Whiz Kid: Movie Director Israel Flores

Whiz Kids is a weekly feature in which Patch profiles an outstanding youngster or youth group. This week's Whiz Kid is Israel Flores, who is awesome because he's learning how to capture life on camera.

Whiz Kid: Israel Flores

Age: 17

School: Hoboken High School, 12th Grade

Israel Flores is only 17, but he already knows what he wants to do in life. He's got an ambitious career goal.

“I want to be a filmmaker,” he says with a big smile.

He's preparing for his future career by taking media production classes at Hoboken High, where's he's learning cinematography and editing skills. After graduating he plans on entering the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York.

Israel admires popular directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron. He likes how they make big big-budget blockbusters with lots of special effects.

He also admires the independent filmmaker. “You Tube inspires me,” he says. “You can build a connection with the people who upload videos."

Israel has uploaded some of his own projects to You Tube, including a charming music video starring his girlfriend and himself that found a lot of popularity when it circulated throughout the school.

In school Israel has several other interests. He's on the student council and is a member of the Teen Pep, drama and Hispanic culture clubs.

His favorite subject is history. “Who really wrote history?” he asks. “You have to figure out what's true.”

Israel's love of history feeds into his passion for filmmaking. He plans on shooting a documentary about Hoboken High.

He wants to leave something for future students to see. “I want to show them life in the time we lived,” he says.

Do you know a Whiz Kid, or even a whole group of them? Send any and all nominations to alanskontra@hotmail.com, and check back every Wednesday afternoon to read about some outstanding youngsters in your community.