Cinematic Arts Students Compete in 4-Day National Spring Film Invitational

St. Margaret’s had seven Upper School cinematic arts students compete against teams from across the country last weekend in the Spring All-American High School Film Invitational.

Students had four days to write, shoot and edit a short film, which had to incorporate a specific theme (“Greatest of All Time”) along with a certain line of dialogue (“name your top five”), a certain scene (someone looking out of or into a window) and a sound effect (a goat’s bleat). Students also needed to film within COVID physical-distancing guidelines.

The Tartans divided into three teams for the competition. Team A featured Emma Evanson, Ryan Krall and Charlotte Quintanar; Team B was Emmy Perry and Winston Verdult, and Team C was Kate Lee and Max Page. 

“I feel that it is an amazing opportunity to challenge myself and my creativity, when having to create a film in such a short amount of time with specific requirements,” said Emmy, a sophomore.

Sophomore Kate Lee agreed, adding “I like competing in film competitions like this one because it forces me to get out of my comfort zone in terms of filmmaking and really encourages me to expand my creative abilities. It's also a great opportunity to work with people I don't know really well.” 

The AAHSFF Spring Film Invitational is a fast and furious creative filmmaking competition designed to provide a creative boost for student filmmakers.

St. Margaret’s students have entered similar time-sensitive competitions in the past. In 2019 a team of Upper School students won first place in a 48-hour competition at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth. 

“I really enjoy competing in timed film competitions like this one because it challenges me have good time management,” said Winston, a sophomore. “With only four days to execute a project there's no room for wasting time.”