Maysee McLean with other students are making a short film
Katie Depont, Eric Thompson, Madison Joyce, Maysee McLean
iFilmGroup member Maysee McLean, along with three other Strathroy District Collegiate high school students are pursuing a dream to make their own short film. With the help of the Prestige Pictures team that dream is coming true. Together they are making a thriller themed short film called “Tristis”.
They have been working for months to bring this to life. With mentors from Prestige Pictures as well as a donation of equipment from Ontario Camera’s they are excited to start shooting in a couple of weeks!
Tristis is a short film that was created by a group of passionate and determined high school students. But this is more than just a short film, as three experienced professionals have agreed to come on board as mentors to provide a hands-on learning experience for these students. In order to provide a full on-set experience, they required a budget to cover production expenses and ensure the students can learn with industry-standard equipment.
Maysee Mclean will be the "Director Apprentice for the film and will also be playing the role of Sydney in the film. Sydney is a little nerdy. She hasn't been sleeping which has made her feel really down and depressed. Sydney has a hard home life as her dad left a few years back. Her mom is having to balance multiple jobs and always seems to be tired and sad. The rest of the team includes Eric Thompson as DOP / Cinematographic apprentice, Madison Joyce – Production Manager Apprentice and Katie Depont as Production Co-ordinator apprentice. The student team will be helped by Matt Blain who is the Writer/Director/ Producer of the film and Matthew Read is the owner and founder of Prestige Pictures and the cinematographer
The student team is learning all the aspects to film making and learning what goes into making a film. Like insurance, food for cast and crew, casting, post-production.
The team has been looking for a few remaining cast for extras for the film. This film Student-driven project has the help of mentors to guide the student team along. The students have put together a dynamic thrilling story fearing some good old fashion High School drama. Including popular girls, social status, and jealousy. The team is really excited about the project and the journey through making a film. The team is excited about the opportunities for people to be involved in the project. “This is a great learning opportunity and, if you are a high school student it is a great way to obtain volunteer hours,” says McLean.
This opportunity is similar to what the iFilmGroup program does with people of all ages from youth right up to seniors. The iFilmGroup team is very proud to see one of its members Maysee McLean branching out and doing her own projects. “Maysee has been with us for a few projects. Now she has been accepted into the Media Production Program at Ryerson University and will be learning more about the media industry. Add to that, she is working on producing a short film of her own. It’s so amazing to see the growth.” says iFilmGroup co-Founder Don Hickey.
The film is being shot on Saturday, May 18th; Full day and Tuesday, May 21st. The filming for the film is taking place in Strathroy, Ontario.
iFilmGroup.org Press Release - Maysee McLean and Fellow Students- Make a Short Film - 05-08-19