toward studios, the ability to create dynamic visual content is in demand in many industries that are looking to reach intended audiences with a story rather than classic advertising.

“It took me by surprise how much this skill set can apply to so many things,” Polace said. “Everyone wants to work in the movies, but as I was going through this program, I realized I can use my skills for so many different things and make a living working in all kinds of fields.”

Polace received multiple job offers before graduation day, and he will spend this summer creating content for Drum Corps International — which brands itself as “marching music’s Major League” — on their traveling summer tour.

As he prepares to walk across the stage at graduation and embark on a career, Polace said that highlighting his own experience at BGSU underscored a journey that was worth taking.

“I look back on my four years here with a lot of gratitude,” Polace said. “I can say that I’m proud of myself for what I did here.”