‘The Office’ and ‘The Great Debate’ were our two commissioned films for the year. The students all write a script, and then pitch their idea to a commissioning panel, from which a small number are selected to go into production. The idea was to shoot these when we returned to the building, however, due to the on-going restrictions the films had to be re-written so they worked over Zoom. The films were auditioned for, cast, rehearsed and shot entirely online – which is quite an achievement!
These pieces were made in conjunction with Juniors Acting level 1 students. Throughout the year, both digitally and in-person, Acting Level 1 have been developing skills through their Foundation in Acting work and exploring a variety of different acting styles including Shakespeare and Acting for Screen. Our final presentation is part of our collaboration with Juniors filmmaking with original scripts by the film students and characterisations by the acting students, highlighting the importance of cross-collaboration as young people in the arts.
WARNING: Contains strong language
Directed and Written by Hugo Hemmati
Derek, a spineless worker, is constantly manipulated by his boss Sarah. He is called for a disciplinary meeting over zoom, where he will be left shocked and confused.
Written and Directed by Michael Bolat
‘The Great Debate’ is a comedic and overly dramatic piece inspired by the likes of Glee, and follows a similar style to 12 Angry Men in that we have characters all interacting within the one location, albeit in a zoom meeting. The story centres on a group of high school students who must debate to decide which extra-curricular club will be cut for funding in order to host the best school dance possible. The characters all interact with each other in interesting ways, with some using popularity and status to assert their authority within the debate. I had an amazing time developing the piece, and am delighted with the final result.
