On Saturday, Sept. 28, Archie Williams Communications Academy (ComAcad) students competed in Novato High School’s Marin School of the Arts (MSA) One-Day Film Challenge, taking home two awards by the end of the night. Student teams collaborated to complete their creations within an eight-hour timeframe, regrouping at Novato High School to screen the student films. Running for its tenth year, the competition included a total of 20 student-led teams, with two of those composed of Archie Williams students.
The first ComAcad group, Project Bleeding Earth, which included Archie Williams seniors Bailey Dillon, Mason Barnhardt, Dylan Ayward, and Bridget Goodwin, didn’t receive any physical accolades for their short vampire romance film. Entitled “The Love Life of Solomon Fankle,” the film entertained audience members with its mockumentary-style charm and scattered Twilight movie references.
When thinking of a subject for their film, Project Bleeding Earth wanted something fun and a bit off-beat. “The Love Life of Solomon Fankle” follows Solomon Fankle, a vampire looking for love, as he goes on a date while hoping to find his soulmate. Quirky and entertaining, their short film exemplifies the universal feelings of disappointment and delight that can be found when in search of a connection.
ComAcad’s second team, The Forge, consisted of seniors Grey Shaw, Leland Ammann, Roy Quaas, Ian Kolcun, and Max Warner. The Forge received two awards with their short film, “Fruits of Elysium,” placing second overall and winning the People’s Choice Award.
The Forge’s ever-shifting film, “Fruits of Elysium” follows a veteran soldier grappling with the weight of loss. Filmed at the Marin Headlands, it used abstract cinematography and purposefully striking composition to create a visual experience that captures the process of navigating the disorientation of grief. The film largely referenced the Greek myth of Persephone and the pomegranate that ensnared her in the underworld.
Senior filmmaker Grey, alongside his group, aimed to produce as bizarre and impactful a film as possible. Looking to create a new take on previously screened films, The Forge wanted their work to stay with audiences and hopefully inspire them to take on projects of their own.
“[For our film,] we wanted to do something weird. We realized that everyone’s going to have [the same elements], and it’s all going to be kind of the same or hit the beat… but then we realized that we could just do something that would stand out and be really weird. If you stand out, the more somebody remembers [your work],” Grey said.
For the MSA One-Day Film Challenge, teams of Bay Area high school students script, shoot, and edit a short film in under eight hours. Groups generally include three to five filmmakers, who receive nothing to prepare with except the knowledge that they must complete a 5-minute short film within the allotted time.
For students in the challenge, competition day is a mad dash to get everything finished in time. Grey, one of the creative minds behind “Fruits of Elysium,” felt his group executed their production seamlessly, using knowledge from participating the year prior.
“We got everything the day before, planned out what we were gonna do, how long we were going to film, got the whole thing scheduled, and then we did it, and we got it, bead for bead. We did everything: met at the right time, went to the [Marin] Headlands to record it, got back, and then, by the skin of our teeth, we were able to turn [our film] in,” Grey said.
Upon arrival, students learn about the three key, random elements they must include in their films, as well as two required lines of dialogue. This year, the three necessary inclusions were something spilling, someone dancing, and a “bad scream.” The two lines of dialogue were, “Are you going to eat that?” and, “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Following the day’s high-paced filmmaking, groups congregated back at Novato High School’s MSA campus for a screening and awards ceremony, this final portion lasting from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ComAcad teacher Greg Doherty received the opportunity to witness his students’ fast-paced work. Watching their creations, Doherty felt proud of the thoughtful, passionate contributions the teams put into the competition.
“I love their enthusiasm for filmmaking. It shows that the skills that [ComAcad students are] practicing are something they inherently want to learn and are not just top-down given to them. As a teacher, that’s the dream, [to] feel like you’re empowering people to do what they want, rather than taking up their jobs,” Doherty said.
Despite both Archie Williams teams coming from ComAcad, the film challenge allows any team of Bay Area high school students to enter. Senior filmmaker Bailey entered the competition for the first time this year and encourages students to enter because of their own positive experience.
“I think a lot of people don’t feel like they’re good enough to do [the challenge], and they feel like they need certain skill sets that they feel they don’t have, which I don’t think is true. I think anyone can do it… It’s a really good learning opportunity… and I think more people should do it,” Bailey said.
MSA’s competition gives teams a taste of the filmmaking world while also reminding them of the significance of undertaking that type of challenge. Doherty believes the challenge brings out the best in his participating students.
“Anytime you get a chance to see your work with other people for a live audience, it raises the stakes, and it reminds you of why you do things… It makes you bring your ‘A’ game, and it also reminds you that what we’re doing is entertainment. It’s meant to be enjoyed and fun; you can have messages and talk about real stuff, but you can also just be goofy,” Doherty said.
Doherty encourages all students to consider joining next year’s MSA One-Day Film Challenge, which will occur at a similar time, and release details accordingly. At Archie Williams, ComAcad’s next public screening, “California Decides,” will occur in the Little Theater Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The showing will feature films from various ComAcad students, aiming to educate viewers about the contents of the November ballot.
