On Saturday, May 18th, the MMET media film team returned with their annual film festival, closing the MMET show season for the 2023/2024 school year. Celebrated in the black box, students, parents, and everyone interested in film and media got a chance to view the outstanding artwork of the talented media students at HBHS. Ranging from documentaries, music videos, and coming-of-age films there was something for every taste and preference. This year’s MMET film festival also included a quick directors panel at the end of the second screening block. This gave the audience an opportunity to gain insight into the director’s minds and hear their vision behind the movies.
“The MMET Media Team Film Festival is a screening of the films we worked on throughout the year. Everyone in the class has the opportunity to create a film, music video, or documentary to film fest,” said Adrienne Basham, director of two action-packed film pieces presented at the festival.
“My project is a music video for the song ‘One Way or Another’ by Blondie. In simple terms, my music video is about a girl on an adventure while a tiny band plays music inside her headphones. The other project is a horror-comedy called “Buttstorm”, which is co-created with Penelope Perkovich. It follows the story of a group of friends throughout an unusual, bloody night,” Basham added.
While both movies have a variety of different styles and themes, they both received lots of enthusiasm from the audience.
“I loved the Film festival, I have a huge bias as a media kid but it was awesome,” says Jack Goble, a member of the MMET media class.
The class allows all interested students to try new art styles and gain new skills by going through the whole process of creating their very own movies.
“The process of creating and shooting my own films is always stressful but wonderful at the same time. I usually work as a one-person crew, meaning I produce, film, edit, and do everything that goes into the film by myself. However, I did have some help this year with writing, filming, and some audio,“ said Basham.
“It is also amazing being able to work with people I love, whether it be my MMET peers, family friends, or even teachers. Creating awesome things with the people I love is worth all the mistakes and stress and terror that goes into making a film. My favorite part of putting these films together is the magical feeling I get when things get flowing and I can see my vision being brought to life.” Basham concluded.
“Although the editing process also took upwards of 20 hours spread out between a week, being with a team and watching the project develop each step of the way was very rewarding.” Said Chase Bennett, a junior at HBHS. His film “High Steaks” opened the evening screening block of the film festival.
“ ‘High Steaks’, is a non-dialogue short about a chef intensely cooking a gourmet meal for a harsh food critic. However, the twist is, that the food critic is a toddler, and with this comes different expectations for the dish. My film was more so a cinematography exercise than a developed narrative as I aimed to convey emotion through lighting, sound design, and video,” said Bennett about the vision behind his movie.
Described as very entertaining and providing a unique viewing experience, Goble was a cinematic experience and an audience favorite.
“The most fun part of the filming process was the unanticipated ideas that arose while on set and in the moment. A lot of the best shots in the film were a direct result of spontaneous ideas that rejected the initial plans written down and turned out way better and more creatively driven,” added Bennett.
The students are given creative freedom regarding the topic and inspiration. Having much room for individuality when creating is also visible when watching the movies.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster of films with varying levels but all clearly taking the maximum amount of effort. I liked the experience of watching it, getting to know each individual person, and seeing my friends on screen,” concluded Goble.
Overall the MMET media festival was a great success for creators and audiences. It was combining unique art styles, current issues, and comedic short films that conjured laughter and amazing memories for all that were involved.
