Since 2012, Spirit Week’s Big Event, Film Project, has been an opportunity for students from each grade level to come together in different roles to act, direct, and produce a short film. The film is a special opportunity for grades to compete in categories such as production and execution as well as plot and storyline, with characters and props being an important aspect.
Elijah Schmidt, producer of the Senior Class’ Film Project, explains “Film Project is a great way for young student leaders and filmmakers to show off their talents through rigorous competition.”
Schmidt has been producing his class’ Film Project for the last four years, and has grown in many ways since beginning his first film as a Freshmen. He describes that “As you go through your four-year time making films, you will learn a lot about not just filmmaking but also how to lead a team and work together with other people. I know that my perspective has definitely changed for the better.”
Abel Tucker, Elijah’s fellow Senior and Film Project expert, has been directing, acting, or editing the film for the last three years, and has learned many things about the filmmaking process, including the importance of planning: “Even if you have a good idea and a good group of people, if you can’t plan and execute it well, it doesn’t matter. It’s important to be able to adapt when people can’t make it or are busy with other practices for Spirit Week. You need to be able to stay diligent in keeping up with everything because if you don’t, you’ll end up poorly organized and things will fall apart.”
Tucker explains how he has “grown in leadership aspects because of the way Film Project, especially out of the Spirit Week events, requires a lot of leadership skills. You have to be able to put together a team, pull in actors and a crew, and lead those people efficiently and give them confidence while utilizing their particular strengths and skills.”
David Creel, producer of the sophomore film project, explains how “we had many people with a lot of different skill sets so it was fun to learn how to incorporate everyone’s ideas while effectively staying with the main story.”
During the process, Creel learned that “it is better to over-communicate with your people rather than under-communicate” and that “it is necessary to delegate specific roles so that there can be more clarity during the process. For example, if the actors are constantly trying to direct, there will be very little effective leadership or organization.”
Although many of the younger grade’s films have room for improvement, by the time the young beginners become upperclassmen, they have almost always evolved and learned about the best ways to execute a well-done Film Project.
