A look behind the camera: Five shorts from Filmmaking Directed Studies

In Filmmaking Directed Studies this year students put together short films under the guidance of filmmaking and film history teacher, Jordan Rathus. At the beginning of the year, students brainstormed ideas for their films with fellow classmates and Ms. Rathus in class. Since then, they have been working on putting together their projects, a process that involves both filming and editing. The films being exhibited at the filmmaking screenings are the product of months of the students’ hard work and effort.

“Within” follows a lazy high schooler trying to fit in with his very intelligent family. The protagonist, Lloyd, is scolded by his parents for not trying hard enough in school. Without even realizing, Lloyd gains super-intelligence abilities and soaks it all in while he can. To his teacher’s surprise, he breezes through a math test and finds a new motivation to do work. All of a sudden, the higher power who gave him his abilities, takes them away. Lloyd must learn that his true intelligence is within him, he just has to find himself.

Throughout the year, I worked on a project called “Dad’s Kitchen.” Unlike many of the other films made in the Directed Study and Film Classes this year, my movie is split into three parts. The film’s main character is also named Jack, who is struggling with the loss of his father. Jack and his father loved to cook together and even had plans of creating a restaurant together. One day, Jack ventures to his kitchen to search for snacks. While searching, Jack discovers his Dad’s old cookbook in which he wrote down the recipes they made together. After remaking an old favorite, Dad’s Sweet Potato soup, Jack impulsively decides to start a restaurant out of his kitchen. Jack struggles to find customers and deals with an unfortunate turn of events. Dr. Kotchian plays Jack’s therapist and Daniel Pustilnik plays Jack’s friend and sous-chef. The film is shot by Aidan Frank. The movie is lighthearted and bittersweet, with numerous surprises and twists.

The Nighthawk Murders

“The Nighthawk Murders” is a psychological neo-noir short film about Detective Edward Hopper, a washed-out police detective grappling with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Tasked with a final case to save his career, Hopper embarks on an investigation of the enigmatic Nighthawk Murder. However, he quickly finds himself pursuing a violent murderer who is always one step ahead: himself.

Caesar capitalizes off of the inherent tension of high school by running a confessional booth in the school itself, charging stressed and anxious students a premium for his services. Inside the booth, Caesar is authoritative and powerful, idolized and revered like a God by the other students. Due to their infatuation with him, his practice of guidance is deceptive as it is mostly done for his own personal gain. Outside the booth, however, he becomes more reserved, losing his status and title as “Caesar,” morphing back into his normal high school self, Basil. The story essentially follows this boy who grapples with the realities of his two worlds.