During a screening of “Children of the Corn” on campus, some students whipped out their phones, waiting for university local Fritz Kiersch’s name to appear on screen. When he did, they began recording. After some cheering, the film began, and the audience laughed, cracked jokes and yelled at the characters throughout.

The screening last Thursday night in the George Rowland White (GRW) Theater in the University Center, hosted by the Honors Program, featured a talk from Kiersch, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of the classic 1984 horror film. 

“Children of the Corn” is based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name. The story follows a young couple as they find themselves in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believe everyone over the age of 18 must be killed, starring Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton.

The Honors Program does one big event every month. This month, the group decided to embrace the Halloween spirit with a horror film and make the event campus-wide. Alexa Newbrough, the student coordinator of the event, talked with Kiersch about the idea.

“Fritz is very active in the Honors Program, so I thought it would be great to do an event with him,” Newbrough said. “We are lucky that he is such a good friend of the Honors Program.”

Organizers provided students with food like popcorn, corn dogs, candy corn and even canned corn.

“Students today love a good pun,” Newbrough said. “So of course we needed to have corn-themed foods.”

Following the film, there was a discussion among Kiersch and the students. Jimmy Elinski, cinema production major and assistant at the event, handed Kiersch a microphone on stage so he could talk. Kiersch looked at it then put it down and came to talk to the students in the seats. He sat on the back of a chair with his feet on the seat ready to talk.

Kiersch shared anecdotes with the students.

“My favorite part is in the beginning when we hit that kid with a car,” Kiersch said. “I actually had people strap me to the hood of the car so I could watch the actors’ reactions.”

Newbrough was elated with how the showing and discussion went.

“The discussion was very real and honest,” Newbrough said.  “It did not feel like a big director talking to students. It felt like colleagues from different generations sharing tips and tricks.”

Students who attended love to hear Kiersch speak. Some cinema students have heard him speak before.

“Fritz makes you feel like you can do this,” cinema production major Megan Ortego said. “He once said if you’re in the room, you are good enough. It sent chills down my spine.”

Kiersch didn’t always know he was going to be a director, he said in an interview in his office before the screening. Growing up, he was strongly encouraged by his parents to be a banker. He headed to New York City to try his hand at economics.

“I headed to Wall Street in my suit and noticed everyone else was in the same suit,” Kiersch said. “I had to get out of there.”

He then headed to film school and Los Angeles. Kiersch started out working odd jobs for a company that produced commercials. After gaining the company’s trust, he was offered a job to direct a commercial. The connection he made while making commercials got him the opportunity to create “Children of the Corn.”

“It took eight years for me to develop as a filmmaker and get this job,” Kiersch said. “Careers are made from films like these.”

When the idea of filming “Children of the Corn” was proposed to Kiersch, it did not take long to get to work.

“It started with a 40 minute conversation over some coffee,” Kiersch said. “Then we started working right away.”

With the low budget of under $1 million, Kiersch was feeling pressure to create the film.

“We decided that if we don’t eat or shower for a month or so we could do this,” Kiersch said.

Kiersch began scouting for a location and found one in a small town in west Iowa. With permission to take over the town, they filmed for four weeks from 5:30 a.m.-to-9:00 p.m. and edited at night.

“The company producing the movie was right down the street from where I made commercials,” Kiersch said. “I would edit the movie and during lunch breaks I would walk over to work on commercials.”

Kiersch has worked in camera, production and other technical departments as well as directing for over 30 years. Most recently he has worked on “Tuff Turf” starring James Spader and Robert Downey Jr., “Surveillance” starring Armand Assante and “The Hunt,” which he wrote and directed.

Kiersch previously taught for The University of Oklahoma and at Oklahoma City Community College where he established the film production program.

“I had a great time at the showing,” Kiersch said after the event. “Anytime I can help benefit a student, I’m all in.”

The event was an overall success, according to Newbrough.

“We are so lucky to have a man like Fritz at our school,” Newbrough  said. “He is so humble and respectable with all around great character.”