Written By: Daniel Holscher, Staff Writer
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: Poly students around campus come together to write and create a film, all without adult supervision.
A New Opportunity Arises:
Poly High School has had numerous student-run projects and events take place throughout the course of its history. These projects are managed by productive and creative individuals looking for a hint of change to their daily routine. Jasmine Ramos (11) and Heejae Yoon (11) are juniors on campus who have come together to add a fit of challenge into their junior year. The duo has theorized the idea of conceptualizing and writing a film with an intriguing plot for quite a few months now. “Well Jasmine originally had the idea in her mind way back in December, but we didn’t properly pick it up until early February,” Heejae stated. The film is all student-oriented, leaving Jasmine and Heejae to fend for themselves when it comes to storyboarding and budget cuts. With the concept of such a huge project in mind, the two needed to recruit some writers, actors, and individuals confident in their ability to rationalize a story. Jasmine Ramos is the Director of the film, while Heejae is the producer and coordinator of the set. Setting out to find staff members has proven to be challenging, yet a fight the duo is willing to put up with. “I’ve always been interested in film, but this time I wanted to bring each other around so we can all learn from each other and make it a fun High School experience,” Jasmine emphasized. Therefore, the company set out to post flyers around campus and recruit some friends to partake in the experience. Their project has gained enough traction for them to feel confident within the parameters of the filming and storytelling. With a group in mind, and a schedule of monthly meetings set in place on top of both Jasmine’s and Heejae’s busy Junior year schedules, the production began.
A Topic Of Film:
“Murder, mystery, thrill… At first, I wanted it to be something about the discouraging of stereotypes and judging individuals. But it shifted into the lens of action and suspense,” Heejae explained the project. This film falls along the rim of a classic 90’s aura of surprise and nervous movie. Without giving too much away, this film is drawn out to be an attention-grabbing sense of heightened anxiousness when presented with its storyline. Run-time is estimated to turn out to 1 hour and 30 minutes of media, once fully compressed and edited down. The two have lots of excitement and hope around the project that they have initiated. However, the inspiration behind the film has been shaped by numerous circumstances. “Ms. Rahman would often put on films of school broadcasts, and I thought it would be awesome to make a play, considering her playful reactions to them all,” Jasmine responded. Making sure to transcribe a script that fully fits their vision of the film, Jasmine and Heejae have taken more time to completely write out the ideal storyline and plot. The two “consecutively work on it” [the project] and find time to work on it “when time allows during the busy end of the school year”. Considering the fact that the duo has zero experience in the production, writing, and editing of a project such as this size, they are fighting for a sense of accomplishment and fun with their first round of involvement. The thrill and exciting feeling of a project coming together keeps the ambition and confidence flourishing within the project’s boundaries, being added to every single productive day the team makes.
The Art Of Digital Film:
With the production underway, and a new sense of adventure right in front of the girls, the feeling of courage is present. Digital film gives a sense of “entertainment and life lessons” Jasmine expressed. “There’s a lot of A-hah moments, and chances to characterize your own voice through the production of film.” As the entertainment industry grows, so does the entrance of many younger individuals to the concept, just as ready and eager to express themselves as those on top. Film is a form of emotion and feeling, just as any other sport or passion one can possess. It gives the opportunity for people, including students within Poly, to create something that their community can enjoy and cherish. The truth is, projects such as these speak from the heart, they are produced for a feeling of excitement and accomplishment, passion in short. “We want to do a part two and plan to continue the saga of what we started” both Jasmine and Heejae made clear. And as stuttered as the project can get at moments, “We [our team] are all in the same boat, considering it is the end of the school year,” Jasmine reassures. The duo continues to pursue the dream of a film that they are crafting, and actively present their group with meetings and updates on the film. The art created here at Poly does not go unnoticed in our eyes as students continue to strive in topics and projects of their interests to share with the community. Jasmine and Heejae are no exception to this. When two humans have an idea, confidence, and bravery, nothing can stand between them and victory. It’s only a matter of time until filming begins, and a new chapter of Poly passion begins, moving on a cycle that has been present for hundreds of years, the cycle of achievement.