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Footage Flies Fast for 48-Hour Film Fest
With an hour left to prepare their entry for the Zoom Film Festival, the team behind Shawnigan entry No Return (无归) had cut their footage down to a sleek seven and a half minutes. Unfortunately, that was still two and a half minutes more than the festival permits, leading to some tough decisions down the home stretch, and ultimately to an award nomination.
Hosted by West Vancouver’s Mulgrave School, the Zoom Festival gives students a mere 48 hours to write, direct and edit a five-minute film, resulting in a hectic and intense couple of days as well as a fantastic learning experience. Narrowing the scope, the students are emailed a specific prop and a theme via email immediately before the starting pistol fires. Then it’s off to work.
This year’s theme was “Can’t ever go back,” and the prop was a ticket. Films were created over an intense 48-hour span in October, and results were unveiled in December. Shawnigan submitted four films, three of which were finalists for awards:
With an hour left to prepare their entry for the Zoom Film Festival, the team behind Shawnigan entry No Return (无归) had cut their footage down to a sleek seven and a half minutes. Unfortunately, that was still two and a half minutes more than the festival permits, leading to some tough decisions down the home stretch, and ultimately to an award nomination.
Hosted by West Vancouver’s Mulgrave School, the Zoom Festival gives students a mere 48 hours to write, direct and edit a five-minute film, resulting in a hectic and intense couple of days as well as a fantastic learning experience. Narrowing the scope, the students are emailed a specific prop and a theme via email immediately before the starting pistol fires. Then it’s off to work.
This year’s theme was “Can’t ever go back,” and the prop was a ticket. Films were created over an intense 48-hour span in October, and results were unveiled in December. Shawnigan submitted four films, three of which were finalists for awards:
Senior Category
• A Cold Day in Texas – nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Technical, and Best Screenplay
• No Return (无归) – nominated for Best Cinematography
Junior Category
• One Way Ticket – nominated for Best Technical
Film teacher Mr. Aren Goodman calls Zoom Fest “the highlight of the year.”
“It is the most fun, with so much good teamwork,” he says. “And you get the best product – it’s the one time of the year they can focus on a project with an unbroken schedule rather than one hour in the classroom at a time. They really get into it.”
Mr. Goodman has integrated Zoom Fest into the senior film curriculum, and participation is mandatory for the senior students. The junior entry was voluntary.
“In the senior classes, we had some of the best adult level of collaboration I’ve ever seen,” he says. “They were really good at bouncing ideas off each other. I saw a lot of experimenting and taking risks. Some of it worked out, and some of it didn’t land, but it was nice to see them taking risks.
“They learn so much in those 48 hours – decision-making, teamwork, skills, taking feedback; it’s a full-circle experience.”
The students were grateful for being allowed to film in locations like the Health Clinic and the Head of School’s house.
Zoom Fest has existed since 1999, and Shawnigan has taken part for the last three years. Mr. Goodman plans to keep going.
“It’s a great motivator,” he relates. “It brings the best out of our film class. It’s the only time they get to focus just on this one art form.”
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Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
