It’s quiet on set. The cameras are in place, the directors are ready to call the shots, and the actors have memorized their scripts. Everyday on a movie set is a rinse and repeat cycle that goes on for months until the film is complete. It may sound repetitive, but for the students in the NHS film club, this process is what they love the most.
Senior Eli Kunkel, the director of the group, has been a part of the film club for the majority of his high school career. Over the last two years, he has been able to take on leadership for the program, and he says he has been able to significantly grow the club, not only in the school hallways, but on social media as well.
“About three years ago, I joined the film club with Henry Johnson, who was a senior at the time. He graduated, and I took the mantle. I kind of restarted the whole thing,” Kunkel said.
The growth Kunkel has ignited in the club has led to more opportunities for everybody involved. Junior Grant Wettrick, an actor in his first project with the club, says that he has seen the benefit that has resulted from the group’s rapidly growth.
”We have over doubled the number of members. We had around 12 members last year, and only 7 to 8 of them were able to participate,” Wettrick said. “This time around we are up to around 26 members, which obviously is a good thing. It allows us to really create more roles.”
With the new opportunities opening up, Kunkel sees the ways that members develop their new skills. He says that these possibilities can lead to future success.
”In the film club we have different groups. We have the actors, the make-up people, we have lighting, so it takes a lot of skills that are thrown together in one [group] of a film club, which is really unique for a club because it isn’t specific to one thing. Everyone’s passion makes one final project,” Kunkel said.
The members all have their own roles, unique jobs that aren’t immediately obvious. Helen Raza, a writer and editor for the club, has not only been able to coordinate actors with their scripts, she has seen the group as a fun opportunity during her high school career.
“I write the stories. I’m more of a co-writer because I do edit the film, and I give ideas,” Raza said. “So I go in there, and do what everybody has to do. We still have fun with it, but making sure people get where they got to go, and to organize.”
For others in the club, the group is a chance to pursue their future careers. Carter McDowell, a set manager, has an interest in photography, an opportunity he says has helped him tremendously.
“I’ve been in the film club ever since I was a freshman, and one of my hobbies is photography, especially film photography. So this definitely can help with that a lot going into the future,” McDowell said.
The members say they love to welcome new students at every meeting. Kunkel says he shows his gratitude in his love of seeing more faces in the group.
”[The community] is pretty fun and pretty open. They welcome newcomers super easily,” Kunkel said. “We had a new guy show up last meeting, and everyone was so thrilled to have new people because we just want a place where they can also share their ideas, the more people the more we can bounce off ideas.”
As Kunkel prepares to head to college, one of his goals is not only to recruit new members but to motivate students to achieve what they desire in their future careers.
”That’s really what a film club is, because a lot of people don’t know that they have this passion and just try it out. Some people may try it out and realize it isn’t for them,” Kunkel said, “but that’s what I want to see. I want to see these people find that they may love film. I know I love film, and I hope others can have the same thing.”
