RHS Debuts Student-Produced Short Films This Weekend

Lights, camera, action!

This Saturday, will premiere three short films under the title RHS FilmLot & the Digital Film Factory: Clean Shorts.

The films were acted, written and produced by RHS students and faculty.

“I’m excited to see it up on the big screen,” said Hannah Koury, a senior at RHS, who worked on the crew for one of the films and also produced a behind-the-scenes reel.

Clean Shorts was offered to students this year instead of the school’s winter play. Staff and faculty wanted to give students another performance platform that differed from traditional stage acting. This is the first year RHS has offered an extracurricular option in film production, although faculty advisor Mark Hubbard stated that it is likely the short film project will become an annual event.

The three films were written by Hubbard and fellow faculty advisor Jim Norris, with the help of Michael Chamberlain, a former RHS student who has since graduated from film school. Hubbard, Norris and Chamberlain also directed the films, which feature the genres of comedy, horror and science fiction.

The students’ roles ranged from acting to filming to sound and post-production work. Hubbard stated that in the future, he hopes students will be involved in writing and directing the films as well.

The production process was full of learning opportunities for faculty and students alike.

“Working the logistics is always a challenge,” said Hubbard, who teaches digital film production and career development at RHS.

The crew shot one of the scripts on location at Lake Nokomis. They also used eight millimeter black and white film to shoot “Dead Hungry,” the horror film. Students commented on the difficulty of shooting sound separately from film and having to shoot multiple takes.

Nevertheless, their hard work and commitment also brought the students together, creating the opportunity for new friendships.

“I met a lot of new people,” said Drika Jeppesen, a senior at RHS and actor in "Dead Hungry." “We all got really close and had a lot of fun on set.”

Clean Shorts will premiere at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21 at the RHS Performing Arts Center. Tickets cost $5. To purchase tickets, visit the RHS website.