Young Sisters From HoCo Produce Short Films, Are Recognized For Exemplary Work

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Sixth grader Samantha Pickett and her third grade sister Georgiana from Howard County both had films shown in the GreenScreen Film Fest. Samantha Pickett originally produced the short film she called "The Power of Play," a movie starring her puppy Coco that highlights the humor and positivity that such a small yet adorable creature could bring into the world. It was selected to be shown at the Ocean City Film Festival in the youth short films category, her mom Theresa Pickett told Patch, where the film won a People's Choice Award.

Pickett previously wrote, directed and acted in another short film, "A Halloween Sleepover," a short stop motion movie featuring American Girl dolls teaching about safety on Halloween. It was an official selection of the Kids First! Film Festival and won outstanding interpretation, first place, in the Howard County-level Reflections Arts Competition along with outstanding interpretation, first place, for her musical composition "Quarantween."

Georgiana produced a mixed media film called "Twisted in Time," which was selected to be shown in the GreenScreen Film Fest along with Samantha's music video "Quarantween." Both videos were up for a People’s Choice Award.

The sisters began using green screens during the pandemic when their mother had an idea to develop the curriculum for a virtual American Girl Writing & Acting Camp she teaches where students film a movie in one week with their dolls. The class quickly became one of the most highly rated and most popular classes on the Outschool platform. With everyone stuck at home and nowhere to go during the pandemic, there was a huge demand from the young students for the doll movies to be made with green screens that allow the dolls to travel, along with stop motion to bring the dolls to life.

The Pickett family learned the technology together to help develop a fun and engaging camp with sample videos of the dolls traveling to outer space, walking into their house before being unboxed by their new owners and going on other adventures. Theresa Pickett's class offers video tutorials on using green screens with iMovie and Stop Motion Studio. Some of their doll videos can be seen at Enjoying Family Life and The Sammie and Georgie Show.