The Gift of Inspiration

Advisor & Student Connection

Since its inception, the Bridge Film Festival has encouraged faculty and student collaboration. Scaffolding of support for students based on age and ability is essential. The healthy exchange of ideas between students and their advisors enables them to clarify the message and effectively communicate it. As guide rails, we rely on the Friends pedagogical values of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. Often advisors who are not trained filmmakers, learn and are inspired through this process as well as their students.

Over the years we have seen video productions from schools that, although they were not student conceived, have met the spirit of the Festival and include large rolls both in front of and behind the lens for student involvement. That is why there is a non-competitive / exhibition category on the Festival's entry form. These productions reflected the themes and values of the Festival and therefore were welcome inclusions.

This year we received one such entry, "Gifted" from Tandem Friends School. We asked Lydia Horan the film's Writer and Producer to share her thoughts about the process.

About GIFTED:

I came up with the idea for this film after one of my eighth-grade students told me several stories

about her dad being followed around in stores.   She said he was constantly being judged because he was a black man who wore a hoodie and that people thought he "looked sketchy."   I had been wanting to write a short screenplay about racial bias.  My student's story and her anger about it inspired me to write the "Gifted" screenplay and I asked her to play the role of the young, gifted musician.   I shared the script with my friend and film club colleague, Clarence and asked if he would be interested in collaborating with me on this project.

Clarence runs Underground Shorts Media LLC in Charlottesville, a cinematographic storytelling company focused on concise, emotive storytelling.  He has taught digital storytelling at Tandem and together we co-facilitate Tandem's after school film club, MOVIES THAT MATTER.   We had been talking about how we wanted to create a short, concise film together that could be used as a tool to teach film students how to tell a powerful story in under four minutes.  We also wanted to make a film that we could use to start conversations at school and beyond.   When he read the script, Clarence was interested and excited to direct and be behind the camera.   I took on the role of casting director and producer.

We decided to make it a "Tandem Talent Film."  All who were cast in the film were connected to Tandem in some way.  We had current students, a current teacher, a past teacher, several alums, two local adult actors playing the leads - one was a parent of a Tandem alum, and one was cousin to a Tandem student and a choreographer for some of my TFS plays.  We had an upper school student on our film crew.  We shot scenes at our upper school music teacher's house (who was also our foley artist) and at a local coffee shop owned by parents of two Tandem alums.

Making the film was sometimes challenging due to scheduling and some sound issues.  But for the most part, it was an incredible and fun experience.  The actors were great to work with, as was the crew.  Everyone was wonderfully generous and willing to go the extra mile.  I learned so much while we were shooting and we made adjustments along the way to better our storytelling.  The lead actors really helped shape some of the film's pivotal moments.  One of our goals with both the writing and filming was to develop the plot in a way that helped viewers discover and question their own biases and snap judgments. What are their initial thoughts as they watch the scene unfold in the coffee shop?  Do they recognize themselves in any of the characters?  What gift is really given to the music teacher?

Gifted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptBBdivptMY

After completion, we decided to do a special screening for the school, followed by conversation and sharing around the realities of bias, racial profiling, and snap judgments.  We talked about the different meanings behind the title, "Gifted."  Since then, Clarence and I have both used the film in different scenarios to start more dialogue and conversation both at TFS and in the larger Charlottesville community.   We hope this film will resonate with and be meaningful for those who view and discuss the BFF films!

Lydia Horan
Middle School Drama and Film
Tandem Friends School
Charlottesville, Virginia