aBOUT
How did we get here?
Click on these links and dive into their 5th to 7th grade media journey and read the blog below!
How did we get here?
Click on these links and dive into their 5th to 7th grade media journey and read the blog below!
Final PMA/Production Blog
THE FINAL CURTAIN: 8th Grade Production, The Final Culmination
By Luzviminda Uzuri “Ms. Lulu” Carpenter, 5th-8th Performance & Media Arts (PMA) Teacher
Please join us at Rainier Arts Center in Columbia City (3515 South Alaska Street) at 5:00 pm (4:30 pm doors open) to honor our lovely 8th graders as they share their final culmination of their SGS career.
Click here to see movie posters, trailers, credits, characters, roles, and photos.
Tonight, our graduating class of 2023 will celebrate one to four years of media and technology education through the viewing of a collectively created film. There will be some who may laugh while others cry and others will just marvel at how far they have come, but all will come to eventually call this film their “legacy movie.” Their last gift to the Seattle Girls’ School (SGS) community will be the “final curtain call” or their final culmination. We hope they will come back to watch this legacy movie many years from now.
Currently, it is a tradition that has been passed down generation after generation; some of the tales are what legends are made of. Our development team has started to invite alumni back to watch their middle school antics as they act out tragedy, drama, comedy, and mystery. Today, during a special community meeting, we held our annual all-school Honors Assembly where each student graduating was given a tribute by another fellow student from the 7th grade. It was heartwarming to witness peers giving gratitude for small and big ways our 8th graders have been leaders these past years. We ended with watching four (4) legacy movies; some of the groups were large and some small, but all were mighty in their hope and goals. As the weeks passed, teachers and advisors watched with pride as students stressed and strategized around various challenges.
The pride comes from them utilizing many years of learning from all their classes to execute a huge project that required their 21st Century Core Skills; we had Producers, Directors, Budget Managers, Logistics Managers, Equipment Managers, Props & Costumes Managers, Screenwriters, Editors, Cinematographers, Peer Mediators, Continuity Managers, and PR Managers/Poster Artists. They were a full fledged team! Every day in class looked like a film production office with the mess and organization of creativity and skills!
Some of them started as 5th Graders creating superheroes, sheroes, and queeroes for their ComiCon Culmination and others started in 6th Grade, as Science Fiction characters for their Avatar Project building worlds, writing scripts for short videos, and acting out improv scenes. Still others came in 7th grade to learn audio engineering basics to record parody songs and make music videos using DSLR cameras for the first time. While others started just this year bringing their humor, skills, and willingness to join a tight knit community. Whether they came this year or started in 5th grade, they unified to struggle with care over consensus decision making, genre picking, plot drafting, screenwriting, acting, directing, producing, editing, and finally, marketing!
If you have not RSVP’d please click here, so we have an accurate count of our guests for seats in the theater and icecream for your bellies. See you soon! Lights, Camera, Action…. And then fade to black… The credits are rolling soon, as Graduation peaks around the corner. May they continue to struggle with love over the things they care passionately about and hold their heads proudly at the end of a long process with a final product that shines as brightly as they do when the lights go down and their media is on the screen before them.
8th Grade Culmination Program Handout & Credits
Production
Friday, June 9, 2023
Introduction
With the explosion of movie-making tools on our phones, innovative editing software, and the ability to reach a huge audience through YouTube, TikTok, and social media, the video medium unapologetically demands a place in the 8th grade curriculum. Whether it’s an entire film course in high school or a required video submission as part of the college application process, it’s becoming evident that students need to express themselves as effectively through moving imagery as they do with written words.
What is Production?
Production is a unit within Performance and Media Arts (PMA) where students learn foundational movie-making skills and practice collaboration and negotiation within group and all-class settings. Students worked on skills throughout their years at SGS: 5th Grade Comic-Con, 6th Grade Avatar Project, and 7th Grade Photography and Music Video Units. Then, in term 1 and 2 of 8th grade they worked on their individual pop culture news videos along with the Intensives’ Filmmaking Bootcamp, where they made many short films, as well as learned consensus decision making processes. Students learned various skills associated with filmmaking and acting, including character development, screenwriting, cinematography with DSLR cameras, and online software collaborative editing with WeVideo. It is called “Production” intentionally because the process of completing the film is just as important as the final product and they attempted to put into practice all they learned about flexibility, communication, and teamwork from start to finish, beginning with . These are skills that they will have a lifetime to practice as 21st Century school and work assets and we hope they will reflect on this experience and continue to grow.
Primary Goals of Production
1) Work collaboratively to create class legacy movieS
2) Acquire and practice video production skills
3) Collaborate, negotiate, and compromise in small groups and entire class to reach consensus
4) Collaborate and create screenwriting scripts based on plot graphs
5) Practice table reads or read throughs and make storyboards onset directing and filming
6) Use DSLR cameras with tripods and dollies for steady and creative shots and angles
7) Navigate google docs (writing, logistics, budgeting, and filming schedule)
8) Collaborate on WeVideo editing and integrate peer feedback
9) Learn how to use cinematography skills such as types of shots and camera angles to tell a story
Production Process
• Create Production Groups and Producer lead roles
• Vote on type of movie (all class or cores only)
• Producers lead class session and organize logistics
• Create and vote on overarching themes
• Develop characters & plots
• Screenwriting and table reads
• Editing scripts
• Schedule shoot logistics
• Learn cues and day of shoot logistics and needs
• Edit footage and incorporate peer feedback
• Check for continuity
• Begin the process again...write, film, and edit....
• Make movie trailer for Community Meeting
• Collect bloopers
• Make premiere posters
• Main Editors finish last edits
• Ms. Lulu renders film to be played at Community Meeting and Culmination
• Students host Honors Assembly and Culmination with families and friends with a Q&A
What Should You Look for During the Culmination?
• Opportunities for communication, collaboration, and critical thinking
• Individual strengths (screenwriting, directing, cinematography, acting, editing, etc.)
• Video editing (practice and application using WeVideo online editing software)
• Cinematography (look at the different angles and shots that were utilized: i.e. establishing shots, close ups, medium shots, full body shots)
All Day Field Day Volunteers: Sabrina Scott, Kathryn Bouchard, Tracy Foltz,
Culmination Day Volunteers Lead: AMY “the bomb dot com” Knobbs
Icecream Social Volunteers: Amber Flame, Jenny Hansen Das, Jamie Richards, Gail Richards, Jessica Urban, Sabrina Scott, and Kate Sigafoos
Adult Volunteer Support throughout the year: David Spohr
8th Grade Advisors Support: Ms. Lulu Carpenter (Production Teacher), Hannah McHugh, Profe Rowan, and Bre Caruso
Staff Supporters: Jordan Hodge, April Lorenzo, Lilly Christensen, Emma Louisa Holden, Phelan Pang, and Miryam Harvey
FILMS
Beach Babes presents SURFERS VS. SAILORS - A tight community of surfers are anticipating the summer on their local beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On the same beach, sailors of the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club are spending the summer on the sea along with their kids. There has been hostilities for years, but what will happen when these new generations meet? Will they get along or will history repeat itself?
Characters
Tristan Thorton by Zoe Richards
Paige Wilson by Ciel Lai
Austin Thorton by Frances Fleming
Summer Wilson by Lily Grabinski
Bill Wilson (Paige's Father) by Tavi Means
Aimee Wilson (Paige's Mother) by Frances Fleming
Cliff Thorton (Tristan's Father) by Tess Peters
Meghan Thorton (Tristan's Mother) by Lulu Carr
Tyler Thornblower by Maeve Berryman
Maid by Zoe Litvack
Roles
Producer - Tavi Means
Director and Poster Creator - Ciel Lai
PR Manager - Frances Fleming
Cinematographer - Tess Peters
Editor and Cinematographer - Lily Grabinski
Editor - Maeve Berryman
Continuity Manager - Zoe Litvack
Peer Mediator - Zoe Richards
Costume Manager - Lulu Carr
Thanks to our supporters:
Henry Hart Baird for lifeguarding
Paul Berryman for cameo
Corvus & Co. Restaurant & Bar for hosting off-campus filming locations
[Insert Name Here] Productions presents MASKED - On a street, a woman opens her phone and makes a call, a number she hasn't called in years. After five years, a team gets back together to perform the biggest heist of their lives, stealing a resplendent masquerade mask. Will they pull it off? Or will they be... unmasked.
Characters
K by Violet Baumfeld
Silas Keyes by Virgil Harker-Prince
Arlian Ector by Katie Knobbs
V by Siena Spohr
Carmen Sanfrancisco by Nina Evans
Any J name by Josie Schmieder
Roles
Main screenwriter- Katie Knobbs
Screenwriters- Violet Baumfeld, Virgil Harker-Prince, Katie Knobbs, Siena Spohr, Nina Evans, Josie Schmieder
Cinematographer- Violet Baumfeld, Virgil Harker-Prince, Katie Knobbs, Siena Spohr, Nina Evans, Josie Schmieder
Props and Costumes Manager- Violet Baumfeld, Virgil Harker-Prince, Katie Knobbs, Siena Spohr, Nina Evans, Josie Schmieder
Main editor- Josie Schmieder
Logistics Manager- Virgil Harker-Prince
Budget Manager- Nina Evans
Producer- Siena Spohr
Poster Artist- Virgil Harker-Prince
Thanks to Our Supporters:
G.O.A.T productions for providing extras
Ms. Miryam for lending us her office
G.O.A.T. Productions presents HIGH SCHOOL: THE MOVIE (NOT THE SERIES) - This movie is set in a school where the athlete and mathlete teams are competing for a significant donation from an unknown benefactor. The story follows Roy, a soccer player on the athletes team, and Allie, a mathlete. While the teams work to win the competition, Roy and Allie fall in love despite the rivaling circumstances. Will this unlikely romance survive? And which team will come out on top?
Characters
Allie Johnson by Sophia Hill
Roy Smith by Margot Morris
Riley Bradshaw by Nora Weir
Sage Zhang by Cosmo Roupp
Evie Stark by Lucy Bouchard
Kiara Woods by Cassie Halter
Mia Lancaster by Mia Raistakka
Jaelynn Woods by KJ Thomas
Khaliah Miller by Khaliah Sheree Jackson-Price
Imani Hernandez by Amelia Martinez
Cam Hootsifer by Mica Wolf
Jam Hootsifer by Violet Hart-Baird
Principal Aquino by Madeline Alviar
Vice Principal Hayes by Olivia Dunham
Janitor Moore by Jojo Foster
Roles
Producer - Jojo Foster
Assistant Producer - Madeline Alviar
Director - Jojo Foster
Logistics Managers - Mia Raistakka & Madeline Alviar
PR & Communications - Cosmo Roupp & Olivia Dunham
Budget Manager - Violet Hart-Baird
Cinematographers - Violet Hart-Baird & Amelia Martinez
Main Movie Editor - Nora Weir
Audio Engineer - Olivia Dunham
Continuity Managers - Mia Raistakka & Lucy Bouchard
Set Design/Costumes & Props - Cassie Halter, Mica Wolf, Lucy Bouchard
Equipment Managers - Khaliah Sheree Jackson-Price, Sophia Hill, Margot Morris
Mediators - Mica Wolf & KJ Thomas
Script Writers - Jojo Foster, Nora Weir, Mica Wolf, Olivia Dunham, Madeline Alviar, Margot Morris, Cosmo Roupp, Mia Raistakka, Lucy Bouchard, Cassie Halter, Violet Hart-Baird, KJ Thomas, Amelia Martinez, Khaliah Sheree Jackson-Price, Sophia Hill
Thanks to our supporters/ cameos:
Overworked Barista by Mica Wolf
Enthusiastic Adult by Bre Caruso
Exuberant Math Host by Kara Duval-Fowler
Graduation cameos from [Insert Name Here] Productions
Blooper cameo by Hannah McHugh
April Lorenzo for her car use
PANN IS FAM presents PSYCH (SIKE) - SYNOPSIS: 3 couples who seem to be having some problems decide to take some time to go to a couples therapy retreat on a private island. Little do they know that feelings will be hurt, relationships are broken, secrets revealed, and lives at risk. The last thing that you think you would find in a lake arrives, but what else will come with it?
Characters
Noah Beck by Nova Connolly
Periwinkle Beck by Piper Scott
Clareece Crystal by Sasha Urban
Louise Crystal by Mabel Muzzey
Emily Flitstock by Amalia Anderson
Willow by Arella Tabakin-Manor
Jamie Daniels by Isa Medalle
Sebastian Chimey by Finn Das
Kristene Chimey by Maddy McKay
Roles
Co-Producer - Piper Scott
Co-Producer - Sasha Urban
Main Editor - Nova Connolly
Audio Editor - Finn Das
Cinematographer - Maddy McKay
Equipment Manager - Amalia Anderson
Logistics Manager - Arella Tabakin-Manor
Marketing Manager - Isa Medalle & Mabel Muzzey
Props & Costume Coordinator - Mabel Muzzey & Isa Medalle
Thanks to Our Supporters:
Kyle Cobden
Jessica Urban
Lulu Carr, for her starring role.
Andina Anderson
Broadmoor Golf Club