Desoto’s DeMille
Rob Rokk and the Desoto Arts Institute bring high-tech flm classes and more to the Mid-South FEATURE BY JOHN KLYCE There’s a buoyancy in the air. One side of the room is full of equipment—cameras, microphones, a ladder, a green screen—and the middle contains a circle outlined with people. In its center are four more individuals. Keelin, a ballcapped kid, is speaking hypothetically: “If Miles just passed out right in front of me,” he says. “The very first thing I’d do is laugh. That makes me a bad person, but. . .” and he trails off. “You’re getting to the heart of the character,” says Robb Rokk, the group’s facilitator. “If you all act exactly the same way,” the man continues. “You’ve got four of the same characters.” It’s a warm Thursday night at the Desoto Arts Institute in Southaven, and Rokk is leading the organization’s weekly acting workshop. The four in the middle—Keelin, Daniel, Carolyn, and Angel—are improvising a CPR scenario. “Daniel,” he says. “Tell me about your character.” “I broke my wrist in a biking accident,” he replies. “But I still know CPR and everything.” Rokk nods, turns to Angel, and asks the same question. “I yell at everybody,” she says. Daniel quips, “No, your character.” Rokk quiets the room. “Come on guys, scene’s starting. And… action.” Founded in 2016, the Desoto Arts Institute gives Mississippians the chance to learn how to make a movie. “What we’re trying to do is make it more accessible,” Rokk says. “Filmmaking isn’t a huge focus here, and it’s probably because people don’t realize it’s attainable. But it is. You can make a film and enter a competition.” The Institute, through free classes, aims to teach locals about every aspect of production, including directing, cinematography, editing, acting, music, even wardrobe. “We want to put a camera in their hands, a slate in their hands, and really hit the ground running,” Rokk says. It’s a kind of instruction that tends to accelerate learning, and one he would have liked to have growing up. “I wish when I was a kid, someone would have said, ‘Hey, have you ever thought about being a filmmaker.’ My wife asked me yesterday why I never considered it, and it’s because it wasn’t accessible.” Originally an IT manager, Rokk didn’t get into video production until 2009, when a friend asked for help with a music video. He fell in love with the process, purchased a few Canon 7Ds, and shot more film. As the work volume increased, so did the amount of attention. In 2011, he was asked to teach a week-long music video production course at the Nashville Film Institute, and the video Rokk made with his students aired on CMT and GAC. Now, through the Desoto Arts Institute, Rokk creates myclickmag.com
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