Irma Lemus
HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Bellarmine-Jefferson High School students are
getting a taste of Hollywood filmmaking.
With a borrowed 16 mm camera and other equipment, 50 students from the
school are putting in time over the summer to produce their first film,
said Bell-Jeff film teacher Michael Kane. The equipment was donated by
Clairmont Camera in Hollywood and the film was given to the school by
Kodak and Fuji, Kane said.
Kane said he was eager to have a finished product by the time school
begins in the fall so he has something to show off to students who will
be in his film and video production class.
"I want students to experience the magic of sitting in a theater and
watching a film," said Kane. He said he plans to air the 90-minute film
on the school's video monitors the first week of school.
"Everyone and their brother is making movies on video because it's
cheap, but it's not film," he said.
Students will begin filming today at Matador Beach in Malibu and
wrap-up the production Thursday at the school, Kane said. Earlier this
week, Kane gave a crash course in operating the camera and other tips on
filmmaking.
Although details about the film are being kept under wraps, the basic
plot of "Anacapa" is a thriller about a teenage girl who suspects that
her father killed her mother, said Kaitlin Beauchemin who will play a
leading role in the film.
Beauchemin, 17, said she plans to pursue a career in acting. A
starring role in the Bell-Jeff film is a step in the right direction, she
said.
Bell-Jeff student Dane Errisson, 17, who has written screenplays,
directed his own movies and also acts will be helping behind the scenes.
"I'm really excited about making the movie. Everybody is working
really hard to make it a success," he said.
