It might seem strange to wish I was at the scene of a murder, but when it's well written and acted, who could resist? For two and a half hours every Sunday the past four weeks, John Ondo taught his students about filmmaking while crafting their very own short film. The students range from fourteen year olds to adults, all interested in different aspects of what it takes to create a compelling story via film.
This Sunday, their film makes its debut before the Get Reel Film Series presents Give Me The Banjo; a comprehensive look at a quintessential American musical instrument, the banjo, from its African roots to contemporary jazz and into the 21st century.
John Ondo, the class instructor as well as President and Director of Ondo Media, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the film and Intro to Filmmaking class.
What can you tell us about the film's plot? And how did the class come up with the idea?
Murder at 777 Evening Street is a classic whodunnit. Set at the McConnell Art Center, the story begins with a priceless vase that has been stolen and two security officers who have been murdered. The story unfolds as the detectives try to solve the crime. I wrote the main script, but then the class in a collaborative effort made changes to it to make it their own.
How collaborative was the class? Was each student given a specific job or did everyone play some part in each aspect of developing and filming?
The class was designed as a overview of filmmaking. Students have been a part of everything from helping to shoot, edit and write and several students had acting roles as well. It's difficult to get too in depth in creating a short film in just 12 hours of class time. I've spent many hours in preperation and editing during the past weeks so we can discuss each stage on Saturday. We will go in-depth with 2 new classes starting this spring which anyone can sign up for. First we will have a 3 week class focusing just on editing followed by a 3 week class to go in depth on shooting video with a digital SLR camera. And we will be offering a week long class for high school students this summer. We believe the MAC can become the place in central Ohio for students to learn and grow in the art of filmmaking.
John showing his students camera techniques
Could you share one of your favorite moments teaching this class?
I've enjoyed having some great local directors, actors and writers come into the class and share about filmmaking each week, but shooting the primary story with our volunteer actors and students in just 6 hours took some real teamwork, and I was so proud of how everyone pitched in to make it all look amazing.
In your experience, what do students usually gain, after taking this class?
I hope students leave this class and know that they have the basic tools now to create a compelling story and shoot and edit a short film that the whole world could potentially view via the Internet. I'm very excited about the stories the next generation of filmmakers are going to tell.
Can't make the film's premiere? An encore showing is in the works, potentially for next Sunday and the full film will be posted on the MAC's Facebook page, once it's no longer showing in the Bronwynn Theatre.
Watch a sneak peak of the film here:
http://vimeo.com/59188026
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