Why did I choose to make a movie, you might ask?
Something from my childhood that stands out has always been my family’s weekly movie nights. The excitement of the new releases list on the TV guide was euphoric in our household. Because of this tradition, I grew up to be a movie connoisseur. I see a lot of artistic talent in the way movies are made. Through the processes of writing a script, taking an idea and putting it to the screen, the soundtrack, the directing, the editing, all of it. I love it. So, this has always been an untold passion of mine. Another passion of mine is mental health. I was introduced to the world of mental health at a young age, and since it has always been something that I am a strong advocate for, a topic extremely important to me, and something that I will always stress the importance of taking care of, especially within education. For my learning project, I plan to write and direct a short film that utilizes both passions. I want to create art in the form of a movie that encapsulates what goes on in one’s brain when dealing with mental illness. We understand physical pain, and we see physical pain. It is advertised. I feel as though I don’t see much mental health being portrayed for what it is. However, that is my own opinion and can be biased based on what I am watching. Is it possible for me to capture something that can make you feel like you are in the mind of someone with depression, anxiety, ADHD, ADHD, etc.? That is what I am trying to create.
From an early age, I became obsessed with movie films, and as I got older, I got even more interested in the artistry of it. Some of my favorites to this day are Top Gun, Interstellar, Moneyball, and Concussion. Etc.
I remember when Apple came out with all these fancy products. My best friend’s family got a MacBook computer. Instantly, we were obsessed… and then we discovered the photobooth app. We did everything we could to spend every spare minute on that thing. Every ‘hangout’ was now designated for time on the ‘Photobooth.’ And thus, every hangout from then on began with one of us saying, “Let’s make a movie.”
^An example of a short film my friends and I made for a group project in the novel study for Of Mice and Men.