Myles David Jewell was our artist-in-resident for the fall semester, and he was nothing short of AWESOME to work with. He has worked with high school and college students and many community partners. You have likely seen him with his camera at local events.
There is a question that we explore with each semester’s artist-in-residence: What does art do? With Myles, we unpacked that question through film. Exploring the power of this medium drove students as they spent time reflecting on the genres of film they wanted to make, as well as what messages they wanted to share.
We also considered the creative process, and discussed what it means to work in groups on this type of project. Those conversations had many takeaways. With each group, Myles’s expertise was invaluable. His knowledge of film was incalculable, but just as valuable was his understanding of group process. On one of our first days of planning for the BCL11 Film Festival, Myles reminded us, “Editing is not a team sport.”
The production process was labor-intensive. The photos and embedded video that follow offer a behind-the-scenes look at both filming and editing.
On December 18, students had the opportunity to share their films in a film festival. The links to the films can be found at the bottom of the post.
BCL11 students have had a lot to say about working with Myles and the entire process of creating their films.
Film making and editing is a very long and sometimes daunting task, but I really enjoyed working on these projects. My favorite parts were filming, watching our ideas come to life, and seeing the final film come together. One harder part of this process was the fact that our group was marginally bigger than the other groups (8 people) so sometimes it was hard to always have people working on something instead of having to wait around until a scene was filmed or edited.
What I’ve learned: movies have the power to entertain and captivate audiences. They transport us to different worlds, evoke emotions, and tell stories that resonate with us. They have the ability to bring people together and create shared experiences. They are a form of artistic expression and through their creative choices, filmmakers can explore social issues, challenge perspectives, and inspire meaningful conversations. They have the potential to educate and raise awareness, shed light on historical events, cultural traditions, and societal challenges. They can serve as a platform for representation and diversity and they have the power to shape culture, influence society, and create lasting impact.
Lulu
Creating art with my peers has made me grow as a person. Not only has it made me have to work collaboratively, and accept ideas that are not my own, but it has also shown how the diversity of perspectives in a group can really form something beautiful. On top of this, the power of creating has really shone through, in how it can strengthen connection and understanding between peers.
Throughout my experience in this project I have been left with questions: How can I strive to include more art in my life? And, how can BHS be made into a place where more connection takes place (even with no windows and in a Macy’s)?
Naveen
Before creating my own movie, I used to believe that films were primarily for entertainment, a way to escape reality for a brief moment. However, diving into the world of filmmaking transformed my perspective, revealing the profound impact movies can have on society. Working on my own project allowed me to understand the potential of art as a powerful tool for activism and social change. The process made me appreciate how storytelling through film can convey messages, challenge perspectives, and ignite conversations on important issues.
Now, as I reflect on my own cinematic journey, I recognize the potential for my work to serve as a catalyst for change. Whether through storytelling, visual symbolism, or emotional resonance, my film has the power to contribute to the broader dialogue on critical issues. This experience has not only deepened my appreciation for the art of filmmaking but has also fueled a sense of responsibility to create content that goes beyond entertainment, aiming to make a meaningful impact on the world around me.
Quinn
I created a drawing to show all the different things that film can represent. I drew different systems, especially ones that we’ve focused on in BCL this semester. I wanted to show the wide range of topics and emotions that can be conveyed through the interpretation of film. I also chose to keep some of the drawings black and white to show that film has different styles (black and white, color, etc.). Film, and art in general, can inspire connection, change people’s perspectives, and make people feel a variety of emotions.
Gillian
Another thing that this project highlighted/reignited within me is my interest in video editing and cinematography. It’s something that I used to be very into but has slipped away from my mind during this busy time in high school. In my journal I touched on this: “My eyes have been opened to the possibilities of video/cinematography igniting my interest again.” I used to make stop motion animations, youtube videos, and was very into editing using Davinci Resolve. This project and being able to work with Myles has reminded me how interested I am in these skills and have ensured that I continue to work on digital media and editing in the future. I genuinely think that I will definitely try to improve my editing/videography skills in college, and it’s thanks to BCL that let me realize how much I enjoy it.
Adriel
A highlight I wrote in my journal was the stop motion because of how difficult it is to create. Myles taught me the basics and I started to get the hang of it. For every 12 images it is 1 second of film. This means that if I was to create a one minute video it would take 720 images. This is very difficult to do because it takes a lot of time and good placement to create a good stop motion film. This experience has connected me to my partner more because we have to work together to be able to make this film good. My partner Rowan is very good at drawing which is an advantage to this style of film because he can create props which would be easier for us to work with as you can create the perfect size and there wouldn’t be any need to edit the size of the image or whether it is inverted or not. I also have come to a realization and connection to the quote “nothing good ever comes easy.”
Sunny
Why do we make art? I suppose there are many different answers to this question, as everyone has their own personal ideas about making art, but zooming out, why do we do it? Is it because we think it looks pretty? Or we’re just bored and have nothing better to do? While I suppose those answers could be correct, for some people in some scenarios, but overall, no. We make art to communicate. Naturally humans have a need for communication. We need to keep track of where everyone is, we need to be able to share new information, and going even deeper, we feel a need for connection.
As humans try to communicate and connect with one another, there comes a point where words can only get us so far. We as humans have such complicated brains and such highly developed ways of thinking, and sometimes just talking isn’t enough to convey what we feel. Art is a beautiful way that people can express the things they feel need to be heard. I believe anyone can experience this form of communicating as art can take so many, often abstract, forms, making it a universally accessible language.
Isaac
We also asked BCL11 students, What are you taking with you after this project? What follows are a handful of anonymous answers:
- “I have a new appreciation for filmmaking, how hard it is, and what it can do.”
- “That I am capable of more than I know because this is not something I thought I would be able to do.”
- “I now know how to make a movie, and I think that the hard work that went into it will go a long way.”
- “The moments and relationships I built with my group members, because I had the time to know them better.”
- “Better collaboration skills.”
- “It’s fun to try new things even if you don’t anticipate it’ll be your strength.”
Thank you to Myles for helping make this semester’s final art project such a great success!
Burlington City & Lake Semester 