Art Of Film:
Our Art of Film class seeks to study film in a unique way that you will not find anywhere else. We study film through the perspective that all stories are valuable and that we can learn from every story that we see and hear. The reason we believe this is that all of our most important truths told to us throughout history have been communicated to us through stories. Primarily from the Bible, we learn the highest and greatest truths given to us by our creator, who came to the world in one of the most powerful stories ever told. This class gives students tools and techniques to understand and disambiguate what a story may be telling us. Students learn the context of a story so that they have a holistic understanding of the artist’s original intent. They study the history, art movements, politics, wars, and other events that may have impacted the film or those associated with it. To finish the year each student spends a semester learning how to tell stories themselves by writing, designing and directing their own films in small 2-3 person groups.
Applied Filmmaking:
The Applied Filmmaking class is intended to take all the skills that students have learned in the department and put them to use. During the first semester they will make a series of diverse projects designed to build a resume “reel” for either jobs or college applications. The second semester is spent working as an entire class on two 15 minute films. Students will spend class time examining and work shopping those scenes. These students will be competent professional communicators capable of working in the film industry the day they graduate.This class will meet alongside the new Acting for film class taught by our Theatre Director Mr. Demeritt. Thiss allows students to concentrate on directing and editin skills while working with real acting talent.
Scriptwriting:
This class is arguably the most crucial class in the department. As filmmakers, we thrive on a well-told story. As the other classes focus on the craft and technical qualities of filmmaking, we require skilled writers to craft beautiful stories for us to visualize on the screen. This class is unique because we encourage people who are not interested in filmmaking to come write for us. We train them to write stories and to craft a screenplay. The class is taught by two teachers, who are themselves, a screenwriting team. They are in a unique position to pass on advice direct from Hollywood.
Equipment:
The facilities at Studio 218 are top of the line. The Art of film and Applied Film classes have exclusive use of the best equipment in the department. They have three AG-DVX 100s, a GL-2, one GL-1, 4 AG-DVC 30s, and an XL-1s. There are complete lighting kits and audio gear including Sennheiser shotgun microphones and wireless lavalieres. We are also building a green screen set in our studio where we can shoot virtually any special effects shots needed. This equipment is available for students to checkout or to use in house, providing them with the best opportunity any high school is capable of offering.
Nate Marshall
Email: nmarshall@valleychristian.net