On Friday, January 31, LTHS hosted their second annual Short Film Festival, which featured eleven short films directed, acted, and edited by Lockport students. On the night of the event, the auditorium was packed, and as the actors and directors waited for the festival to begin, they engaged in interviews with videographers, took pictures on the red carpet, and congratulated other students on the release of their films. Movie posters were placed beside the auditorium entrance, giving the eagerly awaiting audience a sneak peak into the films they were about to see.
The Short Film Festival was a great success! The audience applauded and cheered at the end of each film, and each production elicited a strong reaction from the audience, from the awed silence that hung over the crowd during Abby Giordano’s “The Self Portrait” to the raucous laughter that accompanied “Life: The Game” by Nicholas Hairrell, Isabella Lombardo, and Amari Gatses. As the final credits rolled, the many months of work done by student filmmakers reached its conclusion… for now.
The process of creating the films seen on Friday night started as early as last school year. In the Porter Players Drama Club, student directors were chosen in the spring of 2024.
“Those who are interested [in directing] have to apply,” shared Porter Players sponsor Christina Kilmer when asked how student directors are approved. “We read through their applications. We read through their ideas, why they want to direct. We look at their experience in the Porter Players and in acting, and we try to pick those who have the drive, who have the want, the ideas, and are prepared to take on this project.”
The student directors had strict deadlines over the summer to develop ideas and write their scripts. Many rewrites occurred during the writing process, but the directors eventually produced unique and polished scripts.
The process for Club Create was slightly different in terms of writing and directing films. “The club welcomes anyone who wants to make a film, learn more about film or any other kind of media production like podcasts or live broadcasts,” Club Create sponsor Kevin Conway said. This approach to the short film program reflects the overall goals of the club.
Club Create is a space where students can create whatever they want, and film has been an aspect of the club since its inception. Senior Ollie Evans, a founding member of the club, had this to say: “If you want to make a podcast about anything you can do that, and if you want to learn how to make music or videos, or you want to make posters for a club, or you just want to take pictures with a camera, you can learn all that kind of stuff there. [The club] is for creative people, to learn and make things that they want to make.”
After the scripts were written, the development of the films began. For the Porter Players, this started with an intensive casting process. Each prospective actor went through general auditions and callbacks for both Short Film and “Clue” before eventually being casted. The student directors watched general auditions and hosted callbacks for their films specifically before meeting with all of the other directors to discuss which actors they will cast. “What happens is that we start with one group [of actors], then we do a classic draft,” junior Dominic Lencioni, director of “Splitting Up,” explained. “You start with the first person, then keep going back and forth choosing the people you want to cast until you have everyone you need.”
Once casted, drama club students attended weekly Monday rehearsals to work on blocking, lines, and getting to know their characters and castmates. Mrs. Kilmer introduced mini lessons before each rehearsal to teach students about the filming process and how acting in films differs from stage acting.
While the directors developed shot lists and planned filming dates, the actors also had a lot of work to do. Even those with small parts had to know who their characters were on a deeper level and consistently embody them with every take. “I feel like with getting into character, you have to think about what scene you’re in at that moment, and also, what does your character think and feel in that moment?” Sophomore Ally Kanosky stated. “You have to think about what is going on around [your character] that influences their emotions, and what is going on inside their head. Because while I can’t say everything that’s in my character’s head, I can at least attempt to think those things while I perform.” After a few years away from acting, Ally has returned to theater with the role of Claire, who is Trevor’s younger sister in “Ophidiophobia.”
Club Create students spent this time developing their own films over at Central Campus. Ollie Evans, the director of “Fruit Coat,” reflected on the development of his second project for the Short Film Festival.
“It kind of just came to me,” Ollie said when asked about the idea behind the film. “Like, ‘what if there was a product to fix fruit, but it actually killed you?’ It started off as just that idea, then it grew. We thought, ‘what if we filmed off the set instead of just a commercial?’ And we tried different stuff to figure out how to make someone look like they’re rotting.”
The students faced many difficulties while filming; however, these struggles made it possible for students to grow in their filmmaking abilities. “This is one of the main reasons I believe media production should have a place in a school,” Mr. Conway emphasized. “It is great problem-solving and critical thinking practice for when the stakes are higher. These are skills that can translate to any field.”
Of course, the production of the short films did not end with filming. The student directors still had to edit their films, which was a long and grueling process. Dominic Lencioni cited 130 hours of editing for his and his co-directors’ twelve minute film. “There were three or four days during Christmas break where I tried to set myself up with a work schedule where I was going from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. editing,” Dominic remembered. “Splitting Up” utilized green screens for nearly all of its fantasy sequences, and he rendered the fantasy environments himself so that the film could be shot from multiple angles.
Meanwhile, Ollie Evans spoke on the time crunch of getting a film done in a month, explaining that he had to spend a lot of time at Central Campus. However, Ollie also found the editing process to be rewarding. “I liked that when I started editing, I could figure out all the stuff that was missing,” he said. “I liked broadening the layout idea that I had. I liked being able to grow off of my idea and experiment with a bunch of different stuff, like repetition or lighting or different shots or adding different dialog in places to make the story make more sense.”
The students and sponsors of the Short Film festival are incredibly proud of their finished products, and many hope to continue with the program in the future.
When asked if she had any advice for a future short film sponsor, Mrs. Kilmer cited trust as an important aspect of her role. “Trusting your students and really just letting them shine is an important key here, because I’m just here to make things happen for [the students.]”
In a similar vein, Mr. Conway stressed the importance of allowing the students to struggle. “Making mistakes and struggling is part of the process,” he assured. “Always have [the student’s] back, but don’t rob them of the opportunity to discover and create the solutions to their problems. They need to find their voice. They can and will do it– even if they say they can’t. Believe in them most when they struggle to believe in themselves.”
This is not the end for Lockport’s student-directed short films. One drama club short film will be judged and move on to the IHSA short film competition. Club Create filmmakers, on the other hand, will have a chance to submit their films to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, where they will receive feedback from professionals and also be eligible to receive scholarships and internships. Good luck to all student filmmakers in their future endeavors!
