Class, Exhibition, and Movie Documentary Celebrate Hitchcock as ‘Master Visionary’

Senior lecturer Wes Davis, a popular culture historian, created a campus exhibition of Hitchcock film posters and an original documentary. Students were involved in every aspect of the projects, including video editing, promotional poster design, and exhibition layout.

November 08, 2018

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing & Communications

For Nick Fazekas ’20, a graphic design major, creating promotional materials for "$elling the Movies: Hitchcock," an exhibition of Alfred Hitchcock film posters displayed in the Seton Gallery in Dodds Hall, replicated the professional environment he will walk into after Commencement.

"Projects like these give students a stepping stone and an experience to prepare them for whatever they intend to do in life," he said. "It is an opportunity not to be directed by teachers every step of the way, but for students to learn to rely on themselves and others in order to achieve a common goal."

As part of the project, Fazekas collaborated with Wes Davis, a senior lecturer in English and film. A popular culture historian, Davis is teaching an honors course on Hitchcock’s films. He shares his passion for the influential filmmaker in the exhibition and in "The Hitchcock Moment: Style & Substance," an original documentary he created.

The exhibt is open daily from noon to 4 p.m. through Sunday, November 11.

"Hitchcock was so much more than the mere ‘Master of Suspense,’ says Davis. "The style and substance of his films show him to be a master visionary, whose bright images illuminated the dark side of human nature – our human nature," said Davis.

"Projects like these give students a stepping stone and an experience to prepare them for whatever they intend to do in life."Nick Fazekas ’20

The exhibition showcased film posters organized chronologically by periods of Hitchcock’s life. It included such well-known films as Psycho and The Birds. Davis also premiered his documentary, which included a clip of an interview he did with Psycho star Janet Leigh.

Nathan Gagne ’20, a communications major with a concentration in film production, edited the film.

"I was able to receive more hands-on experience with the professional tools used in creating movies," said Gagne. "In classes, we have to produce our own videos, but none have been of this length or caliber. It was really a great experience and a lot of fun to work on this project."