Behind the Scenes: Filmmaking Class — The Perseverance and Effort that Turns Ideas into Production

At first glance, filmmaking seems simple. All you have to do is come up with an idea, film it, and edit it. However, what appears effortless on screen is often the result of a long and challenging process behind the scenes.

At Stevenson, the filmmaking program that started 10 years ago by Mr. Stephan Pratt offers students the opportunity to explore filmmaking regardless of their prior experience. Apart from professional equipment, the class also provides essential guidance like structure, deadlines, and creative space that allows students to turn their ideas into productions. 

However, the process of filmmaking isn’t as simple as it seems. “The process of making a movie is hard,” Pratt admits, and because of this, student work in the making movies class is often divided into manageable pieces. Students often start with 30 second short-films like “My place, My process, and My journey,” and are limited to 5-6 shots to enhance their understanding on essential film-making skills before moving on to expressing more complicated ideas. Even with these small projects, the process is challenging. Creating only a single scene requires careful planning and repetitive filming. Once the scene is filmed, students enter the post-production process, where they edit their footage and refine their details like coloring and sound. As 9th grader Hailey Hudson explains, “During post production, you have to cut and edit shots, put them in the correct timeline, add audio, correct lighting, among lots of other things.” She describes it as the most time-consuming stage, yet it is also her favorite stage, because that’s where her works come together. 

Then, students share their films with their class to receive feedback. Since students often devote significant time and effort into their film, it can be hard for them to receive criticism. Students must offer one “push” and one “praise.” Pratt uses the phrase “Kill your darlings” to emphasize how difficult and necessary it is to cut down scenes or ideas in order to improve the final piece.  

Despite the challenges, or perhaps because of them, students grow in many ways. As they continue the class, students are exposed to the production of older students who take the class as many as all four years during their time at Stevenson. These films don’t just demonstrate what is possible, but they also reveal the time, effort, and persistence behind each production. For many students, this serves as both inspiration and motivation. 

Two critical qualities filmmaking students develop in the class are resilience and perseverance,  which emerge in the trial and error process of production and the solitude that students experience. While making a movie can be a team sport that involves collaboration, making a film can also feel surprisingly lonely. From the early planning stage to late night editing post-production process, students often work on their own. Oftentimes, students cannot receive immediate reassurance. Despite this, students remain committed. Hudson explains, “It honestly just takes commitment. The work doesn’t feel like ‘work,’ it just feels like it’s part of the process.” That said, a student’s passion is pushing them through uncertainty and guiding them to produce a film they are proud of. It is in this balance of independence, persistence, and passion that students experience the most growth, and Pratt describes the growth of students to go beyond filmmaking. “The goal is to guide students to learn how they create: that brings self-confidence. They all have stories to tell.”

As students continue to challenge themselves and grow in the process, the program leaves a lasting impact beyond the classroom - the filmmaking class brings amazing character and creative work to the Stevenson community. Looking ahead, more powerful and expressive artworks are yet to come!