A recap of the digital filmmakers’ competitions and awards
Ellie Rice and Samantha margot, Staff Reporters
January 11, 2019
Courtesy of IMAX Media Release On June 5 of this calendar year, the film was premiered to the United Nations World Environment Day by IMAX.
To students outside the program, Digital Filmmakers, can be a fun hobby. To everyday students, who hear of the late night festivals and the extra time spent with friends, it sounds like a fun job with few drawbacks; like all classes.
The idea of spending extra time creating the right idea, filming the correct shot, timing clear audio and visual, spending hours editing film down to the last detail; sounds agonizing with the addition of regular classes.
In October, the Digital Filmmaking Program was nominated by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, known to most at the Emmys, for six different films. The list included, Bottled Emotions, which displayed a greying world where few people held the capability to produce emotions, by Zach Boone (Alumnus), PJ Hase (Alumnus), Aidan Jereczeck (Senior) and Bailey Wall (Alumnus), won Best Short Form Fiction Film.
Liam Bonds (Senior), Saia Dugan (Junior), Brendan Hickey (Senior), Jasper Laur (Senior) and Marley Rankin (Junior), participated in the 48 Hour Film Festival; created, acted, directed within the span of 48 hours. Their film Psychotherapy was nominated for third place in the festival amongst hundreds from across the nation.
Junior Marley Rankin spoke on her doubts about the film, “We went into this knowing we weren’t going to win. We all accepted that, we were doing this as a learning opportunity.”
In 2016, the All American High School Film Festival encouraged an environmental film piece. On the Backs of Salmon, documented the impact of the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992, which caused the removal of two dams, destroying the nearby salmon population.
The film, produced by Chris Barrett, Martin Bolivar, Caroline Harader, Jasper Land, Maddie Lausted (Senior), Freeman Marshall (Senior), Aaron Miller (Alumnus), Cecilia O’Rollins (Alumnus) and Miles Whitworth (Alumnus) led to the largest and most successful environmental restoration project in Washington state.
Senior Freeman Marshall shared her thoughts on the amazing experience, “I was 15 years old and I was given the opportunity to work with such significant, talented filmmakers and it led me to places I never thought I would be.”
On June 5 of this calendar year, the film was premiered to the United Nations World Environment Day by IMAX.
“We knew it was an IMAX production but I didn’t know it would be strong enough of a piece to be shown around the globe,” Marshall said. “I was visiting my sick grandmother, me and my family were huddled around her hospital bed watching the live broadcast. It was a very special moment to hear my film called.”
The program also visited NFFTY, National Film Festival for Talented Youth, competing and sharing the spotlight with student ages 24 and younger from across the globe. Two films were selected including On the Backs of Salmon and Richard, by Wylie Soltes (Alumnus), Ethan Hawthorne-Dallas (Senior), Ian Colbeck (Senior), and Aaron Mamaril (Senior).
The Digital Film program started the school year with a bang, producing high quality films for competitive competitions. They’ll continue to please audiences at national and international events throughout the rest of the year.
