Out of this World

The hero of Seattle University alum Nick Chang’s science fiction story is a futuristic marine bent on saving humanity from an alien threat. But closer to earth, the true heroes of this new film are his fellow students and faculty who helped him complete the project when Plan A fell through.

To thank the Seattle University community for rescuing the production of the independent film based on his book, An Empire in Peril, Chang, ’21, is offering free tickets to students and faculty for a screening Nov. 18 at the downtown Seattle Public Library. The screening will benefit the Nisei Veterans Committee of Seattle, an organization devoted to honoring and educating the public on the contributions of Japanese American military veterans.

Though originally intended to be made in 2019 by students of the now-defunct Art Institute of Seattle, just two weeks before filming was set to begin the art school crashed to earth and closed, leaving not only its students in the lurch but the film’s production.

“SU students and faculty saved the film,” says Chang.

Chang’s story is set in the 29th Century as empires race to colonize the galaxy’s uninhabited planets in service of their mega-corporation sponsors. When aliens threaten humanity, the protagonist Atlas Saheed must convince rival nations to work together to save themselves.

To keep the project moving forward, Chang—then a student in Albers School of Business and Economics and serving as a part-time advisor for the production—experienced a bit of life imitating art as he took charge and turned to faculty and fellow students to finish the film.

The filmmaker Nick Chang, '21

“With the Art Institute's sudden closure, we were left without a studio, equipment and most of the crew during the most critical time,” he says. “The (library’s) Media Production Center loaned us all of our equipment and gave me crash courses on the basics of lighting and camera work for the remaining two weeks.”

In addition to the Media Production Center, Chang engaged faculty, the Filmmakers’ Club and fellow students as volunteers. They rented a studio near campus and completed the filming on a budget of about $10,000. Upwards of 30 people from SU helped with filming, set construction, makeup and extra hands on set. They didn’t let him down.

“I was humbled by the outpouring of support from my peers to help finish this project,” says Chang, noting that filming extended into finals week when students are especially pressed for time. “Their selflessness, generosity and work ethic made it possible.”

Many veterans and Seattle University ROTC members volunteered to help with the film and having a veterans group benefit from the screening is personal for Chang. He says he picked the Nisei Veterans Committee because he is three-quarters Japanese and to honor his uncle, a U.S. Army combat veteran of the Korean War. Daniel Bessner, the foreign policy advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders will be the keynote speaker.

Admission is free for current students and faculty. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the event starts at 4 p.m. in the Microsoft Auditorium in the library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle. Request your tickets today.