New filmmaking opportunities for Strathmore High School

Adelle Ellis
Times Reporter

 

Students at Strathmore High School (SHS) will soon be learning about independent filmmaking.
According to Paula Richardson, drama and dance teacher at SHS, independent filmmaker Wayne Bradford of the Calgary Independent Filmmakers Society suggested the idea.
“Mr. Bradford approached me about his idea to teach the kids about filmmaking. I am really excited for the kids,” said Richardson, who added that interest in the field may be generated because the film industry in Calgary and in Alberta is growing.
The class, comprised of 12 students, was created in early March. On March 3, the class visited the Calgary Film Centre where Bradford showed them the set of a movie he is currently working on. Two scenes were being filmed using two actresses and around 20 behind-the-scenes people.
The students were able to see first-hand what goes into the production of a film. They learned many things, including how to properly light a set and that a scene must be filmed from different angles. The class learned how to change a set to accommodate a shot and how to move the camera. They learned how actors use marks and exactly how quiet a set must be when a scene is being filmed. They were also able to look at the screen on the camera to see exactly what the camera sees, and they learned a little bit about how the cameras work.
“(The most valuable part) was giving the students the opportunity to see ordinary and normal people making a living doing something that for many (students) was just a thought in the back of their heads that they saw as an extraordinary job. They saw all these different jobs that could be available to them (associated with film),” said Richardson. “It also gave them the inspiration that (film production) is a growing industry in Calgary and that Calgary and area is getting more involved in the film industry. It was nice for them to see first-hand that it is an industry alive and well in our province.”
The formal filmmaking class takes place after school once a week in a three-hour timeslot. The 12 students will be working with Bradford and other independent filmmakers throughout the rest of the school year to create their own short film, using equipment supplied by the independent filmmakers and based on a script written by Bradford.
“The goal of the class is to generate (a film) idea, find the funds, get it all organized and then shoot the film. Hopefully after it is all edited it is going to be entered into film festivals,” said Richardson, who added that each student will receive a credit towards their high school diploma. Although the title of the project and the script is not yet created, Richardson believes it will have something to do with high school so that it can be filmed within the Strathmore High School itself.
The class is run on a volunteer basis, with Bradford and other filmmakers volunteering their time to teach the students. That students may walk away with a credit on the international movie database is a huge opportunity for them.
“You normally don’t get opportunities like this in a small town very often, so the fact we got this is really great,” said student Jordan Putman, 16, who hopes to one day follow her dreams and create online content for a living. “I feel like this will be a lot of fun.”
Richardson hopes the filmmaking class will become incorporated into the school on some level, if not as a scheduled class, then perhaps as a stepping stone to the film industry.
“I don’t know that (the students) know how big this is for them yet,” said Richardson. “I think that realization may hit them later.”