WESTMINSTER — A dozen 11th- and 12th-graders at the Compass School have spent six weeks studying films, writing screenplays, and producing their own short films in preparation for the seventh annual Compass Student Film Festival, which was held on April 14 as the culminating event for their filmmaking class.
Professional filmmakers serve as judges for the films, which brings a touch of competition and added pressure on the students to make films with wide audience appeal.
This interdisciplinary course is a popular elective at the school, led by humanities teacher Julia Taylor and science/technology teacher, Eric Rhomberg.
Taylor and Rhomberg said they enjoy team teaching the course because the students are completely invested in their films throughout the process, working well beyond school hours to edit, perfect, and complete their projects.
“This is one of the most complex, creative and organizationally- challenging projects these students have ever taken on,” said Rhomberg.
From writing the script, recruiting actors, arranging shooting locations, and organizing materials, to adding sound, editing, and continual reworking, film-making requires students develop strong skills of problem solving and management.
“Organization has been the key aspect needed because of the limited time we have,” said 12th-grader Connor Kloster.
The films were wide ranging - a wacky romantic comedy, a story of a married couple finding a connection, a tale of two struggling men whose lives collide with dark results, and a drama about two siblings' bittersweet relationship.
The course allows for close analysis of films as well as lots of hands-on practice with the camera. On the first day of Rhomberg's class, students are required to make a 1 minute film that tells a story. They then make 2-3 minute silent films over the course of a few days.
In the meantime, in Taylor's humanities class, they discuss qualities of a good story, watch film clips for both analysis and inspiration, and learn screenplay formatting. Eventually, all students write and “pitch” their screenplays, and the students as a team choose what films they want to produce in the final weeks of class.
The Compass School is an independent school for students in grades 7-12. For more information, visit www.compass-school.org.