Student Film Wins Big

MISSPERCEPTION Wins Big With

Oaks Christian School continues to set the bar

and innovate in the arts as one of the few

schools nationwide to produce a full-length feature film completely directed, produced, and filmed by high schoolers. Missperception had its long-awaited debut on May 18, 2021. The premiere was originally scheduled to screen at Regency Theatres last spring but was delayed over a year due to COVID-19. After searching months for venues, even outdoor ones with safety protocols, the film found its home in front of a live audience at Calvary Community Church. “We waited so long for this moment, over a year. We worked hard through COVID to make this happen. To finally see it up on a screen with a live audience was pretty crazy. Seeing people laugh at the jokes and interested and engaged, to our production team that was absolute gold,” said producer Alexis Golin, senior. The story stars then juniors Camille Figueroa, Kennedy Benz, Dane Swenson, and then sophomore Abby Riggle. It takes place at the elite Ocean Crest High School where the top students vie for selection to the prestigious Next Level Academy where they will become academic superstars. Or do they? Amid nefarious happenings and relational tensions, two intrepid protagonists aim to find out. The story and production began in film teacher Andrew Christopher’s Advanced Film class in 2019. Then juniors Camden Park-Coburn and Romain Lagree pitched the story outline, but the entire class built it into a screenplay. Christopher selected then senior Conner Kershaw as the director and Golin as the producer. Editors were then junior Camden Reithmayr and then senior David Meriage. They worked in 60-minute class sections

with actors and crew to film. When COVID-19 hit and in-person learning stopped, they literally passed around a hard drive from house to house so each member could do their edits.

But Kershaw and Meriage graduated, and most of the cast entered their senior year and still the film sat on the shelf.

During the delay, Christopher entered the film in several competitions. By the screening date, Missperception had already garnered 10 awards and accolades, including: Los Angeles Film Awards Winner, Seattle Film Festival Winner, and San Diego International Kids Film Festival Winner.

Therefore, to see their award-winning film finally screen was beyond thrilling for the students.

“This moment is the biggest satisfaction of the process: getting to share it with everyone. We were all really heartbroken when the virus broke out and we weren’t able to share it with anybody. Even waiting a year to have everyone come and see it is a tremendous accomplishment for all of us,” said Kershaw, now at Loyola Marymount majoring in finance and minoring in film. While many schools do create student videos, documentaries, and short stories, it is rare for students to self-produce a fulllength feature film. The majority of students on the project were part of the Institute of Arts and Innovation (IAI).

Students worked with industry professionals like producer/ actor Ryan O’Quinn (Beverly Hills 90210, Alias, JAG, ER, Melrose Place, Starship Troopers, That Thing You Do) and producer/actor Joey Scott (Kickin’ It, Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, Growing Pains).

“For students to have an opportunity like this in high school is basically unheard of. It is incredible that high school students pulled off a full-length feature film. Not only that, but they were some of the most professional people I have ever worked with,” said O’Quinn, IAI board member, and the president of Damascus Road Productions.

Scott quipped, “When I first heard about this project I thought, ‘Sure, high school students. What can go wrong?’ But these guys just blew me away!”