Updated 1/24/24:  Story has been changed to reflect a link to the finished films. 

Cameras are readjusted as lights are perfectly placed to create a somber scene. Actors recite their lines over and over again as the directors paces around the room, making sure everything is in place. Once they are satisfied, one yells Action! and everyone focuses on their task.

The theater department partnered with EagleVision in order to create a narrative film for the UIL film contest. The film will be judged in January.

“We got to collaborate with the theater so that we can bring our film to life,” film director Liliana Miller said. “It’s fun because we can tell them what kind of image we have in our mind for how we want to create this film. It was such a beautiful experience working with them.” 

Every year the advanced theater class does a unit on short films. This year, they wanted a script with a twist at the end.

“We filtered through a lot of ideas from bank robbers to spies,” theater director Kari Mckenzie said. “We brainstormed a million ideas.”

The film is set in the 1950s. It shows the relationship between a mother and her two young daughters. However, the story becomes stranger as the film progresses.

“We wanted the film to have a classic 50’s movie feel to it,” senior director Ashlynn Blankenship said. “We used all the antique objects and sets, we didn’t want any modern items in a shot.”

Every cast member went through an audition process with Blankenship, with Jaida Jones being selected as the lead.

“Filming was a wonderful new experience for me,” Jones said. “I enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone and putting together such a beautiful piece.”

The theater department was in charge of the actors and costumes while EagleVision worked on the filming and editing side. The film took two days with a separate crew and actors each time.

“Filming was a really great experience,” junior Bailey Park said. “It is slightly stressful and time consuming, but in the end it is worth the effort.”

Eagle Vision used four cameras, two shotgun boom mics with Zoom recorders, and three mini-Zoom mics. Although the filming portion took a couple of days, the editing portion will take a few months.

“Editing the film that EagleVision has created in collaboration with the theater program has been super rewarding,” junior Syndey Hines said. “It’s really nice to see something we’ve worked so hard to create actually come together in front of our eyes.”

One of the main filming location was in Larry and Sue Wisdom’s house. The Wisdom’s are retired theater directors who had multiple appearances at the state One-Act Play competition.

 “The Wisdom’s are so important because they have shaped the very face of what we now call UIL One-act play,” Mckenzie said. “I cannot imagine theater in this area without their influence.”

UIL EagleVision competes in a variety of categories like documentary and animation. The documentary films focuses on real life situations people have gone through. In contrast, the narrative film is all fictional.

“Narrative style films are one of the most fun and exciting projects that EagleVision works on every year,” Hines said. “Watching our imagination, planning, and creativity come to life on a set with actual actors from the theater program is really special and a great opportunity for us to produce a truly great film.”

 The films will be published on the EagleVision YouTube channel in January for the public. Those interested may watch at https://www.youtube.com/@EagleVisionMedia.

“I am so proud of both groups of students who worked on this film,” film teacher Neda Morrow said.  “It is a very hard and complicated process to create a narrative film from concept to finish, and both the theater and film students have been outstanding with their work on this project.”