By Zoe Robinson
Making a short film is not easy. It requires coordination, dedication, and innovation (and many other kinds of “ations”). While I had respect for filmmakers based on my understanding of what they did, I didn’t fully comprehend the challenges of being one until I started filming myself.
After being selected to participate in the first-ever Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s student film competition, our story was written and developed under the theme of “building bridges” entirely by students, under the direction of teacher Mr. Silverman. The film, titled Mother’s Song, centers around two sisters, the older being adopted and African-American, and the younger being white and in high school, and their struggle to reconnect after the death of their mother. It’s an ambitious and heart-wrenching story, to say the least, and the team’s goal was to hit the audience right in the feels. While we certainly ended up doing that – more to come on that subject later – it took all of our determination to do so.
Firstly, as a completely student-led production with only one day to complete filming, we had to stay as locked in as possible. While we had film teacher, Mr. Silverman, to guide us, the work was fully our own. We needed to learn how to use advanced film technology like high-quality cameras, lighting, boom mics, etc., with very little training.
Using the boom mic, for example, proved to be one of the most challenging jobs to handle on set. While Mr. Silverman did warn us that it was “the worst job to get assigned to,” we were shocked by how hard it was to do after seeing it firsthand. The mic, which had to be passed around from main operator Teo Demenkow, Carson Tinkler, and Judd Ebert throughout the filming day, was not only insanely heavy but had to be placed in the exact right position in order to be out of the camera frame and pick up our dialogue as best as possible.
While many of the hard parts were physical, I’d argue that a lot more of what we learned related to finding ways to work supportively while still giving necessary critiques.
The longest scene in our film, which utilizes multiple angles and shots of the same moment, was definitely the most challenging to film. Not only did each department have its own difficult job to do, but trying to do each of those jobs as they intersected with each other made the effort much harder.
For example, I and my co-star, Susan Googe, tried to deliver our best acting performances, ones that were emotional and required a lot of movement, while also remaining stationary for the camera and keeping our voices at an appropriate volume level for the mics. However, by working kindly and appreciatively with all the teams involved in that scene, I was able to really feel what it was like to be part of the larger process.
Mr. Silverman noticed this collaborative spirit as well, noting that while he always wonders how well everyone on set will work together, “Team Lights, Camera, Lovett exceeded my expectations!” He was thrilled to see us take such strong control of the elements necessary to make our film. And while he did enjoy directing and managing us from time to time, he “loves handing over the reins! … Few things bring [him] more pleasure as an educator than seeing [his] students level-up to become competent.”
Director and screenplay writer Ansley Hall shared that sentiment and was amazed as she saw her vision come to life. “I knew that everyone here could do it,” she said. “I was still just scared the whole time.” After having worked on her script and the other technical elements with the team for months, she just hoped that we could all successfully translate her vision from page to screen. As a story about two sisters struggling with racial prejudice and disconnection after the death of their mother, she simply dreamed that she could treat such intense issues with sensitivity and touch the hearts of her viewers.
She definitely got her wish when, at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, she was delighted to hear and see the audience’s reactions to the moments that she wanted to be the most impactful. “One woman came up to me after the screening and said that our movie made her start crying since she’d just lost her mom,” she told me. “Yeah, that was definitely all I wanted out of this experience.”
While impacting a viewer like that would’ve been enough, Ansley and the rest of our team definitely enjoyed winning the Peer Review award and presenting it to our school in last week’s Morning Meeting.
“This has been better than I ever dreamed,” Ansley said, “and I really hope I can [do more projects] in the future!”
We, as a crew and Lovett students, definitely can’t wait to witness and help with future projects, and, in the words of Mr. Silverman, see more things we make together “that will last forever.”
