88-year-old student embraces love for filmmaking in pursuit of college degree

(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — SEPTEMBER 18, 2024) Ronald Santicola has spent decades writing independent films from his hometown in Pennsylvania. His interest and work in film began in the 1960s, but Santicola said the lack of widespread film education and financial factors limited his ability to get an education at the time. Now, at 88 years old, he is enrolled at Empire State University and pursuing a degree to further his dream.  

Santicola is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. The idea to enroll came from his wife, who encouraged him to earn his degree so he would be able to further develop film scripts and pursue more film education. Beyond his interests, earning his degree serves as an inspiration to his grandchildren, who are also working to earn their degrees alongside him.

Santicola’s interest in film led him to conduct independent research projects to learn more about the field. He began his own research at Carnegie Library and the library at the University of Pittsburgh, studying film theory and writing on his own time. As he delved further into screenwriting, he created his own method for producing scripts, following a similar mechanism to music notation.

“It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually I created the Cube Method of Film Notation, which works and which I have used for many years, creating film scripts that I call notascripts because they were written in the Cube Method of Film Notation,” Santicola said. “A method through which the conceiver of an original film concept could record that concept and extend the meaning of the film prior to the actual production.”

Santicola’s interest in screenwriting and symbolic presentation of real life and emotion in film brought him to study semiotics, the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. He said his short work titled “Semiotics: Understanding the Extensions of Our Identity” explores meaning in art and how it can be translated through film scripts.

As he continues screenwriting and exploring his ideas in film theory, Santicola said he hopes a degree from Empire State University will open new pathways for him to explore further education above the undergraduate level and produce one of the many scripts he’s written.