Due to COVID-19, this year’s Fieldston Film Festival was held virtually via livestream on Tuesday, June 9th. Typically, there is an assembly in April to showcase students’ film trailers in preparation for the Spring Festival held at Lincoln Center. The annual showcase is “usually in front of [a] sold out or near capacity [venue],” according to film teacher Larry Buskey. It’s replacement online, though not what any student anticipated, was a resounding success.
Film students proved their ability to adapt to new circumstances by pivoting their initial film plans and improvising at home. Buskey claims that the films this year were more “authentic” than previous years because students had to be resourceful and film on whatever devices were available, rather than the
professional-grade equipment normally provided by the school. Jeremy Rabinowitz (V) explains, “Unlike most of my projects, I was the only one on set. So I had to not only write and direct it, I also had to act it and film it.”
The filming process is threefold: pre-production, production, and post-production. Pre-production consists of compiling ideas, collaborating with others and writing a screenplay. Essentially, students create a blueprint of the film, referred to as a shot list. After initial planning, the production process begins when film students record and shoot the footage. The final steps include hours of meticulous editing, cutting scenes and in some cases, re-filming scenes.
Buskey noted that “sometimes the [pandemic’s] influence was manifested through metaphors and other times in far more immediate and literal ways.” Film student Rylee Landau (IV) showcased an optimistic outlook on the pandemic by using her younger sister to prove that younger children can still thrive in these trying times. Landau states, “I wanted to show how thinking about COVID-19 differently could make people smile and realize that not all things are negative.”
The Virtual Film Festival was a prime example of the grit and determination that Fieldston students have exemplified since March. The film students credit Buskey for his advice and support throughout the filmmaking process. Now, the festival is available to rewatch – one perk of virtual learning.
*Poster designed by Izzy Roth-Dishy*
